As the birthplace of several world religions, the Indian sub-
continent is home to countless sacred and holy sites. Below is
information on a few of the most notable sites of the Buddhist,
Hindu, Islamic, Jainist, and Sikh faiths: Buddhism is a non-
theistic religion founded around 400-500 BC by Sakyamuni Buddha.
Born in Lumbini as heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Sakya
(in present day Nepal, near the Indian border), Prince
Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha's former name) discovered that a
life of luxury did not lead to peace of mind, and that the rich,
like the poor, still suffer the torments of old age, sickness
and death. He therefore renounced his title and abandoned his
wealth in order to seek a way that could lead all beings,
without discrimination, to freedom from suffering. He spent six
years experimenting with the various common methods of the day,
but to no avail. Finally, at the age of thirty-five and while
meditating under the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, he awoke to the
insights he had been seeking. T