Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour

Boudhnath

Bouddhanath Stupa lies  about 6 km east of downtown Kathmandu and is the largest stupa in the Valley and one of the largest in the world.It looms 36 meters high and presents one of the most fascinating specimens of stupa design with hundreds of prayer wheels and 108 small images of Buddha all around.
Just like the Swayambhunath, the stupa here is too has four sides with the watchful eyes of Lord Buddha. All the Buddhist throng to this stupa to take part in the sacred rituals during the Buddhist festivals. A  World Heritage Site is also known as Khasti. There are more than 45 Buddhist monasteries in the area. Many have schools that teach young monks like those pictured here.

Charumati Stupa

The stupa of Chabahil which is also called Charumati Stupa named after the daughter of    Buddhist emperor Ashoka who joined him on his trip to the Kathmandu Valley in 250 b.c. The stupa not far from Pashupatinath is said to be erected by Charumati. Charumati stayed in the Kathmandu Valley after she married a local prince. A recently found Brahmi inscription with her name should underline this story.

Swoyambhunath Stupa

Views  over the Valley from the top of a hillrock on its western side just three kilometers west of the city center. The stupais one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley out of a primordial lake.Swayambhuis also known as Samhenguand is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is also one of the oldest and glorious Buddhist shrines in the world which is said to be two thousand years.Thefour sides of the stupais painted with the eyes of Lord Buddha and the temple is also known as the watchful eyes of Buddha.

Naghal Stupa( Kathesimbu)

Kathesimbu Stupa is situated in the Naghal district of Kathmandu. It was built for those who could not make the journey to visit Swayambhu, as it is located on a high hill. This reproduction of Swayambhu is practically hidden in the middle of old Kathmandu and this fact makes it extremely interesting.

Pharping

Pharping is an ancient renowned city situated in Southern Region of Kathmandu. It was popular with the name “Shikharapuri Mahanagari (Metropolitan City)” which was recognized as an independent state with 48000 people in ancient time. So “Shikharapur” is an ancient name of Pharping village. Shikharapur was independent Newari State when Gopaleshowr Temple was in the middle of Pharping. It was an established state at that time when Kathmandu Valley was a lake. It is said there was no existence of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. Later Goddess Manjushree cut the Chobhar gorge and the water of valley flowed outside then after valley became suitable to stay. Hence, Pharping has its own ancient history. so, it is considered as a History of Village. It’s also said that Great Gurus of Hinduism and Buddhism get enlightened at Pharping. It’s also famous as a religious place. For example; Great Guru Padmasambhava got enlightened at Asura Cave, Gorakhanath and Sheshnarayan Cave at Pharping. It’s important religious place for Buddhist pilgrimages as well.

MahaBoudha Bihar,Patan

Mahabouddhacan be reached by walking east from the southern end of Durbar Square and then turning right at the sunken water taps. This Buddhist monument is an excellent example of terra cotta art form which points to the skill of Patan’sancient craftsmen with a variety of building styles. The 14th century monument’s obelisk-like design is also unusual in a city of pagoda roofs.

Namoboudha

NamoBuddha is a very sacred place for the Buddhists. The Stupa situated just off to the downtown Kathmandu is visited by scores of pilgrims every year. There is a legend behind the reverence of this place. According to the Buddhist legend, the King Mahasattvagave his body to a hungry tigers at this place. His reliquary Stupa remained under ground for centuries. One day a hermit called Bhagavan(Sakyamuni) came to this site and got attracted to the bulge. It is said that he clapped his hands, and miraculously the Stupaappeared.Itis also 3 hours hike from the Dhulikhel.

Dhulikhel to Pokhara

we can see natural beauty on the way .

World Peace Stupa

Pokhara Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist monument on Anadu Hill of the former Pumdi Bhumdi Village Development Committee, in the district of Kaski, Nepal World peace Stupa in Pokhara was built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji monk Morioka Sonin with local supporters under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk and the founder of Nipponzan-Myōhōji. Shanti is a Sanskrit word meaning peace, also widely used in the Nepali and Hindi languages and Shanti Stupa means Peace Pagoda. Shanti Stupa shrine was built as a symbol of peace. Situated at the height of 1100 meters on the Anadu Hill, Nichidatsu Fujii laid the foundation stone along with relics of the Buddha on 12 September 1973.

Devdah

Devdah, 54 kms east of Lumbini across the Rohini River, is the ancient capital of the Koliya kingdom. It is the maternal hometown of Queen Mayadevi, Prajapati Gautami (Siddhartha’s stepmother) and Princess Yasodhara (his consort). This is where Prince Siddhartha spent his childhood. Seven years after his Enlightenment Lord Buddha visited Devdaha and ordained followers of Jain Sadhu Nirgrantha Nathputra. There are several other sites around Devdaha such as Kumarbarti, Khayardanda, Bairimai/Kanyamai, Bhabanipur/Devidamar, Mathagadi (ancient weapons).

Lumbini

Lumbini associated with the birth of Lord Buddha is of extreme archeological importance and also a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site. It is said that Prince Siddhartha Gautam,wholater became Buddha the Englightened One, was born in the gardens of Nepal’s Lumbini in 623 B.C. The main shrines of Lumbini are the newly restored MayadeviTemple, the Ashokan Pillar behind the temple and the Lake ShakyaPuskariniwhere Mayadevi is said to have bathed before delivering the little Buddha into the world. Several other places near Lumbini are linked with stories connected to Buddha and Buddhism. Lumbini is about 300 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu. Bus and flights to Bhairahawa which is about 22 kilometers from Lumbini.

KapilVastu with Tilaurakot

Tilaurakot has been identified by archaeologists as the actual capital of Kapilvastu and the home of King Suddhodhana, father of Prince Siddhartha who later went on to become the Buddha. This is believed to be the place where Lord Buddha spent the first 29 years of his princely life. Chinese travelers who visited Tilaurakot more than 2,500 years ago reported seeing numerous stupas, monasteries and palaces. The Chinese pilgrims Fa-Hien and Hiuen-Tsang noted that they saw Kapilavastu in complete ruins and counted 10 deserted cities within Kapilavastu. King Virudhaka, who massacred the Shakyas during the last days of Lord Buddha, is said to have destroyed the cities.
Located about 27 kms west of Lumbini and 3 kms from Taulihawa town, a joint effort by Nepali and Japanese archeologists recovered the royal town of Tilaurakot, the elaborate gateway in the western side, the twin stupa of the Buddha’s parents, and King
Suddhodhan’s palace in and around the Tilaurakot mound. Historically, Kapilavastu was named after Saint Kapil. The Buddha visited Kapilavastu several times during his life. The first nunnery in Buddhist history was also established in Kapilavastu.
The earth rampart, the brick fortification, the ancient habitation, and the 13 layers of human depositions dating between 8 B.C. and 2-3 A.D are the most noteworthy in the historic ruins. The Kapilavastu Museum exhibits coins, pottery and toys dating back to the 7th century B.C. and 4th century A.D. . The terracotta figures recovered at Tilaurakot belong to pre-Mauryan, Mauryan, Sunga and Kushana periods.

Sarnath

Sarnath has previously been known as Mrigadava, “deer park,” and Isipatana, meaning the place where holy men fell to earth. The latter name is based in the legend that when the Buddha was born, devas came down to announce it to 500 holy men. The holy men all rose into the air and disappeared and their relics fell to the ground.
The current name Sarnath, from Saranganath, means “Lord of the Deer” and relates to another old Buddhist story in which the Bodhisattva is a deer and offers his life to a king instead of the doe he is planning to kill. The king is so moved that he creates the park as a sanctuary for deer.

Kushinagar

Kushinagar is the place where Shakyamuni entered Mahaparinirvana. When Lord Buddha reached His eighty-first year, He gave his last major teaching. The subject of the teaching consisted of the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment. After this, He left Vulture’s Peak with Ananda to journey north. After sleeping at Nalanda, he crossed the Ganges for the last time at the place where Patna now stands and came to the village of Beluva. Here, the Buddha fell ill, but he suppressed the sickness and continued towards Vaishali. This was a city where Shakyamuni had often stayed in the beautiful parks that had been offered to him. It was also the principal location of the third turning of the wheel of Dharma.

Bodh gaya

Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi Tree; Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, the Enlightened One. Born; in the foothills of the Himalayas as a Sakya prince of Kapilvastu (in Nepal), most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon, happened in Bihar.