Kushinagar

Kushinagar is revered as the place where the Buddha attained final nirvana. In ancient times it was a town of the Mallas; stupas and monasteries later commemorated the Buddha’s death and cremation. A great reclining image of the Buddha lay in the shrine associated with his passing. Chinese pilgrims visited the site and recorded its sacred monuments, though Xuanzang found much of the old city deserted and in ruins. The remains of its temples and monasteries preserved the memory of an important Buddhist pilgrimage centre.