Buses on the Gorakhpur road roll through Hata on their way to Kushinagar, the town where the Buddha is believed to have died. Old pilgrim routes crossed this flat country long before the highway, and here the past sits close enough to visit before lunch. A short ride east, pilgrims lay yellow cloth over a reclining Buddha, and a huge brick stupa marks the place of his cremation.
Back in town, Hata keeps busy as a market for wholesalers, vendors and the villages around it, and Bhojpuri carries across the counters. Summers are hot, the monsoon soaks June to September, and winters turn mild and dry. A Local Friend walks beside you through the market lanes and around the stupa.
