Hin: कुशीनगर kushīnagar
‘The City of Kusha Grass’ [Kusinara, Kasia] – City/District, Uttar Pradesh.
From Skt: kusha, ‘sacred grass used in rituals’ [cf. Kuchchaveli (SL)]; and nagara, ‘city’.
The name reflects the city’s ancient Buddhist heritage, possibly referring to a sacred grove or monastery where Gautama Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana.
Kushinagar, known in ancient times as Kusinara, was a major center of the Malla kingdom and one of the principal Mahājanapadas of the 6th century BCE. It is best known as the site where Buddha passed into Mahaparinirvana around 483 BCE, as recorded in the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta. His cremation stupa became a revered Buddhist pilgrimage site.
The city declined after the Gupta period but was revived under Emperor Ashoka’s patronage in the 3rd century BCE. Buddhist travelers like Faxian and Xuanzang described its monasteries and stupas in detail.
Kushinagar faded into obscurity after the Muslim invasions of medieval India and was rediscovered by British archaeologists in the 19th century.
Today, Kushinagar is a globally significant Buddhist pilgrimage site, featuring:
- Mahaparinirvana Temple, housing a 6.1m-long reclining Buddha statue from the Gupta period.
- Ramabhar Stupa, the site of Buddha’s cremation. It was built over a portion of the Buddha’s ashes, by the ancient Malla people.
- Wat Thai Temple, built by Thai Buddhists.
- International monasteries from Japan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
Apart from tourism, Kushinagar’s economy is driven by agriculture (sugarcane, rice, wheat) and small-scale industries.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Uttar Pradesh place names.
