Gorakhpur: the gateway to the Buddha's death at Kushinagar

In eastern Uttar Pradesh, Gorakhpur remains the departure point for Kushinagar, the place where Buddhism's founder died according to tradition.

The center, gateway to the place where the Buddha died at Kushinagar, is comfortably explored by motor rickshaw.

The Temple of Gorakhnath, dedicated to the saint yogi who gave the city its name, remains an important pilgrimage center of Uttar Pradesh.

Minutes away, the Gorakhpur Regional Museum displays archaeological remains and ancient manuscripts from the southern Himalayan region.

Heading east, you can reach Kushinagar, where according to Buddhist tradition the Buddha achieved parinirvana, preserving a temple with a sixth-century statue of the reclining Buddha.

Toward evening, the Rapti Riverfront, which crosses the city, animates evening strolls away from the city traffic.

Kushinagar, just hours from Gorakhpur, is believed by Buddhists to preserve the exact spot where Buddha died at age eighty, making it one of Buddhism's four most sacred pilgrimage sites worldwide.

Gorakhnath Temple, which lends its name to the city, is associated with a yogic monastic order founded in medieval India, still active today with followers throughout northern India and beyond.