12 Most Famous Buddhist Temples and Monasteries In India
On June 02, 2023Buddhism is a major world religion. It originated 2500 years ago in India. Buddhism emerged in the Magadha region, and it soon spread across the world due to the efforts of Buddha’s disciples and followers. Siddhartha Gautama, a prince, was the founder of Buddhism. Buddhism claims that human life is a cycle of suffering and rebirth, but one can escape it by achieving a state of enlightenment (nirvana). Buddhists do not believe in gods. However, they believe in supernatural figures who can help or hinder people from seeking enlightenment.
There are several Buddhist temples and monasteries in India. This article features some of the most famous Buddhist temples in India.
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
This Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya city, Bihar state, is one of the most sacred places of Buddhism. It was here that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi Tree. This temple is famous for its beautiful architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Mahabodhi means ‘great awakening’. The temple's location is on the banks of the Niranjana river and is one of the oldest brick temples in India. Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor, built the original structure to commemorate the Buddha’s enlightenment. One can see the descendant of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment standing next to the temple.
Mahaparinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
Located in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, this Buddhist temple has a 6-meter- long statue of the reclining Buddha. The temple stands among extensive lawns and ancient ruins. There is a circumambulatory path as well. The reclining Buddha statue here was discovered in 1876. It lies on its right side, with its head to the north. Supposedly, the Buddha died here. The Indian government built the present temple in 1956 to mark the 2,500th year of the Mahaparinivana or 2500 BE (Buddhist Era). It is a very famous Buddhist temple in India.
Ramadhan Stupa Temple, Kushinagar
Located near the Mahaparinirvana Temple, Ramabhar Stupa Temple has a special position as it stands at the place where the Buddha was cremated. It was built over a portion of the Buddha’s ashes on the spot where the ancient Malla people cremated him. The temple has an impressive 49-feet-high stupa, which is admired for its architectural grandeur. Ancient Buddhist texts refer to the stupa as Mukut-Bandhan-Chaitya.
Wat Thai Temple, Kushinagar
Wat Thai Buddhist Temple was built to commemorate the golden jubilee celebrations of the Thai king Bhumibol’s accession to the throne. This temple has great architectural beauty. It stands amidst acres of greenery and was a forest monastery. The temple is visible from any place in Kushinagar. It covers a huge area and boasts a serene ambiance.
Thikse Monastery, Leh
Situated on a hilltop in the north of the Indus River, Thiksey Gompa, or Monastery, belongs to the Gelukpa Order of Buddhism. It dates back to 1430 AD and has a temple dedicated to Goddess Dorje Chenmo. It is one of the important Buddhist monasteries in India. There are several shrines in the monastery complex. Thiksey is the biggest monastery in Ladakh and resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The monastery stands at an altitude of 3,600 metres in the Indus Valley. It is a 12-storey complex and has many examples of Buddhist art, like statues, stupas, thangkas, wall paintings and swords. An interesting feature is the Maitreya Temple which commemorates the 1970 visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to this monastery. It contains a 15 metres (49 ft) high statue of Maitreya, which covers two stories of the building. It is the largest such statue in Ladakh.
Mindrolling Monastery, Dehradun
The Mindrolling Monastery is a very popular site for Buddhists. It is near the Rajaji National Park in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. The Buddha temple here is a major tourist attraction as well as an architectural marvel. The monastery has one of the tallest statues of Buddha, which is 107 feet high. Khochhen Rinpoche established the monastery initially in Clement Town, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, in 1965. Located in the serene foothills of the Himalayas, the monastery is blessed with natural beauty. It has a university complex and the tallest stupa in Asia. Greenery surrounds the shrines, Tibetan art forms, and murals here.
Ghum Monastery, Darjeeling
Standing amidst the hill regions of the Eastern Himalayan ranges in Darjeeling, Ghum Monastery is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and also one of the biggest monasteries in the state. It has a 15-foot statue of the Maitreya Buddha or the ‘Buddha of the future’. The clay for making the statue came from Tibet. The monastery belongs to the Yellow Hat or Gelukpa sect. The views of snow-capped peaks from this monastery are breathtaking. It also houses a large collection of the Buddha’s manuscripts.
Namdroling Monastery and Golden Temple, Mysore
The biggest teaching center of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the whole world, this monastery lies in Bylakuppe, which is part of the Mysuru district of Karnataka state. The monastery has a sangha community of more than 5000 lamas (both monks and nuns), a junior high school, a religious college, and a hospital. Namdroling Monastery has exquisite architecture and a prayer hall carved in gold. There are two gold statues of the Buddha, as well.
Rumtek Monastery, Gangtok
Also called the Dharmachakra Center, Rumtek Monastery stands on the hilltop of Gangtok, Sikkim. Built under the direction of Changchub Dorje, the 12th Karmapa Lama, in the mid-18th century, originally, Rumtek was the main seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage in Sikkim for a while. But when the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, reached Sikkim in 1959 after fleeing Tibet, the monastery was in ruins. The Karmapa rebuilt Rumtek, as the place had many auspicious qualities and was surrounded by natural beauty like flowing streams, mountains, a snow range, and a river below. It became his main seat in exile.
Tsuglagkhang Temple Complex, Dharamsala
This Buddhist temple is the official abode of the Dalai Lama. The temple complex includes the famous Tsuglagkhang Temple as well as the renowned Kalchakra Temple. Its location is the southwestern end of Mcleodganj in Himachal Pradesh. It also comprises the Namgyal Gompa and a Tibetan museum. The temple has 3 major deities. The first is the 3 m tall, bronze Sakyamuni Buddha. The others are Avalokitesvara (Buddha of compassion) and Padmasambhavna, an idol facing Tibet. The Dalai Lama is supposedly a reincarnation of Avalokiteswara.
Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath
This is a massive Buddhist stupa in Sarnath. It stands at the spot where the Buddha gave his 1st sermon to his first five disciples after his enlightenment. The cylindrical stupa is 43.6 meters high and 28 meters wide. It is also where all five disciples became fully liberated eventually. This led to the formation of the sangha. Many ancient sources describe the site as a Mriga-dayaa-vanam, meaning ‘a sanctuary for animals’. After the Buddha’s Parinirvana in 544 BCE, his remains were cremated. The ashes were divided and buried under 8 stupas. Two more stupas encased the urn and the embers. Dhamek Stupa is probably one of these eight stupas. The Mauryan king, Ashoka, expanded Dhamek Stupa in 249 BCE. It was further expanded in the 6th century CE.
Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir
Also called World Peace Pagoda, this is one of the most notable Buddhist temples in India. Located in Rajgir city, Bihar, one can reach it through a ropeway. It stands on top of a hill. This beautiful white-colored structure has a golden statue of the Buddha. One can see mounted statues of the Buddha on the stupa in four directions. There is also a small Japanese Buddhist temple with a large park. At a temple nearby, prayers are conducted for universal peace. It is one among 80 Peace Pagodas built by the neo-Buddhist organisation Nipponzan Myohoji.
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
This Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya city, Bihar state, is one of the most sacred places of Buddhism. It was here that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi Tree. This temple is famous for its beautiful architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Mahabodhi means ‘great awakening’. The temple's location is on the banks of the Niranjana river and is one of the oldest brick temples in India. Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor, built the original structure to commemorate the Buddha’s enlightenment. One can see the descendant of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment standing next to the temple.
Mahaparinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
Located in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, this Buddhist temple has a 6-meter- long statue of the reclining Buddha. The temple stands among extensive lawns and ancient ruins. There is a circumambulatory path as well. The reclining Buddha statue here was discovered in 1876. It lies on its right side, with its head to the north. Supposedly, the Buddha died here. The Indian government built the present temple in 1956 to mark the 2,500th year of the Mahaparinivana or 2500 BE (Buddhist Era). It is a very famous Buddhist temple in India.
Ramadhan Stupa Temple, Kushinagar
Located near the Mahaparinirvana Temple, Ramabhar Stupa Temple has a special position as it stands at the place where the Buddha was cremated. It was built over a portion of the Buddha’s ashes on the spot where the ancient Malla people cremated him. The temple has an impressive 49-feet-high stupa, which is admired for its architectural grandeur. Ancient Buddhist texts refer to the stupa as Mukut-Bandhan-Chaitya.
Wat Thai Temple, Kushinagar
Wat Thai Buddhist Temple was built to commemorate the golden jubilee celebrations of the Thai king Bhumibol’s accession to the throne. This temple has great architectural beauty. It stands amidst acres of greenery and was a forest monastery. The temple is visible from any place in Kushinagar. It covers a huge area and boasts a serene ambiance.
Thikse Monastery, Leh
Situated on a hilltop in the north of the Indus River, Thiksey Gompa, or Monastery, belongs to the Gelukpa Order of Buddhism. It dates back to 1430 AD and has a temple dedicated to Goddess Dorje Chenmo. It is one of the important Buddhist monasteries in India. There are several shrines in the monastery complex. Thiksey is the biggest monastery in Ladakh and resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The monastery stands at an altitude of 3,600 metres in the Indus Valley. It is a 12-storey complex and has many examples of Buddhist art, like statues, stupas, thangkas, wall paintings and swords. An interesting feature is the Maitreya Temple which commemorates the 1970 visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to this monastery. It contains a 15 metres (49 ft) high statue of Maitreya, which covers two stories of the building. It is the largest such statue in Ladakh.
Mindrolling Monastery, Dehradun
The Mindrolling Monastery is a very popular site for Buddhists. It is near the Rajaji National Park in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. The Buddha temple here is a major tourist attraction as well as an architectural marvel. The monastery has one of the tallest statues of Buddha, which is 107 feet high. Khochhen Rinpoche established the monastery initially in Clement Town, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, in 1965. Located in the serene foothills of the Himalayas, the monastery is blessed with natural beauty. It has a university complex and the tallest stupa in Asia. Greenery surrounds the shrines, Tibetan art forms, and murals here.
Ghum Monastery, Darjeeling
Standing amidst the hill regions of the Eastern Himalayan ranges in Darjeeling, Ghum Monastery is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and also one of the biggest monasteries in the state. It has a 15-foot statue of the Maitreya Buddha or the ‘Buddha of the future’. The clay for making the statue came from Tibet. The monastery belongs to the Yellow Hat or Gelukpa sect. The views of snow-capped peaks from this monastery are breathtaking. It also houses a large collection of the Buddha’s manuscripts.
Namdroling Monastery and Golden Temple, Mysore
The biggest teaching center of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the whole world, this monastery lies in Bylakuppe, which is part of the Mysuru district of Karnataka state. The monastery has a sangha community of more than 5000 lamas (both monks and nuns), a junior high school, a religious college, and a hospital. Namdroling Monastery has exquisite architecture and a prayer hall carved in gold. There are two gold statues of the Buddha, as well.
Rumtek Monastery, Gangtok
Also called the Dharmachakra Center, Rumtek Monastery stands on the hilltop of Gangtok, Sikkim. Built under the direction of Changchub Dorje, the 12th Karmapa Lama, in the mid-18th century, originally, Rumtek was the main seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage in Sikkim for a while. But when the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, reached Sikkim in 1959 after fleeing Tibet, the monastery was in ruins. The Karmapa rebuilt Rumtek, as the place had many auspicious qualities and was surrounded by natural beauty like flowing streams, mountains, a snow range, and a river below. It became his main seat in exile.
Tsuglagkhang Temple Complex, Dharamsala
This Buddhist temple is the official abode of the Dalai Lama. The temple complex includes the famous Tsuglagkhang Temple as well as the renowned Kalchakra Temple. Its location is the southwestern end of Mcleodganj in Himachal Pradesh. It also comprises the Namgyal Gompa and a Tibetan museum. The temple has 3 major deities. The first is the 3 m tall, bronze Sakyamuni Buddha. The others are Avalokitesvara (Buddha of compassion) and Padmasambhavna, an idol facing Tibet. The Dalai Lama is supposedly a reincarnation of Avalokiteswara.
Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath
This is a massive Buddhist stupa in Sarnath. It stands at the spot where the Buddha gave his 1st sermon to his first five disciples after his enlightenment. The cylindrical stupa is 43.6 meters high and 28 meters wide. It is also where all five disciples became fully liberated eventually. This led to the formation of the sangha. Many ancient sources describe the site as a Mriga-dayaa-vanam, meaning ‘a sanctuary for animals’. After the Buddha’s Parinirvana in 544 BCE, his remains were cremated. The ashes were divided and buried under 8 stupas. Two more stupas encased the urn and the embers. Dhamek Stupa is probably one of these eight stupas. The Mauryan king, Ashoka, expanded Dhamek Stupa in 249 BCE. It was further expanded in the 6th century CE.
Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir
Also called World Peace Pagoda, this is one of the most notable Buddhist temples in India. Located in Rajgir city, Bihar, one can reach it through a ropeway. It stands on top of a hill. This beautiful white-colored structure has a golden statue of the Buddha. One can see mounted statues of the Buddha on the stupa in four directions. There is also a small Japanese Buddhist temple with a large park. At a temple nearby, prayers are conducted for universal peace. It is one among 80 Peace Pagodas built by the neo-Buddhist organisation Nipponzan Myohoji.
