Kushinagar Buddhist Site
Population : 14,000
Distance : 55km from Gorakhpur
¤ Kushinagar - A Site of
Buddhist Parinirvana
 Situated
in Deoria district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Kushinagara was a small
town in the days of the Buddha. But it became famous when the Buddha
died here, on his way from Rajgir to Sravasti. His last memorable
words were, “All composite things decay. Strive diligently!”
This event is known as the ‘Final Blowing-Out’ (Parinirvana)
in Buddhist parlance. Since then the place has become a celebrated
pilgrim centre. It was the capital of the kingdom of the Mallas, one
of the 16 Janapadas (see Sravasti).
¤ Places of Interest
Muktabandhana Stupa
The Muktabandhana Stupa was built by the Mallas just after the
Buddha’s death. It is built over the sacred relics of the Buddha
himself. The Stupa is also known as Ramabhar Stupa and is 50 ft tall.
It is believed that the Stupa was built on the spot where the Buddha
was cremated.
Nirvana Stupa
1km west of the Muktabandhana Stupa is the Nirvana Stupa that was
built in the days of Ashoka. It was renovated in 1927 by the Burmese
Buddhists. In front of the Stupa is the Mahaparinirvana Temple in
which is installed a colossal sandstone statue of the Buddha in the
reclining position. It was built by the Mathura school of art and was
brought to Kushinagar by a Buddhist monk named Haribala during the
reign of Kumaragupta (c. a.d.415-454).
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