BUDDHIST PILGRIMAGE TO INDIA AND NEPAL
“In the Master’s Footsteps” 24 Nov - 5 Dec 2014 (12D/11N) 
Datuk Seri Dr. Victor Wee and Ching Neng Bin taking tea break and toilet time in a tea-shop.
Day 7 (30.11.2014) - Kushinagar to Lumbini, Nepal (160km 7hr drive)
Lumbini the birthplace of the Buddha.
The morning call was 4.30am, breakfast 5.30am, and by 6.30am we departed Kushinagar for Lumbini, which was about 7 hours away.
At 9.30am we stopped at a Thai Temple 960 for the very clean toilet which was very near to Indian-Nepal border. At the border crossing we spent about an hour from 11.30am till 12.30pm for immigration and custom checking. At 1.40pm we arrived at Hotel Buddha Maya for lunch. We had good rest in the hotel after a 7hr road journey.
At the hotel, Dr. Basanta Bidari (retired Chief Archeologist at Lumbini), was there to receive us and would be our guide for our two days in Lumbini. Dr Basanta has written 3 books namely: 1) Lumbini: A Haven of Sacred Refuge, 2) Kapilavastu: The World of Siddhartha and 3) Lumbini Beckons.
At 3pm we departed for Ramagama or Ramgram Stupa which was 30km away in an hour drive. The remains of a stupa and monastery lie on the banks of the Jahari River near Kerwani village. The large stupa mound is about 9 meters high by 21 meters in diameter. In Buddhist Scriptures, the Koliyas of Ramagama are listed among the eight tribes that received a share of the corporeal relics of the Buddha at Kusinara.
Lunch / Dinner and overnight at Lumbini: Hotel Buddha Maya
We stopped at Thai Temple 960 for the very clean toilet which was very near to Indian-Nepal border.
Beautiful garden at Thai Temple 960 located very near to Indian-Nepal border.
Beautiful garden at Thai Temple 960 located very near to Indian-Nepal border.
Drive to Sounali an India border town in-order to cross into Nepal.
The Sunauli border is the most popular entry point from India to Nepal, and vice-versa, when traveling overland. However, there's nothing nice about it there. On the Indian side, Sunauli is a dusty town in a poor and inhospitable part of Uttar Pradesh. The road through is clogged with heavily laden trucks and there are touts everywhere.
Nepal-India Friendship Association.
An hour at Sunauli border custom and immigration checking before crossing into Nepal.
Mother and three children begging for food and money at the Sunauli border checkpoint.
Mother and three children begging for food and money at the Sunauli border checkpoint.
This young girl is also begging by the road side at the Sunauli border checkpoint.
This beautiful young girl is also begging by the road side at the Sunauli border checkpoint.
A young boy is also begging by the road side at the Sunauli border checkpoint.
A young boy carrying his brother is also begging by the road side at the Sunauli border checkpoint.
The Lumbini town centre, noticed the upgrading of the main road.
The Lumbini town centre, noticed the upgrading of the main road.
The Road Board Nepal plans to collect toll tax on all highways and road sections across the country.
The brick kilns in lumbini area.
Lunch / Dinner and overnight at Hotel Buddha Maya in Lumbini.
Lunch / Dinner and overnight at Hotel Buddha Maya in Lumbini.
Our room at Hotel Buddha Maya in Lumbini.
The dirt road leading to the Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini.
The open field is school children toilet along the dirt road leading to Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini.
The school children along the dirt road leading to Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini.
The school children along the dirt road leading to Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini.
The dirt road leading to Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini.
A Buddha's shrine leading to Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini. 
The entrance gate to Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini. 
Another shrine leading to Ramgram Stupa in Lumbini. 
Ramgram Stupa is the only unopened Stupa with Buddha relic. This is the one among 8 relic stupas constructed by eight princes right after 'Mahaparinirmana' of Buddha. Later in 3rd century B.C. Emperor Ashoka dug open rest of the stupas to redistribute the relic into eighty-four thousand stupas. 
It is said that Ramgram Stupa was protected by Nagas from being excavated. Whatever be the region, this stupa remained intact. Ramgram was a village in Devdaha kingdom, the maternal home of Lord Buddha's mother. Several other ruins have been found in the excavation of the area. 
The primary excavation have unearthed important evidences of existence and worshiping of Ramgram Stupa from around the time of Buddha. 
We had the privilege of having with us Dr. Basanta Bidari, retired Chief Archaeologist to share with us his work and experiences working the past 30 years at this sacred Ramgram Stupa. 
In the present days, land around Ramgram Stupa has been bought by the 'Lumbini Development Trust' and the remaining of the stupa is well preserved. The small park has platform to meditate or make offering. One can easily circumnavigate the stupa remains, thanks to the trust for buying space. The stupa is about 35km east of Lumbini and about 9km from the east-west highway. 
Dr. Basanta Bidari the Chief Archaeologist shared his past 30 years work with us at Ramgram Stupa. 
Dr. Basanta Bidari the Chief Archaeologist shared his past 30 years work with us at Ramgram Stupa.
Ramagrama stupa is a stupa located in Ramgram Municipality, in the Parasi District of Nepal. This Buddhist pilgrimage site containing relics of Gautama Buddha was constructed between the Mauryan and Gupta periods, according to research by Nepal’s Department of Archaeology.
We did chanting and meditation led by Datuk Seri Dr. Victor Wee at Ramgram Stupa.
Day 01 (24.11.2014) Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok to Bodhgaya, India
Day 02 (25.11.2014) Bodhgaya to Dungeswari Cave - Sujata Stupa - Bodhgaya
Day 03 (26.11.2014) Bodhgaya to Rajgir by coach (80km, 3 hrs drive)
Day 04 (27.11.2014) Rajgir to Gijjhakuta Hill (Vulture Peak) - Nalanda - Rajgir
Day 05 (28.11.2014) Rajgir to Vaishali by coach (130km, 5 hrs drive)
Day 06 (29.11.2014) Vaishali to Kushinagar by coach (180km, 6hrs drive)
Day 07 (30.11.2014) Kushinagar to Lumbini by coach (160km, 7hrs drive)
Day 08 (01.12.2014) Lumbini in, Nepal
Day 09 (02.12.2014) Lumbini to Sravasti by coach (250Km, 8hrs drive)
Day 10 (03.12.2014) Sravasti to Varanasi by coach (270Km, 11 hrs. drive)
Day 11 (04.12.2014) Varanasi to Sarnath. Varanasi to Bangkok TG328 16:30hrs 21:15hrs
Day 12 (05.12.2014) Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur
Neng Bin, very nice writeup and photos. Thanks a lot for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI just read Ching’s blog covering the days of the pilgrimage. I salute Ching for his hard work.
ReplyDelete