The zone in between
Between the flat plains of northern India and the great snow peaks lies a belt of lower country: the Terai, a strip of low, warm, formerly forested land along the base of the range, and above it the Siwalik and Mahabharat hills and the mid-hills beyond. This is what most people mean by the Himalayan foothills. It is the part of the range that people can reach without crossing high passes, and it is where a great many Buddhist places are found.
This region matters in the story of Buddhism for two reasons. First, the Buddha lived and taught on the Gangetic plain and its northern edge, so the earliest sites sit close to the base of the mountains. Second, the foothills were the first stretch of mountain country that Buddhist teachers, traders and monks traversed on their way into Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. In this sense the foothills are where Buddhism and the mountains first met. The longer story of that spread is told under Himalayan Buddhist history.
The Lumbini region
The most famous foothill site is Lumbini, in the Terai of southern Nepal, which Buddhist tradition identifies as the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha. Lumbini is one of the four main places associated with the Buddha’s life, alongside Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. The Terai climate is hot in summer and humid in the monsoon, which is very different from the high mountains, a point covered in Terai climate and seasons.
Nearby is the area traditionally linked with Kapilavastu, the Shakya capital of the Buddha’s youth. Scholars have debated the exact location, with candidate sites on both the Nepali and the Indian side of the border; the issue is discussed under Kapilavastu. A stone pillar at Lumbini associated with the emperor Ashoka is generally taken to mark the site, which is further explored under Lumbini Ashoka pillar. The pillar and the temple beside it are central to how pilgrims understand the place.
Hills of the Kathmandu region
Further north, in the mid-hills, the Kathmandu Valley holds some of the oldest continuously used Buddhist sites in the Himalaya. Swayambhunath and Boudhanath are both well known, and the valley’s Newar Buddhist community has maintained its own traditions for many centuries. Smaller hill sites include Namobuddha and Pharping, which are associated with stories about the Buddha in a previous life and with meditation caves linked to Padmasambhava. These are covered in Pharping and Namobuddha. Visitors are often struck by how a hilltop shrine, a village and a terraced field can sit within sight of one another.
Sikkim, Darjeeling and the eastern foothills
Further east, the foothills of Sikkim and the hills around Darjeeling and Kalimpong are home to communities with strong ties to Tibetan and Bhutanese Buddhism. The Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim was historically a Buddhist state, and its monasteries include some of the best-known in the region. Traditional accounts date many foundations to the seventeenth century, and different schools of Tibetan Buddhism are represented. You can read more under Sikkim monasteries.
Around Darjeeling there are smaller monasteries on ridges and hillsides, and the area has been a home to Tibetan exiles since the 1950s. Dates and details of individual foundations vary between sources, so it is wise to check with current local information before relying on any single account.
Dharamshala and the western foothills
In the western Himalaya, the foothill town of McLeod Ganj above Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh has been a centre of the Tibetan exile community since the late 1950s. The town is visited by many pilgrims and travellers for its temples, teaching programmes and cultural institutions. See Dharamshala McLeod Ganj for more detail. It shows how the foothills have also become places of refuge and cultural continuity in modern times.
Why the foothills draw pilgrims
Several reasons are commonly noted.
- Access. The foothills are reachable by road and, in places, by short flights or trains, which makes them practical for elderly pilgrims, families, and anyone who cannot go to high altitude.
- Gateway function. Many routes to the high Himalaya and Tibet begin here, and pilgrims often stop at foothill monasteries before or after the harder stages. This is one reason the foothills appear in discussions of Himalayan pilgrimage treks.
- Layered history. Early Buddhist sites, Newar traditions, Tibetan exile communities and modern monuments coexist in a small area.
- Retreat. Quiet hill monasteries with accommodation are visited for meditation and rest. The idea of a Buddhist retreat Himalayas is a modern one, but quiet places for practice in the hills have a long history.
Practical notes
Foothills are easier than high mountains but not free of hazard. Monsoon rains can cause landslides and road closures, summer heat on the Terai can be severe, and winter mornings can be cold and foggy. General information is given in monsoon travel considerations and heat on pilgrimage. Some areas, such as parts of Sikkim and the Indian border regions, require special permits for foreigners and the rules change, so check current official sources and government travel advice before any trip. This site is not a booking or travel-advice service.
Etiquette is much the same as elsewhere: remove shoes before entering shrines, dress modestly, walk clockwise around stupas and wheels, and ask before taking photographs. Customs differ between Theravada, Newar, Tibetan and Bhutanese communities, and local guidance should be followed.