Matha Kuar Shrine

A few meters away from the Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar lies a simple structure called 'Matha Kuar Shrine'. This small building is so unimposing that it hardly conveys the importance of this Shrine in the discovery of Kushinagar as the actual place where Lord Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana.

There is a Buddha image inside this Shrine carved in blue stone depicting Buddha under the Bodhi Tree in the 'Bhumisparsha Mudra' (Earth Touching Attitude).

An inscription on the pedestal of this image dated the construction of this Shrine by a local Kalachuri Chieftain during the 10-11th century. Over time, the shrine was subjected to vandalism and plunder.

The Buddha image was broken and its upper part was thrown out of the temple and later supported against the trunk of a mango tree nearby. This Buddha image gave the name of 'Matha Kuar' to this place that was later deduced by historians to be 'Mrit Kumar' or 'Dead Prince'.

Thus came the suspicion that this place was perhaps 'Kushinara' where Lord Buddha had attained Mahaparinirvana.

Getting There

You can easily get regular trains and buses from other major cities of the country to Kushinagar. Kushinagar is located on the National Highways 28 which connects the city with the other parts of the state. The city is connected to Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Patna, Jhansi and Gorakhpur and other places in Uttar Pradesh. You can avail the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation buses as well as the other buses.

Nearest airport is Gorakhpur Airport, located 46 km away. Gorakhpur Railway Station is located 51 km away from Kushinagar.

Taxis, Auto Rickshaw, and City Bus form the major local transport for Kushinagar. One can also avail local buses and coaches which transport tourists to the various destinations.

 

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