Kushinagar is a pilgrimage town and a Notified Area Council in the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh. This ancient town gets its name from Kusha the son of the Legendary God king Ram who founded and ruled the city. The archaeological findings in the town date back to the 3rd century BC and belong to the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
Kushinagar today is a major pilgrimage center for the Buddhists in India and also finds mention in the writings of the Chinese traveler and pilgrim Hieun Tsang. It was at Kushinagar that Gautama Buddha attained the Mahaparinirvana. Kushinagar is one of the four major pilgrimage destinations said to have been authorized by the Buddha himself. The other three sites are: Lumbini (birth); Bodh Gaya(enlightenment); and Sarnath (first teaching).The followers of Buddhism, especially from Asian countries, wish to visit this place at least once in their lifetime.
Mahaparinirvana Temple
It is located in the ruins various ancient monasteries which were founded during the 5th century AD. The temple is famous for its 6.10 meters long statue of Lord Buddha. According to the inscriptions in the ruins, the remains of Lord Buddha have been deposited here.
Nirvana Chaitya (Main Stupa)
Nirvana Chaitya is located just behind the Main Parinirvana Temple. It was excavated by Carlleyle in the year 1876. During excavations, a copper plate was found, which contained the text of the “Nidana-Sutra” which concluded the statement that plate had been deposited in the Nirvana-Chaitya by one Haribala, who also installed the great Nirvana Statue of Buddha in the temple front.
Ramabhar Stupa
bout 1.5 km away from Mahaparinirvana Temple, this large Stupa rises to a height of 49 ft. It marks the site where the Lord Buddha was cremated. In ancient Buddhist texts, this Stupa has been referred to as ‘Mukut-Bandhan Vihar’.
Matha Kuar Shrine
A colossal statue of Lord Buddha is installed, which is carved out of one block which represents Buddha seated under the “Bodhi Tree” in a pose known as “Bhumi Sparsh Mudra” (Earth touching attitude). The inscription at the base of statue is datable to the 10th or 11th century A.D.
Wat Thai temple
The unique temple, built to celebrate the victory of King Bhumibol’s great accession of the throne, and the subsequent Golden Jubilee, is worth a watch, especially because of the innumerable trees that were planted here.Besides, there’s the Chinese temple, the Meditation Park and an International Buddha trust, and the Birla temple to add charm to roaming around in the city.
Japanese temple
A beautiful eight metals statue of the Buddha, which was brought from from Japan, can be visited here.
Sun Temple
The temple dedicated to the Sun God was built during the Gupta Period and is mentioned in the Puranas. The temple is famous for its idol of the Sun God which was carved out of a special black stone (Neelmani Stone). The statue was believed to have been found during excavations conducted between the 4th and the 5th centuries.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushinagar
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/kushinagar
http://www.buddhist-pilgrimage.com/kushinagar.html
https://kushinagar.nic.in/places-of-interest/