Pilgrimage on 'Mahaparinirvan Express'

by Harshani PERERA

The hope of visiting the most sacred places is naturally embedded in the minds of Sri Lankans as the majority of them are Buddhists and also they believe that worshipping the sacred places is a must before one's death.

It is a life-time opportunity for a person to venerate the places where Buddha had been once living in. Hence, India has been the tourist destination for many around the world including Sri Lanka.

The "Mahaparinirvan Express", the Buddhist Circuit Special Train will be the best method of travelling to the Buddhist circuit in India. The tour in the semi-luxury train was a novel experience for Buddhist pilgrims who wish to visit the sacred places.

Experience

Isipathana in Varanasi - Pix : Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

Buddhagaya

The Buddhist Circuit Special Train organised by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd., A Government of India enterprise, was designed to avail of a safe, comfortable and reliable option for the Buddhist circuit traveller. Though, it may not be a luxury tour it guarantees the safety and comfortable journey that relieves the traveller of tiresome journey by buses.

The tour is ideal for the traveller who wishes to experience a new mode of travelling.

It assures one of a safe and comfortable journey. The tour will be ideal for expatriates and their families who wish to travel on the Buddhist Circuit, otherwise it will be a tiresome journey by road.

The safety assurance in the journey was accepted well by everyone so that it has become the recipient of National Tourism Award of Excellence 2009 from the Government of India.

The 'Mahaparinirvan Express', covers the main sacred areas such as Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Varanasi, Saranath, Lumbini, Sravasti, Kushinagar and Agra in the end of the eight-day tour.

The journey in the Mahaparinirvan Express train starts from New Delhi, the National Capital Region (NCR) in India. Pilgrims are warmly welcomed at the Safdarjung Railway Station, New-Delhi, a VIP station only for special occasions.

Pilgrims will be directed to the respective berths of their choice in the train. The beds in the berths are decked with clean linen.

Hot, spicy and delicious food is served on board until the train reaches Gaya Station. The coaches have been provided with comfortable berths as well as clean toilets equipped with bathtubs that supply the passengers with both hot and cold water.

The journey from New-Delhi, to Gaya covers a distance of 990 kms.

Excellent off-board transport facilities are arranged in air-conditioned buses to the hotels. Bodhgaya is a city in Gaya district in the State of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautama Buddha attained Nibbana.

A guide fluent in English explains the significance of all sacred sites during the tour.

The third day starts luxury buses from Bodhgaya to Rajgir and Nalanda in the State of Bihar. The city of Rajgir (Rajagaha) was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha. Apart from that, pilgrims could visit the Bimbisara jail,where king Bimbisara was imprisoned by his son, Ajasaththa.

Majesty

The next site is the world's oldest and the largest residential University, the Nalanda University. The massive university complex was destroyed by the Muslim invaders in the 12th century but its majesty still remains alive.

The pilgrims can then proceed for sightseeing including the ruins of Nalanda Museum, before returning to Gaya station and boarding the train for Varanasi which is 220 kms away.

The journey to Varanasi (Benares) is an unforgettable experience as the devotees could visit Saranath (Isipathana) where the Buddha gave his first Sermon to the five ascetics. The Saranath Museum, the Ashokan Pillar and Mulagandha Kuti Vihar are the other places of interest.

The boat ride on the Ganges River had been an unforgettable experience. There were almost 25 dead bodies burning and 20 more to be burned on the riverside.

The Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar is venerated by thousands of pilgrims all over the world and they still weep at the feet of the statue of Buddha.

After the sight-seeing in Kushinagar, pilgrims are taken to Lumbini, the place where Queen Maha Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama.

It lies in the foothills of the Himalaya, in Kapilavastu where the Buddha is said to have lived till the age of 29. Lumbini has a number of temples including the Mayadevi temple and Puskarini or Holy Pond, where Queen Mahamaya took the ritual dip prior to his son's birth.

Sravasti which we visited the following day is situated in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh.

It was in Jetavana, Sravasti where Buddha performed a number of miracles.Our last day was a visit to Taj Mahal, the great monument of love, created by Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz. Its superb architecture and symmetry is marvellous to the naked eye.

Taj Mahal marked the final point of our visit and we returned to the train that leaves for Safdarjung Station, New Delhi.

Hemas Travel (Pvt) Ltd.,was the local agent for the tour in Sri Lanka and Jet Airways, one of the India's best and economical airlines extended their generosity for the tour.