- Jan 28
- 3 min read
Post updated January 28, 2026
The "Footsteps of Mahapajapati Gotami" Nepal-India pilgrimage took place from December 16th-23rd, 2025.
The pilgrimage was organized collaboratively by United Theravāda Bhikkhunī Saṅgha International (UTBSI), the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI), Nava Nalanda Mahavihara Nalanda (Deemed University), Nalanda, and Dhammadharini, with sponsorship from the Tzu Chi Foundation.
The participants included 100 Bhikkhunis and temporary Samaneris from around the world.
Pilgrimage Route
Departing from Tilaurakot Nepal - emerging from the Palace gates, and following the footsteps of Mahapajapati Gotami and the 500 Founding Mothers of the Bhikkhuni Sangha on their Great Renunciation Trail, to the newly rediscovered Mahapajapati Parinibbana Stupa in Vaishali:
The experience of the participants
Deepak Anand, one of the principle organizers, writes in his Nālandā on the Move blog:
One hundred Bhikkhunis and Samaneris from 13 countries took part in the event, many facing significant challenges, including last-minute visa issues, flight cancellations, and missed connecting flights due to delays. Camaraderie among the 100 monastics during the more than a week-long event thrived despite cultural and language differences by emphasising shared goals, empathy, mutual respect, and mindful adherence to the Vinaya. The Venerable Sangha of the MPG event retraced the 300 km route from Kapilavastu to Vaishali, passing through sacred sites such as Lumbini, Ramagrama, Thadi Ghat (Anoma), Daruabari, Nandangaarh, and Kesariya along the renunciation trail of Mahapajapati Gotami and the 500 Shakyan women. The highlight of the event was the sacred relics of MPG brought specially from Sri Lanka for the historic occasion, which led the ceremonial processions each day.
We highly recommend you read his entire post for a beautiful overview of the whole experience, with many pictures.
Following the pilgrimage, Dhammadharini hosted an online program for pilgrimage participants to gather and share about their experience.
You may also watch the short slideshow presentation with photos from the event:
Additional resources:
Draft Informational Brochure about the pilgrimage, from LBDFI
“Introducing the 2025 December Launching of the “Footsteps of Mahāprajāpatī Gotamī: Great Renunciation Trail Pilgrimage” — Presentation by Deepak Anand from Nava Nalanda India
Plans for future pilgrimages
There is an aspiration for this pilgrimage to become an annual event, providing more opportunities for monastics and devoted lay practitioners to have the experience of walking in the footsteps of these remarkable women, and connecting tangibly with the beginning of the Bhikkhuni Sangha.
If you are interested in participating in, or supporting, future pilgrimages -- as a Bhikkhuni, temporary Samaneri, or lay participant -- we invite you to sign up for the Dhammadharini pilgrimage mailing list to learn more about future pilgrimages when information is available:
Supporting future pilgrimages
We want to express our sincere appreciation for the many people who came together around the world to make this pilgrimage possible -- it was a great and historic undertaking, only possible through the devotion and support of many people. There are not yet concrete plans about the next pilgrimage on this route, but there are plans for future pilgrimages and your support is welcome.
See our other recent posts for more information on the Indian Bhikkhuni Sangha Initiative:
