Sri Lanka (2,243 m) – Sacred Mountain of Sri Lanka Sri Pada is one of the most universally sacred mountains in the Far East. A towering, almost perfectly conical peak, it is considered to be an important religious site by Buddhists and Hindus as well as by Muslims and Christians. Its name means “butterfly mountain”, and though primarily a Buddhist site, is also known as … [Read more...]
MOUNT KAILASH
China (6,638 m) – Home to Shiva in Hinduism and Demchok in Tantric Buddhism Mount Kailash in southwestern China is one of the great peaks of the Tibetan plateau, and one of the holiest mountains in all of Asia. Located near the borders of India and Nepal, the region of the mountain is the source of the Indus River as well as a major tributary of the Ganges River. The exact … [Read more...]
MOUNT WUTAI
China (3,058 m) – One of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China Mount Wutai is another of China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, and considered by some to be the most prominent and important of these. According to tradition, Wutai is the home of Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. The mountain’s name means the “Five Mountain Plateau”, and the north peak of Wutai is … [Read more...]
MOUNT EMEI
China (3,099 m) – One of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China Mount Emei is one of the most beautiful and popular mountains in central China. Although not one of the Five Sacred Mountains, it is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations north of the Himalayas, being counted among the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains. Its name rougly translates to … [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...]
