Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh has been declared an International Airport by the Union Cabinet of India, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.

Considered one of the four main sacred places of Lord Buddha, Kushinagar is believed to be the site where Lord Buddha attained ‘parinirvana’. A colossal reclining statue of Lord Buddha from the 5th Century at the Mahapa-rinirvana Temple pays homage to this. The Ramabhar Stupa, also known as the Mukutbandhan Chaitya is said to be the cremation place of Lord  Buddha, and is located in the vicinity of the Mahaparinirvana Temple.

The Kushinagar district is also home to numerous other monasteries and Buddhist cultural sites. The decision to declare Kushinagar airport as an international airport, will provide Buddhist pilgrims, historians and cultural enthusiasts the opportunity to comfortably explore not only Kushinagar, but also other historically significant locations such as Lumbini, Kapilavastu and Sravasti, which are in close proximity, a press release from the Indian High Commission stated.

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