India, Nepal next

After months of waiting and wondering, I finally hear that the Nandaka Vihara meditation society in Bukit Mertajam has decided to go ahead with a pilgrimage tour to India and Nepal this coming November and December. It’s something that’s been hanging in the air since that first exploratory trip we made to Nepal last June. The handful of us who went returned with our hearts stirred and our imaginations alight. We told stories of standing at Lumbini's Mayadevi temple where the Buddha was born, of visiting Kapilavastu where he spent his childhood and youth, and of walking through the Mahavana forest where he once preached to hundreds of thousands of beings. These were not just casual tourist stops but places alive with memory and meaning.

It was no surprise then that the feeling among the rest of the regular visitors to the Nandaka Vihara grew stronger: they too must go, they too must see these places for themselves. The request to the Nandaka committee became something of a gentle chorus. Persuasive at first, then heartfelt, and finally irresistible. And now, at long last, the wish has taken form. The pilgrimage is happening.

This time, though, the itinerary stretches beyond Nepal. It sweeps into India, touching the very milestones of the Buddha’s life. At Kushinagar, we shall gather at the site of the Buddha’s parinibbana, the serene reminder of impermanence and release. At Rajgir, we’ll walk where the first Buddhist council convened to safeguard the teachings. Bodhgaya will surely be the highlight: to sit under the Bodhi tree, but not the original tree, to connect with the enlightenment that changed the world. Then there is Varanasi, where the Buddha gave his very first sermon. Each of these sites promises not only history but a chance for reflection and inspiration.

The rest of the journey will be a mixture of city-hopping, visits to temples and shrines, and long hours on the road. Covering so much ground in just 16 days will not be easy. There will be stretches of bus rides that test everyone’s patience endurance. It won’t just be buses: to save time, the group will fly from Kathmandu down to Lumbini, sparing themselves what would otherwise be a long, bone-wearying ride. Later in the trip, there’s the added adventure of a train ride from Varanasi to Agra.

The weather will play its part too. In November and December, the summer heat will have long gone, and the monsoon rains would be over. Days should be mild, sometimes even cool, especially in the mornings and evenings. As it can get surprisingly chilly once the sun goes down, jackets and shawls will come in handy. I'm hoping for clear skies, especially in Nepal where I hope to see the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas in the distance.

Still, for all the planning, schedules and travel logistics, the real meaning of the trip lies in what we hope to bring home within us. Some may be looking for a sense of closeness to the Buddha’s life, walking where he once walked. Others may seek inspiration for their practice, to sit quietly at Bodhgaya and renew their commitment to the path. And for many, it will simply be the shared experience of travelling together, enduring the discomforts together and collecting life-long memories. I have to admit that I'm in the third category.

And just before the journey draws to a close, there will be one final stop in Agra. Here, we shall wonder at the splendour of the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most celebrated testaments to love and loss. The white marble mausoleum gleaming in the winter light will stand in striking contrast to the brick ruins and sacred groves we visited earlier. It is not a religious site in the Buddhist sense, yet its grandeur will still leave an impression. In its own way, the Taj Mahal shall remind us that beauty and impermanence, devotion and grief, exist in all human experience.