The Location of the Project

Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, is the site where the historical Buddha passed away. It is one of the eight great places of Buddhist pilgrimage. According to Buddhist scriptures, in the distant future when the next buddha, Maitreya, teaches the path of loving-kindness, Kushinagar will again be a place of spiritual power.

Kushinagar's most famous site is the Mahaparinirvana Temple, built to commemorate the place where the Buddha passed away. The temple contains the world famous 20ft/6m statue of the Reclining Buddha, which dates back to the 5th century.

Other temples and stupas in Kushinagar also mark places that were significant in the Buddha's life, including the Ramabhar Stupa, where the Buddha's holy body was cremated.

Excavations have revealed the remains of at least ten different monasteries dating from the 4th – 11th centuries and these are now enclosed in a park.

Today, many Buddhist organizations have temples and spiritual centers in Kushinagar.

However, in spite of its spiritual significance, Kushinagar has been difficult for pilgrims to access. Now, the Government of India is proposing to build a state of the art rail system to join the main sites of the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit. By locating the Maitreya Project in Kushinagar, Maitreya Project will provide enormous impetus to pilgrimage and tourism, further enhancing the potential for the education, healthcare, and the economic benefits which the Project intends to bring to the area.