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Arrive Kathmandu, Transfer to Hotel, program briefing O/N Kathmandu.
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Early morning drive to the domestic airport than flight to Lumbini. (Bharawa)Upon arrival we will get onto the bus and head to the archeological Buddhist site of Ramagrama which dates back to 2500BC.
Ramagrama contains a stupa that is important on the Buddhist pilgrimage trail. It is one of 8 places where Buddha’s relics were placed after his cremation. And it is the only intact and original stupa that still contains Buddha’s relics; the other seven places were all opened by King Oshaka some 300 years after Buddha’s deathso that he could celebrate Buddha by redistributing his remains among 84,000 temples spread his Maurya Empire.The 7 meter high stupa is still buried under a mound of earth, however the site is an ideal space for us to do our initial connecting with Buddha.
After our visit we will head to the hotel in Lumbini, check in and have lunch.After Lunch we will visit the Maya Devi Temple, believed to date as far as the 6th century BC.This site is traditionally considered as the place where Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Buddha.Also located here is the Puskarini or Holy Pond where the Buddha’s mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where Buddha had his first bath, and also the Sacred gardens.According to tradition, earlier Buddhas were also born in this area, where they also achieved ultimate Enlightenment and finally relinquished their earthly forms.
We will have the chance to spend time at the Peepul tree (Bodhi tree), under which Maya Devi is believed to have given birth to Buddha.Here we will also see one of the remaining Ashokan Pillars. These pillars were erected by the Mauryan King Ashoka to honor Buddha in 3rd century BC.
Dinner and overnight at Luymbini
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Today we have an easier day with a leisurely morning at the Japanese Peace pagoda in Lumbini.This is a magnificent Buddhist stupa; a monument to inspire peace, designed to provide a focus for people of all races and religions, and to help unite them in their search for world peace.
We will have an early lunch and then head to Tilaurakot palace in Nepalese Kapilavastu. Kapilavastu was the ancient capital city of the Shakyakingdom that covered a huge area from southern Nepal into Northern India. On this tour we will actually visit both Shakyanpalaces of Kapilavastu.This is a beautiful site where you can still see the remains of the 12-foot thick walls of the city as well as the moat.It was from the east gate of this palace where Prince Siddartha Gautama (Buddha) at 29 years of age departed on his journey on his horse, Kanthak.It is at this Eastern gate that we will also do a ceremony opening ourselves up to the new chapters of our own journey and evolution.A short walk to the north of this palace are two important stupas, these are the stupas commemorating King Śuddhodana and Queen Māyādevī (Buddha’s parents).Later in the afternoon we will also make two other visits, one at Kudan and one at Nigalihawa.
Kudan is said to be where King Śuddhodana is said to have first met Buddha when he returned to his home region after enlightenment.Kudan is also said to be the birth place of Krakunchhanda Buddha. (The fourth of the seven Buddhas of antiquity.)And Nigalihawa has an amazing 1000+-year-old black stone Buddha statue of the fifth Buddha of antiquity, Kanakamuni Buddha.
Dinner and overnight at Lumbini.
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After breakfast we start our drive towards Piparahawa (India).
After about a 1-hour drive we will arrive at Nepal-India border. After getting our visa and customs clearances we will then drive to Piprahawa in India. The little village of Piprahawa is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site since Lord Buddha is said to have spent a major part of his first twenty-nine years of life in this region. This place is also known as the Indian part of the historic city calledKapilavastu. And is considered to be the ruins of King Suddhodhana’ssummer palace and the ruins of a Monastery known as Ganwaria.Archaeological excavations have dated parts of this place back to 5th Century BC. This stupa is known as being the site where the Sakyas constructed the relic shrine with their 1/8 part of Buddha’s relics.Here’s a little note about the 1/8 comment above:After Buddha was crematedthe ashes were divided among his disciples. Originally his ashes were to go only to Buddha’s family clan, the Sakya clan.Howeverdisciples of seven other royal families demanded body relics as well. To avoid fighting, a monk divided the relics into eight portions that were enshrined and worshipped in stupas by the royals of eight countries.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel
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We leave the Hotel at 8:00am and drive across some of North India’s colorful farmland to Sravasti thatis said to have been founded by the Vedic period King Shravasta.Once we arrive in Sravasti, we will check into the hotel and have lunch, then start exploring the area.Lord Gautama Buddha must have enjoyed Sravasti as he spent 24 chaturmases and well over 1/4th of his life over here.(A chaturmas is a holy period of four months (July-Oct) and is reserved for penance, austerities, fasting, bathing in holy rivers and religious observances for all. Devotees resolve to observe some form of vow, be it of silence or abstaining from a favourite food item, or having only a single meal in a day.)
Sravasti is also were Buddha recollected the Jatakas; the stories of his previous births. We will start our exploration at the Jetvana Monastery that contains the Ananda Bodhi Tree. This tree is said to have been propagated from the original Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya that Buddha meditated under for 48 days.
The Jetvana Monastery covers a large area and contains many temples, buildings andstupasin a stunning garden setting.Here we will be able to do some meditation at one of the monastery’s main Buddhist pilgrimage destinations, Gandhakuti (Buddha’s dwelling), as well as the remains of other ancient buildings, each known by their religious names, Kosambakuti and Anandakuti. Next we will visit the monument known as PakkiKuti which is the excavated remains of Angulimala’sStupa. Augulimalawas a ruthless killer who was redeemed by his conversion to Buddhism, he is seen as an example of the redemptive power of the Buddha’s teaching and the universal human potential for spiritual progress, regardless of one’s background.The building was also used as the “Hall of Law” in honor of Lord Buddha by King Prasenjit.And then we will visit one of the most important structures in Maheth known as KachchiKuti. This shrineis said to be dedicated to Sudatta, popularly known asAnathapindika. Anathapindika was the main lay disciple of Gautama Buddha. He was extremely wealthy and a patron of the Buddha. He honored the Buddha with laying out 1.8 million gold pieces in the grove and building the very first Buddhist monastery. Anathapindika upon death is said to have entered the heaven of the Bodhisattvas. Anathapindika was known as the “foremost disciple in generosity” as well as character.
Overnight at Sravasti.
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After breakfast, we drive to Khushinagar, the ancient capital of the Mallas and not only one of the four major holy sites for modern Buddhists but also one of the four most holy sites as declared by Buddha himself.Once we arrive in Kushinagar we will have lunch and check into the hotel and then head to the ruins of the ancient city.It was at Kushinagar where Lord Buddha chose to be when his earthly journey passed into Mahaparinirvana (or ‘Final Nirvana’).Here we can spend time with the 6-meter long reclining statue of Buddha in the temple commemorating his death. The red sandstone statue depicts Buddha lying on his right side, head to the north and facing west, representing the image of Buddha’s last few moments of his life before attaining Nirvana.
Afterwards we will visit three important stupas also commemoratingaspects of Buddha’s death.The first is the MutkabandhaStupa thatis believed to have been built to preserve and commemoratethe1/8th set of Buddha’s relics that had been given to the Mallas of Kusinagara.Next we will go to the RamabharStupa. This stupa is more than 50 feet high and marks the actual spot where Buddha was cremated.It was in this place where all those assembled at the time spent seven days honoring Buddha. In Buddha’s time the river ran next to this spot, now it’s a few hundred yards away.Nearby is the AnniruddhawaStupa whichcelebrates the spot where Buddha’s relics were split amongst the 8 kingdoms that revered Buddha at the time. This stupa has a beautiful Bodhi tree growing on it and has a very serene energy about it.The final connection for the day is the MathaKuartemple that was part of a large monastery that surrounded the entire parinirvana site.This temple contains a 3-meter high blue stone carving of Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree. This statue dates back to well over 1000 years ago and has an incredibly powerful energy.
Overnight at the hotel.
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Today is the longest driving day of the tour. We cover quite a bit of distance so we can spend more free time tomorrow around the Rajgir and Nalanda areas.So we will have early breakfast and drive towards Vaishali. Enroute we will visit the KesariaStupa whichat 150 feet is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and dates about 200 AD. The local people call this stupa “Devala” which means “The house of God”.This stupa is only partially excavated but has a striking appearance with an interesting six levels design. The stupa was built by Licchavis (one of Buddha’s followers) to commemorate the end of Lord Buddha’s life.We will then head to Vaishali and have lunch before we tour the ancient city.
Vaishali is an important destination in the Buddhist circuit because this is where Buddha announced his approaching Nirvana to his disciples and gave his last sermon here.Emperor Ashoka erected a beautiful (and one of the best preserved) Ashokan Pillars with a single Asiatic lion capital here to mark this event.
Note: In about 300BCE KingAshoka erected hundreds of these pillars across India at important Buddhist sites to celebrate and commemorate Buddha or Oshaka’s visit to Buddha’s sites, now only 19 survive, and only six with the original animal capitals.Here we will visit the remains of the KutagarasalaVihara monastery where Buddha most frequently stayed while visiting this area, as well as the Anandastupa (named after Buddha’s main disciple), the Coronation tank and thestupa built to contain the Licchavis 1/8 share of Buddha’s relics.Then we will head to Rajgir; book into the hotel and have dinner.
Overnight at Rajgir hotel.
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After breakfast we will have a short drive to Nalanda.Nalanda was a great Buddhist center for studies from about the 5th century. The monastic university was said have had over 1500 teaching monks and about 8,500 students. Students came from as far away as China, Korea, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to learn Buddhist teachings of many sorts.Many of the great Buddhist scholars of the times either studied or taught at Nalanda across these years. And many texts currently used in monasteries around the world are based on the works of the scholars at Nalanda as they explored the depth of Buddha’s teachings.
The great library here was said to have housed hundreds of thousands of volumes and included subjects such as grammar, logic, literature, astrology and medicine.The school and great libraries were unfortunately sacked and burnt in the 1223.
The remains are still extensive and include eight of the teaching houses, five of the major temples and the “Great Stupa” with steps, terraces and many other intact stupas.Then we drive back to Rajgir and have lunch.In the afternoon we will visit the famous Buddhist Monastery calledGridhra-kuta, the “Hill of Vultures”. This is a stunning climb up a small mountain to a peak overlooking the valley. The temple sits right on the peak and has a great energy about it.This temple was one of Buddha’s favorite places and is where he delivered many of his famous important sermons. It was also here that Buddha converted King Bimbisara to his new faith.
Overnight at hotel in Rajgir
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This morning we go to the BarabarHill caves and Nangarjuni caves.These are the oldest surviving rock cut caves in India dating from around 3rd century BC and are said to have presents for the Buddhist monks and Ajivikas from King Ashoka and his son Dasaratha Maurya.There are seven caves in total and most of them consist of two chambers, carved entirely into a solid granite rock. They have highly polished internal surfaces which create an amazing echo effect. The outer chamber was meant for worshippers to congregate in, and is shaped like a large rectangular hall, while the inner chamber is smaller and circular with a domed ceiling designed for worship.This inner chamber probably had a small stupa like structure, at some point, though they are now empty.The extra face of some of the caves have extravagent façades, where the granite has been carved in fine detail to an exact replica of the wood and thatch kutis that the ancient Buddhist monks used to live in.Much of what you see here looks like it has been cut out of the rock using a giant laser.We will spend the morning exploring, chanting and meditating in the caves and then enjoy a boxed lunch before heading towards Bodhgaya.
Bodhgaya is where Siddhartha meditated for 48 days under a “Bodhi tree” And was enlightened on the 49th day and became Buddha, the enlightened one!On arrival in Bodhgaya, check in at the hotel and then depending on time we will look at couple of local Buddhist temples.
Dinner and Overnight at hotel
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After breakfast, we will visit Mahabodhi temple complex.
The main temple here is said to date back to about the 5-6th century, and was built on the spot where King Oshaka built a monastery and a shrine(250BCE) to commemorate the spot where Gautama Buddha sat and meditated under the Bodhi tree and became enlightened.Just next to the temple is a Bodhi tree that is said to be a direct descendant of the tree that Buddha meditated under, here we also will get the chance to meditate in its presence. In Buddhism this is the holiest of the holy of sites, the equivalent of Mecca to Muslims or Jerusalem to Christians. King Oshaka was said to have built a diamond throne to mark the exact spot of Buddha’s enlightenment.After connecting with the Bodhi tree we will follow in the steps of Buddha and spend time at each place where he spent a further week a piece at after enlightenment.We are going to spend the entire day in this complex, as there is much to connect with, and you will have the afternoon free to follow your own pathway.We will meetup again at the hotel for dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.
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After breakfast, drive to Varanasi.Varanasi derives its name from the two streams. Varuna in the north and Assi in the south. It is situated on the banks of River Ganges, which is believed to have the power of washing away all of one’s sins. On arrival, check in at the hotel and have lunch.
In the afternoon we will go to Sarnath.Sarnath is the auspicious place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon in the deer park after attaining enlightenment at Bodhgaya. The first sermon that Buddha gave was to the five men that had followed him on his path to enlightenment. The sermon he gave is called the ‘Four Noble Truths”.We will also visit the Sarnath museum that contains some of the greatest treasures of Indian Buddhist works of art recovered from the Sarnath area. These include Oshaka’s mighty four bodied lion capital as well as one of the most beautiful Buddha sculptures I’ve seen, “The Teaching Buddha”.We will then have a quick dinner at the hotel before having a boat trip on the Ganges to witness the evening Aarti ceremony at the Ghats.
Overnight at the hotel.
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Today, early in the morning we experience the life of this ancient city. We will get onto a boat and see the beauty of the rising sun on the Ganges. As the sun rises we will experience (or participate in) the early morning rituals of the Hindus being performed. Every morning thousands of Hindus bath in the holy river believing they will be free from the circle of rebirth and offer sweets, flowers and holy water to the Sun God.We will then return to the hotel have breakfast and go to the airport to catch our 12:30 Flight to Kathmandu.On arrival, check in at the hotel.
In the afternoon we will visit Swayambhunath temple. This temple is one of the oldest religious sites in Nepal and dates back to the beginning of the 5th century and is also known as the Monkey temple due to the large numbers of ‘holy monkeys’ living in the northwest parts of the temple.The site is revered by both Buddhists and Hindus, and is considered to be one of the most sacred among the Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal.
Overnight at the Kathmandu hotel.
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This morning we will visit Boudanath. This stupa’s massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal and also one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites.The stupa is a major prayer point where merchants on the ancient trade route from Tibet rested and offered their blessings for many centuries. This stupa site predates the city of Kathmandu. The stupa is said to entomb the remains of Kassapa Buddha. (The 6th of the Seven Buddhas of antiquity).
In the afternoon we will go to NamoBuddha, which is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Nepal.
Dinner and overnight at Kathmandu hotel.
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You will get transferred to the Kathmandu airport in time to board your international flight.
