IRCTC launches Buddhist Circuit train; major sites in India & Nepal to be covered

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) launches its first Buddhist Circuit train today, which will take tourists to all the major Buddhist sites in India and Nepal. The destinations that will be covered by the train include Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, Bodhgaya in Bihar where Buddha got enlightenment, Sarnath in Varanasi where Buddha gave his first sermon to his five disciples, and then Kushinagar in Nepal where Buddha attained nirvana. According to a statement by IRCTC, “The significance of these destinations can be seen in the Mahaparinirvana sutra, wherein the Lord Buddha tells his followers that they can attain merit and a noble rebirth by going on pilgrimages to these places.”