Siddharth Gautam, born the son of a king, grew up
in Kapilvastu amidst luxury and splendour. At the
age of 29 he left earthly distraction behind, to begin
his quest for the true meaning of life-a search that
took to the land of Magadha. At Bodhgaya, after years
of penance and deprivation, he attained "Enlightenment"
under the sacred Bodhi tree-to become Budha. In the
fabled deer park at Sarnath, the Buddha preached his
first sermon.
He then travelled widely preaching his philosophy.
At the age of 80, in the forest of Kushinagar, he
entered perfect tranquillity-the state of "Parinirvana".
Lumbini, Bodhagaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Sravasti,
Vaishali and Kapilvastu these sacred places of Buddha
continue the legacy of this remarkable being who practised
and preached peace, purity and love.
We invite you now to this special world one not just
of spectacualr temples, monasteries and stupas but
where you may actually walk in the footsteps of "The
Englightened One"-the man, who changed the world.
Duration : 10 Nights / 11 Days
Places Covered : Calcutta - Patna - Nalanda
-Rajgir - Bodhgaya - Varanasi - Sarnath - Kushinagar
- Lumbini - Lucknow - Delhi - Agra
Day 01 --
» Calcutta / Delhi
Arrive Calcutta/Delhi. Half Day Sightseeing of the
city.
Day 02 --
» Leave Calcutta/Delhi for Patna
Leave Calcutta/Delhi for Patna by air. Drive to
Bodhgaya where the Buddha attained enlightenment
and which is one of the most sacred pilgrimage places
for the Buddhist. Enroute visit Nalanda and Rajgir.
Nalanda-a great center of Buddhist learning and
one of the most famed university citadels of ancient
times. Rajgir-it was once the ancient capital of
the powerful kingdom of Maghada. From the out skirts
of Rajgir, a historic road leads to Gridhakuta or
vultures peak where the Buddha preached, here the
first Buddhist Council was held after the Lord's
Mahaparinirvana.
Day 03 --
» Bodhgaya
Sightseeing of Bodhgaya. Overnight in Bodhgaya.
Day 04 --
» Varanasi
Morning leave Bodhgaya for Varanasi by Surface.
Later, excursion to Sarnath. Overnight in Varanasi.
Day 05 --
» Kushinagar
Early morning boat ride on the River Ganges to see
the sun rise and the bathing ghats of an ancient
Hindu city. Later, leave Varanasi for Kushinagar.
Overnight in Kushinagar.
Day 06 --
» Lumbini
Leave Kushinagar for Lumbini by surface. Sightseeing
of Lumbini where the Lord was born. Emperor Ashoka,
in the twenty first year after his coronotion, visited
the birthplace and raised a pillar on the spot.
Later proceed to Balrampur.
Day 07 --
» Lucknow
Leave Balrampur for Lucknow enroute visit Sravasti
(Sahet-Mahet) capital of the ancient kingdom of
Kosala, an active centre for Buddhism. Overnight
in Lucknow.
Day 08 --
» Delhi
Leave Lucknow for Delhi by air. Half day sightseeing
of Old and New Delhi visiting Red Fort, Jama Masjid,
Qutab Minar and the Secretarial Buildings. Overnight
in Delhi.
Day 09 --
» Agra
Full day excursion to Agra, city of the Taj Mahal.
Also visit Agra Fort and Sikandra. Overnight in
Delhi.
Day 10 --
» Delhi
Day at leisure in Delhi
Day 11 --
» Leave Delhi
Leave Delhi
