After the death of the Buddha, He was succeeded by Maha Kassapa. When Maha Kasappa himself realised that his life was nearing its conclusion, he proceeded towards Kukkutapadagiri, a mountain resort close to his heart. During the course of his journey, he quiet often encountered obstacles like the rocks that would hinder his further continuation of the journey. He, however, struck all these rocks with his staff which opened up and paved way for his journey.

When he reached the top, a cavity was formed in the rocks. In this, he entered and indulged himself into a deep meditation. The rocks closed around him. It is believed that when the Future Buddha or Maitreya will appear in this world, he will first visit Kukkutapadagiri, rise Maha Kassapa and get the Buddha’s robe from him and then commence to declare his new dispensation. The sacred mountain is now known as Gurpa and is located in a village of same name in the state of Bihar.

From the foot of the mountain, follow a rough and steep path up till the time you reach the base of a cliff with large narrow crack in it. Proceed ahead into this crack and continue till you come out again in light. Here, you will find yet another cave. This cave is widely believed to be the one where Asanga spent a number of years of his life meditating. After exploring this cave, move further up and reach the summit. This place is dotted by a number of Hindu shrines and a quiet a few Buddhist antiquities. Without doubt, the views from the top are splendid and the atmosphere is very calm, just perfect for meditation.


Quick Getaways

• Gaya : Gaya is place which is more important to Hindus than Buddhists, but still, Gaya figures in the list of Buddhist sites because Gautam Buddha spend time preaching His famous Fire sermon here. Today, very little Buddhist attractions can be found in this town. There is a museum, however, that displays a decent collection of Buddhist sculptures and artefacts.
  
  
• Bodh Gaya : Just 12 km from Gaya, Bodh Gaya is one of the four pilgrim destinations for the Buddhist community. It was here that prince Siddharta attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. Worthseeing here are the Mahabodhi temple, Mahabodhi Tree, Lotus tank, Shaivite Monastery, Bodh Gaya Museum, Japanese Monastery, Thai Monastery, Buddhist Monastery of Bhutan and the Tibetan Monastery.