Shravasti

Home of the Jetavana monastery where the Buddha taught for over two decades, one of the Eight Great Places of Buddhist pilgrimage — a peaceful pilgrimage town of ruins, stupas and temples built by many nations.

Shravasti (Pali: Savatthi) lies in northeastern Uttar Pradesh, India, near the Nepal border. Once the capital of the ancient Kosala kingdom, it is where the Buddha spent about 24 rainy-season retreats after his enlightenment — longer than anywhere else in his life — and it ranks among the Eight Great Places of Buddhist pilgrimage. Xuanzang's Great Tang Records on the Western Regions records it as the kingdom of Śrāvastī, and the famous Jetavana Grove of Anathapindika stood here. Today Shravasti is a quiet pilgrimage town, with its main sights in two areas. The first is the Jetavana ruins at Saheth, with the Gandhakuti (Mulagandhakuti), the Buddha's own dwelling, the Ananda Bodhi Tree and the foundations of numerous monasteries and stupas. The second is the ancient city ruins of Maheth, about 1 km away, with the Angulimala Stupa (Pakki Kuti), the Anathapindika Stupa (Kachchi Kuti) and the Jain Sobhanath Temple. The town also has Buddhist temples built by Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, South Korea and other countries, as well as the Orajhar ruins, where the Buddha is said to have performed the Twin Miracle. The best season is Oct–Mar, cool and dry and also peak pilgrimage season; Apr–Jun daytime temperatures can top 40°C, and Jul–Sep brings monsoon rains. Getting there: the nearest big city is Lucknow (about 170 km, 4–5 hours by road), and the nearest railway stations are Balrampur (about 20 km) and Gonda. Most visitors come on an Eight Great Places pilgrimage circuit, hiring a car from Lumbini (about 200 km) or Kushinagar. Plan on 1–2 days; the atmosphere is best in the early morning or evening, when you can join pilgrim groups from many countries chanting and meditating at Jetavana. The sites are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and foreigners need a ticket. Remove your shoes in the stupa and Gandhakuti areas and dress respectfully. Food and lodging are basic; you can stay at the guesthouses of the various national temples or in town hotels.

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