SHRAVASTI TOURISM | TOP PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO SHRAVASTI
Heritage | 
Pilgrimage
About Shravasti
Country: India | State: Uttar Pradesh
#10 of 15 Places to visit in Uttar Pradesh
Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days
Nearest City to Shravasti: Balrampur (20 Kms), Lucknow (175 Kms)
Best Time to Visit Shravasti: September to April
Peak Season: September to November & February to April
At a distance of 20 km from Balrampur, 30 km from Bhinga, 44 km from Gonda, 121 km from Faizabad, 155 km from Lumbini, 175 km from Lucknow, 186 km from Gorakhpur, 261 km from Kanpur, 305 km from Varanasi, 457 km from Patna, 515 km from Bodhgaya 537 km from Rajgir, Shravasti is an ancient city located in the northeastern state of Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the popular places of Buddhist pilgrimage in India and among the must include tourist destinations in Uttar Pradesh Tour Packages.
Located near the West Rapti River, Shravasti was one of the six largest cities in ancient India when Gautam Buddha began to spread his teachings of Buddhism around the Indian subcontinent. The city is closely associated with the life of Gautama Buddha, who is believed to have spent 25 rainy seasons here. Also, Shravasti is an important center for the believers of Jainism since Sobhanath temple is believed to be the birthplace of Tirthankara Sambhavanath of Jainism.
According to the Mahabharata, the city of Shravasti was named after the legendary king Shrawasta. According to Buddhist tradition, the city was called Savatthi because the sage Savattha lived there. As per the Ramayana, Lord Rama installed his son Lava at Shrawasti and Kusha at Kushavati. Shravasti was the capital of the Kosala Kingdom from the 6th century BCE to 6th century CE. In the 6 th century BC, during the reign of Presenajit, the place rose to fame due to its association with Buddha and Mahavira and became one of the eight holy places of Buddhist pilgrimage. Today, the city has been identified with the twin villages of Sahet and Mahet, northwest of Balrampur. Earlier, Shravasti was a part of the Bahraich district, but the latter was split due to administrative reasons in 1997.
Shravasti is a historical town with a rich, varied culture, and holds a special significance as it is believed to be the place where Buddha preached for 25 years to his disciples. Being the epicenter of Buddhist preachings, Shravasti has witnessed the eruption of many structures devoted to Lord Buddha, majorly during the Gupta period. King Ashoka also constructed two pillars near the entrance of Buddha's monastery. Anathapindika Stupa, Angulimala Stupa, Jetavana Monastery, Shobnath Temple, Vibhuti Nath Temple, etc., are some of the top places to visit in Shravasti as part of Shravasti Tour Packages. One can also visit various Buddhist monasteries built by Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tibet, and China here.
Shravasti Mahotsav is one of the major cultural events celebrated in Shravasti towards the end of winter (January). Celebrated for a period of three to five days, Shravasti Mahotsav is held near the Chinese Temple in Shravasti. Various local artists showcase their talent throughout this festival. The major attractions of this entire event are the Qawwali performance and the Bollywood night which feature renowned celebrities from Indian film or music industries. Along with that, students from various colleges and schools also perform dance, music, and dramas at this festival.
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow is the nearest airport which is about 186 km from Shravasti. It has direct flights from Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, and Ahmedabad. About 20 km from Shravasti, Balrampur Railway Station is the nearest railhead that has well-connected trains from Gorakhpur, Lakhimpur, Gonda, Lucknow, Mumbai, Panvel, Kanpur, Jhansi, Manmad, Bhopal, and Delhi. Gonda Junction, about 44 km, is the nearest major railhead to Shravasti. One can hire a cab or bus to reach Shravasti from Gonda and Balrampur. Shravasti is well connected by bus with Gonda, Balrampur, Bhinga, and Bahraich. But, the nearest major city and the mega terminus is at Gonda that has well bus connectivity with all the major cities in Uttar Pradesh.
Being one of the famous heritage destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Sravasti provides different accommodation options for every type of traveler out there. From luxury, budget to cheap hotels, and dharmasalas, one can book any type of accommodation based on their requirements.
Located in the heart of Uttar Pradesh, Shravasti experiences typical three-season weather - summer, winter, and monsoon. Summers can get extremely hot, monsoon brings a moderate rainfall and the winters are quite cold with temperature dipping as low as 2??. January is the coldest month and the days during the winter season are moderately pleasant. The best time to visit Shravasti is during the winter months of September to November when the weather is suitable for the day excursion and sightseeing tour. February to April is another conducive time to visit the city when the streets aren't yet blazing with summer heat, and the pleasant spring wind continues to blow.
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