Along with Hinduism, India is home to several other religions too, one of which is Buddhism that went even beyond the borders of India, towards East, South and South East Asia. Gautam Buddha was born a prince in Lumbini as King Siddhartha. He began his journey towards India in search of the answers to a number of questions about life and suffering. Finally, after years of meditation, he attained ‘nirvana’ (enlightenment). Later, he preached and taught sermons, till leaving to his heavenly abode from Kushinagar.
The Buddhist Circuit Tour comprises of the four places that were extremely significant in the life of Buddha– the place where he was born, attained Enlightenment, preached first Sermon and then reached Nirvana. Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar are important places in the Buddhist Circuits that are linked to the life and teachings of Lord Buddha. Along with these, there are various other important sites too where Buddha had travelled to, during his lifetime.
The teachings of Lord Buddha became popular after King Ashoka of India, embarked on a journey where he visited the important sites following the Footsteps of Lord Buddha. These places include Lumbini in Nepal and Bodhgaya, Sarnath as well as Kushinagar in India. The other important places of Buddha’s life include Vaishali, Rajgir and Sravastii (India) and his early home at Tilaurakot in Kapilvastu, Nepal.