India boasts of around sixteen principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites that are primarily located in the Gangetic valley. They are:

Lumbini
Lumbini is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world and is located near the Indo-Nepal border. It is the very place where Gautam Buddha was born to a royal family in 556 BCE. The site is mostly in ruins, but pilgrims can have a look at the stupa and pillar that were set up by Emperor Ashoka around 756 BCE.

Bodhgaya
Bodhgaya is the place where Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 29. After settling under a tree, Buddha resolved not to move until he had achieved enlightenment. It was three days and nights of profound meditation that brought about this achievement. The bodhi tree under which the Buddha sat has been destroyed both intentionally and naturally many a times after that historic event. However, it has continued to re sprout and is visible even today.

The Mahabodhi Temple is main attraction of Bodhgaya. The origins of this temple are unclear though some claim that it was built as early as the third century by Emperor Ashoka. Others beg to differ by saying that the Temple was built somewhere between the fifth and seventh centuries. Bodhgaya has three monasteries that cater to locals and foreigners alike.

Sarnath
Sarnath is the place where Buddha proclaimed the law of faith. It was here that he taught the keys aspects of Buddhism: the four noble truths, the eightfold path and the middle way philosophy. The remains of monasteries dating from the third century B.C.E. to the first century C.E. attract many pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.

Shravasti
Buddha is said to have performed great miracles at Shravasti. According to one particular story, Buddha once threw the seed of a mango to the ground and a great mango tree instantly arose from the very spot. Another story speaks of Buddha standing in the air, the lower part of his body engulfed in flames, with five hundred jets of water streaming from the top of his body.

Sankashaya
It was in Sankashaya where the Buddha is believed to have descended from the Tushita Heaven. During the forty-first year of the Buddha's life, he went to the Tushita Heaven to teach Dharma to his mother, who had died shortly after his death. Ashoka later built a Temple on the site. However, there are very few remains to speak of the site's former glory. This is the only important place of Buddhist pilgrimage where no temples or monasteries exist today.

Nalanda Buddha spent many years in Nalanda where the famous monastic university was developed. This university also named Nalanda (meaning 'insatiable in giving') played a crucial role in the development of Buddhism in India.

Rajgir
Located in the Gangetic Valley, Rajgir is one of the many places where Buddha preached his sermons. One of the most important event of the Buddha's visits to Rajgir was the conversion of two future disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. Sariputra was credited with great intelligence while Maudgalyayana could work miracles.

Other Places
Other important Buddhist sites in India include Sanchi, Bharhut, Amaravati, and Nagarjunakonda where great Buddhist stupas and Buddhist university sites remain. The Buddhist Cave Temples, Ajanta, Ellora, Kanheri and Karli located in western India are other Buddhist sites regularly visited by tourists and pilgrims.

The places of birth and enlightenment are perhaps the two most important sites of pilgrimage for Buddhists in the world today. These are accompanied by a number of other sites marking the spread of Buddhism throughout the Indian sub-continent.