It is said that the mythological king Sravasta found this city and hence the name Sravasti had been attributed to it. The place is one of the most important pilgrimage centers of the Buddhists and Jains. After attaining mahaparinirvana, Buddha left a trail of footsteps here. So the place is holy for the devotees of Buddha. According to legend, it is here where Buddha bewildered his critics by making them witness a miraculous million-fold self-manifestation seated on a thousand-petalled lotus, as fire and water emanated from his body.