‘We’ve barely scratched the surface’

Growing up in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, where the Buddha is said to have attained mahaparinirvana or left his earthly form, Sunita Dwivedi was fascinated by Buddhist history from an early age. She gave up a career in journalism in 1997 to make her way through Asia and Europe, exploring the ruins of hundreds of Buddhist establishments along the Silk Road. She has since authored four travelogues, published by Rupa — Buddhist Heritage Sites of India (2006); In Quest of the Buddha: A Journey on the Silk Road (2009); Buddha in Central Asia: A Travelogue (2014); and Buddha in Gandhara (2020). Her works have been published in cultural journals in India and China. Excerpts from an interview: