| BUDDHIST TOUR |
Delhi or Kolkata - Patna - Nalanda - Rajgir - Bodhgaya - Varansi - Kushinagar - Lumbini - Balrampur - Lucknow - Delhi - Agra
(10 Nights/11 Days Tour) |
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| Day 01 : Delhi or Kolkata |
Arrival Kolkata or Delhi
Half Day Sightseeing of the city. |
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| Overnight at Hotel |
| Day 02 : Kolkata/Delhi - Patna - Bodhgaya |
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| Leave Kolkata/Delhi for Patna by air. Drive to Bodhgaya (125 kms. / 3 hrs.) 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 Gridha - Kuta or vultures peak where the Buddha preached, here the first Buddhist Council was held after the Lord's Mahaparinirvana. |
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| Overnight at hotel |
| Day 03 : Bodhgaya |
| Sightseeing of Bodhgaya. Here under the Bodhi Tree, Shakyamuni Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, "the Enlightened one" the propounder of one of the great relegious of the world. River Nirajnana in which the Buddha bathed after attaining elightment flows qulitely outside the tiny hamlet. |
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| Overnight in Bodhgaya. |
| Day 04 : Bodhgaya - Varansi |
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At Morning leave Bodhgaya for Varanasi (275 kms. / 7-8 hrs.) by Surface. Later, excursion to Sarnath the place Lord Buddha gave its sermon after attaining enlightenment and becoming a Buddha. The great emperor Ashoka erected magnificent stupas and monasteries here, which are now in ruins, however the 34 meter high Dhamekh Stupa still marks the spot where the Master first preached.
The site was recorded by the Chinese travellers Fa Hein and Hiuan Tsang. The ruins of monasteries, built more than 2000 years ago, the Dhamok Stupa, the Dharamaraji Ka Stupa and the main shrine are worth visiting. |
| At Sarnath stands the famous Ashoka pillar of polished sandstone whose lion capital has been adopted by the Republic of India as its state emblem. The site was deserted following the decline of Buddhism in India, and because Muslim invaders desecrated it. Many ruins survive including a shrine built by the great Indian Emperor Ashoka (272-232 BC). A modern Sri Lankan temple contains Japanese Buddhist paintings. |
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| Overnight at Varansi. |
| Day 05 : Varansi - 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 (250 kms. / 7-8 hrs.). |
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| Overnight in Kushinagar. |
| Day 06 : Kushinagar - Lumbini |
| Morning visit Mahaparinirvana Temple and Ramabhar Stupa. Later drive to Lumbini by surface (170 kms. / 4 hrs.). Sightseeing of Lumbini where the Lord Buddha was born. Visit the pillar raised by Emperor Ashok, In the twenty first year after his coronation at the birthplace. Proceed to Balrampur (197 kms. / 6 hrs.) |
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| Day 07 : Balrampur - Sravasti - Lucknow |
| Leave Balrampur for Lucknow enroute visit Sravasti (Sahet-Mahet) capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala, an active centre for Buddhism. |
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| Overnight at Lucknow |
| Day 08 : Lucknow - Delhi |
| Leave Lucknow for Delhi by air. Day at leisure. Half day sightseeing of Old and New Delhi visiting Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Qutab Minar and the Secretarial Buildings. |
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| Overnight in Delhi. |
| Day 09 : Delhi - Agra - Delhi |
| Full day excursion to Agra (208 kms / 4 hrs), city of the Taj Mahal. Also visit Agra Fort and Sikandra. |
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| Overnight in Delhi. |
| Day 10 : Delhi |
| Day at leisure in Delhi or enjoy shopping on own. |
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| Overnight at hotel |
| Day 11 : Delhi - Onward Destination |
| Leave Delhi. |
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