In India and all over the world, there are a large number of destinations playing significant part in escalating Buddhist tourism. Apart from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, Japan and Mongolia are the countries having enormous significance of Buddhism. Various parts across India are considered as major Buddhist destinations.
Bihar, an East-Indian state along with its capital Patna is the foremost epicenter of Buddhist pilgrimage tourism. The city of Bodhgaya is among the four holy pilgrimage destinations of Buddhism. Bodhgaya is the place where a prince in search of truth achieved enlightenment and later known as Lord Buddha. You can find various other Buddhist attractions in Bihar.
The other significant state in Buddhist destinations is North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh which is abode to Sarnath and Kushinagar, the other two of the four holy Buddhist pilgrimage destinations. Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after getting enlighted. In Kushinagar, he attained the Mahaparinirvana. Uttar Pradesh also houses some other Buddhist spots like Sravasti, Sankisa, and Kaushambi.
Bearing a number of monasteries, Dharamsala in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is famous for housing exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai. Moreover, Several monasteries are lying in the gorgeous hillside of another North Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. Its Ladakh region is known as predominantly Buddhists.
Buddhist Monuments of Sanchi is the chief Buddhist attraction in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Taking about northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, these states are also known for bearing a Buddhist heritage. Due to their location close to Tibet, people of these states are influenced by the Tibetan form of Buddhism. You can also feel the influence of Theravada Buddhism in these regions.
Moving to Orissa, where an ambitious king Ashoka laid down the weapons of violence and adapted a life of Ahimsa in the form of Buddhism after the Kalinga war. Orissa is now a famous Buddhist destination, having various monuments at Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, Lalitgiri, and Dhauligiri.