Matha Kuar Shrine, Kushinagar - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 3.5 km from Kushinagar Bus Station, Matha Kuar Shrine is an ancient Buddhist shrine situated just outside the Parinirvana Stupa complex in Kushinagar. It is one of the oldest shrines in Kushinagar, and among the must-visit religious places as part of Kushinagar tour Packages.

Mathakaur Shrine is one of the visited monuments in Kushinagar. According to locals, Matha Kuar shrine was the place where Lord Buddha gave his last sermon before he died, and is considered very pious by the Buddhists. The temple houses a colossal statue of Buddha. The statue was found by Carlleyle in the course of excavations in 1876. It was broken into two pieces and was restored to its original form and installed in this temple in 1927.

The colossal idol of Buddha is 3 m tall and built out of a single block of bluestone brought from the Gaya region in Bihar. It is installed on a large brick platform. The statue of Buddha retains the Bhumi Sparsh Mudra which is a depiction of the last few moments of his life just before he attained Enlightenment and Nirvana. It is believed that he invoked the Earth to testify to the pious acts performed by him in his previous incarnations. The statue also bears an inscription that is largely illegible but surely indicates the date of its construction to the 10th or 11th century.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free