Search for Nirvana

Many believe that the ancient city of Kushinara is in Kushinagar, UP, but new evidence may suggest otherwise

- Vikram Raj

THIS spring, nearly 20 people gathered in front of a Buddhist temple in Titira Bangra village of Ziradei in Siwan for a long-awaited announcement. Satyadev Ram, chairman of Bihar’s Tourism Industry Development Committee, announced that two places will be given the status of national tourist destinations. The first of the two was this temple at the Titir Stupa, where they were all standing. 

The history of Titir Stupa located in Siwan itself dates back to 400 BC. According to Buddhist scriptures, Buddha died and/or attained Nirvana here nearly 2,400 years ago in an ancient city called Kusinara. The current location of Kusinara has been a hotly debated topic since the late medieval period. Although Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, also known as Kasia, is accepted as the ancient city, many historians believe otherwise.

Apart from Kushinagar (Kasia), there are two other places in Bihar whose geographical location is considered to be ancient Kushinara. The first place is Kushi village of Muzaffarpur. The second is Ziradei village of Siwan, which is famous as the birthplace of the first President Rajendra Prasad and also known as Kishunpur.

Krishna Kumar Singh is a journalist and teacher from Siwan, who has been researching the Buddhist history of Ziradei in Siwan for 15 years. Due to his efforts, the Archaeological Survey of India was able to discover the Buddhist pillars and other artifacts in Ziradei. Singh’s research suggests that Buddha died not in Kushinagar (Kasia) but in Siwan, hence this area of Siwan is the ancient Kushinagar (Kusinara) city. To strengthen his research, Singh draws upon the articles of many historians and travellers.

What Do the Travellers Say?