There are several historical Buddhist sites that are scattered throughout Asia. Most of these are closely associated with the life of Gautama Buddha. Most of these places have been visited by Buddha either for preaching Buddhist principles or for meditation. To transform himself from Siddhartha to Sakyamuni and then to Buddha he had traveled far and wide on various purposes. All those places that he went to are considered as Buddhist pilgrimage centers. However at some centers excavations have been carried out to know more about the great teacher. These are the historical Buddhist sites that are related with his early life. Some of these lies within India.

Bodhgaya: One of the most well known places for Buddhists lies in Bihar, India. The most important attraction here is the Bodhi tree under which Gautama attained enlightenment. Another attraction here is the Mahabodhi Temple. It is believed to have been built by emperor Ashoka.

Sarnath: The Deer Park in Sarnath is the place where Buddha delivered his first discourse. The place is situated near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Today there are some of most exquisite Buddhist monuments in Sarnath. Probably the most important of them all is the Ashokan Pillar. A Buddhist temple and the ruins of the several monuments add to the beauty of this historical Buddhist site.

Sanchi: This Buddhist site is located in Madhya Pradesh, India. This is the place, which was converted to a Buddhist retreat. The Stupa here was built by emperor Ashoka. It is one of the many Buddhist sites for which the emperor contributed in money and kind.

Ajanta: The figure of Padmapani or Avalokiteshvara is to be found here. There are 20 Buddhist caves at Ajanta in Maharashtra. From elaborate monastic halls to beautiful Buddhist wall paintings are parts of this place.

Besides these places there are other important historical places that lie outside India but are crucial to Buddhist history.