Buddhist Pligrimage
TOUR CODE: MPT/BDH/LUM/23
Day Itinerary Details
- Kathmandu Breakfast
Upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International
Airport in Kathmandu we are met and assisted
by MARCO POLO staff and transferred to your
hotel.
- Kathmandu Breakfast
We start our pilgrimage tour with a visit
to Kathmandu Durbar Square, the palace of
the Malla and then the Shah kings of Nepal.
Places of interest here are the Kasthamandup,
a medieval rest house said to give Kathmandu
its name, Kumari Temple, abode of the virgin
goddess. From here we visit Swoyambhunath
Stupa one of the most important center of
Buddhist learning in Nepal. The stupa is
located on top of a hill overlooking Kathmandu
valley. From here we visit Bodhnath stupa,
possibly the largest stupa in the world
and the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal.
In the afternoon we take a 45 minute drive
to Namobuddha, situated atop a hill near
the old town of Dhulikhel. This place is
celebrated as the meditation site of Nama
Buddha, a Buddha incarnate of ancient times.
There is also a legend that the incarnate
offered a starving tigress about to devour
a helpless child his own limbs so that both
the tigress and the child might be saved.
Kathmandu Breakfast Today we visit Patan
famous for its arts and crafts. Pilgrimage
highlights are Hiranya Varna Mahavihar,
a beautiful monastery and Mahaboudha, a
replica of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya.
From here we visit the Tibetan cultural
center first founded by the Tibetan refugees
of the late fifties and now an exhibition-cum-shopping
complex of carpets, jewellery and many interesting
souvenirs.
- Kathmandu-Bhairahawa-Lumbini
Breakfast
We take the domestic service of Royal
Nepal Airlines to the southern bordercity
of Bhairahawa. Here we'll be met by
our guides and driven 21 kms. (13
miles) to the west to Lumbini, the
birthplace of Lord Buddha. We then
take our pilgrimage tour of Lumbini
Gardens where Lord Buddha was born.
Temple of Maya Devi, Buddha's mother
depicting the nativity scene of Buddha
and the Ashoka Pillar, built by the
Mauryan Emperor Ashoka to mark his
pilgrimage to Lumbini in 240 B.C.
are the highlights here.
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- Lumbini-Tilaurakot-Lumbini Breakfast
Today we take an excursion to Tilaurakot
(27 kms or 17 miles) to the west, the ancient
capital of Kapilavastu, the kingdom of the
Sakya dynasty in which family Lord Buddha
was born. The ruins of a palace is found
here which clearly shows the gate through
which Lord Buddha walked out of his palace
renouncing all worldly possessions in the
quest for Niravana. We return to Lumbini/Bhairahawa
after the full-day excursion and spend the
night at our hotel.
Lumbini-Kathmandu Breakfast We drive to
Bhairahawa after breakfast and catch the
flight back to Kathmandu. We have the rest
of the day free for shopping and walking
around the interesting streets of Kathmandu.
We spend the night in Kathmandu at a hotel.
- Kathmandu Departure Breakfast
We are free until our transfer to the airport
for our departure flight.
Bon Voyage
Lord Pashupatinath, Nepal is equally significant
to Buddhist pilgrims as the birthplace of Lord
Buddha and the center of Buddhist learning.
Marco Polo Travels now brings you the
opportunity of visiting Nepal and North India
to see Buddhism in its historical perspective
and to discover how a philosophy of tolerance,
non-violence and love for all creatures great
and small preached by a Sakya prince over two
thousand five hundred years ago has enriched
the lives of peoples all over the world.
Pilgrimage Sites Nepal
KAPILBASTU
Lumbini Gautama Buddha was born in Lumbini in
Southern Nepal. Now accessible by road from
the southern town of Bhairahawa 13 miles to
the east. Lumbini rests on the plains of Kapilavastu,
the ancient kingdom of the Sakya clan of rulers.
There are numerous buildings of religious significance
in Lumbini. A massive stone pillar was erected
by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in 250 BC. The
Maya Devi shrine houses a stone sculpture of
Buddha's nativity scene and is said to be located
in the exact place Buddha was born in a palace
garden.
Tilaurakot was the capital city of the Sakya
Kingdom now in ruins. This is the place where
Lord Buddha spent 29 years of his life before
he left the comforts of his palace on the quest
of "Nirvana". The area is about one sq. miles.
In the eastern side we see the remains of the
Mahaviniskramana Dwara (the gate from which
Buddha departed seeking the Truth, leaving behind
all worldly life). There is a museum which at
the moment is housing all the archaeological
remains excavated from these areas.
The other sites of interest to pilgrims are
Dharampaniya, Gotihawa, Kudan, Niglihawa, Ramagriam
and Sagarhawa in the Kapilvastu region. Write
to us for detailed descriptions of all these
sites.
Kathmandu Valley
After the main Buddhist stupas and monasteries
of Swoyambhunath and Boudhanath, the following
sites for pilgrimage are important:
Hiranya Varna Mahavihar located in Patan this
"Golden Temple" is, in fact, a monastery. Within
the shrine are many images of Gautama Buddha
and Avalokiteshwor including a golden frieze
depicting the life of Buddha immediately in
front of the main shrine. The monastery is actively
patronized by Buddhist communities.
Mahaboudha This architectural masterpiece is
intended to be a copy of the Mahabodhi Temple
in Bodhgaya in India. It is located close to
Sundhara (Golden Taps) square in Patan. It was
a victim of the great earthquake of 1934 and
the reconstruction did not do justice to its
former glory, losing both its beauty and height.
Literally translated it is "the temple of the
thousand Buddhas" and plays an important part
in the daily religious rites of the inhabitants
of Patan.
Namobuddha Situated atop a hill three hour's
walk to the south of Panauti, this place is
celebrated as the meditation ground of Nama
Buddha, one of the Buddha incarnates of ancient
times. There is an amazing story concerned with
the Buddha which is commemorated by an ancient
stone slab and a stupa with all-seeing eyes.
Pilgrimage Sites Northern
India
How befitting that from the birthplace of Lord
Buddha we retrace his footsteps to Bodhgaya
the holy place in Northern India where he achieved
Nirvana or enlightenment.
Bodhgaya is the place where
Buddha attained enlightenment. The tree under
which Buddha attained wisdom is called the Bodhi
tree, while the temple marking the sacred spot
is known as Mahabodhi temple.
Kushinagar is the place where
Lord Buddha passed into Mahaparinirvana. Here
are a lot of chaityas, stupas and viharas to
see. The Muktabandhana stupa is believed to
have been built by Malla dynasty to preserve
the temporal relics of Lord Buddha. A smaller
shrine nearby contains a reclining Buddha which
was brought from Mathura by the monk Haribala.
Nalanda Once a famous Buddhist
university, Nalanda came into prominence about
the 5th century AD and was a great center of
learning for about 700 years. Huen Tsang, the
well known Chinese traveller, who studied at
the university in the 7th century, has left
glowing accounts of its activities. It attracted
students from all over India, south-east Asia
and China. The ruins of Nalanda lie about 98
kms. (60 miles) southeast of Patna by road.
Rajgir 13 kms. (8 miles)
southwest of Nalanda by road, it is an important
place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It was the
capital of King Bimbisara in ancient times.
The Buddha preached at Rajgir.
Sarnath 8 kms. (5 miles)
north of Varanasi is Sarnath, where in the Deer
Park, Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon
after he received enlightenment. The ruins of
monasteries, built more than 2000 years ago,
the Dhamok Stupa, the Dharmaraji Ka Stupa and
the main shrine draw Buddhist pilgrims yearly
to Sarnath.
Sravasti According to legend
Lord Buddha performed a great miracle here and
it became one of the important Buddhist centers.
It is said Lord Buddha spent 25 rainy seasons
here preaching his gospel.
Buddhist Pilgrimage
Circuit Nepal / North India
Lumbini Birth Place of the
Buddha
6 nights / 7 days
4 nights Kathmandu, 2 nights Lumbini
After taking in the important Buddhist pilgrimage
sites of Kathmandu valley, we fly to Bhairahawa
in south-west Nepal and then visit Lumbini.
We return to Kathmandu by air.
Buddhist Pilgrimage Circuit Nepal
/ North India
11 nights / 12 days
5 nights Kathmandu, 2 nights Lumbini, 1 night
Gorakbpur, 2 nights Varanasi, 1 night Bodhgaya,
1 night Rajgir
We first visit Lumbini in southern Nepal. Then
we cross the international border at Sunauli
and enter India and commence our pilgrimage
to the important North Indian sites. Then we
either fly back to Kathmandu from Varanasi or
fly to Delhi to connect with our international
flight.
