Kushinagar Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Kushinagar

Nirvana Stupa, also popularly known as the Nirvana Chaitya is situated behind the Mahaparinirvana temple. Both the temple and the 2.74 m tall stupa with a 15.81 m high dome built on a circular base stand on the same platform.

The stupa is made of bricks and was discovered along with the temple in the course of excavations carried out by General A. Cunningham, the first Archaeological Surveyor of India, in 1876. It was restored to its original state by A.C.L. Carlleyle in the same year.

It is believed that the entire monument was built by the Mallas to house the relics of the Buddha. It was further developed by Emperor Ashoka. A disciple of Buddha, called Haribala brought the stupa from Mathura at its present location in Kushinagar during the reign of Kumaragupta, an emperor of Gupta Dynasty.

Subsequent excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India discovered a copper vessel containing the ashes of the Buddha. An inscription on the vessel confirms the internment of Buddha's remains at this place.  

Regarded probably as one of the most sacred shrines of the Buddhists across the world, Mahaparinirvana Temple is located in Kushinagar in UP. It houses the 6.10 m long idol of Lord Buddha lying in a position when he left his mortal remains at the age of 80 and achieved the supreme state of salvation or permanent bliss.

The monolithic statue of Buddha is built out of a single piece of red sandstone of Chunar. It shows him reclining on his right side with his face facing the west. It was considered the right posture for Mahaparinirvana.

The statue is built upon a large brick platform supported by stone pillars in its corners. There is an inscription on the platform stating that it was built by Swami Haribala, a disciple of the Buddha in 5th century AD. Both the temple and the vihar were a gift of a grateful disciple to his august teacher. The temple attracts huge crowds of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.

Also called Mukutbandhan-Chaitya or Mukta-Bandhan Vihar in ancient Buddhist scriptures, Ramabhar Stupa is located approximately 1.5 km in the southeast of the Nirvana Temple. The site where the stupa stands is a highly venerated destination for the Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world. It is believed that Buddha was cremated exactly at this spot after his death in 483 BC.

According to Buddhist texts the stupa was constructed by the Malla Kings who ruled over Kushinagar during the lifetime of the Buddha. The design of its structure testifies to its ancient historic character. The stupa is built on a mound standing opposite the Kushinagar-Deoria road.

It is built with bricks. With its circular base of 47.24 m, the stupa rises to a height of 14.9 m. Its drum like top has a diameter of 34.14 m. It is situated on the agricultural land having rice, sugarcane and wheat fields. There is also a pond-like water body close to it.

Wat Thai Kushinara Chalermaraj Temple, briefly called just Wat Thai Temple was built by the disciples of the Buddha from Thailand to celebrate the golden jubilee of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's accession to the throne of his counrty.

The construction of the temple was inaugurated by Somdej Phra Yansangvara, the supreme Patriarch of the Kingdom of Thailand on 21st February, 1999. It was completed and opened to the public in 2001. The money for its construction was raised primarily on the donations of the Tahi Buddhists.

The temple was originally conceived as a forest monastery and is, therefore, located amongst dense growth of a variety of trees, shrubs and plants. The temple, built in Thai-Buddhist architectural style, is located in a huge complex sprawling over an area of ten acres.

Besides the temple, the complex also houses a monastery, garden, health centre, school and a library. It is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Kushinagar and is visited particularly by thousands of pilgrims from Thailand every year. Its massive structure can be seen from all parts of the city.

Although Indo-Japan-Srilanka Temple apparently indicates the cooperation of the Buddhist devotees from the three countries in the construction, the fact, however, is that the famous Ashta Dhatu or an eight metal alloy idol of the Buddha installed in it was brought from Japan and its construction was primarily funded by the Japanese monarchy.

The statue of Lord Budha was in two pieces when it was imported from Japan and was assembled into its present form at the temple. The shrine was designed and built by the Atago Isshin World Buddhist Cultural Association, and its cost, as mentioned above, was borne by the Japanese king.

The asht dhatu idol of the Buddha has been placed in a magnificent circular chamber in the temple. A soft light filtering from the stained glass windows falls upon the idol giving it a unique spiritual radiance and peaceful ambience. The statue of the Buddha is flanked by the portraits of his ten main bhikus crafted in Japanese style.

Located approximately 400 yards from the Parinirvan Stupa and Mahaparinirvana temple, Matha Kuar Shrine, as it is locally called, houses a colossal idol of Buddha. It is 3.05 m tall and built out of a single block of blue stone brought from the Gaya region in Bihar. It is installed on a large brick platform.

The idea was to present the Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree in Bhumi Sparsh Mudra or an earth touching posture. The whole vision was a symbolic representation of the last spiritually charged moments in the life of the Buddha just before he attained Enlightenment and Nirvana.

It is believed that he invoked the Earth to testify to the pious acts performed by him in his previous incarnations. The statue also bears an inscription that is largely illegible, but surely indicates the date of its construction to the 10th or 11th century.

It is also believed that the Buddha delivered his last sermon at this place. The statue was found by Carlleyle in the course of excavations in 1876. It was broken in two pieces and was restored to its original form and installed in this temple in 1927.

Chinese Temple, also called the Lin Sun Chinese temple, is one of the modern temples built in Kushinagar. It is the first Buddhist monument that catches the attention of the tourists as they enter the gate of the city.

Constructed in a blend of Chinese and Vietnamese architectural designs, the colourful structure of the temple looks unique and remarkably different from other Buddhist shrines and monuments located across the city. The statue of Buddha housed in the temple is also built in Chinese style and has a Chinese image. The statue itself is a great centre of attraction for tourists and pilgrims.

Besides the main temple and the statue of the Buddha, the huge temple complex also houses the models of important Buddhist shrines situated in the cities of northern India such as Rajgir and Bodhgaya in Bihar, Lumbini in Nepal, Saravati in Uttar Pradesh and Nirvana Temple and Stupa in Kushinagar.

Managed by the Linh-Son Buddhists from Vietnam, the temple complex houses a meditation hall, Dharma Hall, Vihar and a school.

Also called the Buddha Museum because it predominantly has on display exhibits related to the life and times of the Buddha, Kushinagar Museum was built in 1992-1993 in Kushinagar. The city was not only consecrated by the visits and sermons of the Buddha, but it was here that he left his mortal body and achieved the Mahaparinirvan.

Kushinagar museum is situated approximately 1 km in the south east of the city bus stand, about half a kilometre from the Mahaparinirvana temple and 3 km from Kasia Bus Stand. Its central location makes it easily accessible to the pilgrims and tourists.

The museum houses an invaluable wealth of archaeological exhibits related to the rich history and culture of Kushinagar and the surrounding region. The main corpus of the collection primarily consists of 248 exhibits.

They include terracotta items, especially the icons of Buddha, sculptures, architectural remnants of those times, bronze statues, banner paintings or Thankas, clay seals, coins, bricks and a host of other antiques. The principal attraction of the museum is the idol of Lord Buddha sitting in meditation posture. It has been built according to the principles of the Gandhara School of Art.

The Sun Temple is situated on the Kasia-Tamkuhi road at a place called Turkpatti, approximately 17 km from Kushinagar. Its existence dates back to ancient times and is mentioned in the Puranas such as Sikand Purana and Markanday Purana.

It is believed that the excavations carried out in the 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th century found two statues of the sun god which are currently lodged in the Sun Temple. The statues are made of black stones called Neelmani stone by the residents of the area. The temple was built during the reign of Gupta Dynasty.

The old temple discovered during the excavations carried out by General A. Cunningham, the first Archaeological Surveyor of India, in 1876 was renovated and was opened to public on 30th of July 1981.

It is believed that Mondays and Fridays are the most auspicious days to visit the temple. It attracts huge crowds of devotees on the 6th day of Kartik and 13th day of Falgun months and also during the festival of Janamashtami.

Meditation Park, also called the Japanese Meditation Park was built as a part of the Indo-Japanese project in 1992-1993 at the cost of sixty eight lakh rupees. As the name suggests, the park was set up for people to relax and unwind themselves through meditation.

It is situated amongst serene and natural surroundings created by the artificial water bodies and raised platforms with lush green grass growing over them. The park is flanked by sal trees and various other green and flower plants on its sides. It is situated close to the famous Nirwana Temple which houses the statue of the Buddha as he lay when he attained the august state of Nirwana.

The spiritually charged ambience of the park and its proximity to the Nirean Temple facilitates the process of meditation and contemplation. It is one of the most beautiful and tranquil spots in the city and attracts a large number of visitors all the year round.

Pawanagar, also called Pawapuri, is considered as the nirvana bhoomi of Lord Mahavira. It is located on NH 28 about 22 km east of Kushinagar. The city is associated both with Buddhist and Jain saints. According to Jain scriptures, the 24th or the last Tirthankar, Bhagwan Mahavir left his physical body and attained Nirwana in 543 BC at this place.

A temple has been built here to mark the occasion. It contains a magnificent Manasthamba and four artistically carved idols. According to Buddhist literature, Bhagwan Buddha also accepted Sukaramaddava (mushrooms meals) from his disciple Chund Kammara on his way from Vaishali to Kushinagar.

The city with its historical monuments is one of the most visited destinations for the Jains, Buddhists and common tourists. It draws huge crowds of Jain devotees from all over the world on Kartik Purnima and Deepawali. When Nirvana Mahotsav is celebrated and the Nirwan Diwas of Lord Mahavir is held, processions are taken out.

Lord Kuber is worshipped as the god of money by the Hindus. Despite being the bestower of wealth, he was a devotee of God Shiva and built a temple, known as Kuber Asthan, to pay homage to his patron. The temple is situated on the main Radrauna-Turkpatti road, approximately 9 km from Padrauna, at Kubernath and 21 km from Kushinagar in U.P.

It can, therefore, be easily reached by Kasia-Turkpatti-Padrauna road. Later the temple dedicated to God Shiva was built by the King of Padrauna at this place. It becomes a venue for the celebrations of Shivratri on the 13th day of Falgun and Vaisakh. The day is considered auspicious in both the months.

While a one-week festival is celebrated in Falgun, the festival in Baisakh lasts one month. It attracts thousands of people on Shivratri day when the devotees offer water to the idol of Shiva Ling.

Kushinagar is the religious destination for the major Indian communities including the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is regarded as the sacred teerath (pilgrim centre) because both Lord Mahavir and Lord Buddha frequently visited it and delivered sermons. This place was also consecrated because both Lord Mahavir and Buddha attained Nirwana here.

It is a home to a host of historical and religious monuments, temples, stupas and parks. Most of these venues contain remnants of olden times which were discovered during the excavations carried out by teams of the Archaeological Survey of India from time to time. Devraha Asthan or temple is situated approximately 3 km from Padrauna Cantonment in Kushinagar.

It is home to a mount with a temple built over it. The shrine contains the idols of Lord Vishnu, Tirthankar Mahavir and Teerthankar Neminath. It is popularly called the Trimurti idol or the statue of the Triumvirate. According to folklore, the temple also hosted a huge statue of the Buddha.

Situated in a thick forest on the bank of a river approximately 8 km from Kasia-Tamkuhi road, Kurukulla Asthan is dedicated to Adi Shakti—the first and the original power—Kurukulla Devi. The sacred place is believed to have been built by Nagarjun.

Since the place is situated in a serene and tranquil surrounding in the forest area, it is a favourite destination for people who come here to meditate and seek peace and relaxation from the turmoil of their daily life. Kurukulla Asthan is, therefore, popularly known as meditation centre among the people of the area.

Located at a place called Siddhanath, approximately 4 km from Padrauna-Tamkuhi road, the temple of Sidhua Asthan is considered the place of saints who attained perfection or siddhi in their religious or spiritual pursuits. Sidhua Asthan probably owes its name because it was the seat of saint Siddhnath ji to whom the temple is dedicated.

The Asthan also houses the temples of Hanuman, Goddess Durga, a Dhuni and a yagyashala—a place for conducting hawans—prayers over sacred fire. It becomes a venue for single day festivals on the 13th day of the month of Falgun and 2nd day of Deepawali and draws huge crowds of devotees. It remains open to the devotees from 4 AM to 9 PM daily.