For all those on the Buddhist trail, Kushinagar is the final destination. One of the principal centers of Buddhist pilgrimage is the place Buddha chose for his Mahaparinirvana, or final exit from this earth. Kushinagar, the seat of Mallas Dynasty, also known as Kushinara, is situated 56 kms from Gorakhpur city in Uttar Pradesh. In Kushinagar, after teaching Dhamma for 45 yrs, Lord Buddha entered the ultimate state of Nirvana under a Sal tree at the age of 80 yrs on a full moon day. It is here Lord Buddha announced the four holy places to be visited by every Buddhist pilgrim that is Lumbini-Birth place, Bodhgaya

- Enlightenment place, Sarnath- First Sermon place and Kushinagar- Mahaparinirvana place.

It is here in Kushinagar that his body was cremated and the ashes (remains) were divided into eight parts and distributed among eight claimants who preserved the remains in their kingdoms and built Stupas. The main site of the Nirvana Temple houses an over 6 meter long statue of the reclining Buddha. The image, crafted in the 5th century BC, was unearthed during the excavations in 1876. Mathakaur shrine, a black stone image of Lord Buddha in the Bhumi Sparsha Mudra (a posture showing him touching the earth) was recovered here. Ramabhar Stupa rises to a height of 49ft and marks the site where the Lord Buddha was cremated. In ancient Buddhist texts, this stupa has been referred to as Mukut Bandhar Vihar.

Nine centuries after the Buddha’s passing, the Chinese traveler Fa Hein discovered the city deserted and dying. In fact, Kushinagar was rediscovered as an important Buddhist site only after excavations in the 1880s. There was a flourishing community here till the 11th century as is shown by the existence of the eight groups of monasteries, stupas and images. Today, it is a major pilgrimage site and on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima, the festival that marks the Buddha’s birth, Kushinagar overflows with devotees from all over Asia. A huge fair is held in which his relics are taken out in procession.