About Train

Welcome aboard the Buddhist Circuit Special train tour, to discover the path to enlightenment in abode of Lord Buddha!

The Mahaparinirvan Express is a special tourist train that takes passengers on a spiritual tour through Bihar/Uttar Pradesh in India, where Buddhism originated more than 2,500 years ago.

The train gets its name from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which contains the Buddha's final explanation of his teachings. Its sacred journey includes visits to the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites of Lumbini (where the Buddha was born), Bodhgaya (where he became enlightened), Varanasi (where he first preached), and Kushinagar (where he passed away and achieved nirvana).

This train tour is owned & operated by IRCTC Ltd. By modifying carriages of an Air conditioned Rajdhani Express sleeper train, offering three different classes of travel (first class, two tier, and three tier). There are limited toilets with showers on the train, but & daily are taken to hotels to freshen up & for brief rest, or at times overnight stay.

There is an onboard hygienic kitchen car facility & passengers are served sumptuous hot meals. Packaged drinking water & tea/coffee Service is available free of charge As this train is targeted for pilgrimage tourist, the onboard facilities are limited & far from opulent ;& cannot be compared to other luxury train tours e.g. Palace On Wheels etc.

But personal & good care is taken of the esteemed Passengers & they are provided luggage assistance at each destination. Security guards are present on the train, An English speaking guide is part of group sightseeing tours & excursions & their costs are already included in the train tour package

About Buddhism

Founder of Buddhism - Lord Buddha was born to a princely family in Mid-6th Century BC, in a Kingdom located in South Nepal ,but just before he was going to be crowned the King. He lost all interest in worldly goods & one night Simply abandoned his Wife & Children, sleeping in the Palace Chambers - to wander in the forest area located near Hindu Pilgrimage of Gaya. It is said that he meditated for nearly twenty years ,before he preached his first sermon in a village located near to Hindu Pilgrimage town of Benares(now called Varanasi).

He wanted to bring about a Casteless Society (without strangle hold of any Priests Or Temples) & wanted his followers to follow a Noble Eightfold Path-The middle Way moderation Between extremes of sensual indulgence & self- mortification.

Wide Spread of Buddhism in South East Asia & Sri-Lanka was brought about Great Warrior King Ashoka in 250 Century BC ,who saw the futility of War after winning a battle in East Coast of India where a great massacre took place. During his reign only, for the first time Lord Buddha’s Preaching’s were written in Pali Script.

Buddhism was very popular in Kingdoms of North & Central India for more than 400 years till mid-3rd century A.D. ,before which the Hindu Priestly Class ( Brahmins) slowly restored their powers as Advisors to the Kings on how to rule the Kingdom

Over centuries, Four Different Schools of Thought –based on preaching of Lord Buddha have developed

• THERAVADA BUDDHISM: is the most ancient form of Buddhism, is the dominant school in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar/Burma, Cambodia, and Laos). Its name translates to "Doctrine of the Elders," and it centres around the Pali scriptures, transcribed from the oral tradition taught by the Buddha. By studying these ancient texts, meditating, and following the eightfold path, Theravada Buddhists believe they will achieve Enlightenment. Strong emphasis is also placed on the monastic community and on heeding the advice of the wise.
• Mahayana Buddhism : developed out of the Theravada tradition roughly 500 years after the Buddha attained Enlightenment. A number of individual schools and traditions have formed under the banner of Mahayana, including Zen Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Tantric Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism focuses on the idea of compassion and touts bodhisattvas, which are beings that work out of compassion to liberate other sentient beings from their suffering, as central devotional figures.
• Vajrayana BUDHISM : was last of the three ancient forms to develop, and provides a quicker path to Enlightenment than either the Theravada or Mahayana schools. They believe that the physical has an effect on the spiritual and that the spiritual, in turn, affects the physical. Vajrayana Buddhists encourage rituals, chanting, and tantra techniques, along with a fundamental understanding of Theravada and Mahayana schools, as the way to attain Enlightenment.
• Zen Buddhism : is said to have originated in China with the teachings of the monk Bodhi dharma. Zen Buddhism treats zazen meditation and daily practice as essential for attaining Enlightenment, and deemphasizes the rigorous study of scripture.
  Because Buddhism is a system based on practice and individual experience rather than on theology or dogma, the different forms that have emerged differ less in what they believe the Buddha's teachings to be than in how they believe Buddhism should be practiced in daily life. Here are some Web sites that explain the history of the various movements and ways to be involved in those sects, both online and off.
  Unfortunately, While Lord Buddha was against monolithic worship & simply wanted his followers to enlighten themselves by spreading his teachings ,He is Today prayed to as an Idol
  Majority of Buddhist followers DO NOT REMEMBER ,What Lord Buddha said: NEITHER AM I THE FIRST BUDDHA NOR THE LAST ONE ,anyone who attains ENGLIGHTMENT is a BUDDHA

About Destinations

Important Destinations Covered

BODHGAYA : It is Considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, it's dominated by the ancient brick Mahabodhi Temple Complex, built to mark the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. A direct descendant of the tree sits within the complex today, along with six other sacred sites, including a lotus pond.

RAJGIR : Is an ancient city Surrounded by hills, it's known for its holy sites. Remains of the Cyclopean Wall, which encircled the city centuries ago, still stand in the center. Close by, Venu Vana park was once home to a monastery built for Buddha. The shield-shaped Japanese Temple contains a huge Buddha statue. Nearby there are hot springs believed to have medicinal properties.

NALANDA : was, a large Buddhist monastery in the ancient kingdom of Magadha and was a centre of learning from the Fifth century BC to 9th Century AD & considered cradle of philosophy of Mahayana, which attracted students from as far as China & Indonesia . All students at Nalanda studied Mahayana as well as the texts of the eighteen Hinayana sects of Buddhism. IN later centuries ,Tantric Buddhism was also taught here. The university campus was ransacked by Muslim Invaders in 12th AD & now in ruins-,which the Govt. Authorities are in the process of slowly restoring.

SARNATH : Located near ancient Hindu Pilgrim town of Varanasi with Holy Ganges River, Sarnath is the places where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Also referred to as Isipatana, this city is mentioned by the Buddha as one of the four places of pilgrimage to which his devout followers should visit, if they wanted to visit a place for that reason.[1] It was also the site of the Buddha's Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which was his first teaching after attaining enlightenment, in which he taught the four noble truths and the teachings associated with it.

KUSHINAGAR : It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana after his death[1] It is an international Buddhist pilgrimage centre. The followers of Buddhism, especially from Asian countries, wish to visit this place at least once in their lifetime.

LUMBINI : Located in Nepal, near Indian border, Lumbini is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in Mid-6th Century BC & who is said to have achieved Enlightenment at age of 35 years -became the Buddha and founded Buddhism.

Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Maya Devi Temple and several others which are still under repair. Many monuments, monasteries and a museum, the Lumbini International Research Institute, are also within the holy site. Also there is the Puskarini, or Holy Pond, where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he had his first bath. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddha’s were, according to tradition, born, then achieved ultimate Enlightenment and finally relinquished their earthly forms.

SHRAVASTI : Considered amongst the six largest cities in India in 5th Century BC ,it closely associated with the life of Gautama Buddha, who is believed to have visited it 24 times during his lifetime. The Age-old stupas, majestic viharas and several temples " establish Buddha's association with Shravasti.