Package of Varanasi to Kushinagar(Shakyamuni entered Mahaparinirvana)

One of the principal centers of Buddhist pilgrimage is Kushinagar 278Km from Varanasi and 53 Km. west of Gorakhpur, where Shakyamuni entered Mahaparinirvana his death and cremation, that marked his final liberation from the cycles of death and rebirth. This was the furthest he had reached on his final journey, which retraced much of the road he had walked when many years before he had left Kapilavastu.

General Cunningham and A.C. Carlyl brought this ancient site to light. Only after this excavation of the site in 1861, its antiquity was established for the first time. After this, between 1904 and 1912, several excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India at Kushinagar confirmed its ancient identity.

When he reached his eighty-first year, Buddha gave his last major teaching--the subject was the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment--and left Vulture's Peak to journey north. It is when he crossed the Ganges for the last time at place where Patna now stands and came to the village of Beluva where Buddha was taken ill but he suppressed the sickness and continued to Vaisali. It was also the principal location of the third turning of the wheel of Dharma.

Coming to Pava, the blacksmith's son Kunda offered him a meal which included meat. It is said that all the Buddha's of this world eat a meal containing meat on the eve of their passing away. Buddha accepted, but directed that no one else should partake of the food. Later it was learned that the meat was bad. Buddha had already sensed his end on reaching the village of Kushinagar of the Mallas. He asked Ananda to prepare a bed for him with its head turned towards the north between two Sal trees. Ananda who served him for 20 years was deeply upset. "Don't grieve, Ananda!" the Buddha consoled him. "The nature of things dictates that we must leave those dear to us. Everything born contains its own cessation. And just as a worn-out cart can only with much additional care be made to move along, so too the body of the Buddha can only be kept going with much additional care".

As desired by the Buddha, the Mallas of Kushinagar were informed of his impending death, and they came to pay respects to him. As the third watch of the night approached, the Buddha asked his disciples thrice if there were any remaining doubts concerning the doctrine or the discipline. Receiving silence, he gave them the famous exhortation: "Impermanence is inherent in all things. Work out your own salvation with diligence." After this Shakyamuni Buddha entered Mahaparinirvana.

For the next six days the body of the Great Master was laid in state. Preparations were made for his funeral under the direction of Anirudha a cousin and follower of the Buddha. On the seventh day, after honoring the body with perfumes and garlands, it was taken to the Mukutbandhana Chaitya, the sacred shrine of the Mallas. The last ceremony was performed by Maha Kashyapa and the body of the Great Master was cremated with due honor. When the cremation was completed the ashes were collected by the Mallas as relics, which consisted of a skull bone, teeth and inner and outer shrouds. The relics were then distributed into eight shares amongst the representatives of the other eight Kingdoms which constituted ancient northern India. These relics were again subdivided after King Ashoka decided to build 84,000 Stupas. Today these relics are enshrined in Stupas across Asia.

In later times Fa Hien found monasteries at Kushinagar, but when Hsuan Tsang came the site was almost deserted. Hsuan Chwang did see an Ashoka Stupa marking Kunda's house, the site of Buddha's last meal. Commemorating the Mahaparinirvana was a large brick temple containing a recumbent statue of Buddha. Beside this was a partly ruined Ashoka Stupa and a pillar with an inscription describing the event. Two more Stupas commemorated former lives of the Buddha at the place. Both Chinese pilgrims mention a Stupa where Shakyamuni's protector Vajrapani threw down his scepter in dismay after Buddha's death, and some distance away a Stupa at the place of cremation and another built by Ashoka where the relics were divided.
COMING SOON
Rate :-
a). Tavera @ Rs. 9 per Km.
b). Innova @ Rs. 10 per Km.
c). Sumo Victa @ Rs. 8 per Km.
d). Indica @ Rs. 6 per Km.
NOTE :- Extra route expenditure such as toll tax, border tax , Parking etc. should be paid by party itself.