Lord Buddha is the originator of Buddhist cult in India. The history of Buddhism goes back to 528 BCE when the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, India. Lord Buddha spent the rest of His life in spreading the message of truth of life. The first Buddhist council was convened at Rajagriha in India after the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana in 483 BCE. At the council, Ananda, the chief disciple of Buddha, compiled the teachings in the form of a holy Pali canon, Tripitaka, which meant the three baskets.

Buddhism in India
The later half of the 6th century BCE was the time when the teachings of Buddhism spread across India. The Lord Buddha, after 528 BCE, the year of His enlightenment, started preaching the doctrine of Dharma to His disciples. Impressed by his teachings and preaching, He made many disciples. After His death, his chief disciple, Ananda, took it upon himself to spread the teachings of the Buddha by compiling them into a Pali canon, Tripitaka (three baskets).

Spread of Buddhism Outside India
After the death of Buddha, his teachings and preaching were conveyed to far-off Asian countries by many rulers. The great Asoka (BCE 270 - BCE 232), the third and the most powerful Mauryan emperor, worked immensely to spread the valuable teachings of Buddhism. Realizing true worth of life and importance of life through the battle of Kalinga, the King immediately started following the path of Buddhism. To effectively work on the teachings of Buddhism and to take the cult to a mass level, the King used to edicts (proclamation) inscribed on stone pillars and placed them throughout his kingdom, which are present even today.

Suggested Buddhist Sites in India

Leh Leh is situated on the banks of river Indus at an altitude of 11,000 feet and is a vital centre of Buddhist pilgrimage. The place is full of awe-inspiring splendour and holds.... click here for more details... Bodhgaya Bodhgaya is another prominent centre of Buddhism in southern Bihar on the banks of river Falgu. Bodhgaya is rated as one of the most significant centres of pilgrimage for the Buddhists... click here for more details... Sarnath Sarnath is closed to Varanasi and a sacred pilgrimage destination for the Buddhist community. Sarnath is popular as the Lord Buddha had delivered his first sermons after attaining enlightenment..... click here for more details...

Kushinagar Kushinagar, in Deoria district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, is another prominent place for followers of Buddhism. The place is revered immensely as the Lord Buddha had died at Kushinagar..... click here for more details... Vaishali Vaishali, situated at 2 hours drive from Bihar's capital city of Patna, is a place immensely revered by both Buddhists and Jains. This place holds immense value as Lord Buddha had delivered.... click here for more details...