Kushinagar.com

" Now, O Brothers ! I do remind you, all component things are subject to decay. Work for your salvation in the earnest".
Above is the last sermon Buddha preached in 543 BC when he arrived at Kushinagar. Three months earlier at Vaishali (Bihar) on the day of 'Magh Purnima', he declared his death & destined to exhale the last breath at Kushinagar. The cremation was done at 'Mukut Bandhan' (Rambhar) where 'Mallas` constructed a big stupa over the ashes. Later, Ashoka, the Great, renovated it. The Chineese travelers Fa Hien & Hieun Tsang have mentioned "Kushinara" in their Travel Memo. Kushinara continued to be living-city till the 12th century A.D. & was thereafter lost into oblivion. After extensive excavations main stupa was exposed in 1876 AD. In addition a 6.10 m long statue of reclining Buddha was discovered. Ven. Chandra Swami a Burmeese Monk, came to India in 1903 and made Mahaparinivana Temple into a living shrine.