You don’t have to be a follower of Gautama Buddha to hit the Buddhist trail. Buddhist monastic tours have become popular holiday options for people from all over the world who want to walk in the historical and spiritual trail of Buddha and his enlightenment.

The tours focus on the places that either played a key role in Gautama Buddha’s life or where monasteries have flourished over centuries. Here’s our pick of the sub-continent’s Buddhist circuits.

BIHAR-madhya pradesh-UTTAR PRADESH-NEPAL

Rumtek monastery, Sikkim

This circuit includes the places where the transformation of Prince Siddhartha to Buddha took place. Visit the Maha Devi temple in Lumbini, the prince’s birthplace in the Himalayas. Here what’s called a “flawless stone” placed by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC to mark the exact location of the divine birth, was unearthed during an archaeological find in 1996.

Apart from Sarnath and Bodh Gaya, the ancient Nalanda University and Vaishali, where Buddha delivered his last sermon and blessed the famous courtesan Amrapali, also make for must visits. The Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar commemorates the passing away of Buddha.

Hot ticket!

Flexi Tours has a 14-day package from Delhi at Rs 23,519 per person. You fly to Varanasi and then go on to Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Vaishali, Kushinagar, Lumbini and Lucknow. It includes B&B accommodation on twin-sharing basis in standard hotels, entrance and guide fees and all taxes. All transfers by A/C cars. Airfares excluded. Mail to info@flexitours.net.

SIKKIM

Monks in the Rumtek monastery

The Lepchas, Sikkim’s original inhabitants, call this valley of flowers “Nye-Mal-Ale” or “Heaven”, and deservingly so. Amidst the windswept Himalayas and fast-running mountain streams, lies its largest monastery, Rumtek, about 24km from Gangtok. If it’s January, you can catch the “Chaam” or religious masked dance in the 200-year-old Enchey monastery.

Don’t miss the Tashiding monastery dating back to 1717, perched on a hill between the Rathong and the Rangit rivers. On the 40-min walk up to the hilltop there are rocks and stone-slabs with countless mantras carved on them.

An added bonus while visiting a third one — the Dubdi monastery near Yuksam — would be the long walk through the forest as you take in the superb view. An early morning or late afternoon visit would be particularly rewarding for birdwatchers. Perched at an altitude of 6,840ft, the Pemayangtse monastery boasts of a splendid collection of antique idols, scriptures and sculpture. It’s also famous for the seven-tiered wooden structure portraying the Heavenly Palace Santopalri.

Hot ticket!

Greenwood Travels & The Bamboo Resort’s 12-day package covers each of these monasteries. At Rs 88,000 for two, you have the option of an arduous 9-hour trek to Dechenphu thrown in as well. Starting from Bagdogra Airport, it includes accommodation at the Bamboo Resort with facilities for herbal baths, feng shui rooms and a traditional Sikkimese prayer room, meals as per itinerary, all trekking equipment, permits and entry fees. You can even obtain the guidance of a trained lama. Mail to info@sikkim.ch.

LADAKH

Lamayuru monastery, Ladakh Pix courtesy:Deleks Namgyal

Ladakh or “Little Tibet”, bound by the Karakoram in the north and the Himalayas on the south, has hundreds of gompas or monasteries, some built as far back as the 10th century. The Hemis gompa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the largest at an altitude of 12,000ft. Its three dimensional mandala architecture is unique, showcasing rare 17th century murals and is also a treasure house of thangkas or embroidered Buddhist banners.

(Top) Maitreya Buddha in the Thiksey gompa, Ladakh; (above) Sanchi stupa, Madhya Pradesh

Take time out for the Spituk and Thiksey gompas, housing a vast collection of art and even ancient manuscripts. The Lamayuru monastery, 125km from Leh, on a high rocky outcrop, is a must visit too. Surrounded by nature at its most spectacular, this gompa is home to 150 permanent resident monks and showcases magnificent wall paintings and thangkas. Apart from the Leh and the Stok palaces belonging to the royal family, visit Shanti Stupa, built by the Japanese in 1985 to commemorate 2,500 years of the religion. Its luminescent white dome looks beautiful when illuminated at night.

Hot ticket!

Ladakh Safari has a 9-day package covering these spots at Rs 19,430 per person for a minimum of two people. Starting from Leh airport, it includes accommodation in standard hotels on twin sharing basis, all meals, permits and entrance fees and taxes. Mail to ladakhsafari@gmail.com.

SRI LANKA

Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka

Buddhism reached the pearl-drop island way back in the 3rd century BC when Emperor Ashoka sent his son Mahendra there to spread the word about enlightenment. A visit to Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage site is a must. The 13-m solid granite Aukana Buddha and the Thuparama Temple, the oldest dagoba (Buddhist domed building) enshrining the collar bone relic of Lord Buddha, deserve special mention. Then, about 148km from Colombo there’s the Dambulla Cave Temple with statues, paintings and 2,000-year-old murals depicting Buddha’s life. Check out the 14-m colossal recumbent Buddha carved out of rock here.

You can also explore the Aluvihara monastic caves on the Kandy-Dambulla road. This was where Buddha’s teachings were put into writing — the Tipitaka — in the 3rd century AD. And of course, the peaceful lakeside city of Kandy is famous for the Temple of the Tooth, enshrining the tooth relic of the Buddha.

Hot ticket!

Responsible Travel has a 15-day package that takes you to these places at Rs 56,094 per person starting at Bandaranaike International Airport. It includes B&B accommodation on twin-sharing basis in luxurious hotels such as the Tissawewa Grand Rest House in Anuradhapura or the Thilanka Resort and Spa at Dambulla, local transfers and entrance fees. Airfares to Sri Lanka excluded. Mail to amelia@responsibletravel.com.