From Siddharth to Sakyamuni and finally to the Buddha or the Enlightened one - an incredible transformation of a prince to an enlightened teacher, who walked the earth more than 2500 years ago.

Upon seeing sorrow, misery, pain and death, in the prime of his youth, prince Siddharth decided to discover their causes and means of overcoming their occurrences. Thus renouncing worldly pleasures and leaving home and family behind, he traveled from place to place until finally attaining enlightenment by fixed meditation under Bodhi Tree. He then preached the truth he discovered, and exhorted his disciples to follow the Eight-Fold Path for the cessation of the endless cycle of birth and re-birth.

Shrines:

Kapilavastu (PIPRAHWA):

110 kms from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Kapilavastu (Piprahwa) on the Gorakhpur Gonda loop-line with Naugarh (35 Kms.) is the nearest railway station. The capital city of Sakya clan, and one of the earliest republics, it was in Kapilavastu's opulent environs, that the holy soul of prince Siddharth (Gautam Buddha) spent his childhood. Here he saw sorrow and pain, disease and death. Then, finally when he saw a radiant happy Sadhu who had conquered all these, he decided to renounce all worldly riches and pleasures to seek truth and embark on the path of salvation.

The place holds significant value for Buddhist pilgrims and has several Stupas. The archaeological excavations have revealed stone caskets containing relics believed to be that of Buddha's.

Tawang:

Not very far from Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh lies the Tawang Headquarters, a beautiful district in the centre of which emerges the walled and fortified Tawang Monastery. The monastery overlooks the valley and is surrounded by mountains which seem to be guarding the valley and its inhabitants. Over 500 Lamas live in its 65 residential buildings. One can witness a superb collection of ancient scriptures, images, Thankas and a 8 mtr. high gilded image of Buddha. The monastery is locally known as Gompa, like any other and is believed to be 400 years old.

Ladakh:

Popularly known as "Hermit Kingdom", Ladakh is a land of snow carved peaks, translucent Lakes, barren terrain and mystic culture. Quite like Tibet it has a great Buddhist tradition which is evident from the high monk to people ratio of 1:8. It has about 13 major Gompas (Monasteries) of which HEMIS is considered the Gompa of Gompas. It has the patronage of the Royal Family. It is the most important monastery of Ladakh with a concealed entrance, a huge courtyard flanked by two big temples. In the month of June, the famous Hemis festival is held, when a large number of tourists visit it.

Alchi a little village 70 kms from Leh in Jammu & Kashmir, is known as a jewel among the religious sites in Ladakh. Abandoned centuries ago, this monastery has been lovingly maintained by the monks at Likhir, the nearest functioning Gompa. It is popularly known as Chos-kor (religious enclave) and comprises of 5 temples, which are perhaps the richest in their collection of paintings and images in the Du-Khang (the Assembly Hall), and the three-storied Sum-Tsek. Its murals, dating back to the 11th and 12th Centuries, pre-date the Tibetan style of painting, which is found in all other Gompas. Some of them are reminiscent of the painting of the far off Ajanta Caves and are presumed to be almost the sole survivors of the Buddhist style, currently in Kashmir during the first millenium AD.

Sankisa:

Saniska lies in central Uttar Pradesh, 47 kms from Farrukhabad. It is believed to be the place where Buddha, along with Brahma and Devraj Indra descended after giving sermons to his mother in heaven. At the spot of descent stands a temple with a statue of the Buddha. The place is also known for a temple dedicated to Bisari Devi and an excavated Ashokan Elephant Pillar. There is also a collosal Shiva Linga here. A large fair is held at Sankisa in the month of Shravan (July- August). Nearest airport is Agra and from there, by rail upto Pakhna (12 km from Sankisa) will take one to Sankisa.

Tabo:

A Gompa was founded in 996 A.D. (Tibetan year of the Fire Ape) and the initiative is said to belong to the great teacher Rinchensang Po also known as Mahaguru Ratnabhadra.

In June - July 1996, Tabo celebrated a millennium of its glorious existence. With breathtaking murals and stucco images, Tabo is often called 'The Ajanta of the Himalayas'. And here is art that above all, is born of religion and deep faith.

The Tabo Monastery at a height of 3050 mts is a complex that holds 9 temples, 23 chortens, a monks chamber and an extension that houses the nuns chamber. This core is bounded by an earthen wall and encloses an area of 6300 sq. kms Just short of the complex are the contemporary monastic structures. On the sheer cliff-face above the enclave are a series of caves, which were used as dwelling units by the monks and includes an assembly hall. Here again, dim traces of the paintings that once adorned the rock face are visible.

Bodhgaya:

The four most holy places associated with the Buddha are Lumbini, his birthplace, in Nepal, Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he preached his first message, Kushinagar, near Gorakhpur, where he died, and Bodhgaya, where he attained enlightenment. Of these Bodhgaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in the world. Apart from being a significant archaeological site, it is also a vital Buddhist centre.

Sanchi:

Sanchi is a serene hill crowned by a group of stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars dating from 3rd Century to the 12th Century AD. The glory that was Sanchi, an ancient seat of Buddhist learning and place of pilgrimage, can still be experienced in its complex structures where many Buddhist legends found expression in the rich sculpture.