Touring the Five Areas of India

Hsuan Tsang, who constantly strove to better himself and who was fond of travel and adventure, decided to tour the five areas of India (which in ancient times was divided into eastern, western, southern, northern, and central areas) after finishing his studies at the Nalanda Temple. He visited eminent monks, important places in Buddhism, and the native areas of several eminent Buddhist masters, including Nagarjuna, Dharmapala, and Dignaga.

Traveling along the Ganges River, Hsuan Tsang arrived in Bengal, where he saw the river flow into the vast ocean. Then he headed south along the coast and came to the southern peninsular Indian, where it was summer all year round and flowers and fruit grew profusely. Today's southern India is still a good place with rich, fertile land.

He made acquaintances with the Dravidians, people who had smaller physiques and darker skin. In Andhra Pradesh, Buddhist relics can be seen everywhere, among the most famous of which are the Great Stupa at Amaravati and the magnificent center of Buddhist learning at Nagarjuna-konda.

Hsuan Tsang continued his odyssey and journeyed northwest to western India. On the Deccan Plateau, he visited caves that housed murals and statues that still gleam brilliantly in the dark today. Hsuan Tsang also went to Ujjain and Nasik, two sacred places where the Kumbh Mela Festival is held. The only spot Hsuan Tsang missed on his journey was the Sanchi Stupa. The magnificent stone sculptures on the gateways of this stupa were said to have been the oldest and most beautiful Buddhist artwork in India.