Buddhist Pilgrimage Circuit

Frutiji

My visa requires I leave the country every 180 days, a deadline which is fast approaching. I decided on spending a day or two in Lumbini, just over the Nepal Border since it's the Buddha's alleged birthplace. Then I figured I might as well visit other sites in the Buddhist circuit as well since I'm quite partial to what the guy taught. So I sat down this morning with my LP and the Trains at a Glance tables and got a 3 week itinerary together. It's way too short of a time, I know. Maybe I'll end up taking twice as long but I might start with this and see where it goes. Maybe I like the irony of paying homage to the Buddha with an itinerary that leaves me no time to sit and just be. I don't know.

I would love any advice or stories from anyone who has done this route, a part of it, or some version thereof. What are your favorite spots? Where are the best (cheap) places to stay? Anything to know about the buses and trains in any of these locales? What to look out for, good and bad? Thanks a bunch!

I'll try and give a report when it's over, if not along the way. So here's the sketch:

I'm leaving on the Gorakhpur Express from Bangalore tomorrow evening, arriving in:
- Gorakhpur two days later. Figure I'll stay the night there, and head for the border the next morning, a 3 hour bus ride to Sunauli. Get my Nepal visa (does really only take 10 minutes?), cross, and take a bus to:
- Lumbini. Two nights there and I take the buses back to Gorakhpur and on to:
- Kushinagar, where the guy breathed his last. Hoping this just takes half a day. I'll spend two nights there and get the bus back to Gorakhpur where I catch a train to:
- Varanasi, hoping to arrive by early afternoon. (Nothing particular Buddhist about Varanasi but I want to see it anyway and have some good paan.) Two nights there, then it's a train to Gaya where I grab a rickshaw to:
- Bodhgaya where he got enlightened. Three nights there, then I take a 3 hour bus to Rajgir where I'll spend two nights either there or also in nearby Nalanda. The Buddha spent lots of time here teaching and whatnot. Then it's an overnight train to:
- Sarnath right by Varanasi. Two days and nights there (maybe hanging in Varanasi some more too during this time) and it's back on the train to Gorakhpur where I get a train to Gonda so I can somehow get to nearby:
- Shravasti where the Buddha also did some serious hanging out. This is the end of my Buddhist circuit plans but I've got a mission to take pictures for some friends in the birthplace of Krishna. So I put my Hindu pilgrimage hat on (if I can find one) and get on an overnight train from Gonda to:
- Mathura and Vrindavan where I hang out for two nights before scooting over to nearby:
- Agra to see the Taj Mahal. (What the hell, why not?) From Agra there's a train straight to:
- Dehradun where I'll do a 3-day Vipassana meditation course that starts on October 26th. (a mini version of the 10-day Goenka style courses, only for those that have already done a 10-day.)

thirdreel

Sarnath is pretty much part of Varanasi, so there's little reason to make a separate stop of it. The guest house where I stayed arranged an auto for me--the driver took me to Sarnath, then waited four hours to take me back, for a total of 400 rupees.

I went to Bodhgaya, Varanasi and Sarnath. I stayed in Bodhgaya for three days, and I definitely found it worth it--I loved walking the temple grounds every day, seeing monks and pilgrims, etc. It seemed that an afternoon was enough for Sarnath, though perhaps I'd see more if I were staying longer.

Varanasi is actually mentioned in some Buddhist scriptures. Buddha called it "the ancient city," so it's been ancient for a really long time. There is a section of the temple at Banaras Hindu University that's devoted to Buddhist stories and imagery. That was pretty much my favorite Hindu temple of the trip. I bought a Buddha from an emporium outside the BHU temple, and the guy who sold it to me said he was named Rahul, just like Buddha's son.

I envy your trip. I meant to go to Mathura and Vrindavan, but my plans were foiled. Good luck!

Jorge Reverter

Hi Frutiji,

You must try to include in your itinerary Sanchi, in my opinion the most important Budhist Archeological Site in India (World Heritage). Is quite easy to reach Sanchi via Bhopal. The Shatbadi Express go every day to Bhopal and from there you have many trains and buses (only 50 km.). The site is really impressive.

Frutiji

Thanks for those replies. I had thought about Sanchi and now I'll look at going there more seriously.

The reason I was thinking of staying in Sarnath itself and not just visit from Varanasi was that there's an overnight train straight from Rajgir to Sarnath, the Budhpurnima Express, that just seemed too cool not to include in my route. But I do get the feeling I might like to spend more time in Varanasi anyway so we'll see.

Just got off the Bangalore-Gorakhpur Express after a smooth 49 hour trip and will leave Gorakhpur for Lumbini tomorrow morning...

Frutiji

Gorakhpur to Lumbini was about 6 hours altogether. The bus rides through the border were as smooth as can be expected and coming into Lumbini and Nepal in general was an eye opener. It's really true that things mellow out as soon as you cross the border, despite all the army checkpoints. People smile more, hassle less, and the "Namaste"'s are much easier to come by than in India. I considered staying in the country and heading for Kathmandu, but in the end I stuck with my pilgrimage.

I ended up staying 4 days in Lumbini, I found it so nice. They are still building the whole place up but there's already plenty to see and experience besides the site itself. Monastaries from around the world going up in a well maintained zone. One day I headed over to see the ruins of the Buddha's father's home in Taulihawa 22km away so I could stand at the site of the gate where he escaped worldly life to seek enlightenment. I stayed at the Lumbini Village Lodge (nice family) as well as the Korean monastery. I had no idea how good kim chee and miso soup could taste after 6 months of Indian food.

Then back to Gorakhpur on my way to Kushinigar, 6 hours of bus travel altogether. Stayed at the Myanmar monastery and spent a meaningful day and a half taking in the sites and vibes. The trip has been great so far and full of emotional moments. Yes, Buddhists can get emotional too. Tonight I'm back in Gorakhpur and tomorrow morning I'll take the train to Hajipur where I'll get a bus to Vaishali and stay for a while. Then work my way down to Nalanda, Rajgir and Bodhgaya.

We'll see what happens from there...

aadil

Sarnath is almost a part of Varanasi and not so far off to visit as it takes less than an hour to get there by autorickshaw and cost me about Rs250 for the whole trip including the four hour halt there visiting all the different Buddhist (Indian, Sri Lankan, Tibetan, Chinese, Burmese, Japanese and Thai) temples including one Jain temple as well. Also see the Dhamekh stupa as well as the excavations of the old city there including the ASI museum which houses the Sarnath capital that is the four figured lion emblem of India.

From Bhopal, Sanchi is really worth visiting for the stupas and ASI museum and also the nearby temples of Vidisha, Udaigiri and Gyaraspur or if you are interested in seeing the ancient rock paintings at Bhimbetka there is much to see and admire there too though the later three are not buddhist places but UNESCO world heritage sites so really worth seeing.

Hope you enjoy this trip!!!

Cheers,
Aadil.

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gregornot

As a India Newbie,
Have taken several Vipassana 10 day courses,sat a Satipatthana Sutta Course and have done 10 months long term service at CA vipassana center. Am looking to expand my travels to ,include
other notable sites including ones mentioned in the above post . Am open to any travel suggestions. Does any one know of a reputable vipassana based travel agency that could help out, am planning to sit and serve as I travel Northern India?

Wish to leave in Sept/Oct and ending up 4-8 (or more) months in Mumbia at Dhamma or not.

I plan on buying a one way ticket to Dehli and having a travel agent purchase an open train/bus ticket to Lumbini,Nepal as my ticket out of Idia. After sitting and serving for a monthi, will have money to buy a return airfare ticket. Is this a reasonable plan? I will go to Lumbin, as my six month deadline approaches.

metta,gregor

TimMakins

Sanchi is brilliant - shouldn't be missed. The railway station even has a tiny retiring room - I wish I'd stayed there. Other Buddhist sites are of course Nalanda and Rajgir - both well worth the effort. And if you are feeling really adventurous, the magical caves at Barabar:
http://www.mapability.com/travel/p2i/barabar.html

Tim in Ireland

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