Kesaria Stupa
केसरिया स्तूप
The tallest Buddhist stupa excavated in India: a six-tiered brick structure about 32 metres high, said to be where the Buddha gave his bowl to the Licchavis.
Kesaria Stupa lies about 60 km northwest of Vaishali in East Champaran district. It has a circumference of about 400 metres and a surviving height of about 32 metres, making it the tallest excavated stupa in India. Its stepped terraces carry niches and damaged Buddha images, and its structure is often compared with Borobudur in Java. Legend says that when the Buddha travelled from Vaishali to Kushinagar, he gave his bowl here to the Licchavis, who were reluctant to see him go, as a memento. Xuanzang also recorded this. Since 1998 the Archaeological Survey of India has been excavating the site. For now, visitors can only view it from the outer walkway and may not climb it. Entry is free. It is about 1.5 hours by hired car from Vaishali and is often linked with Vaishali and Kushinagar on a Buddhist pilgrimage route.
Opening hours
Sunrise to sunset
Nearby sights
- Ashokan Pillar, Kolhua
- Vaishali Archaeological Museum
- Relic Stupa of Vaishali
- Abhishek Pushkarini
- Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Vaishali
- Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum and Memorial Stupa
- Raja Vishal ka Garh