India is a country which abounds in Buddhist monasteries, some of them very old and some not so. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the major states when it comes to Buddhist religious monument centres and temples but states like Himachal, Ladakh, are full of Buddhist monasteries and are the best living traditions of Trans Himalayan Buddhism.

Translating the most momentous occasions of my life into few lines and finding an appropriate expression to describe the ambience of these monasteries where the most restless of minds take refuge and find peace is an uphill task. However still taking a trip down the memory lane and refreshing the memories, this is what I remember about these places.

Bodhgaya: Bodhgaya is a small and quiet town and is the most important Buddhist sites in the whole world. Bodhgaya lies above 10 km to the south of Gaya. It was here that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and the descendant of that original tree still flourishes.

The Maha Bodhi temple of Bodh gaya is one of the most important places of worship for Buddhists. The place has numerous temples, stupas and monasteries. According to tradition a large number of shrines and memorials were erected at the site to commemorate the incidents before after enlightenment but only few of them can now be recognised. Of the earliest shrines, traditionally attributed to Asoka, only vajrasana or the sandstone throne with the characteristic Mauryan polish and decorative designs has survived and is seen beneath the holy Bodhi tree.

Bodhi Tree: Towards the West of the Maha Bodhi temple, is the tree where Gautam Buddha did his meditation and attained enlightenment.

Bodhi Sarovar: Before going in for meditation, Buddha took bath in this pond. This pond is situated towards the west of Bodhi temple. The pond is situated in a very attractive place and is worth visiting.

Chankamana: As I walked few steps towards North of the Bodhi Temple, I found a platform with foot impressions of Buddha. Apart from these ponds and platforms, there are many temples built by the people of various nations like the Tibet temple, the Japanese, the Thai, the Lankan and the Bhutan temple. These temples are also a major attraction for the tourists and devotees, who visit Bodh Gaya

Around Bodhgaya
Barabar Caves:57 Kms from Gaya are some earliest carved out Buddhist caves. The interior of these caves is chiselled to a wonderful polish. The carvings in the caves reflect the skill with which these caves are carved out. These caves were built some where in the 3rd century and are fine examples of the skill, which the Indian mason had attained at that time. These caves are believed to be of Mauryan period and considered to be the origin of Indian cave architecture.

Deo: The sun temple of Deo is 20 kms from Gaya. I had been to this place in the beginning of November to attend the famous 'Chhat' festival. The festival is usually held in the month of Oct-Nov.

Dungeswari: The place is famous for the caves where Buddha had meditated for some time. It was in these caves that he concluded that the ultimate knowledge can not be attained through mortification of the flesh. These caves are 12 kms from the main town of Bodh Gaya.

Rajgir:Being located in a valley, Rajgir is a very scenic place. Just 15 kms from Nalanda it is a complex of temples and monasteries. It is one of the most important tourist places in India.

Sanchi Stupa: Quoting from history I would say that Sanchi was known by different names in ancient times like Kakanaya, Kakanava, Kakanadabota and Bota-Sriparvata , Sanchi has a singular distinction of having remarkable specimen of Buddhist art and architecture right from the early Mauryan period (c. 3rd century BC to 12th century AD).

I found Sanchi abundant in Stupas, monolithic Asokan pillar, temples, monasteries and sculptural wealth. During Sunga times The Ashokan Stupa was enlarged and faced with stones and decorated with Balustrades, staircase and a Harmika on the top. During the Gupta period some temples were built and sculptures were added.

Rewalsar - Rewalsar is one of the prominent Buddhist centres in the hills of Himachal and the monastery enshrines an image of Buddhist teacher ' Padmasambhava'.

'The Dhankar monastery or 'Dhankar Gompa': It is difficult for me to forget the subtle image of the monastery. About 25 kms east of Kaza the monastery has about 100 Lamas and is in the posession of Buddhist scriptures in Bhoti language. Principal figure is a statue of " Varaichona" or Dhyana Buddha consisting of four complete figures seated back to back. Set against a lunar landscape of crumbling cliffs, the ' Lha Opa Gompa' dates back to the 12th century.

Namgyal Monastery: Located in Dharamsala, also known as Namgyal Dratsang, the monastery is a non-sectarian and maintains ritual practices and teachings of the four main lineages of the Tibetan Buddhism. After browsing through books in the book-house I refreshed myself with a hot cup of tea at cafe adjacent to Namgayl monastery. It also has a guest-house adjacent to it.

Tabo monastery: Located in spiti valley Himachal Pradesh this monastery is surrounded by rugged hills. I found my way to it on a pony . It is a complex that holds nine temples, 23 chortens, a monks' chamber and an extension that houses the nuns' chamber.At first I was little sceptical and hesitant but in the end I wondered the joy pony ride had brought to me. Village of Spiti is a tiny hamlet is home to some 350 people and they were very hospitable to me . The villagers also reffered to Tabo monastery as Tabo Chos-Kho which means 'doctrinal circle' or 'doctrinal enclave'.