Concept:
• Buddhism originated and initially flourished in the Gangetic plains of Eastern India.
• Eastern India includes the modern states of Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha, which house some of the most sacred pilgrimage and educational centers of Buddhism.
Step 1: Identifying significant sites in the life of the Buddha
Bodhgaya, located in the Gaya district of Bihar, is arguably the most important Buddhist site in the world.
It is situated in the eastern part of India and is the place where Siddhartha Gautama attained supreme enlightenment (Nirvana) under the Bodhi tree.
Step 2: Listing architectural and educational centers
Apart from Bodhgaya, Eastern India is home to Nalanda, which was a world-renowned monastic university between the 5th and 12th centuries CE.
Other notable sites in this region include Vikramshila and the stupa sites of Ratnagiri in Odisha.