Top 10 Buddhist Destinations In India
Top 10 Buddhist Destinations In India
India though with a very small percentage of Buddhist population is still a hotspot when it comes to selecting a destination for Buddhist holiday. The sheer number of Buddhist sites here is wonderful. Also India being the land where Buddhism originated makes it one of the top most destination for a vacation.
So what are the sites that a Buddhist or for that matter anyone interested in Buddhism should visit in India? The top ten of these sites are Bodhgaya Sarnath Kushinagar Ladakh Ajanta Ellora Caves Dharamsala Sanchi Nalanda Sikkim an Arunachal Pradesh.
The first three of these Bodhgaya Sarnath and Kushinagar are amongst the four sacred sites in Buddhism. Bodhgaya is the place where Prince Siddhartha after years of spiritual practice attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. The Mahabodhi Temple complex with the descendent of the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment is the top attraction here. Sarnath the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon has the Dhamek Stupa and Sarnath Museum as its prime attraction while Kushinagar where the Buddha breathed his last has the Mahaparinirvana Temple as its prime attraction.
Ladakh has a good percentage of Buddhist population and hence offers an opportunity to interact with people. Also a number of monasteries dot this strikingly beautiful land the most famous amongst these being the Hemis Monastery. An annual festival is celebrated in the compound of Hemis which attracts a number of visitors both from India and abroad.
Dharamsala provides shelter to a number of Tibetans. The Dalai Lama settled here post Chinese invasion of Tibet forced him to leave his homeland along with thousands of his followers. Dharamsala is a wonderful place incase travellers want to know more about the Tibetan form of Buddhism. Tibetan form of Buddhism can also be witnessed in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. In the former the Rumtek Dharma Chakra Monastery and in the latter the Tawang Monastery are pretty well known.
The Ajanta and Ellora Caves are located in Maharashtra and are a World Heritage Site. The caves are fine examples of early Buddhist architecture. The Buddhist Monuments of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh too are designated World Heritage Sites. Nalanda was once the most renowned university of the World.
For foreign travellers landing at Mumbai or Chennai airport it is good to start their Buddhist journey by exploring the Ajanta Ellora Caves. This can be followed by visits to Sanchi Sarnath Kushinagar Bodhgaya Nalanda Dharamsala and Ladakh not strictly in that order. Visits to Arunachal and Sikkim can come at the end of the trip. Those landing at Delhi or Kolkata airport can explore Sanchi Sarnath Kushinagar Bodhgaya Nalanda Dharamsala Ladakh Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim not strictly in that order first and then proceed towards Ajanta Ellora Caves.
This is just one travel plan based on the location of the sites. However the actual plan of the travellers should take into consideration number of other factors like the climate and current situations. It is a good idea to visit any of these place at a time when a Buddhist festival is being celebrated there.
Want to know more about Buddhist sites in India Visit Buddhist Tourism In India
About the writer: Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer focusing on regional travel. Visit his websites if you need information on California travel or Pacific Northwest travel.
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