In religion and

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

, a pilgrimage is a long journey or

search Searching or search may refer to: Computing technology * Search algorithm, including keyword search ** :Search algorithms * Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence * Search engine technology, software for findi ...

of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or to a shrine of importance to a person's

belief A belief is an attitude that something is the case, or that some proposition is true. In epistemology, philosophers use the term "belief" to refer to attitudes about the world which can be either true or false. To believe something is to take ...

s and faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim. There are number of historical Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the

Republic of India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

Places associated with the life of Buddha

Primary sites

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

offers four primary sites of pilgrimage: Lumbini (birthplace of

the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...

Bodh Gaya Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment ( pi, ...

(the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment), Sarnath (the location of the Buddha’s first sermon), and

Kushinagar Kushinagar ( Hindustani: or ; Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is a town in the Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is an important and popular Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained ''parinirvana''. Etym ...

(the location where the Buddha attained

parinirvana In Buddhism, ''parinirvana'' ( Sanskrit: '; Pali: ') is commonly used to refer to nirvana-after-death, which occurs upon the death of someone who has attained ''nirvana'' during their lifetime. It implies a release from '' '', karma and rebirth ...

). All of these sites are located in India except Lumbini, which is located in southern Nepal. File:Exterior view of the Mahabodhi Temple.jpg, "Maha Bodhi Temple" at Bodh Gaya File:Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath.jpg,

Dhamek Stupa Dhamek Stupa (also spelled ''Dhamekh'' and ''Dhamekha'') is a massive stupa located at the archaeological site of Sarnath in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Dhamek Stupa marks the precise location where the Buddha preached his first discours ...

, Sarnath File:Ancient Buddhist monasteries near Dhamekh Stupa Monument Site, Sarnath.jpg, Ancient Buddhist Monastery at Sarnath File:Kusinara.jpg,

Parinirvana Stupa 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, be ...

File:Stupa ruins in Kushinagar.jpg, Remains of ancient stupas in Kushinagar

Places visited by Buddha for discourse

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

: **

Nagarjunakonda Nagarjunakonda ( IAST: Nāgārjunikoṇḍa, meaning Nagarjuna Hill) is a historical town, now an island located near Nagarjuna Sagar in Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, near the state border with Telangana. It is one o ...

Guntur Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. ...

district: Seat of Mahayana **

Thotlakonda Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex is situated on a hill near Bheemunipatnam about from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. The hill is about above sea level and overlooks the sea. The Telugu name ''Toṭlakoṇḍa'' derived from the presence ...

and

Bojjannakonda Bojjannakonda and Lingalakonda are two Buddhism rock-cut caves on adjacent hillocks, situated near a village called Sankaram, Anakapalle of ancient Kalinga. in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The sites are believed to date between 4th and ...

in Visakhapatnam *

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Ben ...

: The name of Bihar is derived from vihara, meaning monastery, such was the association of the area with Buddhism. In addition to these sites which were visited by the Buddha, other sites in India have become notable: ** Patna, — Formerly known as

Pataliputra Pataliputra (IAST: ), adjacent to modern-day Patna, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Magadha ruler Ajatashatru in 490 BCE as a small fort () near the Ganges river.. Udayin laid the foundation of the city of Pataliputra at t ...

, it was the seat of the

Mauryan empire The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

and a significant Buddhist centre ** Rajgir,

— Formerly known as

Rajagaha Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the d ...

, it was the capital of Magadha, ruled by King

Bimbisara Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika () and Seniya () in the Jain histories (c. 558 – c. 491 BCE or during the late 5th century BCE) was a King of Magadha (V. K. Agnihotri (ed.), ''Indian History''. Allied Publishers, New Delhi 2 ...

, one of the most prominent monarchs and supporters during the lifetime of the Buddha **

Nalanda Nalanda (, ) was a renowned ''mahavihara'' (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar), India.Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Ben ...

— Site of an ancient Buddhist university, destroyed by

Bakhtiyar Khalji Ikhtiyār al-Dīn Muḥammad Bakhtiyār Khaljī, (Pashto :اختيار الدين محمد بختيار غلزۍ, fa, اختیارالدین محمد بختیار خلجی, bn, ইখতিয়ারউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ � ...

during Islamic attacks **

Sravasti Shravasti ( sa, श्रावस्ती, translit=Śrāvastī; pi, 𑀲𑀸𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀻, translit=Sāvatthī) is a city and district headquarter of Shravasti district in Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It was the capital of the anc ...

, Uttar Pradesh — Formerly known as

Savatthi Shravasti ( sa, श्रावस्ती, translit=Śrāvastī; pi, 𑀲𑀸𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀻, translit=Sāvatthī) is a city and district headquarter of Shravasti district in Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It was the capital of the an ...

, it was the capital of

Kosala The Kingdom of Kosala (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indian kingdom with a rich culture, corresponding to the area within the region of Awadh in present-day Uttar Pradesh to Western Odisha. It emerged as a small state during the late Vedic peri ...

, ruled by King

Pasenadi Pasenadi ( pi, पसेनदि ; sa, प्रसेनजित् ; c. 6th century BCE) was an ruler of Kosala. Sāvatthī was his capital. He succeeded after . He was a prominent (lay follower) of Gautama Buddha, and built many Buddh ...

, one of the most prominent monarchs and supporters during the lifetime of the Buddha ** Vaishali,

— Seat of a republican state of the Lichchavis, prominent supporters of the Buddha. Site of the Second Buddhist Council *

Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...

: Sacred places in the order of travel by Buddha, where he gave several important discourses documented in the Pali texts. After visiting Mathura, he travelled along Grand Trunk Road in Haryana (also see Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Haryana). ** From

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the to ...

in Uttar Pradesh, Buddha travelled along Grand Trunk Road in Haryana (also see Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Haryana). ** Kamashpura Aastha Pugdal Pagoda (Kumashpur) in Sonipat city, the place where Buddha gave Mahasatipatthana sutta),.Dhamma patthana
dhamma.org.Aastha Pugdal Pagoda at Kumaspur (Kamas Nigam in Sonepat
SDBST. ** Kurukshetra Stupa on the banks of sacred

Brahma Sarovar Brahma Sarovar is an ancient water pool sacred to Hinduism in old Kurukshetra city, in the state of Haryana in North India,India. Hinduism lays emphasis on taking bath for internal and external purity. Most religious sites have water po ...

in Kurukshetra city ** Topra between Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar, now has a large open air museum park housing several replica of

Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

's edicts including largest

Ashoka Chakra Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

in the world **

Srughna Srughna, also spelt Shrughna in Sanskrit, or Sughna, Sughana or Sugh in the spoken form, was an ancient city or kingdom of India frequently referred to in early and medieval texts. It was visited by Chinese traveller, Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) in ...

, now known as the

Sugh Ancient Mound Sugh Ancient Mound, also known as the Ancient Site of Sugh, is located in the village of Amadalpur Dayalgarh, in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana, India. Suryamandir-Tirth in Amadalpur is nearby. Buddhist stupa here is identified with the ...

, on outskirts of Yamunanagar city ** Chaneti Stupa, on outskirts of Yamunanagar city

Other prominent historic Buddhist sites by state

All are the historic ancient sites of learning, and the list includes very few relatively new sites which have been specifically highlighted accordingly. Most of these sites have association with

and other Buddhist kings.

Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati Amaravati () is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the river Krishna in Guntur district. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone at a ceremonial event in Uddandara ...

Bavikonda Bavikonda Buddhist Complex lies about 16 km from Visakhapatnam, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, on a hill about 130 metres above mean sea level. The term Bavikonda in Telugu means a hill of wells. As per its name, Bavikonda is a hil ...

Bhattiprolu Bhattiprolu is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Bhattiprolu mandal in Tenali revenue division. The ''Buddhist stupa'' in the village is one of the centrally protected monuments of n ...

* Chandavaram * Dharanikota * Ghantasala *

Gudivada Gudivada is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Gudivada mandal in Gudivada revenue division. It is one of the cities in the state to be a part of Andhra Pradesh Capit ...

* Guntupalli *

Jaggayyapeta Jaggayyapeta, also spelled “Jaggiahpet”, is a census town in NTR district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located just southwest of the border with Telangana. It is also the mandal headquarters of Jaggayyapeta mandal of Nandigama reve ...

Pavurallakonda Pavurallakonda or Pavurallabodu is the local name of a hill, popularly known as Narasimhaswamy Konda, near Bheemunipatnam about 25 km towards north of Visakhapatnam, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located at a height of a ...

museum * Ramatheertham *

Salihundam Salihundam, is a village and panchayat in Gara Mandal of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. It is a historically important Buddhist monument of ancient Kalinga and a major tourist attraction It is a village lying on top of the hill on the ...

* Undavalli Caves * Visakhapatnam

Assam

* Namphake in Dibrugarh * Surya Pahar in Goalpara * Hayagriva Madhava at

Hajo Hajo is a historic town set in the hills northwest of Guwahati, Assam, India. It is a meeting point of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims due to the various pilgrimage sites on the different hills of Hajo. To the Hindus, the Manikut Parbat of Hajo ...

Bihar

Kesaria stupa Kesariya stupa is a Buddhist stupa in Kesariya, located at a distance of from Patna, in the Champaran (east) district of Bihar, India. The first construction of the Stupa is dated to the 3rd century BCE.Le Huu Phuoc, Buddhist Architecture, Gr ...

* Krimila *

Nalanda Nalanda (, ) was a renowned ''mahavihara'' (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar), India.Odantapuri Odantapuri (also called Odantapura or Uddandapura) was a prominent Buddhist Mahavihara in what is now Bihar Sharif in Bihar, India. It is believed to have been established by the Pala ruler Gopala I in the 8th century. It is considered the sec ...

Saptaparni Cave Saptparni Cave, also referred to as Sapta parni guha (Saraiki) or sattapaṇṇi guhā (Pali), literally Seven-leaves-cave (cognate with sapta, sept), is a Buddhist cave site about southwest from Rajgir, Bihar, India. It is embedded in a hill. T ...

Sujata Stupa Sujata Stupa, also Sujata Kuti stupa or Sujata Garh, is a Buddhist stupa located in the village of Senanigrama ( Bakraur) slightly east of Bodh Gaya in the state of Bihar, India. It lies directly across the Phalgu River from the town of Bodh Gaya ...

* Vaishali *

Vikramshila Vikramashila (Sanskrit: विक्रमशिला, IAST: , Bengali:- বিক্রমশিলা, Romanisation:- Bikrômôśilā ) was one of the three most important Buddhist monasteries in India during the Pala Empire, along with ...

* Vulture Peak

Goa

* Lamgao caves * Rivona caves

Gujarat

* Vadnagar in

Mehsana Mehsana (), also spelled Mahesana, is a city and municipality in Mehsana district, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Established in 14th century, the city was under Gaekwads of Baroda State from 18th century to the independence of India in 1947 ...

district

Haryana

In 2021, it was announced that Buddha Haryana circuit will be developed by the Centre for

yatra ( sa, यात्रा, 'journey', 'procession'), in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated w ...

(pilgrimage).Cleanliness of tiraths a challenge in Haryana
Hindustan Times, 27 July 2021. Also see above the "places visited by Buddha for discourse" which has additional sites in Haryana. *

Adi Badri, Haryana Adi Badri, also Sri Sarasvati Udgam Tirath,Agroha Mound Agroha, locally known as ''Ther'', is an archaeological site located in Agroha, in the Hisar district of India. Location The mounds are located about 1.5 km from the town of Agroha, 20 km from Hisar city and 190 km from Ne ...

Pillars of Ashoka The pillars of Ashoka are a series of monolithic columns dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed with edicts by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka during his reign from c. 268 to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the expressi ...

: ( Hisar, Fatehabad Ashokan Pillar, Topra Kalan Edicts Museum)

Jammu and Kashmir

* Harwan, near Mughal Shalimar Garden, dating from the fifth century *

Parihaspore Parihaspora or Parihaspur or Paraspore or Paraspur was a small town northwest of Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley. It was built on a plateau above the Jhelum River. It was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida (695–731) and served as the capital of K ...

, 20 km northeast of Srinagar * Panderathan, near Srinagar

Madhya Pradesh

Bagh Caves The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments, situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhyas in Bagh town of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. These monuments are located at a distance of 97 km from Dha ...

Sanchi Sanchi is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located, about 23 kilometres from Raisen town, district headquarter and north-east of Bho ...

, site of a large stupa built by Ashoka which also houses the

relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana The relics of Sariputta and Moggallana refers to the cremated remains of the Buddhist disciples Sariputta (Sanskrit: ''Śāriputra''; Pali: ''Sāriputta'') and Moggallana (Sanskrit: ''Maudgalyāyana''; Pali: ''Moggallāna''). Sariputta and Mogg ...

, the two chief disciples of the Buddha; reputedly the place from which Mahinda set out to proselytise Sri Lanka.

Maharashtra

* Ajanta, site of intricate Buddhist cave paintings depicting Buddhism *

karla caves The Karla Caves, Karli Caves, Karle Caves or Karla Cells, are a complex of ancient Buddhist Indian rock-cut caves at Karli near Lonavala, Maharashtra. It is just 10.9 Kilometers away from Lonavala. Other caves in the area are Bhaja Caves, Pat ...

site of intricate Buddhist cave paintings *

Ellora Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 CE., Quote: "These 34 mo ...

, site of intricate Buddhist cave paintings * Deekshabhoomi, a new 20th century site associated with Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar

Odisha

* Lalitgiri * Ratnagiri * Udayagiri

Telangana

* Nelakondapalli, *

Phanigiri Phanigiri is a Buddhist site in Suryapet district, Telangana. It dates to the 1st Century BCE - 4th century CE period. The site is a major discovery in the history of the early India. It is closely related to the stupa complexes at Amaravati an ...

Tripura

* Pilak, an archaeological site in the

Santirbazar Santirbazar is a town and Municipal Council in South Tripura district, Tripura, India. It is linked with Agartala (the state capital) by National Highway 8 via Udaipur and Bishramganj to Sabroom. Geography Santirbazar is located at . It has ...

sub-division of

South Tripura district South Tripura ( bn, দক্ষিণ ত্রিপুরা জেলা) is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in northeastern India. History The district came into existence on 1 September 1970, when the entire state was ...

Uttar Pradesh

Kosambi Kosambi (Pali) or Kaushambi ( Sanskrit) was an important city in ancient India. It was the capital of the Vatsa kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas. It was located on the Yamuna River about southwest of its confluence with the Ganges ...

Pāvā Pāvā (now Fazilnagar) was an important city of the Malla tribe of ancient India at the time of the Haryanka dynasty of Magadha. It is located about southeast of Kushinagar in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Buddhist history When the B ...

(

Fazilnagar Fazilnagar (also known as Pawanagar) is a community development block in the Kushinagar district of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is located along NH 28, about southeast of Kushinagar International Airport. It is from Deoria and ...

) *

Piprahwa Piprahwa is a village near Siddharthnagar city in Siddharthnagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Kalanamak rice, a scented and spicy variety of rice is grown in this area. It lies in the heart of the historical Buddha's homela ...

Tibetan Buddhist sites

By state

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares int ...

: Tawang * Sikkim:

Dubdi Monastery Dubdi Monastery, occasionally called Yuksom Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism near Yuksom, in the Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district, in eastern India. The Chogyar Namgyal established the firs ...

, Enchey Monastery,

Pemayangtse Monastery The Pemayangtse Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Pemayangtse, near Pelling in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, located 110 km west of Gangtok. Planned, designed and founded by Lama Lhatsun Chempo in 1647, it is one of the olde ...

Ralang Monastery New Ralang Monastery or Ralong Palchen Choling is a Buddhist monastery of the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism in southern Sikkim, northeastern India. It is located six kilometres from Ravangla. Ralang Monastery has an extensive collection of pai ...

Rumtek Rumtek Monastery (), also called the Dharma Chakra Centre, is a gompa located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital Gangtok. It is the seat-in-exile of the Gyalwang Karmapa, inaugurated in 1966 by the 16th Karmapa. It is also a focal po ...

Tashiding Monastery Tashiding Monastery is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Western Sikkim, northeastern India, which is the most sacred and holiest monasteries in Sikkim. It is described as the "Heart of Sikkim/Denzong", citing to it ...

Tawang Monastery Tawang Monastery, located in Tawang city of Tawang district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, is the largest monastery in India. It is situated in the valley of the Tawang Chu, near the small town of the same name in the northwestern ...

, Zang Dhok Palri Phodang * Himachal Pradesh: ** Dharamsala, **

McLeod Ganj McLeod Ganj, also spelt McLeodganj, (pronounced ''Mc-loud-gunj'') is a suburb of Dharamshala in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is known as "Little Lhasa" or "Dhasa" (a short form of Dharamshala used mainly by Tibetans) because ...

at Dharamsala, the primary seat of current

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Da ...

Palpung Sherabling Monastery Palpung Monastery () is the name of the congregation of monasteries and centers of the Tai Situpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the name of the Tai Situ's monastic seat in Babang, Kham (modern Sichuan). Palpung means ...

at Baijnath **

Tabo Monastery Tabo Monastery (or Tabo Chos-Khor Monastery) is located in the Tabo village of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, northern India. It was founded in 996 CE in the Tibetan year of the Fire Ape by the Tibetan Buddhist ''lotsawa'' (translator) Rinche ...

, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh * Karnataka:

Namdroling Monastery The Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery (or Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargye Ling)(བོད་ཡིག ཐེག་མཆོག་རྣམ་གྲོལ་བཤད་སྒྲུབ་དར་རྒྱས་གླིང་།) ( Wylie: ''theg ...

Bylakuppe Bylakuppe is an area in Karnataka which is home to the Indian town Bylakuppe and several Tibetan settlements (there are several Tibetan settlements in India), established by Lugsum Samdupling (in 1961) and Dickyi Larsoe (in 1969). Bylakuppe ...

near

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

* Ladakh:

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former ...

Sikkim

, occasionally called 'Yuksom Monastery' is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

monastery of the

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and trans ...

sect of Tibetan Buddhism near

Yuksom Yuksom is a historical town in Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district in the Northeast Indian state of Sikkim. It was the first capital of Kingdom of Sikkim established in 1642 AD by Phuntsog Namgyal who was the first Chogyal (temporal a ...

, in the

Geyzing Gyalshing or Geyzing is a city, located in Gyalshing district or Geyzing district in the Indian state of Sikkim. It is administrative headquarter of district. The town is connected to the capital Gangtok by a metalled road. Geyzing is also co ...

subdivision of

West Sikkim Gyalshing District or Geyzing District is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other important towns include Pelli ...

district. * Enchey Monastery is located in

Gangtok Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's popula ...

, the capital city of Sikkim in the Northeastern Indian state. It belongs to the

order of Vajrayana

. *

is a

monastery in Pemayangtse, near

Pelling Pelling is a small hill town in the district of West Sikkim, India. Pelling is nestled at an altitude of 2,150 m (7,200 feet). The town is located at a distance of 10 km from the district headquarters of Geyzing and 131 ...

in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, located west of

. *

is a

monastery of the

Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. The Kagyu lineag ...

sect of Tibetan Buddhism in southern Sikkim, northeastern India. It is located six kilometres from

Ravangla Ravangla or Rawangla or Ravongla is a small tourist town with an elevation of 8000 feet located in the South Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is connected by state highway to other major towns in the state and lies between Pel ...

. *

Rumtek Monastery Rumtek Monastery (), also called the Dharma Chakra Centre, is a gompa located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital Gangtok. It is the seat-in-exile of the Gyalwang Karmapa, inaugurated in 1966 by the 16th Karmapa. It is also a focal ...

also called the "Dharmachakra Centre", is a

gompa A Gompa or Gönpa ( "remote place", Sanskrit ''araṇya''), also known as ling (), is a Buddhist ecclesiastical fortification of learning, lineage and sādhanā that may be understood as a conflation of a fortification, a vihara and a universit ...

located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital

. It is a focal point for the sectarian tensions within the

Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, ...

school of Tibetan Buddhism that characterize the

Karmapa controversy There are currently two, separately enthroned 17th Gyalwang Karmapas: Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Trinley Thaye Dorje. The Karmapa is the spiritual leader of the nine-hundred-year-old Karma Kagyu lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The ...

. *

is a

monastery of the

sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Western Sikkim, northeastern India. It is located on top of the hill rising between the Rathong chu and the

Rangeet River The Rangeet or Rangit is a tributary of the Teesta river, which is the largest river in the Indian state of Sikkim. The Rangeet river originates in the Himalayan mountains in West Sikkim district. The river also forms the boundary between Sikki ...

. *

in the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

state of

is the largest monastery in India and second largest in the world after the

Potala Palace The Potala Palace is a ''dzong'' fortress in Lhasa, Tibet. It was the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959, has been a museum since then, and a World Heritage Site since 1994. The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythi ...

in Lhasa, Tibet. * Zang Dhok Palri Phodang is a

monastery in Kalimpong in West Bengal, India. The monastery is located atop Durpin Hill, one of the two hills of the town. It was consecrated in 1976 by the visiting

. File:Tawang Monastery Doorway Mandala.jpg, The Manadala at the "Kakaling", the entry gate to the

. File:Main Shrine of Pemangytse Gompa with prayer flags.jpg,

. File:Zang Dhok Palri Phodang 01.jpg, The Zang Dhok Palri Phodang monastery atop Durpin Hill. File:PrayerWheelsRumtek.JPG, Prayer Wheels in the

. File:Window of prayer hall, Enchey.jpg, Ornately carved colourful Window of Enchey Monastery. File:Yuksom Dubdi Gompa.jpg,

. File:The golden chorten - tashiding.jpg, The Golden Chorten near

. File:Ralong monastery - top view.jpg,

References

{{commons category, Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India

External links

;Web
Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India

;Videos:
Youtube: Lord Buddha & Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites in India
—''A Documentary in Hindi''

Pilgrimages A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

Pilgrimage in India Lists of pilgrimage sites in India India religion-related lists

Places associated with the life of Buddha

Primary sites

Places visited by Buddha for discourse

Other prominent historic Buddhist sites by state

Andhra Pradesh

Assam

Bihar

Goa

Gujarat

Haryana

Jammu and Kashmir

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Odisha

Telangana

Tripura

Uttar Pradesh

Tibetan Buddhist sites

By state

Sikkim

See also

References

External links