Shravasti Tourism And Travel Guide

If you are looking to find inner peace, Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh is a city that you must definitely visit. The dilapidated city that is now the name of the district has ruins from the age of Lord Buddha. The city of ruins is now known as Sahet and Mahet; with each part having its own characteristics. Tourism in Shravasti is popular as it is a very important Buddhist religious site. This is one of the places where Lord Buddha stayed for years and mediated and later on gave his discourse to his many devotees. Reaching Shravasti is not too difficult; the best way is to go by train as the railway station in Balrampur is the closest to the city. You can also take a flight or take a bus to go to the city. There are a number of stupas, religious temples and meditation center in the region that offer peaceful surroundings. Read through our travel guide to Shravasti to know more about the tourism of the place.

By Air:

The closest airport to Shravasti is the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport located in Lucknow. This airport is distanced at 188 km from the center of Shravasti city and takes about 4 hours to reach by public transportation. The airport serves all flight carriers take transport passengers nationally as well as internationally.

By Road:

You can easily reach Sharavasti by car as the roads are well maintained which is a convenient way to reach the city. If you are in no mood to drive, you can take buses that are operated by UPSRTC , operating within the state; these buses will drop you off at Gonda bus stand, after which you have to take a cab or a rickshaw to Sharvasti.

By Rail:

Although the closest railhead to Shravasti is Balrampur railway station at 17 km from Shravasti, this station does not have many frequent trains and might not be the best option. Gonda Junction railway station located at a distance of 53 km from Shravasti is a better railway station that has frequent trains to major cities.

Getting Around:

You can get around in Shravasti by public transportation. Taxis can get a bit expensive as they are more personalized, but you can always take an auto rickshaw, cycle rickshaw or even a bus to reach different locations in the city.

Summer (April-June):

Summer is the hottest season in Shravasti with temperatures ranging from 30°C to 42°C throughout the season. The atmosphere becomes very hot and humid at this time and it is not advisable to visit the city during this time. The temperature may even go higher in some seasons.

Monsoon (July-October):

Bringing down the heat in the region, the monsoon season in Shravasti is the second best time to visit. Temperatures during this time range from 24°C to 30°C, making it way cooler than the summers. This is a good tiem to come if you don’t mind a bit of rain.

Winter (November-March):

The winter season that stretches from the last week of October all the way until March is the best time to visit Shravasti. Temperatures during this time range from 15°C to 22°C and some winters the temperatures drop down even further making it quite col and pleasant, making it a great time for people to visit.

Visit the Vibhuti Bath Temple:

One of the most famous temples in the vicinity is the Vibhu Bath Temple that is dedicated to lord Shiva. Traces of this temple have been found in texts of Ramayana and Mahabharata as well. People from all over the country flock to this temple to offer their prayers to the almighty.

Visit the Mounds of Maheth:

Maheth is the other side of Shravasti that has two significant mounds, which are the ruins of structures that were previously there. One is the Kachchi Kuti and the other is the Pakki Kuti; they are both ruins of Brahmanical temples that were present earlier.

Embrace Nature at Suhaildev Wildlife Sanctuary:

Once you are done seeing the temples and monasteries in Shravasti, make sure you visit the Suhaildev Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuarty spreads over a good amount of land and houses species that live in that region and let them stay in their natural habitat. This is your chance to see the animals and plants that are native to that region.

Shobnath Temple:

This legendary temple in Shravasti is marked as the birthplace of Lord Shambhavnath, one of the Jain Teerthankaras. The dome shaped structure on top of the temple is a notable feature. Thousands of people visit here every year to see the structure and offer their prayers to the deity inside.

Jetavana Monastery:

The Jetavan Monastery is the most famous attraction in Shravasti; it is the place where Lord Buddha resided for 24 years and gave his sermons and discopurses to his devotees. This monastery is now in Saheth and has a lot of other structures that were important in the bygone eras as well.

Since Shravasti is a highly religious place, the food that you will find here is absolutely simple and mostly only vegetarian. Shravasti is a tourist spot and it goes without saying that there are a number of restaurants and eateries strewn all over the city and most of these places are near Jetavana Monastery; If you are looking for fine dine restaurants, you can go to Dine Inn Restaurant that serves delicious north Indian food and has good choices for lunch. You can also go to Mr. Momos if you are craving some dumplings, try out Tripathi Mishthan Bhandar for some sweets after you are done with your meal. Other than these choices, you will find various street food vendors standing outside different attractions in the city.

Shravasti is not a place where you can find a lot of modern things to shop from. You will find various small bazaars, markets and street shops that sell items like Buddha statues, Jain deity’s sculptures, handicrafts and handilooms that are locally made by the people living in the city. Outside of the stupas and monasteries you will find small local shops selling religious items related to the religion of Buddhism.