Home›Buddhist Sites›Practice Status›Standing, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentBrowse ByStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentThis page groups sacred sites by whether their sacred status is still actively maintained. Wikipedia notes that Mircea Eliade "argues that while the concept of a sacred space is often associated with religious traditions, it is not exclusive to them," since secular societies can keep treating a place as significant too. Browsing this way lets a visitor tell a site with living religious observance apart from one preserved mainly for its history.FactsLearn MoreStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsOverviewWhat Defines This GroupingWell-attestedThe places of the Buddha's own life, together with the monasteries, stupas, cave-temples and sacred mountains of every land Buddhism reached. The group spans Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, and most of its members lie outside the country the tradition began in - Buddhist sacred geography followed the religion's expansion rather than staying with its origin. 2Size of the Traditional SetWell-attestedFour: the places the Mahaparinibbana Sutta names as those a Buddhist should visit - the birth, the awakening, the first teaching and the final nirvana of the Buddha. Later tradition extends the four to a set of eight. 2DirectoryCategoryWell-attestedSacred Sites 1Learn MoreThe Holy Places of Buddhism This group holds the sacred sites of Buddhism, spread across Asia along the paths of the religion's expansion from India. Buddhist sacred geography begins with the places of the Buddha's own life (his birth, awakening, first teaching and passing), and extends to the great monasteries, stupas and cave-temples raised over relics and images. The browser will find the pilgrimage places of the Buddha's biography together with the monastic and devotional centres of the lands to which Buddhism spread. The entries describe each site's history and significance, noting the tradition (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana) to which it chiefly belongs.Standing, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentFilter Results12 entriesPilgrimage StatusAllMajor pilgrimage destination today (6)Pilgrimage attested historically; not continuing (2)Pilgrimage gathered on a dated festival (1)UNESCO World Heritage StatusAllInscribed on the World Heritage List (11)Not Inscribed (1)Associated WithAllMin Mahagiri (1)Originated InAllChina (6)East Asia (1)India (4)Indian Subcontinent (3)Southeast Asia (2)Origin Period Start YearAll-300 (1)200 BCE (1)366 (1)460 (1)523 (1)600 (1)780 (1)1044 (1)1645 (1)Site TypeAllMonastery or monastic community (2)Palace with a sanctuary (1)Rock-cut or underground sanctuary (5)Sacred mountain, hill or peak (1)Stupa or pagoda (5)Temple or temple complex (2)TraditionAllBuddhism (12)Hinduism (1)Jainism (1)CountryAllChina (6)India (4)Indonesia (1)Myanmar (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 12Ajanta CavesStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentBaganStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentBorobudurStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentEllora CavesStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentGreat Stupa of SanchiStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentLingyun HillStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentLongmen GrottoesStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentMogao CavesStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentPiprahwa StupaStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentPotala PalaceStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentSongyue PagodaStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentYungang GrottoesStanding, but maintained as a museum or heritage monumentSources1. Divinity Atlas Directory Taxonomy, First Edition Category Treetier 12. An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices, 2nd editiontier 1Peter Harvey, Cambridge University Press, 2013View the SourceDivinity Atlas Directory Prose, First Edition Category Descriptionstier 1Comments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.