Maya Devi Temple, birthplace of Siddhartha, Lumbini
Maya Devi Temple, birthplace of Siddhartha, Lumbini
Young monks, Lumbini
Early inscriptions, Ashoka Pillar, Lumbini
Music lesson, Lumbini
Mandala, Lumbini
Remnants of Siddhartha’s princely home before renunciation, Kapilavastu
The gate through which Siddhartha walked and renounced the material world, Kapilavastu
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
The Bodhi Tree, the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment, Bodh Gaya
Monks in training, Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
Monks in training, Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
Nun in training, Bodh Gaya
Under the Bodhi Tree, Bodh Gaya
Monks at the Mahabodhi temple
A nun in meditation under the Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya
Dhamek Stupa, where Buddha delivered his first sermon after enlightenment, Sarnath
Dhamek Stupa in the monsoon, Sarnath
Dharmachakra Mudra, symbol of the Buddha’s first sermon, setting the Wheel of Dharma in motion, Sarnath
Where Buddha spent many monsoons teaching disciples, Sravasti
A monk in training, Sravasti
Monk, Sravasti
Sacred hills where Buddha meditated and taught, Vulture's Peak, Rajgir
Thai Monks, Rajgir
Ancient Buddhist university, cradle of global learning, Nalanda
The final sermon, Vaishali
Mahaparinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
Where the Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana, the great final Nirvana, Kushinagar
PIlgrims, Kushinagar
Where the Buddha rests, Kushinagar
Sacred Buddhist scriptures, Kushinagar
Monastery, Bodh Gaya
Meditation, Bodh Gaya
Humans and animals co-exist peacefully, Bodh Gaya
Ancient Buddhist university, cradle of global learning, Nalanda
A living legacy of learning, Nalanda
The Lion Capital of Ashoka, symbol of the Indian state, representing the Buddha’s teaching and the turning of the Dharma Wheel, Sarnath
A living legacy of learning, Nalanda
Tourists at a Buddhist site, Vaishali
Mural depicting of the Wheel of Life, a symbolic representation of samsara, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, Lumbini
In The Footsteps of the Buddha traces the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, through the geography of his lived experience — from his birthplace in Lumbini and early years in Kapilavastu, to his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, his sermons in Sarnath and Shravasti, and finally, Kushinagar, where he attained the great final nirvana. The journey also traversed Rajgir, Nalanda and Vaishali among other significant Buddhist sites, each layered with history, faith and evolving cultural memory.
Photographing these sacred sites became an inquiry into the nature of belief and the shared human search for meaning. Serene and meditative, they evoked a sense of timelessness, introspection and calm. In contemporary India, the legacy of Buddhism also intersects with questions of caste and equality — a reminder that its message of compassion and liberation remains both philosophical and social in its relevance.
This collective documentation — exhibited internationally and presented as a book — seeks to contribute to the preservation of South Asia’s Buddhist heritage, foregrounding its architectural and cultural legacy as an enduring part of our shared human story.
(This project was Commissioned by UNESCO France and the Alliance de Protection du Patrimoine Culturel Asiatique / Oriental Cultural Heritage Sites Protection Alliance.)