Nirvana
Temple is one of the most frequented amongst Buddhism shrines in the
world. Nirvana Temple is a must visit destination during tour to India.
The place evokes emotion for every Buddhist because it is the same
temple near which, Buddha died. Nirvana Temple houses a statue of reclining Lord Buddha that is 6 meters long. It is believed that this statue represents the very last moments of Lord Buddha i.e. moments before he attained Mahaparinirvana. The sculpture was unearthed during the excavations of 1876. Carved from Chunar sandstone, the statue represents the dying Buddha reclining on his right side. An inscription below dates the statue to the fifth century AD.
The temple stands on the same plinth as the Stupa behind it. As mentioned above the ruins of this temple, Carlleyl discovered Nirvana statue inside in 1876. By sinking a vertical trench at the center of its mound he first discovered the great statue in a much-shattered condition lying on a broken pedestal and then he unearthed other ruins.
