39 Buddhist Temples to Explore in India

Bavikonda is one of the prominent attractions, located in the Sankaram village of Anakapalli. Being a popular Buddhist excavation site, the place is known as a Buddhist heritage spot, which reveals history, of before 2,000 years. The architectural remnants of the Buddhist period are earliest of its kind in South India and are prime attraction of the place.

Binnayaga Buddhist caves also known as Vinayaka are located at village Binnayaga in Jhalawar distrcit of Rajsthan. The excavation has arounnd 20 laterite caves facing south from east to west.

Bodhi tree is a large and ancient sacred fig tree located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher who became known as the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment or Bodhi. In religious iconography, the Bodhi Tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed.

The Buddha Park of Ravangla, also known as Tathagata Tsal, is situated near Rabong in South Sikkim district, Sikkim, India. It was constructed between 2006 and 2013 and features a 130-foot high statue of the Buddha as its centerpiece. The site was chosen within the larger religious complex of the Rabong Gompa, itself a centuries-old place of pilgrimage. Also nearby is Ralang Monastery, a key monastery in Tibetan Buddhism.

Buddha vihara is a Buddhist temple and spiritual center in Gulbarga. It blends architectural features of eminent Buddhist centers of Sanchi, Sarnath, Ajanta and Nagpur and has been constructed conforming to traditional Buddhist architecture.

During 1953, ASI did an excavation in Adurru village and it discovered numerous historical remains, including stupas, chaityas (Buddhist shrines or prayer halls), and viharas. Among these remains, the most remarkable one is the Mahastupa, which is also known as Adurru Buddhist Stupa. Historians believe that the Adurru Buddhist Stupa was constructed during the reign of the Indian emperor Ashoka, whose empire covered much of the Indian subcontinent.

The monastery has statue of Cho Rinpoche (Crowned Buddha) in the prayer hall, a huge drum and several images of fierce guardian deities.

Dubdi Monastery, occasionally called Yuksom Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism near Yuksom, in the Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district, in northeastern India.

Tharpa Choling Monastery is a beautiful Buddhist monastery situated in Kalimpong. it is one of the three oldest monasteries in Kalimpong and among the must-visit Kalimpong Tourist Places. It belongs to the Yellow Hat or Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. There is a museum which houses many old scriptures and artifacts showing the visit of Dalai Lama to this monastery.

Ghoom Monastery is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery of Darjeeling established in 1850 by Lama Sherab Gyatso. A 15-foot high statue of Maitreyi Buddha is the main attraction of this monastery. It is located at an elevation of 8000 feet and the visitors are treated to a beautiful view of the majestic Kanchenjunga outside the monastery.

The Golden Pagoda of Namsai, also known as Kongmu Kham in the Tai Khamti language, is a Burmese-style Buddhist temple that was opened in 2010. It is located on a 20 hectare complex in Namsai District of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

The Jetavana Monastery Shravasti was one of the most famous of the Buddhist monasteries in India. It was the second monastery donated to Buddha, after the Veluvana in Rajagaha- modern day Rajgir. Jetavana Monastery Shravasti In India is located just outside the old city of Shravasti. Jetavana was the place where Buddha gave many teachings and delivered many of the discourses for the first time more than in any other place.

Seven rock-cut caves and monolithic lion pillars are present at Kadia Dungar, near Bharuch. The caves suggest that they were viharas. A Brick stupa was also found in the foothills. These caves were in use during 1st and 2nd century AD.

Considered to be the tallest and biggest Buddhist Stupa in the world, Kesaria Stupa was built by the great ruler Ashoka. This is the place where Buddha in his last days donated his begging bowl. The structure serves as a brilliant example of Buddhist architecture and is adorned with a large number of Buddhist statues.

The Key Monastery is a famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Lahaul and Spiti District of India. Located at an altitude of 4,166 metres above the sea level, the monastery is very close to the Spiti River in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh in India. Also known as the Kye Monastery and Ki Monastery, it is believed to have been founded by Dromton, who was a student of the famous teacher Atisha in the 11th century.

This is a major Buddhist complex in the Indian state of Odisha. Lalaitgiri is a part of Pushpagiri university located on top of hills of the same names. Lalitagiri is a major center of Buddhism hemmed between the Parabhadi and Landa sandstone hills in the standalone Assian hill range.

The Mahabodhi Temple a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an ancient, but much rebuilt and restored, Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, marking the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is about 96 km from Patna, Bihar state, India.

This is the largest teaching center of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the World. This monastery is home for the sangha community of over five thousand Lamas.

Nelakondapalli is a historic site encompassed by a mud fortification wall covering nearly one-hundred acres. Excavations by archaeologists have unearthed the foundations of viharas, cisterns, wells, one Mahastupa, terracotta idols, a bronze idol of Lord Buddha and a miniature stupa carved in limestone, and other historic materials from third and fourth centuries.

Pandav Leni caves or Sometimes Nashik caves are a group of 24 caves carved between the 1st century BCE and the 3rd century CE, though additional sculptures were added up to about the 6th century, reflecting changes in Buddhist devotional practices mainly. The architectural styles and the sculptures in the cave is an excellent example of the Buddhist architecture.