Rajgir & Vulture Peak

Rajgir (ancient Rajagriha) was the capital of the Magadha kingdom and a major centre of the Buddha’s activity. Vulture Peak (Griddhakuta) is the mountain where the Buddha gave the Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) sutras — the foundational texts of the Mahayana — and is thus of supreme importance for all Tibetan Buddhist traditions. The Peace Pagoda (Vishwa Shanti Stupa) built by the Japanese Nipponzan-Myohoji order stands at the summit. The Venuvanam Bamboo Grove, the first monastery donated to the Buddha’s sangha, and the site of the First Buddhist Council are also located here. The landscape retains a wild, atmospheric quality that makes it easy to imagine the great assembly gathered on the hillside to receive the Heart Sutra.