Mahaparinirvana Temple & Nirvana Stupa

Mahaparinirvana Temple

Mahaparinirvana Temple

It is  located about 500 meters from the entrance gate of Buddha Marg (i.e. Deoria - Kushinagar road)  and opens from sunrise to sunset.Nirvana temple is important place of Kushinagar and also a identity of this place too.

 

Recling Buddha

This temple stands on the same plinth as the main Nirvana Stupa behind it. The reclining Nirvana statue of Lord Buddha inside the temple is 6.10 meters long and is made of monolith red sand stone. It represents the "Dieing Buddha" reclining on his right side with his face towards the west. It is placed on a large brick-pedestal with stone-posts at the corners. 

Important and rare fact about the Nirvana Statue

• the statue of Lord Buddha shows different expressions like happy,worried,smile etc...from different eight direction.One should definitely notice this.
• There is a believe in Hindu Community that "Lord Buddha is  avatar of God Vishnu", although Lord Buddha himself denied that he was a god or incarnation of god. ~

Nirvana Stupa

Nirvana Stupa

This stupa is located just behind the Mahaparinirvana Temple (east of the Mahaparinirvana Temple) on the same platform. The stupa with its cylindrical base and dome is 15.81mts. high from the ground level. A copper plate with text of Nidan Sukta inscribed on it was found during excavations possibly deposited by Haribala in Nirvana Chaitya. Massive statue of Buddha in the front portion of the temple had also been installed by Haribala. Some silver coins in the copper vessels were also excavated. These coins apparently belong to Kumar Gupta (Emperor of Gupta Dynasty) in 8th century AD. 

Nirvana Chaitya was restored completely with its ceremonious closure of chamber in the presence of Buddhist priests on 18th march, 1927. Several inscriptions in the form of gold, silver and copper plates were deposited along with the records of the circumstances of the discovery & identification of the monument which were

excavated by Carlleyle in the year 1876.The walls of the stupa were destroyed by storm in 1965. Indian Archaeological Department restored it in 1980-1985.

Near the Nirvana Temple a park, called Meditation Park has been developed recently. Raised platforms have been built for meditation. The park having the greenery & mediation platforms provide complete Buddhist ambiance.