From the life of the Buddha to the monasteries and monuments that carried his teachings across Asia. Some of these places date from after his lifetime.
Tradition holds that Siddhartha Gautama was born in the gardens of Lumbini. He later taught the path to ending suffering after his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.
The place where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment beneath a bodhi tree. The Mahabodhi Temple here is one of the holiest Buddhist sites.
Where the Buddha gave his first teaching. The Ashokan lion capital found here became the national emblem of India.
A great Buddhist monastic university that drew students from across Asia. Its ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Great Stupa, a solid dome ringed by four carved gateways, is among the oldest stone structures in India and a centre of Buddhist art.
A valley on the Silk Road where two huge Buddhas were carved into the cliffs. The statues were destroyed in 2001, but caves and murals remain.