Other Places Worth Visiting

Mt. Kailash

Situated in the Tibet, this place is sacred to Tantric Buddhists. Thousands of pilgrims come to circumambulate Mt. Kailash every year, making the strenuous 15-hour journey in one day, and facing altitude sickness, a harsh climate, and frozen terrain. Others crawl the entire perimeter of the mountain, kneeling and praying in the process.

Sri Dalada Maligawa

Also known as The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, it houses the left canine tooth of the Buddha, one of the few remains after he was cremated at Kusinara. A ritual cleansing of the tooth is performed weekly by monks, who then distribute the "healing water" among those present.

Potala Palace

The fortress-looking palace sits on the Potala Hill (Tibet) and it was the official Dalai Lama residence until 1959. Although the building now houses a state museum of China, the chapels, shrines, and artifacts of former Dalai Lamas still remain intact inside its halls.

"You have other places that are regionally important," says Ward. "Sites where famous monks lived, or where their relics rest are also pilgrimage destinations. Natural sites, such as certain mountains, caves, and rivers [and] human-made holy sites, especially where giant statues of the Buddha have been erected, as in Leshan China, where the largest Standing Buddha in the world has been carved [are also important]."

External Links:

• Tim Ward - Buddhism, the Goddess, and info about the author
• Buddha Dharma Education Association - Learn about Buddhism