Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t12.6

v1.c7.s2.t12.6

Both Faxian and Xuanzang refer to their visit to Kushinagar and describe various legends associated with Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha. Faxian found in existence various *stupas* and *viharas* though he writes that, “In the city, the inhabitants are few and far between comprising only the families belonging to the (different) societies of monks.” By the time of Xuanzang’s visit, Kushinagar had, however, become a lonely and desolate place with many of its grand structures in ruins. Based on their description in the Chinese travelogues, these sites were rediscovered during the British colonial period due to efforts of explorers and archeologists like E. Buchanan, H H Wilson, A C Cunningham, A C L Carlleyle and others. After identification of the site by Cunningham, Carlleyle in 1876 was successful in locating the famous temple containing the large Buddha statue in lying/ nirvana state that was referred to by Xuanzang. After this discovery, Kushinagar began to regain its fame as one of the four most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Many sites connected with the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha have now been found and excavated by archaeologists.