50-518: The Parinirvana Stupa or Mahaparinirvana Temple is a Buddhist temple in Kushinagar , India which is said to be the place of death of Gautama Buddha , the founder of Buddhism . Alexander Cunningham gains the most attention for his work in the area, because he conclusively proved that Gautama Buddha had died in the area. The present temple was built by the Indian Government in 1956 as part of
100-699: A stupa and placed a pillar to mark Buddha's attained parinirvana in Kushinagar. The Hindu rulers of the Gupta Empire (fourth to seventh century) enlarged the stupa and constructed a temple containing a reclining Buddha statue. This site was abandoned by Buddhist monks around 1200 CE, who fled to escape the invading Muslim army, after which the site decayed during the Islamic rule in India that followed. British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham rediscovered Kushinagar in
150-669: A central courtyard surrounded by cells. The cells served as living rooms for the Buddhist students. Kushinagar has one official sister city : Rajgir Rajgir , old name Rajagriha , meaning "The City of Kings," is an ancient city and university town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar , India . It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty , the Pradyota dynasty , the Brihadratha dynasty and
200-580: A giant stupa unearted during an archaeological dig in 1910. Apart from the giant stupa the complex contains several votif stupa and remains of Buddhist vihars. This site is 1.5 km east of the Parinirvana Temple on the Kushinagar-Deoria road. This shrine contains a 3 m tall seated statue of Buddha. It is a monolithic statue carved out of blue stone of Gaya . It represents the Buddha seated under
250-417: A grove of sala trees and laid himself to rest. There, he died and was cremated on the seventh day after his death. The accumulated body of archaeological evidence and the historical record both support the assertion that the Buddha died and was cremated in Kushinagar. Archaeological evidence from the 3rd century BCE suggests that Kushinagar was an ancient pilgrimage site. For example, Ashoka built
300-452: A modern university that is based on the famous university and Buddhist monastery of ancient India, has been established with its campus in Rajgir. It began its first academic session on 1 September 2014. Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fujii , the founder of Nipponzan Myohoji order of Buddhism established a white stupa atop Ratnagiri hills in Rajgir, which was inaugurated on 25 October 1969. This stupa
350-922: A sacred place for Hindus where water from seven different springs ( Saptarshi ) merge and is notable for its healing effects. There is a Japanese temple beside the Venu Vana, an artificial forest with historical associations to Buddha and the kings of the region. Other places of interest include the Rajgir Heritage Museum, the Sariputta Stupa, Ghora Katora Lake , and the Rajgir glass bridge. The Son Bhandar caves are situated in Rajgir. The caves are concerned with Jainism and are considered to belong to 3–4 century AD. After Cunningham's inspection, several scholars visited this place and some had opinions to concern with Buddhism. After some time all Buddhism connections were refused because of an inscription found on
400-553: A total population of 22,214, of which 11,502 were males and 10,712 were females. The population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 2,897. The total number of literate people in Kushinagar was 15,150, which constituted 68.2% of the population with male literacy of 73.3% and female literacy of 62.7%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 1,117 (5.03%) and 531 (2.39%) respectively. Kushinagar comes under Kushinagar Lok Sabha constituency for Indian general elections . The Member of Parliament from this constituency
450-412: A total population of 41,587, of which 21,869 were males and 19,718 were females. The population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 6,922. The total number of literates in Rajgir was 24,121, which constituted 58.0% of the population with male literacy of 65.4% and female literacy of 49.8%. The effective literacy rate of the 7+ population of Rajgir was 69.6%, of which the male literacy rate was 78.1% and
500-464: Is Vijay Kumar Dubey of Bharatiya Janata Party who was elected in the 2019 Indian general election . As of 2019, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Kushinagar Assembly constituency is Rajnikant Mani Tripathi of Bharatiya Janata Party . Kushinagar is well connected by air, rail, and road. Within the town, public transport is provided by taxis, auto rickshaws , and cycle rickshaws. The city
550-403: Is 6.10 metres long and is made of a single block of red sandstone. It represents the Buddha in the position he was in when he died and attained parinirvana — reclining on his right side with his head to the north, feet to the south, and face towards the west. It is situated on a large brick platform with stone posts at the corners. The Parinirvana Stupa (Nirvana Chaitya) is located just behind
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#1732883944518600-470: Is a famous Jarasandha's Akhara (the place where martial arts are practised). Rajgir was the capital of Haryanka dynasty kings Bimbisara (558–491 BC) and Ajatashatru (492–460 BC). Ajatashatru kept his father Bimbisara in captivity here. The sources do not agree on which of the Buddha 's royal contemporaries, Bimbisara and Ajatashatru , was responsible for its construction. It was the ancient capital city of
650-1043: Is a sacred site situated in Rajgir. Renowned for its thermal spring and the tomb of Makhdoom Syed Ghulam Ali, as well as the prayer space of Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri , it holds significance for pilgrims and visitors alike. The thermal spring, dating back approximately 800 years, attracts numerous visitors who utilise it for ablution (Wudu) and bathing purposes. The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar also took bath here in his childhood. Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation provides travel facility from state capital Patna to visit Bodh circuit ( Bodhgaya , Rajgir, Nalanda , Vaishali , Kesaria , Lumbini , Kushinagar , Sarnath ), Jain Circuit (Rajgir, Pawapuri ) and Sikh Circuit in Bihar. Located in Patna division, this Nagar Panchayat type of municipal council mainly depends upon tourism and
700-593: Is also of religious importance to Jains. The twentieth Jain Tirthankara, Munisuvrata is supposed to have been born here. An ancient temple (about 1200 years old) dedicated to Munisuvrat Bhagwan is also present here along with many other Jain temples. This temple is also a place for four Kalyanakas of Bhagwan Munisuvratnath. It is also mentioned in Jain and Buddhist scriptures, which give a series of place-names, but without geographical context. The attempt to locate these places
750-507: Is associated the Outer Fortification, a complex of cyclopean walls that runs (with large breaks) along the crest of the hills. New Rajgir is defined by another, larger, embankment outside the northern entrance of the valley and next to the modern town. The modern town is situated close to the Rajgir hills while the valley is surrounded by seven hills: Vaibhara, Ratna, Saila, Sona, Udaya, Chhatha, and Vipula. River Panchane flows through
800-467: Is based largely on reference to them and to other locations in the works of Chinese Buddhist pilgrims, particularly Faxian and Xuanzang . It is on the basis of Xuanzang in particular that the site is divided into Old and New Rajgir. The former lies within a valley and is surrounded by low-lying hills, Rajgir Hills . It is defined by an earthen embankment (the Inner Fortification), with which
850-557: Is served by Kushinagar International Airport and Gorakhpur Junction railway station . The Government of Uttar Pradesh has proposed the Kushinagar- Sarnath Buddha Expressway to connect these two Buddhist pilgrimage towns. The expressway will be around 200 km long and will greatly reduce the travel time between the towns. The statue of the reclining Buddha is inside the Parinirvana Temple . The statue
900-615: Is supplemented by agriculture. A number of resorts and hotels are located in Rajgir to serve the tourists. In addition, Rajgir is located near the tourist spots like Nalanda, Pawapuri and Kundalpur . Rajgir ranks top in Bihar, in reference to revenue collected by tourism. Rajgir International Cricket Stadium is a proposed cricket stadium in the city. In 2013, it was announced by the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar that an international cricket stadium will be constructed at Rajgir in Bihar's Nalanda district. Nalanda University ,
950-543: Is the Saptaparni Cave where the First Buddhist Council was held under the leadership of Maha Kassapa . Mahavira , the 24th Tirthankara spent fourteen years of his life at Rajgir and Nalanda, spending Chaturmas (i.e. 4 months of the rainy season) at a single place in Rajgir (Rajgruhi) and the rest in the places in the vicinity. It was the capital of one of his Shravaks (follower) King Shrenik . Thus Rajgir
1000-562: The sangha and attained Parinirvana in 487 BCE. Maurya king Ashoka reportedly visited Kushinagar in 260 BCE where he built several caityas , stupas to honor the Buddha's place of Nirvana . Buddhist sites in Kushinagar were steadily expanded during the Kushan empire (c. 50-241 CE), while Kushinagar witnessed a golden age during the Gupta empire (c. 320-647 CE) when the Parinirvana Stupa
1050-475: The Bodhi Tree in a pose known as bhumi sparsh mudra (Earth-touching attitude). The inscription at the base of statue dates to the 10th or 11th century CE. The statue was found during an archaeological dig in 1876. It was restored and enshrined in a temple-like structure in 1927. The shrine lies on the western end of the complex and in front of it is an excavated ruins in the shape of a Buddhist vihar, complete with
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#17328839445181100-514: The Magadha kings until the 5th century BC when Udayin (460–440 BC), son of Ajatashatru, moved the capital to Pataliputra (modern Patna ). Shishunaga (413-395 BC) founded Shishunaga dynasty in 413 BC with Rajgir as its initial capital before it was moved to Pataliputra. It is associated with the founders of both the religions: Jainism and Buddhism , associated with both the historical Arihant Shraman Bhagawan Mahavira and Buddha . It
1150-537: The Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta , the Buddha attained parinirvana shortly after his arrival in Kushinagar. Seven days after his parinirvana , the remains of the Buddha were cremated at that location. Originally his ashes were to go only to the Sakya clan, to which the Buddha belonged. However, six other clans and a king demanded the ashes of the Buddha. In order to resolve this dispute, a Brahmin named Drona divided
1200-518: The Mauryan Empire , as well as the dwelling ground of historical figures such as Buddha , Mahavira and Bimbisara . Due to its religious significance, the city holds a place of prominence in Hindu , Buddhist and Jain scriptures. As of 2011, the population of the town was reported to be 41,000 while the population in the community development block was about 88,500. Rajgir was the first capital of
1250-513: The 6th and 5th century BC, and the Buddha was offered a forest monastery here by the king Bimbisara . As such, the city of Rajgir became one of the Buddha's most important preaching locations. The main tourist attractions include the ancient city walls from Ajatashatru 's period, Bimbisar 's Jail, Jarasandh 's Akhara, Gridhra-kuta, ('Hill of the Vultures') , Son Bhandar Caves and the Jain temples on
1300-531: The Parinirvana Temple. It was excavated by Carlleyle in the year 1876. During excavations, a copper plate was found, which contained the text of the Nidana Sutra and the statement that plate had been deposited in the Nirvana Chaitya by one Haribala, who also installed the reclining Buddha statue in the temple. Ramabhar Stupa (also called Mukutbandhan Chaitya) is the cremation place of Buddha. The site contains
1350-413: The above-mentioned caves. These caves should be related to Digambar sect of Jainism as Xuanzang wrote in his book about Vaibhar Hill of Rajgir that the place was occupied by Digambar Jain monks for meditation purposes. After some centuries these caves were converted by Hindus as Vishnu sculpture was also found from the mound of a cave. Makhdum Kund , also recognised as Dargah-e-Makhdoomiya
1400-466: The ancient kingdom of Magadha , a state that would eventually evolve into the Mauryan Empire . It finds mention in India's renowned literary epic, the Mahabharata , through its king Jarasandha . The town's date of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have been found in the city. The 2,500-year-old cyclopean wall is also located in the region. The ancient Nalanda university
1450-767: The ashes of the Buddha into eight portions. These portions were distributed as follows: to Ajātasattu , king of Magadha ; to the Licchavis of Vesāli ; to the Sakyas of Kapilavastu ; to the Bulis of Allakappa ; to the Koliyas of Rāmagāma ; to the brahmin of Veṭhadīpa ; to the Mallas of Pāvā ; and to the Malls of Kushinagar. In addition to these eight portions, two other important relics were distributed at that time: Drona (the brahmin who distributed
1500-488: The commemoration of the 2,500th year of the Mahaparinivana or 2500 BE (Buddhist Era). Inside this temple, there is a Reclining Buddha image lying on its right side with the head to the north. The statue is 6.1 m long and rests on a stone couch. After 45 years of missionary activities, the Buddha, severely stricken with illness, finally reached to Kushinagar , where he ordained his last disciple and uttered his last words to
1550-486: The early twentieth century under J. Ph. Vogel . He conducted archaeological campaigns in 1904–1905, 1905-1906 and 1906–1907, uncovering a wealth of Buddhist materials. In 1896, Laurence Waddell suggested that the site of the death and parinirvana of Gautama Buddha was in the region of Rampurva . However, according to the Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta , the Buddha made his journey to Kushinagar, where he walked into
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1600-558: The erstwhile empires of Maurya , Shunga , Kushana , Gupta , Harsha , and Pala dynasties. When the Buddha reached his eightieth year, he felt that his time in this world was approaching an end. At that time, according to the Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta ( Sutta 16 of the Dīgha Nikāya ), he and some of his disciples undertook a months-long journey that would take them from Rājagṛha , through Pāṭaliputta , Vesāli , Bhoganagara , and Pāvā , to their final destination at Kushinagar. It
1650-578: The female literacy rate was 60.1%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 11,724 and 42 respectively. Rajgir had 7030 households in 2011. The town is also notable in Jainism and Buddhism . It was the birthplace of the 20th Jain Tirthankar Munisuvrata , and is closely associated with the Mahavira and Gautama Buddha . Both Mahavira and Buddha taught their beliefs in Rajgir during
1700-460: The five peaks. Another major attraction is the peace pagoda , Vishwa Shanti Stupa , built-in 1969, one of the 80 peace pagodas in the world, to spread the message of peace and non-violence. It is the oldest peace pagoda in India. The rope-way that leads to it is another attraction, which was gifted by Japanese spiritual leader Fuji Guruji in the 1960s. A new rope way has been planned. Rajgir has hot water springs, locally known as Brahmakund ,
1750-428: The late 19th century, and his colleague Archibald Carlleyle unearthed the 1,500-year-old reclining Buddha statue. The site has since then become an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists. After independence , Kushinagar remained a part of the district of Deoria . On 13 May 1994, it came into being as a new district of Uttar Pradesh . According to the 2011 Census of India , Kushinagar had 3462 households and
1800-566: The only one which remains intact is the Ramagrama stupa in Ramgram, Nepal . During the medieval period, Kushinagar was under the suzerainty of Kalachuri kings. The city was largely abandoned after the Islamic invasions of the 12th century, although the region was ruled over by a Rajput king named Madan Singh in the 15th century. The earliest mention of the ruins at Kushinagar in modern literature
1850-515: The outskirts of the town. The landscape of Rajgir or Pant WLS is uneven terrain enclosed by five hills; Ratnagiri, Vipulgiri, Vaibhagiri, Songiri and Udaygiri. It is situated in Nalanda Forest Division covering an area of 35.84 km under the Nalanda district administration. This wildlife sanctuary, notified in 1978, represents a remnant patch of forests nestled in the Rajgir hills within
1900-576: The relics) received the vessel in which the body had been cremated, and the Moriyas of Pipphalivana received the remaining ashes of the funeral pyre. According to Buddhaghosa , Each of these ten portions was placed in a reliquary (such as the Kanishka casket or the Bimaran casket ) and buried in a tumulus . These tumuli have been expanded or reconstructed over many centuries to form large stupas . Of these,
1950-538: The ruins as being the site of the parinirvana of the Buddha. Archibald Carlleyle exposed the Mahaparinirvana stupa and also discovered a 6.1 metres (20 feet) meters long reclining Buddha statue in 1876. In 1901, a Burmese monk named Sayadaw U Chandramani applied to the English Governor of India, seeking his permission to allow pilgrims to worship the reclining Buddha image in Kushinagar. Excavations continued in
2000-751: The south Gangetic Plain . It is home to a number of wild animals including: mammals – blue bull ( Boselaphus tragocamelus ), chital or spotted deer ( Axis axis ), Indian crested porcupine ( Hystrix indica ), small Indian civet ( Viverricula indica ), jungle cat ( Felis chaus ); birds – painted spurfowl ( Galloperdix lunulata ), Eurasian thick knee ( Burhinus oedicnemus ), painted sandgrouse ( Pterocles indicus ); reptiles and amphibians – Bengal monitor ( Varanus bengalensis ), Indian bullfrog ( Hoplobatrachus tigerinus ), Jerdon's bullfrog ( Hoplobatrachus crassus ), ornate narrow-mouthed frog ( Microhyla ornata ), and Indian tree frog ( Polypedates maculatus ). According to 2011 Indian Census , Rajgir had
2050-452: The southern wall of a cave. According to this inscription these caves were built by inspiration of a Jain Muni Vair for Jain ascetics. Sculptures of Teerthankaras were also carved in these caves. From an architectural aspect; these caves are analogous to Nagarjuni cave and Barabar Caves caves of Mauryan era. Therefore, it can be concluded that construction time should not differ much from
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2100-547: The story of its king, Jarasandha, and his battle with the Pandava brothers and their allies Krishna . Mahabharata recounts a wrestling match between Bhima (one of the Pandavas) and Jarasandha, the then king of Magadha. Jarasandha was invincible as his body could rejoin any dismembered limbs. According to the legend, Bhima split Jarasandha into two and threw the two halves facing opposite to each other so that they could not join. There
2150-517: Was at Pāvā that Cunda , a resident of Pāvā, invited the group to a meal that featured a food called sukaramaddava . This would prove to be the Buddha's last meal, as he was afflicted by a painful illness resembling dysentery soon after consuming the meal. After the meal, the Buddha crossed the Kakkuttha River (now called the Khanua River ) and completed his journey to Kushinagar. According to
2200-521: Was found broken and scattered into numberless fragments and was entirely reconstructed and the temple also repaired, and roofed by the Archaeological Survey of India . The temple has been illustrated in a 14th century history book Jami' al-tawarikh . Perhaps the most interesting example is the vaulted chamber enshrining the colossal statue of the Nirvana Buddha at Kusinagara. As this statue
2250-458: Was here that Gautama Buddha spent several months meditating, and preaching at Gridhra-kuta, ('Hill of the Vultures') .It was also the relaxing place of him in Venuban which is a government owned tourist place now. He also delivered some of his famous sermons and initiated king Bimbisara of Magadha and others to Buddhism. It was here that Budhha delivered his famous Atanatiya Sutra . On one of the hills
2300-418: Was in 1837, by D. Liston. Liston noted that it was "an object of worship" and pilgrimage site, but misunderstood the ruins to be the remnants of the fortress of a powerful divinity by the name of Mata Koonr. Kushinagar came back into prominence when Alexander Cunningham performed archaeological excavations at Matha Kuar shrine and Ramabhar stupa in 1861-1862. Cunningham was the first archaeologist to identify
2350-454: Was largely expanded and Parinirvana Temple was reconstructed along with a huge reclining Buddha statue. Alexander Cunningham , a British archaeologist noted the existence of a huge vaulted chamber which he dated no later than 637 AD with the reclining Buddha. The reclining Buddha statue and temple were discovered and excavated along with the adjoining stupa, and were restored in March 1877. The statue
2400-600: Was located in the vicinity of Rajgir, and the contemporary Nalanda University named after it was founded in 2010 nearby. The town is also famed for its natural springs and towering hills that dominate the landscape. The name Rajgir ( Sanskrit Rājagṛha , Pali : Rajagaha ), literally meaning "royal mountain" comes from the historic Rājagṛiha, meaning "house of the king" or "royal house". It has also historically been known as Vasumati, Brahdrathapura, Grivraja/Girivraja and Kusagrapura. Girivraja means an enclosure of hills. The epic Mahabharata calls it Girivraja and recounts
2450-418: Was named for the abundance of the kusha grass found in this region. The present Kushinagar is identified with Kusavati (in the pre-Buddha period) and Kushinara (in the post-Buddha period). It was the capital of one of the two Malla republics. The two Malla republics comprised one of the sixteen mahajanpads (oligarchic republics) of India in the 6th century BCE. Since then, it remained an integral part of
2500-659: Was seen by Hwen Thsang in A.D. 637, the use of the arch was certainly both known to and practised by the Hindus at that time. Kushinagar Kushinagar ( Pali : Kusinārā ; Sanskrit : Kuśinagara ) is a town in the Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh , India. Located 53 kilometres (33 miles) east of Gorakhpur on National Highway 27 , Kushinagar is an important and popular Buddhist pilgrimage site , where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha died and attained parinirvana . According to Alexander Cunningham , Kushinagara
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