Kushinagar, also known as Kasia or Kusinara in the Buddha's time, is situated in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 51 kms from Gorakhpur. It is famous for the celebrated death or mahaparinirvana (the great passing away) of Buddha, and is an integral part of what has come to be known as the Buddhist Trail, which reverently encompasses Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and the Lumbini region of Nepal. It is believed that the Buddha entered parinirvana around 544-543 BC, although some modern day historians may refute that he passed away between 487 and 483 BC in his eighty-first year. Parinirvana in Buddhist parlance is known as the "Final Blowing-Out".

The Muktabandhana Stupa, named after the sacred shrine of the Mallas, whose kingdom the Buddha chose to pass away in, was constructed just after the Buddha’s death. The stupa supossedly houses the sacred relics of the Buddha himself, and is considered to be of great sanctity. Also known as Ramabhar Stupa, it is over 50 feet tall, and it's believed the imposing structure was built on the exact spot where the Buddha was cremated, on the seventh day after his having entered into Nirvana.

Kushinagar became very much later a celebrated center of the Malla kingdom. Many of its stupas and viharas date back to 413 AD when the kingdom's prosperity was at its peak. Some images, like a magnificent reclining statue of the Lord Buddha carved out of a single piece of red sandstone, date back even earlier to the third century before Christ. I believe the Mauryan emperor Ashoka is credited for contributing the piece, so there must have been a fair deal of architectural activity going on at Kushinagar during Ashoka's reign too.

The Nirvana Stupa enshrines another majestic statue of the Buddha in a reclining position and is set in a lush green park at the heart of Kushinagar. It is a product of the era of Kumaragupta I (413-55AD) and was elaborately restored by Burmese Buddhists in 1927. Peppered in the vicinity are other stupas erected by devout pilgrims along with the ruins of several great monastries.

With the decline of Buddhism after the Muslim invasions of the 12th century, Kushinagar lost its importance and suffered much neglect. It was only in the 19th century that Lord Alexander Cunningham excavated many important remnants of the main site, such as the Ramabhar Stupa mentioned above. At the time of the excavations, the main temple mounds were covered with dense thorny jungle. Today, pilgrims from all over the world visit Kushinagar to pay their humble respects to the Great Master, aka the Compassionate Prince. Many national and international Buddhist societies and interest groups have established their headquarters there.

The Buddha's last days and moments on earth are described in detail in the Pali text called the Great Parinirvana Sutra. Within the context of that text, parinirvana translates to "completed nirvana". The Buddha's "living nirvana" achieved during his enlightenment, transforms upon his dying into a "nirvana without human residue". Self possessed, bereft of any apparent psychological pain, and untroubled by morbid thoughts, the Buddha from the comfort of his couch identifies the four places of future pilgrimage to his disciples. They are the four noble sites of his birth, his unexpected enlightenment, his first sermon or turning of the wheel, and his much anticipated passing. "But don't hinder yourselves by honouring my remains," he added. Obviously, it was no hindrance at all.

Shakyamuni's famous last words: "Impermanence is inherent in all things. Work out your own salvation with diligence". They are good words to contemplate and follow.

Like other places in the Gangetic plain, the climate of Kushinagar is hot and humid in the summer (mid April to mid September) with the maximum temperature reaching 40–45°C. Winters are mild with minimum temperatures around 5°C. Monsoons reach the region in June and remain until September.

Best time to visit Kushinagar: October to April.

"Come now, dear monks. I bid you farewell".