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Uttar Pradesh

Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)

Jetavana ruins where the Buddha spent 25 rain retreats

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Best time to visit Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: November to February
  • Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: April to September

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryNovemberDecember

Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Peak at 7-25 °C over Jetavana's brick foundations; Sri Lankan and Korean pilgrim groups, otherwise silence.

Summer March to May Shoulder

Apr-Jun runs to 43 °C on treeless excavation mounds, with no cafes, thin buses and long waits in the sun.

Monsoon June to September Do not go

Jul-Sep the Rapti floods this belt, the mud tracks out to Mahet get bad and the ruins feel abandoned.

Autumn October to November Prime time

October is green and warm with the fields cut: the best light on the Anandabodhi tree and Angulimala stupa.

What Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet) is actually like

Sri Lankan, Thai and Korean monastery guesthouses plus one state lodge; you will meet almost no Indian tourists

Things to do in Shravasti

The local places worth your time in and around Shravasti, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.

  • Gandhakuti

    Heritage · 1 km out

    Brick plinth of the hut the Buddha used through 19 rain retreats in Jetavana; pilgrims circle it with candles at dusk

  • Anandabodhi Tree

    Shrine · 1 km out

    Peepal in the Jetavana grove grown from a Bodh Gaya cutting; Sri Lankan groups chant under it in the evening, shoes off

  • Angulimala Stupa

    Heritage · 3 km out

    Bare brick mound inside the old city ramparts at Maheth, with Anathapindika's stupa nearby; open field, carry water

  • Sobhnath Temple

    Temple · 3 km out

    Jain shrine in the Maheth ruins marking Sambhavanatha's birthplace; a stone platform and a small hall, quiet all day

  • Wat Thai Shravasti

    Monastery · 2 km out

    Thai monastery on the Balrampur road, gilded hall and swept gardens; open through the day, one of a dozen foreign viharas

Getting to Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)

Balrampur railhead 18 km or Gonda 50 km; buses from Lucknow (170 km) take 4-5 h and the last one back is early

Practical ways in: trainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
1 day
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Doable solo with some planning
Altitude
125 m
State
Uttar Pradesh
Coordinates
27.5171, 82.0506

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)?

November to February is peak season in Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet). March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. October is green and warm with the fields cut: the best light on the Anandabodhi tree and Angulimala stupa.

How many days do you need in Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)?

1 day is the usual stay. Sri Lankan, Thai and Korean monastery guesthouses plus one state lodge; you will meet almost no Indian tourists.

How do you get to Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet)?

Balrampur railhead 18 km or Gonda 50 km; buses from Lucknow (170 km) take 4-5 h and the last one back is early. Practical ways in: train and road.

Is Shravasti (Sahet-Mahet) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.

What are the best things to do in Shravasti?

Gandhakuti, Anandabodhi Tree, Angulimala Stupa, Sobhnath Temple and Wat Thai Shravasti. Brick plinth of the hut the Buddha used through 19 rain retreats in Jetavana; pilgrims circle it with candles at dusk.

Nearby, and where to go next

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