Like other places in the Gangetic plain, the climate of Kushinagar is hot and humid in the summers with maximum temperature touching Winters are mild and minimum temperature in December can go down to around 5?C. Monsoon reaches this region in June and remains here till September.

Places of Interest
The Mahaparinirvana Temple , with its world famous reclining statue of Buddha, is an important site to visit. The 20-feet-long statue is seated on a brick platform. Ruins of as many as eight monasteries are around the main site. These monasteries have witnessed the rise and fall of a number of dynasties and the spread of Buddhism. Ruins of two monasteries?Mahaparinirvana Vihara and Makutabandhara Vihara?are especially famous. The Makutabandhara Vihara is believed to have been built by Malla kings to preserve the relics of the Buddha. Through the centuries, monuments and shrines of various types grew around these ancient sites.

SITES NEARBY
Fifty-one kilometers off Kushinagar is Gorakhpur , an important city of eastern Uttar Pradesh. At Gorakhpur is the Rahul Sanskrityayan Museum, which has an excellent collection of Thanka paintings and relics of the Buddha. The water sports complex at Ramgarh Tal Planetarium and the Gorakhnath Temple in the city are also worth a visit.

Kapilavastu (Piprahwa) is situated 148 km from Kushinagar and is an important Buddhist pilgrimage. Kapilavastu was the ancient capital of the Sakya clan ruled by Gautama Buddha?s father.

Situated in Nepal at a distance of 122 km from Gorakhpur, Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. There are regular buses to the Nepalese border, from where the remaining 26 km has to be covered by private vehicles.

ACCOMMODATION
With the increasing popularity of Kushinagar as a major Buddhist attraction, several standard and budget hotels have opened up. Another option is to stay in the dharamshalas, which are cheap and provide good basic services.

HOW TO REACH
By Air
The nearest airhead is located at Varanasi from where one can take flights to Delhi, Calcutta, Lucknow, and Patna.

By Rail
Kushinagar does not have a railway station. The nearest railway station is at Gorakhpur (51 km), which is the headquarters of Northeastern Railways and linked to important destinations. Some important trains to Gorakhpur are Bombay?Gorakhpur?Bandra Express, New Delhi?Barauni?Vaishali Express, Cochin?Gorakhpur Express, Shaheed Express, Amarnath Express, and Kathgodam Express.

By Road
Kushinagar is well connected to other parts of the state of Uttar Pradesh by bus. There are regular buses to Gorakhpur (51 km), Lumbini (173 km), Kapilavastu (148 km), Sravasti (254 km), and Sarnath (266 km), and Agra (680 km).