Kushinagar

In ancient times,Kushinagar was known as Kushinara and was a small town of not great significance in the Malla dynasty.The actual site of the original town has not been established, but the site of the Buddha’s death was one of the four major sites of Buddhist pilgrimage.It was here that the Buddha died and was cremated and achieved the Parinirvana.The last rites were performed with all the honour that is due to a universal monarch or Chakravartin,as he was held in reverence by all people.The kings of eight Indian states of the Gangetic basin came for the funeral rites and divided his ashes in eight parts.Each king carried these back to his kingdom and built a ‘Stupa’ over the mortal remains of Lord Buddha.On the Buddha’s death, the various monasteries were established which flourished until the last Buddhist monastery was destroyed at Nalanda in the 13th century.There were eight groups of monasteries, stupas and images, indicating that Kushinagar was a substantial community.It was here that the Tathagata, the reciter of truth, breathed his last days.The whole of Kushinagar was turned into a memorial site with stupas and Gupta period Chaitayas and Viharas, built by the kings.Fa Hien, Hieun Tsang and I Tsing, the Chinese travellers visited Kushinagar during different centuries and recorded a graphic account of the place which later fell to bad times, due to lack of patronage.Some of these recordings provided the vital clues for excavations done centuries later by Sir Alexander Cunningham and the Archaeological Survey of India in 1904-5. A shaft was driven through the centre of the stupa which brought to light a copper-plate placed on the mouth of a relic casket in the form of a copper vessel with charcoal, cowries, precious stones and a gold coin of Kamaragupta I.

The remains of the Parinirvana Stupa and Parinirvana Temple, when rediscovered, were covered in a 40 foot high mound of bricks surrounded by a dense thorny forest.After E. Buchanan, an officer of the East India Company, arrived in Kasia in the course of his survey-work, H. H. Wilson, in 1854, made the suggestion that ancient Kushinagar and Kasia were the same. Work resumed around 1861–1862 when General Alexander Cunningham, an archaeological surveyor, would prove the site to be that of Gautama Buddha's passing.A British officer named Mr. A.C.L. Carlleyle followed suit.Excavations began in the late 1800s and many important remnants of the main site such as the Matha Kuar and Ramabhar stupa were unveiled.The credit for bringing this ancient site to light goes to General A. Cunningham and A.C.I. Carlyl, who, after excavating the site in 1861, established its antiquity for the first time. Later, between 1904 and 1912, several excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India at Kushinagar confirmed its identity.Kushinagar is situated in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 51 km off Gorakhpur.The place, which is famous for the Mahaparinirvana or death of Lord Buddha, has been included in the famous Buddhist trail encompassing Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal.

Kushinagar is located in northern India, near the small rural town of Kasia.According to the political break down of the Indian political system Kushinagar falls within the Uttar Pradesh state.It is located approximately 52 kilometers east from the city of Gorakhpur, one of the largest cities in northern India.The city covers a geographic area of approximately 2873.5 square kilometers, stretching from 26° 45´ N latitude and 83° 24´ E longitude.The tourism season in Kushinagar runs from October to March, when the weather is most temperate.In the winter, temperatures range from 25°C to 30°C, which are moderate and tolerable compared to the harsh heat of summer. During the summer months, temperatures often climb as high as 43°C, making outdoor activities extremely unpleasant.

As of 2001 India census,Kushinagar had a population of 17,982. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%.Kushinagar has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 54%.In Kushinagar, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age

The economy of Kushinagar is predominately rural, with approximately 95 percent of the population participating in agriculture as a primary occupation.Crops in the regions are mainly prepared for large scale exportation, and single crop fields tend to dominate subsistence farms in the area.Primary export crops include sugarcane, paddy, and wheat. While agriculture is the predominant economic form in the region, smaller enterprises exist in sugar mills and distilleries.

Most of the money that comes into the area, however, comes from the tourism trade. Kushinagar was designated as one of the four official pilgrimage sites by Gautama Buddha.For this reason many devout Buddhists travel to the city as part of their religious development.In addition, the Buddhist religion states that Gautama Buddha was laid to rest in Kushinagar.Therefore, the city plays host to the religiously devout, as well as those who travel to the city as a historic site.

The trees like Shishum,Arjuna, Kanji, Khair, Saagaun, Subabul, Neem, Eucalyptus, Babul, Kanju, Gold Mohar, Kesia, Akesia, Mango and Jamun are found in sufficient numbers.The various animals found here are Neel Gai ,Hiran or deer, Barasingha or Swamp deer, Padha or Black Buck, Cheetal or Spotted deer, Fox, Jackal, Porcupine.

The chief name of birds found are several varieties of Ducks, King Fisher, partridges, pigeons, peacock and several other water birds,the chief fish being the rohu,nain or cirrhina mrigala, mangur or clarius batrachus,saul or ophiocephelus spp, katla.