Home›Buddhist Sites›Site Type›Temple or temple complexBrowse ByTemple or temple complexThis page groups sacred sites by their physical type. Wikipedia lists "sacred groves... sacred mountains, sacred trees, sacred waters, tombs" among the recognized types of sacred place. Browsing by site type lets a visitor compare a sacred mountain against a sacred spring or a venerated tomb.FactsLearn MoreTemple or temple complexSourcesComments (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.Temple or temple complexFilter Results11 entriesPilgrimage StatusAllMajor pilgrimage destination today (4)One of a named, enumerated set of pilgrimage places (1)Pilgrimage gathered on a dated festival (3)UNESCO World Heritage StatusAllInscribed on the World Heritage List (7)Not Inscribed (4)Cult Centre OfAllShakyamuni Buddha (1)Associated WithAllMin Mahagiri (1)Originated InAllChina (3)India (2)Indian Subcontinent (3)Japan (1)North America (1)Southeast Asia (3)United States (1)Origin Period Start YearAll-531 (1)600 (1)640 (1)745 (1)1044 (1)1782 (1)1978 (1)Practice StatusAllControl of or access to the site is contested (1)In active religious use (10)Standing, but maintained as a museum or heritage monument (2)TraditionAllBuddhism (11)Hinduism (1)Jainism (1)CountryAllChina (3)India (2)Japan (1)Laos (1)Myanmar (1)Sri Lanka (1)Thailand (1)United States (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 11BaganTemple or temple complexBodh GayaTemple or temple complexEllora CavesTemple or temple complexFamen Temple (Famensi)Temple or temple complexHaw Pha Bang (Royal Temple, Luang Prabang)Temple or temple complexHsi Lai TempleTemple or temple complexJokhangTemple or temple complexLingguang Temple (Badachu)Temple or temple complexTemple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa)Temple or temple complexTodai-jiTemple or temple complexWat Phra Kaew and the Emerald BuddhaTemple or temple complexSources1. 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.