Buddhism is an integral part of India’s spiritual heritage. India is the birthplace of the Buddha, and most of the important events in the Buddha’s life took place in the present-day northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Nepal.
In the fifth to sixth centuries BCE, Buddhism spread far and wide in northern India, and Buddhism had a strong influence on the development of Indian culture. The teachings challenged the orthodox philosophy of that era, leading to greater equality for women and the less-privileged sections of the society.
Today the sacred places related to the life of the Buddha are destinations for pilgrims and draw visitors from all over the world. The most significant destinations in the Trail of the Buddha, or the Buddhist Circuit—as the places are called collectively—are Kapilvastu, where Prince Siddhartha grew up; Sarnath, where the Buddha delivered his first historical sermon; Shravasti; the famed monsoon retreat of
