Buddhism founded in North India, is not a religion but a system of philosophy and code of morality. With millions of Buddhists in its manifold the country abounds in plethora of monuments and locales associated with Buddhism. ” O-Bhikshus’ after my death when people and members of new generation comes and ask you then tell them that here the Buddha was born, here he attained the full enlightenment , here he turned the wheel of Dharma twelve times , and here finally the Buddha entered into Parinirvana. (The Buddha).
Hundreds of years have gone by, but architectural splendours, still standing resoundingly are ample testimonial of Buddhist philosophy and doctrines. It’s all possible to come across with such splendours as we have for you the following tour plan.
Day 01 : Arrive Delhi
Meet/Assist on arrival and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon, sightseeingof New Delhi visiting Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, orientation drive through New Delhi’s Diplomatic Areas, India Gate, Parliament House, President’s House, Connaught Place the heart and central commercial district of the city. Overnight at hotel.
Day 02 : Delhi
Morning sightseeing of Old Delhi visiting Red Fort, Jama Mosque, Chandni Chowk, Raj Ghat .
Afternoon free for your independent activities / leisure / Shopping. Overnight at hotel.
Day 03 : New Deihl – Jaipur (260 kms I 4- – 5 hours drive approx.)
Morning Drive to Jaipur enroute visiting CHAND BAORI (Stepwell) at Abhaneri.
Arrive Jaipur. Check-in at hotel. Rest of the afternoon free to relax/orientation drive through the city and its local markets. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 : Jaipur
Morning excursion to Amer Fort, the ancient capital of Rajputs. Enjoy elephant ride to go up the hill to reach the main Fort and visit the entire complex it encircles in its huge area on a hill top.
Afternoon, city tour of the Pink City visiting the City Palace, Observatory, Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), Local Markets. Overnight at hotel.
Day 05 : Jaipur – Agra (235 kms / 4 – 5 hours drive approx.)
Morning, drive to Agra, enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted capital of Emperor Akbar built by Red Sandstone.
Post sightseeing, drive to Agra and check-in at hotel.
Afternoon city tour of Agra visiting TAJ MAHAL, Agra Fort, Itmad-ud-Daulah and drive around the local markets. Overnight at hotel.
Day 06 : Agra – Delhi – Varanasi
Morning, drive back to Delhi and drop at airport in time to connect flight for Varanasi.
Meet / transfer to hotel.
Meet / transfer to hotel.
Afternoon visit SARNATH, the hallowed spot where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon after the enlightenment. Visit the Museum having sea of information about Buddhism.
Evening – drive to the banks of River Ganges to witness the EVENING PRAYER offered to the Mother River of India, with Flaming Torches. Its an unique experience to witness this religious spectacle associated with the Hindu Religion.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 07 : Varanasi
Early morning, drive to the banks of River Ganges again to experience another unique spectacle associated with Hindu Religion – Boat Cruise on Ganges to witness the Sun Rise and the Bathing Ghats. Varanasi is the microcosm of Hinduism, a city of traditional classical culture, glorified by myth and legend and sanctified by religion. It attracts people not only from India but all over the world for pilgrimage and worshiping from time immemorial. Visiting Varanasi is an experience in itself, an experience in self-discovery, an eternal oneness of the body and soul.
Morning sightseeing of Varanasi visiting the Temples, Benaras Hindu University, Orientation drive through the city and its local markets.
Afternoon visit the Ganges Ghats once more and some of the Religious Ashrams run by Hindu saints to understand the philosophy of life and religion for Hindus.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 07 : Varanasi – Bodhgaya (285kms / 6-7 hours approx.)
Morning, leave Varanasi for Bodhgaya and upon arrival, check-in at hotel.
Rest of the day, visit Niranjana and Sujata Places of worship. Bodhgaya is associated with the enlightenment of Lord Buddha (566-486 B.C.). The sacred Bodhi Tree under which he is believed to have attained enlightenment, is highly venerated by the Buddhists. Emperor Ashoka visited Bodhgaya around 260 B.C. and constructed a small temple near the Bodhi Tree. An inscription datable to 1st – 2nd century A.D. mentions that the temple of Ashoka was replaced by a new one. Fahien – the Chinese Traveller first makes reference to the main temple and the Bodhi tree in 404-05 A.D.. Hieun Tsang, another Chinese Traveller who visited the site in 637 A.D., mentions the presence of walls surrounding the Bodhi Tree, within which stood Mahabodhi Temple nearly 160 feet tall and a large fine sanctuary.
Evening visit MAHABODHI TEMPLE for offering your prayers. Overnight at hotel.
Day 08 : Bodhgaya – Rajgir (70 kms / 90 minutes approx.)
Morning, explore the Area once more in Bodhgaya visiting the other temples and then leave for Rajgir and upon arrival, check-in at Hotel.
Afternoon sightseeing of Rajgir, also called Rajgriha, which means the ‘Home of Royalty’. This place is significant because Buddha spent many years in Rajgir and also delivered some important discourses here. Venu Vana monastery, built by King Bimbisar as residential quarters of Lord Buddha. It was the very first present to Lord Buddha by the king. At Griddhakoota Hill, Lord Buddha set in his motion his second Wheel of Law or Dharma Pravartan Chakra.
Post sightseeing, back to hotel for overnight.
Day 09 : Rajgir – Nalanda – Patna (100 kms / 3 – 4 hours approx.)
Morning, leave Rajgir for Patna, enroute visiting Nalanda – about 90kms from Patna, lies the ruins of the famous and one of the greatest Buddhist Universities of the ancient world, established during the 5th century B.c..The famous Chines Traveler Hieun Tsang had come at Nalanda in the 7th Century B.C., and stayed for 12 years, leaving behind a detailed account of the university. Nalanda happens to be the first Residential International University of the world with a strength of 2,000 teachers and 10,000 student monks from all over the Buddhist world.
Post sightseeing, continue your drive to Patna and on arrival, check-in at hotel.
Rest of the day orientation drive through the city, its local markets.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 10 : Patna – Kushinagar (220 kms / 4-5 hours approx.)
Morning, leave Patna and drive to Kushinagar. Upon arrival check-in at hotel.
Afternoon sightseeing of Kushinagar – a small town and an important centre for Buddhism. Most of the Buddhist sculptures here were constructed between 3rd century B.C. and 5th century A.D.. Rambhar Stupa is the most important landmark of Kushinagar. The Stupa is said to have been built on the same spot where Lord Buddha was cremated in 483 B.C.. Mahaparinirvana Temple is the important attraction of Kushinagar as it is said to be the death place of Lord Buddha and has a huge statue of Buddha inside in reclining position. Mathakuar Shrine is the place where Lord Buddha had given his last sermon. There are many modern Stupas, Temples and Shrines built by the government from various Buddhist countries. A museum here houses objects found during the excavation of Kushinagar.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 11 : Kushinagar – Lumbini (160 kms / 4 hours approx.)
Morning, leave Kushinagar and drive to Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. Upon arrival, check-in at hotel.
Afternoon, sightseeing of Lumbini – which was located in 1890, after being untraced for 1500 years. Lumbini Grove, the sacred site of Lord Buddha’s birth place is a small village in Nepal, 27kms from Sonauli on the Indo-Nepal Border. Three Hundred years years after the Mahaparinirvana, Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini and erected a pillar there. This pillar, though broken, stukk remains at the site and is knows as the Rummendei Pillar after the earlier name of the place (modern name Rupandhei) in Nepal.
Post sightseeing, drive back to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 12 : Lumbini – Kapilavastu – Sravasti ( 265kms / 5-6 hours approx)
Morning, leave Lumbini and drive to Sravasti, also known as Sahet-Mahets, another important town for Buddhist pilgrimage, enroute visiting Kapilavastu, Kapilavastu was an ancient city on the Indian subcontinent which was the capital of the clan of the Shakyas. King Śuddhodana and Queen Māyā, parents of Lord Buddha, are believed to have lived at Kapilavastu, as did their son Prince Siddartha Gautama (adopted name Buddha) until he left the palace at the age of 29 to start the Buddhism sect. Upon arrival Sravasti, check-in at hotel.
Afternoon, sightseeing gof Sravasti, which was founded by the legendary King Sravast and is important from Buddhism point of view because Lord Buddha performed a number miracles here. It was in Sravast where Buddha displayed a million fold manifestation of himself. The magical feats exhibited by Lord Buddha, while sitting on the lotus, are still narrated by the people of Sravasti. The town also had the fortuity of playing host to Lord Buddha for 24 rainy seasons in the Jetvana Gardens. Visit Jetvana Rama in Sahet and Angulimala Cave in Mahet. Post sightseeing, drive back to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 13 : Sravasti – Lucknow (135kms / 3-4 hours approx.)
Morning, leave Sravasti and drive to Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh, a multicultural city that flourished as a North Indian cultural and artistic hub, and the seat of power of Nawabs in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Upon arrival, check-in at hotel.
Afternoon, sightseeing of Lucknow visiting Bara Imambara, Clock Tower, Rumi Darwaza, Museum, Gomti River Front.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 14 : Lucknow – Delhi (Shatabdi Express/1535 / 2215 hrs. )
Morning, at leisure and shopping around in the local markets for the world famous LUCKNOW
CHIKANKARI – the art of Lucknow. Lucknowi Chikan embroidery is one of the indigenous handworks practiced in Lucknow, the city of Nawabs (the Rulers) produced in a wide range of fabrics from cottons to silks, pure Georgette to terri-voils in stitched ready-made and unstitched varieties with a variety of hand embroidery stitches – shadow-work (Bakhiya), knot work (phanda and Murri), applique,(daraz) etc.
Afternoon, transfer to Railway Station in time to connect Shatabdi Express Train for Delhi.
Meet upon arrival Delhi and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 16 – Departure Delhi
Morning, transfer to airport in time to connect flight for your journey back home / onward destination.
