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Kushinagar Monastery


Kushinagar Monastery, Uttar Pradesh

Kushinagar is actually the place of Mahaparinirvana which has now become one of the famous Buddhist pilgrimage. Kushinagar is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh just 51 km from Gorakhpur. The main Nirvana Temple consists of a 6m huge idol of Lord Buddha. In 1876 this statue was discovered during the excavations.

History

Kusinara or Kasia are the other two names of Kushinagar. Near the Hiranyavati River Lord Buddha died and at the Ramabhar stupa he was cremated. Kushinagar was the center of Malla kingdom in the past. Many stupas and viharas which are present here are from the 230 BC-AD 413.By getting the wonderful sculpture of Lord Buddha carved on only one piece of red sandstone Ashoka the Mauryan king added greatness to this pilgrimage.

Kushinagar had lost its importance and was neglected by many due to the decline of Buddhism. However after the excavation Ramabhar stupa, Matha Kua and many such important ruins by Lord Alexander Cunningham once again gained importance. Today Kushinagar is visited by people from all around the world.

Pilgrimage Attraction of Kushinagar

  • Nirvana Stupa: In the east of the main Nirvana Temple the huge brickwork Stupa is situated. A copper vessel was discovered by Carlleyl in the year 1867 which had a height of 2.74 m. This vessel had ancient inscriptions written in Brahmi on it. The inscription stated the remains of Lord Buddha deposited here.

  • Nirvana Temple: This temple consists of the statue of Buddha which is dated back to the fifth century. The image was unearthed during the excavations of 1876. The statue symbolizes the dying Buddha lying on his right side.

  • Mathakuar Shrine: This Shrine is about 400 yards away from the Parinirvana stupa. An image of the idol of Buddha was recovered here which was in black stone and was in the bhumi sparsha mudra. The last sermon by Lord Buddha was given here. In the Matha-kuar shrine massive statue of Lord Buddha is placed which is called as Matha-kuar amongst the local people. The statue is carved on one single blue stone and is 3.05 m high.

  • Ramabhar Stupa: The Ramabhar Stupa measures 49 ft in height and marks the place where Lord Buddha was cremated. This Stupa is only 1.61 km away from the Matha-kuar shrine. In the ancient Buddhist transcripts this stupa is called as Mukut-Bandhan Vihar.

  • Japanese Temple: The temple houses an idol of Buddha which is made by using eight different metals. This idol was built by Atago Isshin World Buddhist Cultural Association of Japan.

  • Kushinagar Museum: The Buddha Museum is worth visiting since it contains 248 ancient materials which were excavated at this place

  • Buddha Vihar: The first Monastery of Kushinagar is the Myanmar Buddha Vihar which attracts huge number of tourists since it has many Buddhist temples in its area.

  • Meditation Park: A beautiful green park has been recently developed near the Nirvana Temple only for the people who wish to meditate. The park is surrounded by sal trees and artificial water bodies.

  • The other places are the Birla Temple, the Chinese temple, the international Buddha trust and the Wat Thai temple.

Travel Route:

  • Airway: Gorakhpur is the nearest airport which is only 44 km away from here.
  • Railway: Again the nearest railway station is Gorakhpur which is only 51 km away.
  • Roadway: Kushinagar is located on National highway number 28. The nearby places are Lumbini-173 km, Lalitpur 33 km from Deogar, Gorakhpur-51 km and Kapilastu-148 km.