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Every pilgrim in search of Buddha follows his 2,600 year old footprints, an experience that exclusively belongs to India only. The Land of Buddha, India witnessed a religious leader in the making through his birth, his thorny pathways, his pains and agonies during the path of awakening, first discourse and Parinirvana. Here only, he lived for 80 years, walked in the pursuit of enlightenment and preached the whole world an ideal way to life. To explore the Buddha's roots, one has to embrace his preaching, morals and discipline in order to find a meaning to the journey.

Buddha himself said once, "You cannot travel the path until you become the path itself." In the First Anniversary India Special Issue of Condé Nast Traveller, Jeet Thayil, the famous poet and novelist from Kerala witnessed this journey towards the Buddha land through his own experiences presented in the form of an article - IN SEARCH OF BUDDHA. In this article, he explored the future Buddhist pilgrimage sites through a well-defined guided itinerary by Top Travel and Tours (P) Ltd. The 11 page feature showcased the Incredible Buddhist Sites of Bihar including World Heritage Site of Bodhgaya, Vaishali, Rajgir, Kushinagar, Kesariya, Nalanda, Patna (Patliputra) and recent excavations of Kumrahar.

In this once in a lifetime pursuit, Thayil looked out for stories and legends of the chosen one - Buddha by exploring these sites. His lively observations including meditating monks in temples and walking inside various monastery complexes, their refined chants, descriptions of various Stupas in their natural state, wall murals depicting various scenes from Buddha's life, feeling sensory shade under Bodhi Tree offshoot, fill colours in this article.

His unusual way of experiencing serenity, tidiness and spiritual surrender under trees, through positive vibes of chanting, by water bodies or in monasteries lend this spiritual tour a remarkable edge. The impressive photography by the New York based photographer, Julien Capmeil, brings to light the real essence of Indian Buddhist sites in a colourful way.

The article presents great mystique for every travel enthusiast to explore the Buddha Land in person. Though every individual experiences may vary, the essence of Buddha's life, preaching and teaching remains the same. To go through this article, visit here.