Buddha’s last days and beyond
Also see: FAM Trip of Kushinagar and Lumbini
Kushinagar is the place where Gautam Buddha chose to die and attend mahaparinirvan — the Sanskrit term which means nirvana after death. Today, Kushinagar is a small sleepy hamlet in Uttar Pradesh, not far from the Nepal border. A short distance across the border in Nepal lies Sarnath and Lumbini, where Gautam Buddha was born.
Devotees pay homage at the reclining statue of Buddha, Mahaparinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
Kushinagar is an important Buddhist pilgrimage and consists of several archaeological sites along with several other sites related to the last days and death rituals of Buddha. It also houses a series of new Buddhist temples and shrines built by different countries and regions with Buddhist connect.
Place of last meal – Fazilnagar (Google map location): The story of Buddha’s starts from Faizal Nagar (or Fazilnagar) located around 20km east of Kushinagar. Buddha spent his last days in Shravasti, presently a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Uttar Pradesh. When his last days were approaching, he decided to move to some location suitable for his mahaparinirvana.
A small shrine at the place of Buddha’s last meal in Faizal Nagar (Fazilnagar)
He moved to a mango grove where he was offered a meal by a blacksmith named Chunda. The place was then called Pawa Nagar and is present-day Faizal Nagar. There are two theories on the type of food offered to him. One claims it to be pork, while other claim it to be wild mushroom. Strangely, the food was offered only to Buddha and not his disciples. Buddha fell ill after the meal and had severe dysentery. He didn’t blame Chunda, rather valued the meal as the kheer offered by Sujata immediately after his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya.
Sadly, nothing remains of the place where he had his last meal. In recent years, a statue of Buddha is installed in the very place where Buddha is supposed to have had his last meal. The seated statue of Buddha is housed on an elevated platform approached by a flight of stairs. It is housed in a walled complex with portion of the inner wall painted with event depicting Buddha’s life.
Timing: 6am – 6 pm, Entry: Free and Photography: Allowed
Place of last sermon – Matha Kuar Shrine, Kushinagar
Place of last sermon – Matha Kuar Shrine (Google map location): In spite of his illness, Buddha decided to travel to Kushinagar. He delivered his last sermon in Kushinagar.
He told his followers that he was nearing death and told them to prepare a death bed in the nearby sal forest.
Today the site is an archaeological dig and is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and lies on the south western corner of the mahaparinirvan site. The site plan is similar to Buddhist vihars consisting of a central courtyard surrounded by cells, serving as students’ residences.
Statue of Buddha at the Matha Kuar Shrine, Kushinagar
The star attraction of the site is a 3-metre-tall statue of Buddha in bhumisparsha (earth touching) posture which was dug out during the archaeological dig of 1876. The monolithic statue made out of blue stone from Gaya region and was heavily damaged when recovered. It was restored and was enshrined in a temple like structure in 1927. In front of the shrine is a remains of a Buddhist vihar.
Timing: 6am – 6 pm, Entry: Free and Photography: Allowed in site but for the statue only mobile photography is allowed
Place of death – Mahaparinirvan Temple (Google map location): A stone’s throw away is the mahaparinirvan site, where Buddha breathed his last. The 1956-built temple stands atop the archaeological ruins. The temple, comprising a shrine and stupa, was built to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the death of Buddha.
Mahaparinirvan Temple Complex, Kushinagar
The shrine houses a 6.1-metre-long Buddha statue in a reclining posture, with the head towards the north. It is made out of a single stone and rests on a stone couch.
Reclining statue of Buddha, Mahaparinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
The statue was discovered in 1877 in a heavily damaged state and fragmented parts.
The fragments were joined to create the statue. The temple stands on the ruins of a Buddhist vihar.
The earliest part of the vihar probably dates back to the time of Asoka with subsequent additions by the Kushans (50 -241 CE) and Guptas (320 – 647 CE).
Today the Mahaparinirvan Temple Complex is an interesting mix of old and new. It is the centre of attractions in Kushinagar both for pilgrims and tourists. It is visited by hundreds of Buddhist pilgrims who come with large sheets of bright yellow cloth to cover the statue of reclining Buddha.
Timing: 6am – 6 pm, Entry: Free and Photography: Camera not allowed. Only mobile photography allowed
Place of cremation – Ramabhar Stupa (Google map location): This is located on the eastern end of Kushinagar and believed to the cremation spot of Buddha. The site consists of a huge stupa which was unearthed during an archaeological dig in 1910. The main stupa is surrounded by various other ruined structures including votive stupas along with a large rectangular hall.
Ramabhar Stupa, Kushinagar
Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world pay a visit to the site. Do do a parikrama of the stupa and perform various rituals.
Timing: 6am – 6 pm, Entry: Free and Photography: Allowed
Place of relic distribution (Google map location): After the cremation, the mortal remains of Buddha were kept as relics and distributed among eight kings of north India. Like the last meal site, this is not an archaeological site. It is located off the road and a lane next to the Thai temple leads to the shrine. A board mentions the names of the eight kings or the dynasties.
Relic Distribution Site, Kushinagar
It is a newly constructed site containing a small shrine with a Buddha statue placed under a shed, beneath an ancient banyan tree. A board mentions the names of the eight kings or the dynasties, who received the relics.
Timing: 6am – 6 pm, Entry: Free and Photography: Allowed
Kushinagar Museum (Google map location): Kushinagar houses a small museum exhibiting artifacts found from nearby archaeological sites. Over 1,300 artifacts are on display, including those made of stone, terracotta and bronze items along with coins and other artifacts.
Kushinagar Museum
Timing: 10:30 am – 4:30 pm (Monday closed), Entry: ₹3 and Photography: Allowed for a charge of ₹20
New temples: Countries like China, Cambodia, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar along with autonomous territories like Tibet have their guesthouses in Kushinagar. All these guesthouses come in with temples, pagodas, stupas and shrines dedicated to Buddha.
New Buddhist Temples of Kushinagar (Slide Show)
The Thailand temple is the largest and has several structures, including a big temple. The golden Myanmar pagoda dominates the Kushinagar skyline. The joint shrine of Japan and Sri Lanka comprise a Buddha statue housed beneath a hemispherical stupa. The Tibetan and Chines have beautiful temples complete with statues and frescoes. Most of the temples are open throughout the day.
Timing: The gates are usually locked but are opened on request, Entry: Free and Photography: Allowed. Only mobile photography allowed in interior of Thai Temple
Necessary Information:
- Gorakhpur is the nearest rail head (53 km)
- Kushinagar has a airport but not very well connected
- There are hotels of all budgets
- Except for Fazilnagar the rest of the sites can be explored on foot
- For Fazilnagar a car is required
- The trip can be combined with Lumbini (120 km from Gorokhpur) just across the border in Nepal
This blog is part of a familiarization (FAM) tour organized by Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO)
More on:
`
Special Thanks:
- Kaulesh Kumar, Secretary General, ABTO
- All members and participants of the 6th ABTO Convention, Kushinagar
- My fellow FAM participants