buddhism

Buddhism was first founded in India around 500 B.C. by Buddha. It is
the dominant religious force in most of Asia ( China, Japan, Korea,
Vietnam,Pakistan and Tibet). Today, there are about 300 million
followers. The Buddhists faith rests in Buddha, his teachings
(dharma), and the religious community that was founded (sangha).
Buddha's real name is Siddartha Gautama. Siddartha means "every wish
fulfilled." He was born in 563 B.C. in the small republic of Sakka,
Southern Nepal. He was born to a ruler and later tradition saw him as
the son of a king. His father's name was King Suddhodana, and his
mother's name was Queen Maya. One week after Gautama was born, his
mother died. It was said that he enjoyed life and was given the best
possible education. He was showered with the luxuries of living.
Gautama became overwhelmed with the conviction that his life was
filled with suffering and unhappiness; therefore, he began to take
interest in religious and philosophical thoughts. There were two
things that may have caused his spiritual tendencies. One may have
been the loss of his mother at birth and the other may have been the
position of the weak Sakya kingdom which was about to be taken over by
its powerful neighboring enemies. Gautama married a beautiful princess
named Yasodhara and had a son named Rahula. He fulfilled his duty by
bringing an heir into the world. While on his way to a park, he saw a
saffron robed Samana with a shaven head and a calm demeanor. That
sight inspired him to adopt that kind of life-style. On his twenty
ninth birthday, his conviction led to the abandonment of his wife and
son to seek religious enlightenment as a monk. That time was known as
the Great Renunciation, because in old Japanese culture leaving their
wife or getting a divorce was considered taboo. The choice of
dedicating himself to the world rather than his family may be the most
significant sacrifice he ever made. His renunciation of family life
stands as a symbolic precedent for the monastic life of Buddhist monks
and nuns. He joined the spiritual teachers of his time, mastered their
disciplines, and relentlessly practiced asceticism. He felt, however,
that none of these efforts could--nor would--open the path to
enlightenment. Six years later, after his body was exhausted, he
realized that asceticism was meaningless. He was free after renouncing
both his family life and the ascetic practices. He traveled to
Buddhagaya and sat under a Bodhi tree. With the sharpness of insight
accessible only in the middle way of meditation, he penetrated into
the true nature of things. He discovered why people were suffering and
also found a way of escaping it. The people from then on called him
"Buddha," which means the Enlightened One. After becoming known as
Buddha, he returned to his family, taught them and took his son under
him as a monk. Gautama sought out teachers from what he could learn
spiritual techniques and master their teachings. He then inquired
after the meditation state on which they were based on. Buddha gave
his first sermon at Benares to five ascetic monks who had practiced
with him earlier. That is called the turning wheel of Dharma.
Following that initial conversation, he traveled throughout northern
India for 45 years teaching the rich and the poor, the powerful and
the lowly, the beggars and the sages with deep compassion for all and
with tempered wisdom and cool logic. He passed away peacefully at the
age of 80 in Kusinagara. One interesting thing in Gautama's life is
that he was born under a tree, he achieved enlightenment under the
Bodhi ("tree of wisdom") tree, and gave his first sermon in an animal
park, and he died between two trees.ITINERARY:

DAY 1 : LAHORE
Arrival at Lahore Air port ( by Singapore Air lines, Thai Air lines,
PIA ,Emirates etc ) . Reception by our representative and transfer to
Hotel Holiday Inn ****. Welcome drink. Evening at leisure to exlplore
the Moghal's Bazar, Anar Kali Bazar etc. Over night in Hotel.

DAY 2 : PESHAWAR
After breakfast move to Peshawar via motorway. Peshawar or Pushpapur
was the land of Buddhist Pilgrimage for Chinese, Tibitians, Koreans
and Indians when the Buddhism was at its peak in the days of the
Kushan Emperor Kanishka who ruled in AD 78.We stop for tea and to take
photographs of 600 million old salt range. After lunch move to see the
Cultural Heritage Museum, Shakir Parian , Daman e Koh, and World
Biggest Mosque The Shah Faisal Mosque. Continue to Peshawar via Grand
Trunk Road constructed by Sher Shah Suri in 16 century AD from Kabul
to Calcutta. Transfer to Hotel Greens. Evening at leisure to explore
oriantal carpets and handicraft shops in Saddar Bazar. Over night in
hotel.

DAY 3 : PESHAWAR
After breakfast visit the Peshawar Museum formely the Victoria
Memorial Hall built in 1905 which has the most extensive collection of
Gandhara Art in the world .The biography of Buddha was written by
great scholars of Mahayana and in their light the carving of the life
stories of Buddha was accomplished in Gandhara art with great
accuracy. Sculptures illistrating the life of Buddha from birth onward
are laid out in chronological order. The fasting Buddha here is more
haunting than the one in Lahore Museum. Kanishika build the empire's
most magnificent Buddhist stupa at Shah j k Dheri but now it is site
of brick factory. We move to Khyber Pass 56 kms from here and pass
Jamrud Fort build by Sikhs in 1823 on the site of old fort. We will
also pass Shagi Fort build by Britisher in 1920s and Ali Masjid Fort.
Stop at Sphola Stupa of second century AD .Beautiful Gandhara
Sculptures of Bhudda were found here when the site was excavated at
the beginning of this century. Lunch of roasted lamb in Landi Kotal
Bazzar and move to see the plains of Afghanistan from the hight of
Torkham. On the left side is a Hindu Shahi fort of 9th Century. Here
Afghans and Britisher fought their last war in 1919 . Move back to
Hotel . Evening free to explore Qissa Khawani Bazar, brass and copper
shops and may buy some handicraft from Ali Sons shop 130 years old and
visited by Queen Elizabeth- 1961,Jacqueline Kennedy-1962, Princess of
Denmark,Charles de Gaulle, Francois Mitterand and many more
dignitaties. Overnight in hotel.

DAY 4 : SWAT
After breakfast move to Swat .We will stop over at Charsadda 28 kms to
take a look of Bala Hisar a city of 6th century BC mentioned in the
Hindu epic story the Ramayana. In 516 BC this city became part of
Achaemenid Empireof Persia. Next we stop at Takht e Bahi which is the
most impressive and complete Buddhist monastry of 1st Century AD and
abandoned in the 6th Century AD. At almost the same time Buddhism of
Gandhara entered triumphantly from Korea into Japan "THE LAND OF THE
RISING SUN" It will take two hours to see it with the help of map The
remains of 38 votive stupas are scattered around the centre of the
court and are built as offerings by pilgrims from China, Korea, Tibet
and India. Next we will stop at Churchill Picket after crossing
Malakand Pass and Hindu Shahi Fort of Bat Khela. Sir Winston Churchill
served here in 1897 . Move to Damkot Hill which was occupied by Aryan
in 1700 BC and by Buddhist in 1st Century AD. The monastery and Stupa
were burnt by White Huns in fifth century and now only foundation
remain. Six boulders of fifth Century AD with Buddhist carving on them
stand at the foot of the hill. The carved figures are mostly of
Padmapani the Lotus Bearer Bodhisattva.We will move to Chakdara Museum
which has an excellent collection of first to seventh century Buddhist
Gandharan sculpture. Lunch will be consumed from a road side
resturant. We will stop for photos at huge Shingerdar Stupa build by
King Uttarasene to house his share of the relices of the Lord Buddha
and at the large size rock carving of Buddha on a cliff of sixth
century AD. As we move along the road toward Swat the hillocks are
full of ruins displaying period from 1500 BC to 14 century AD most of
which is of Hindu Shahi period of 8th to 10th century .Move to Hotel
White Palace the Palace of former ruler of Swat now converted into
hotel for over night stay..

DAY 5 : SWAT
After breakfast move to Saidu Sharif Museum to see some of the rare
Gandhara Sculpture and its ethnographic section. From here we will
take a dirt trek to Butkara Stupa which is one of the most important
Buddhist Shrines of second century BC built by Emperor Ashoka to house
the ashes of Lord Buddha. In subsequent centuries it was enlarged five
times adding new shells around original stupa .In 1955 Italian
excavators exposed the succesive layers which shows the evolution of
construction techniques. In third century Buddhism approached its
zenith and Butkara became a famous pilgrimage centre for Chinese,
Koreans, Indians and Central Asians. From here we move to Malam Jabba
30 kms a ski resort in winter. On way stop at Manglaur to observe
Jahanabad Buddha a four meter high carved in seventh century on the
face of large rock on other side of river. Malam Jabba has one ski run
and golf facility . Lunch will be in a resturant of a beautiful 50
room hotel here. Back to White Palace Hotel.Evening free to explore
the pre historic sacred hill of Mount Ilam by following the Hindu
Pilgrim path along the Saidu stream or visit the trade centre 2500
years old of Saidu Sharif on the trade route from China to Europe and
Arabia. You may hunt for silver tribal jewellery, locally woven and
embroided fabrics, real antiques, coins, semi precious stones.etc.

DAY 6 : ABBOTTABAD
After breakfast move to Abbottabad via Khwazakhela 30 kms and the
largest trade centre in this part of the valley .Here the cottage
industry has been thriving for last 2500 years. Till the beginning of
this century natural vegitable dyes were used for colouring the
embroidery woolen shawls. From here Besham is 69 kms a drive through
the scenic road steeply terraced hills and pine forest across the
Shangla pass. Here we stop for tea and consume it in a wooden cabin
tied to pine tree. Besham is located on the wonder of the mordern
world the Karakoram Hihgway made on the alignment of Silk Route to
China. After Lunch we move to Mansehra 24 kms short of Abbottabad to
see the Ashokan inscription date from the third century BC ( 272 - 231
BC ). The Ashoka was Buddhist and his capital was at Pataliputra now
Patna on the Ganges in India. This is the oldest inscription of any
historical significance in Asia. Reach Abbottabad named after James
Abbot who became adviser to Sikhs after first Sikh War of 1846. Move
to Hotel Sarban for over night stay.

DAY 7 : RAWALPINDI
Move to Taxila after breakfast via Haripur named after Hari Singh a
general of Ranjit Singh who ruled it till 1834.Taxila was the Eastern
capital of Archaemenid Empire in 516 BC and called Taksashila which
was changed by Greek historian to Taxila.By the late fifth century BC
it has become the site of best known univesity in world which offered
courses in mathmatics, law, history, medicine, social science, the
art, astronomy and military tactics. In Kushan times the majority of
the population was Buddhist.On every hill top around Taxila are the
remains of either monasteries or stupa and 50 of them within the
radius of 10 kms. Disaster struck Taxila in 455 AD when it was
attacked by the White Huns who burned the city and the monasteries. We
will first visit the Taxila Museum which has one the best collection
of Gandharian Buddhist. Than we will visit the Dharmarajika Stupa
erected by Emperor Ashoka in third century BC to enclose the ashes of
Buddha. Around the main Stupa there is a whole glaxy of votive stupas
that date from first century BC to fourth century AD built by rich
pilgrims. Our second stop is City of Sirkap dated from 185 BC to AD
80. The shrine of two headed eagle is intresting as its decoration
show classic Greek influence.Its motif was found in early Babylon and
in Spata and later used on the imperial arms of Russia and Germany.
The royal palace is in the end similar in design to the Assyrian
palace of Sargon in Mesopotamia. Greek biographer Philostratus visited
Taxila in AD 44 has given the detail account of this in " The life of
Apolonius of Tyana " .The Jandial Temple in frount of Sirkap was the
only Greek Temple in Asia built in 2nd century BC and was robbed of
its statues of Greek gods when the Sakas invaded it in 75 BC .It
finally ruined by the great earthquake of AD 30. ( to explore ruins of
Taxila it require three days ) We move to Islamabad for lunch at
Afghani Resturant and than to Hotel Blue Sky in the heart of
Rawalpindi . Evening at leisure to explore China Market, Bara Market,
Saddar Bazzar.Over night in hotel.


DAY 8 : LAHORE
We move to Lahore via Great Trunk Road built by Emperor Sher Shah Suri
in sixteenth century on the alighment of ancient caravan route from
Kabul to Calcutta. Transfer to Hotel Kashmir Palace or to Air Port for
departure.

HISTORICAL TOUR

GRADE EASY
LAND COST US $ 274 P.P
DURATION 7 Days.
SEASON JAN-DEC
GROUP SIZE 6 &ABOVE




















































TOUR PRICES INCLUDES

HOTEL_ACCOMMODATION
ALL THREE MEALS
ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE
PORTERAGE_OF_20_KGS_OF_BEGGAGE
ENTRANCE/CAMPING FEE
ALL LAND TRANSPORTATION

TOUR_PRICES_DOES_NOT_INCLUDE

AIR FARE AND AIRPORT TAXES
OPTIONAL EXCURSION
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
PERSONAL RESCUE
VISA FEE/MEDICALCHECKUP
ALL ITEMS OF PERSONAL NATURE




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