A city in the kingdom of the Mallā. In the present age it was called Kusinārā. Once it was the royal city of Mahā-Sudassana and was twelve leagues in length and twelve in breadth, prosperous and full of people, like Ālakamaṇḍā (D.ii.146 f; J.i.392; Cyp.i.4; Dvy.227). It was then at the head of eighty-four towns (S.iii.144).

The Mahāsudassana Sutta (D.ii.170 f ) contains a long description of the city. It was the capital of several kings of the Mahāsammata dynasty (Mhv.ii.7; Dpv.iii.9), including Okkāka, father of Kusa (J.v.278 ff).

In the time of Metteyya Buddha, Kusāvatī will be known as Ketumatī (Anāgat.v.18).