India has always been one of the top pilgrimage destinations for travelers, whether to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha or to explore the realities of Indian society. The breathtaking beauty and rich culture at the foot of the Himalayas are deeply moving. For a truly meaningful New Year journey, consider this itinerary — a touching 13-day exploration of India’s Agra, Eight Great Holy Sites, and Kolkata.
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A 3-day Indian pilgrimage tour, provided by Hengqun Travel. (Image / MOOK)
Day 1 Taoyuan → Hong Kong → Delhi
Meet at Terminal 1 of Taoyuan International Airport to begin your journey tracing the Buddha’s footsteps. Make a transit in Hong Kong and arrive in New Delhi, India, in the evening. Check in to your hotel upon arrival.
Day 2 Delhi 230KM → Agra
Arrive in Agra and begin a historical journey. A timeless pearl — visit the *Taj Mahal*.
Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan V in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Next, visit the *Agra Fort*, surrounded by 2.5 kilometers of walls and also known as the Agra Red Fort. Within the fort are two mosques and several palaces that look like something out of a fairy tale. Shah Jahan was imprisoned here in his later years by his son and could only gaze at the Taj Mahal — his wife’s tomb — through a small window.
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The majestic and spectacular Taj Mahal. (Image / MOOK)
Day 3 Agra 200KM → Sankisa 250KM → Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh is nearly seven times the size of Taiwan, with Lucknow as its capital. ◎ Sankisa is where the Buddha descended from the Trayastrimsa Heaven after preaching to his mother, Queen Maya, for three months. It is home to Buddhist relics such as those commemorating Queen Maya, the Ashoka Elephant Pillar, and is one of the sacred Buddhist sites.
Day 4 Lucknow 200KM → Sravasti 225KM → Lumbini
Anathapindika was a successful merchant known for his generosity, and was called Sudatta the Householder. Upon hearing the Buddha’s teachings, he developed deep faith in the Buddha. He asked Prince Jeta of Kosala to donate a piece of land gifted to him by King Prasenajit. He was even willing to cover the ground with gold to buy it. When two-thirds of the land was covered in gold, the prince was moved by his sincerity and also curious about who the Buddha really was to inspire such devotion. Thus, the Jetavana Monastery was born — a grand offering to the Buddha and the Sangha. As I heard: “At one time, the Buddha was in the kingdom of Sravasti, in the Jeta Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, together with a gathering of 1,250 great monks…” The *Sravasti Ruins* are where the Buddha recited the Amitabha Sutra and the Diamond Sutra.
Day 5 Lumbini 180KM → Kushinagar
Queen Maya, the consort of King Suddhodana, dreamed of a six-tusked white elephant descending from the sky amid heavenly music. Following this auspicious dream, the queen set off to her parental kingdom of Koliya to give birth. Along the way, she rested briefly in what is now Nepal’s *Lumbini Garden*. The garden was shady with trees, peacocks strolled about, and birds sang among fragrant flowers. As the queen admired a blooming sal tree flower, she suddenly lost her balance, gripped a sal branch, and gave birth to the radiant Prince Siddhartha Gautama under the tree.
Day 6 Kushinagar 250KM → Vaishali 50KM → Patna
As the Buddha approached Parinirvana, the Venerable Ananda wept ceaselessly. In a sal grove in Kushinagar, the capital of the Malla Kingdom, the Buddha gave his final teachings to the monks: all phenomena are impermanent; since there is birth, there must be death. He urged them to practice diligently to attain liberation. Visit ◎ the Buddha’s Parinirvana Stupa and ◎ the Cremation Stupa.
Travel into Bihar Province, which is nearly three times the size of Taiwan, with Patna as its capital. This is where Siddhartha became the Buddha. Vaishali was the capital of the ancient Licchavi Kingdom, where lay devotees offered the Buddha and the Sangha the Great Forest Monastery. Here, the Buddha foretold the Venerable Ananda and the Sangha that he would enter Parinirvana in three months. Visit *the Vaishali Ancient Ruins*.
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Experience local Indian culture and customs. (Image / MOOK)
Day 7 Patna 100KM → Nalanda 15KM → Rajgir 70KM → Bodh Gaya
*Nalanda University Archaeological Site*: the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang studied here and was highly revered. He was even granted an elephant as his mount and studied under the master Dharmapala. At its peak in the 7th century, Nalanda University had over 10,000 students and 9 million volumes of texts. Restoration of the site began in 2006, with the university reopening in 2014 to enroll research students. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. Visit ◎ the Xuanzang Memorial Hall.
Rajgir was the capital of the ancient Magadha Kingdom. King Bimbisara became acquainted with the Buddha and donated land to build *the Bamboo Grove Monastery* for the Buddha and the Sangha — the very first monastic residence, housing about 1,250 monks. *Vulture’s Peak* is located near Rajgir. The Buddha and the Sangha practiced meditation and delivered sermons here during the rainy season retreats. The Lotus Sutra and the Prajnaparamita Sutras were taught here. This site is also sacred to Jainism and Hinduism. Japanese monks built *the Peace Pagoda* here, offering a panoramic view of the surrounding fields of Rajgir.
Day 8 Bodh Gaya 12KM → Gaya 12KM → Bodh Gaya
By the Niranjana River, after years of ascetic practice, Siddhartha Gautama finally attained enlightenment: the body is the temple of the soul, the vessel that ferries one to the other shore. Indulgence in pleasure is wrong, but so is self-mortification through starvation. The Middle Way is the true path. He then left the cave in the ◎Forest of Asceticism and went to the village to beg for food. On the way, he fainted from exhaustion but was luckily revived by a young girl named Sujata, who offered him rice milk. With the care of Sujata and the shepherd boy Svastika, Siddhartha gradually regained his strength. Day by day, as he deepened his meditation under the Bodhi Tree, he came to understand impermanence, non-self, and interdependence. Amidst thunder and lightning, with the morning star rising, Siddhartha Gautama had realized the path to awakening—the Awakened One, the Buddha, was born. Visit the ★Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi Tree.
Day 9 Bodh Gaya 300KM → Varanasi
Varanasi is a sacred city of Hinduism, where the Ganges River makes a turn northward before flowing east again. Hindus believe that bathing, dying, being cremated, and having one's ashes scattered in the Ganges here can liberate them from the cycle of birth and rebirth. In the evening, visit the ★Ganga Aarti Fire Ceremony and take a ★night boat ride on the Ganges to observe the ritual altars. Amidst flickering lamps and chanting, experience the uplifting religious ceremonies of Hinduism.
Day 10 Varanasi 15KM → Sarnath → Varanasi (—domestic flight—) Kolkata
The Buddha, having attained the path to awakening, traveled north, crossed the Ganges, and headed west to Sarnath.
His former companions in asceticism—the five monks including Kaundinya—initially refused to see him, thinking he had abandoned their path due to an inability to endure hardship. But upon seeing him, they were drawn in by his serene and composed demeanor. It was here that the Buddha delivered his first sermon, expounding the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The five monks became his first disciples.
Rise early in the morning and take a ★boat ride on the Ganges in the thin mist. Besides the chance to witness the sunrise over the eastern horizon, you’ll be amazed by devout Hindus bathing and cleansing themselves in the river. Nearby funeral pyres at the ritual altar may be conducting a farewell ceremony. Afterward, return to the hotel for breakfast and some rest. In the afternoon, head to Sarnath to visit the ★Dhamek Stupa, the Chaukhandi Stupa, and the Archaeological Museum.
In the evening, take a domestic flight to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal in eastern India.
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A glimpse of India’s diverse architectural styles and ancient relics. (Photo / MOOK)
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