BRP Lumbini Mayadevi temple
Last updated: 20
Jun
2022

Historical Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal

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There are numerous historical Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal.

is the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in 563 BCE.

Lumbini

The site of the Buddha’s birth near Kapilavatthu in Nepal. One of the four pilgrimage sites mentioned in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta.

Swayambhunath

is an ancient religious architecture atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan name for the site means ‘Sublime Trees’, for the many varieties of trees found on the hill. Also known as the “Monkey Temple” among visitors from abroad, Swayambhunath sits atop its hill, overlooking most parts of the valley

Boudhanath

Bouddha, also known as , Khasti Chaitya and Khāsa Chaitya is a stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. Located about 11 km (6.8 mi) from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, its massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal and the world.

Charumati Stupa

(also known as Chabahil Stupa, and Dhan Dhoj Stupa) is a stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal.

It was built by Charumati, daughter of the Indian emperor Ashoka, in the 4th century.

In 2003, Charumati Stupa was restored by the locals as it was crumbling due to the “heavy vehicular traffic on the nearby road”.

During its restoration process countless artefacts, coins, and manuscripts were found possibly dating back to the Licchavi era.

Pharping

is a small Newar town lying above the Bagmati river on the southern edge of the Kathmandu valley, about 23 km from the capital. It is now part of the Dakshinkali Municipality.

Ramagrama stupa

is a stupa located in Ramgram Municipality, in the Nawalparasi District of Nepal. This Buddhist pilgrimage site, which was constructed some 2500 years ago, contains relics of Gautama Buddha.

Vidhyeshvari Vajra Yogini Temple

The – also known as the Bijeśvarī Vajrayoginī, Bidjeshwori Bajra Jogini, Bijayaswar, Bidjeswori, or Visyasvari Temple – is a Newar Buddhist temple in the Kathmandu valley dedicated to the Vajrayāna Buddhist deity Vajrayoginī in her form as Akash Yogini. The temple stands on the west bank of the Bishnumati river next to the ancient religious site of the Ramadoli (Karnadip) cremation ground and is on the main path from Swayambhunath stupa to Kathmandu.

Gotihawa

is a village development committee located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southeast of Kapilavastu, in Kapilvastu District, in the Lumbini Zone of southern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 3,335 people living in 567 individual households.

Kapilvastu Municipality

Kapilvastu is a municipality and administrative center of Kapilvastu District in Lumbini Province of southern Nepal. The municipality is located roughly 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south-west of Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Gautama Buddha.

Nigalihawa

is a village development committee in Kapilvastu District in the Lumbini Zone of southern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census, it had a population of 7564 people living in 1231 individual households.

Nigrodharama

Nigrodhārāma was a Banyan grove near Kapilavastu, where a residence was provided for the Buddha when he visited the city in the first year after his Enlightenment. It belonged to a Sākyan named Nigrodha, the monk who made Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor a Buddhist; who gave it to the Monastic Order. The is located at the site of the modern Kudan village, about six kilometres south of , the citadel of Kapilavastu. The precise location of Nigrodharama is at the following coordinates: 27.528186°N 83.040757°E.

Tilaurakot

Tilaurakot is a neighborhood in in Kapilvastu District, in the Lumbini Province of southern Nepal. Previously it was a Village development committee. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 5684 people living in 944 individual households. It is situated 25 kilometers (15.5 mi) northwest of the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, and 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) southeast of Nigali Sagar in Nigalihawa.

Comments

  1. Complementary list of Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal:

    – Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini
    – World Peace Pagoda, Lumbini
    – Devdaha, Lumbini
    – Kudan Stupa / Nigrodharama, Kapilvastu District
    – Ramagrama stupa, Nawalparasi District
    – Koliya, Nawalparasi District
    – Swayambhunath, Kathmandu
    – Boudhanath, Kathmandu
    – Namo Buddha – Kavrepalanchok District (where the Bodhisattva offered his body to a tigress)
    – Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur
    – Halesi-Maratika Caves (venerated site of Buddhist & Hindu pilgrimage), Khotang District

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