An Evolving Pilgrim's Guide to Some of the Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites in India

Understanding the relative locations of the sites

Detailed Maps of the Buddha's movements through India during his life

Maps of the major sites

Maps of the major sites together with pairwise distances

Historic Accounts

Faxian: "Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms", as Translated by James Legge. Note that I am not satisfied with the quality of this translation, particularly the translator's notes.

Xuanzang: Vol 1 and Vol 2 of Buddhist Records of the Western World.

Other references

We have found the book "Middle Land, Middle Way" a highly valuable guide, but does suffer from a variety of typos and slight errors. Nonethelesss, it retains its place as the single most valuable reference in planning a trip to the pilgrimage sites. We are indebted to the author (Ven. S. Dhammika) for his generosity in putting together this compendium.

The blog Nalanda - insatiable in offering.

Sites

Sites at locations visited by the Buddha

Boldface entries indicate specific locations visited intensively by or most strongly associated with the Buddha

Lumbini

Bodh Gaya (Uruvela, Site of the Buddha's Awakening)

Sarnath

Kusinara (Kushinagar)

Kapilavatthu (Kapilavastu)

Vesali (Vaishali)

Kesariya (Kesaputta, site of Kalama Sutta, and other Kesaputta Suttas)

Pava (Site of Cunda the Silversmith's House, and commemorating Stupa)

Rajagaha (Rajgir)

• Venuvana (The Bamboo Grove), a favoured retreat of the Buddha, and the site of a number of suttas
• Maha Moggalanna Stupa at Kalasila
• Sattapanni Cave (site of First Buddhist Council)
• Top of Vulture's Peak (Gridhra-Kuta Hill)
• Jail in which King Bimbisara was imprisoned by his son

Savatthi

• Jetavana (Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Monastery) -- the site of a large number of the Buddha's discourses (Suttas) and the plurality of the Buddha's rains retreats
  • Locations used intensively by the Buddha
    • Gandakuti in Jetavana
    • The Buddha's Cankama Path
    • Kosamba Kuti and Ananda Kuti
  • Kuti Attributed to Ven. Sivali
  • Newly Excavated Monastery & Tank
  • Panorama between Ananda Bodhi Tree and the Buddha's Cankama Path
  • Ananda Bodhi Tree
  • Kushana Stupa (Stupa 17; claimed by some to be associated with either Maha Moggallana or Maha Kassapa)
  • Buddha Deva Stupa (claimed by some to be associated with either Maha Moggallana or Maha Kassapa)
  • Temples 11 and 12
  • Monastery 19 (said to be associated with the Buddha's son, Ven. Rahula
  • Monastery 1
  • Example Grove ('Vana') within the Jetavana
• Angulimala Stupa
• Kachi Kuti -- Anathapindika Home Site Stupa
• Orajhar (said by the Archaeological Society of India to the be the Eastern Monastery donated by Lady Visakha; claimed by others to be the site of the Twin Miracle) [NB: This photosynth includes views from many angles with incomplete integration; the viewer is advised to use Photosynth's capacity to go to the "next" image, or (better) to use the Direct3D viewer, where one can move between 3D sections.]

Nalanda

• Sariputta Birthplace Stupa

Ukkacela

• Northern Ananda Stupa from Ukkacela (Hajipur) [NB: This photosynth includes views from many angles with incomplete integration; the viewer is advised to use Photosynth's capacity to go to the "next" image, or (better) to use the Direct3D viewer, where one can move between 3D sections.]

Pataliputra (Patna)

• Remains of Pillared Hall at the Kumrahar [NB: This photosynth includes views from many angles with incomplete integration; the viewer is advised to use Photosynth's capacity to go to the "next" image, or (better) to use the Direct3D viewer, where one can move between 3D sections.]
• Arogya Vihar, Patna (Pataliputra)

Miscellaneous

Modern Bas-Relief Depiction of Buddha's Life at Maha-Bodhi Temple (Bodh Gaya)

Indian Buddhist sites from after the time of the Buddha

Karla Caves

• Main Chaityagrha -- this is apparently the biggest stone-carved Buddhist Chaityagrha in India. It includes rafters over 2000 years old and intact wooden umbrella above the Stupa
• Entryway to the main Chaityagriha
• Exteriors of Central Cave Region

Bhaja Caves

• Primary Chaityagriha (including wooden rafters)
• Stone Raftered Temple (modeled after a wooden temple)

Ajanta Caves

• Spectacularly Carved interior of Cave 26 -- including Maha Parinibbana, but far more extensive
• Maha Parinibbana Carving (specifically) in Cave 26
• Beautifully Carved Cave 19
• Cave 9 (one of the oldest 2 caves at Ajanta)
• Interior and Exterior of Cave 10 (Believed to be the Earliest Ajanta Chaityagriha)
• Cave 4 Statues, Carvings and Paintings
• Statue

Visitors here may also be interested in my regular photographs of Buddhist sites in India (located on Panoramio), as well as my photosynths of Buddhist art from India.

I have many additional panoramas available. If you have particular interest, please write to me (osgood 'at' cs.usask.ca), and I can provide you access to the broader set.

Click here to go to my homepage, or here to go to my personal homepage.