Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh The city of Khajuraho in Central India was once home to one of the most thriving Jain communities in India. The Jain legacy here includes one of the finest collections of temples in Madhya Pradesh (this is enhanced by the fact that the city is also home to over a dozen major Hindu temples as well). There are three main Jain temples here: the … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2015
PALITANA TEMPLES
Palitana, Gujarat The city of Palitana in Gujarat is one of Jainism’s holiest places. According to tradition it was here that Rishabha, the founder of Jainism, spent time meditating here over two thousand years ago. Because of this Palitana is believed to be one of the earliest centers of the Jain religion. The hill where Rishabha spent his time is now home to one of India’s … [Read more...]
TAWANG MONASTERY
Tawang, Aranachel Pradesh The Tawang Monastery is by some measures India’s biggest monastery, one of the largest monasteries in Asia, and one of the largest Buddhist monasteries anywhere outside of Lhasa. Nearly five hundred monks call it home. It is famous among Buddhists for its enormous golden Buddha statue and its old and incredibly valuable collection of sacred texts. The … [Read more...]
HEMIS MONASTERY
Ladakh, Jammu Kashmir The Hemis Monastery in Ladakh is one of the largest and best known Buddhist monasteries in India. Perched on a hilltop with the Himalyan Mountains for a backdrop, it recalls the grandeur of the great monasteries of Tibet. It is closely associated with the Guru Rimpoche who is honored here every year with one of India’s largest Buddhist festivals. The … [Read more...]
NAMGYAL MONASTERY
Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh The Namgyal Monastery is among the world’s most important Buddhist monastaries. Since the mid-20th century, it has served as the home-in-exile of the Dalai Lama, one of the most important Buddhist leaders (and religious leaders for that matter) in the world. A relatively humble complex compared to the massive palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the Namgyal … [Read more...]
AJANTA & ELLORA CAVES
Ajanya & Ellora, Maharashtra The Indian state of Maharastra is home to some of the oldest sacred sites in India, especially in the Buddhist tradition. Among the best known and most visited of these are the cave temples that can be found at Ajanta and Ellora. Between these two locations, approximately sixty miles from each other, are over sixty of the worlds most … [Read more...]
GREAT STUPA
Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh The Great Stupa of Sanchi is the oldest intact religious shrine in India, and the last of the original stupas constructed by the Emperor Ashoka to remain standing. It is thus both of great religious importance to Buddhists as well as great architectural and archaeological importance to scholars. Because of numerous additions to the site over the … [Read more...]
SHANTI STUPA
Dhauli, Odisha The Kalinga War was the last major effort of expansion of the Maurya Empire in India, and the final military campaign of Ashoka the Great. The battle, which was actually a series of engagements in the Dhauli Hills, is believed to have been the bloodiest campaign in history until World War I nearly twenty-two centuries later. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers … [Read more...]
PARINIRVANA TEMPLE
Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh The Parinirvana Temple is one of three of the great Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India (the fourth great Buddhist pilgrimage site being located in Nepal). According to tradition, Kushinagar is the place where Siddhartha Gautama died and where he achieved Parinirvana, or Nirvana after death. There are actually two sites of importance here: the temple, … [Read more...]
MAHABODHI TEMPLE
Bodh Gaya, Bihar The Mahabodhi Temple is one of three of the great Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India (the fourth great Buddhist pilgrimage site being located in Nepal). As the location where it is believed Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment, it is by some accounts the most sacred Buddhist site in the world. It is also one of the most awe-inspiring Buddhist temples … [Read more...]
