Buddha Attains Parinirvana (Death of Gautama Buddha)

Around 483 BCE, Gautama Buddha died at Kushinagara at approximately 80 years of age, entering what Buddhist tradition calls parinirvana—final liberation from the cycle of rebirth. According to Buddhist texts, the Buddha knew his end was near, delivered final teachings to his disciples, and deliberately lay down between two sala trees. His final words urged followers to continue their spiritual practice with diligence. Following his death, his body was cremated with royal honors and the relics distributed among kingdoms, becoming enshrined in stupas across the subcontinent and igniting a tradition of Buddhist pilgrimage.