Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India

Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ), or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.

Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100,000 consists of the three Sikkimese ethnicities: the Bhutias, Lepchas, Indian Gorkhas as well as plainsmen from other states of India. Within the higher peaks of the Himalayas and with a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim's tourism industry.

Vijayawada ( ), also called as Bezawada, is the second largest city and a major commercial hub in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The city forms an integral part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is situated on the banks of the Krishna River, flanked by the Eastern Ghats and the Indrakeeladri Hills.

2nd century BCE to 1st century CE Buddhist cave monuments located in Maharashtra, India

Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient times, Mathura was an economic hub, located at the junction of important caravan routes. The 2011 Census of India estimated the population of Mathura at 441,894.

ancient cave temples of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism in Maharashtra, India

ancient Hindu-Buddhist monastery in present-day Bihar, India

Holy City in Bihar, India

town

Rajgir (old name Rajagriha, meaning "The City of Kings") is an ancient city and university town in the Nalanda district of Bihar, India. Also a Cultural capital of Magadh. It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty, the Mauryan Empire, and it was the retreat center for the Buddha and his sangha. Other historical figures such as Mahavira and king Bimbisara lived there, and due to its religious significance, the city holds a place of prominence in Buddhist, Jain and Hindu scriptures.

Sarnath (also known as Deer Park, Sarangnath, Isipatana Deer Park, Rishipattana, Migadaya, or Mrigadava) is a town northeast of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. As the Lalitavistara sutra states, the Gautama Buddha chose "Deer Park by the Hill of the Fallen Sages, outside of Varanasi" for his first teaching after he attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. The teaching is entitled Dhammacakkappavattana sutra. Sarnath is one of the eight most important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists, and has been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, in Madhya Pradesh, India

Pataliputra (IAST: ), adjacent to modern-day Patna, Bihar, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Magadha ruler Ajatashatru in 490 BCE, as a small fort () near the Ganges river. Udayin laid the foundation of the city of Pataliputra at the confluence of two rivers, the Son and the Ganges. He shifted his capital from Rajgriha to Pataliputra due to the latter's central location in the empire.

sacred fig tree under which Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment

ancient Buddhist pilgrimage and archaeological site (Ashoka pillar, Stupa and Swastika Monastery) associated with significant events in Lord Buddha's life; in Bihar in India

Shravasti (, ; ) is a town in Shravasti district in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was the capital of the ancient Indian kingdom of Kosala where the Buddha lived most after his enlightenment. It is near the Rapti river in the northeastern part of Uttar Pradesh India, close to the Nepalese border.

village in Amaravathi mandal, Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, India

Vikramashila (IAST: ) was a Buddhist monastic university situated in what is now modern-day Bihar in India. It was founded by King Dharmapala between the late eighth and early ninth century.

thumb|right|22 vows given by Ambedkar at Deekshabhoomi|alt=The Bodhi Tree at Deekshabhoomi thumb|Ambedkar and Deekshabhoomi on a 2017 postage stamp of India thumb|Bust of Babasaheb Ambedkar at Deekshabhoomi

Pithapuram (also spelled as Pitapuram) is a city and municipality in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh, India. With a history spanning over 1,500 years, it is one of the oldest towns in the state. Pitapuram served as the capital for various kingdoms of Andhra, dating back to the 4th century CE, and continues to be an important pilgrimage destination.

rock-cut caves in Bihar, India

cave complex in Karla, India

Kosambi (Pali) or Kaushambi (Sanskrit) was an ancient city in India, characterized by its importance as a trading center along the Ganges Plain and its status as the capital of the Vatsa Kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas. It was located on the Yamuna River about southwest of its confluence with the Ganges at Prayaga (modern Prayagraj), which made it a powerful center for trade and beneficial for the Vatsa Kingdom.

alt=Photo showing a busy road in Vinukonda|thumb|Vinukonda Junction Vinukonda is a town in Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Vinukonda mandal and administered under Narasaraopet revenue division.

Assandh, historically known as Āsandīvat, is a town and municipal committee in the Karnal district of the Indian state of Haryana. Assandh is located in 45 km south-west of Karnal. The town is surrounded by four districts - Karnal, Kaithal, Jind and Panipat.

Bharhut is a village in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, central India. It is known for a Buddhist stupa, unique in that each panel is explicitly labelled in Brahmi characters saying what the panel depicts. The major donor for the Bharhut stupa was King Dhanabhuti.

thumb|300px|Mulagandhakuti. The remains of the Buddha's hut at Jetavana.

Piprahwa is a village near Siddharthnagar city in Siddharthnagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Kalanamak rice, a scented and spicy variety, is grown in this area. It lies in the heart of the historical Buddha's homeland and is 9 miles from the world heritage site of Lumbini that is believed to be the place of Gautama Buddha's birth.

Sankissa (also Sankasia, Sankassa and Sankasya) is an ancient city in India renown for the descent of Gautama Buddha from the Tushita heavens where he taught his mother before landing at Sankissa. Considered among the eight great pilgrimage sites, it was thirty leagues from Sravasti. Around 300 years after the Gautama Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, king Ashoka visited and built a Pillar of Ashoka of which the elephant capital survives. He also built a stupa and a temple commemorating the Buddha's descent from the heavens. The ruins of the stupa are still present, as is a temple of Vishari Devi and

thumb|255px|Bhattiprolu is one of the Holy relic sites of Andhra Pradesh

Buddhist monastery in Odisha

Buddhist caves in southwest Madhya Pradesh

cave complex in Maharashtra, India

Budhist site in Odisha, India

cave in India

Lalitagiri () (also known as Nalitagiri) is a major Buddhist complex in the Cuttack district in the Indian state of Odisha. The complex is home to stupas, 'esoteric' Buddha images, and monasteries (viharas), which is the oldest site in the region. Significant finds at this complex include Buddha's relics. Tantric Buddhism was practiced at this site.

ancient Buddhist cave complex in Nashik, India

Buddhist complex in Odisha

Caves in Maharashtra state of India

thumb|Drum panel depicting a stupa with the Buddha's descent from Trāyastriṃśa heaven, second half 3rd century.

cave in India (Maharashtra)

Buddhist stupa in Bihar, India

Lenyadri, sometimes called Ganesa Lena, Ganesh Pahar Caves, are a series of about 30 rock-cut Buddhist "caves", located about north of Junnar in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are cut into a natural cliff or steep slope. Other caves surrounding the city of Junnar are: Manmodi Caves, Shivneri Caves and Tulja Caves. The Lenyadri caves date between the 1st and 3rd century AD. Some have later been adapted to Hindu use.

Kesaria, also known as Kesariya is a town in the district of East Champaran, in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the site of a stupa built by the Mauryan king Ashoka.

cave in India

cave in Mumbai, India

thumb|325px|A stupa built at the place where Cunda Kammāraputta|Cunda's house used to be, in ancient Pava (present-day [[Fazilnagar)]]

caves in Maharashtra, India

caves in Raigad district, Maharashtra, India

Buddhist temple in Kushinagar, India

Buddhist cave in Bihar, India

cave in India

village in Ghantasala mandal, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India

hill in India

village in Andhra Pradesh, India

caves in India

Buddhist archaeological site in India

cave in India

Caves in Gujarat, India