Tourism in Bihar
Welcome to the
land of Lord Buddha...
Bihar
Visit - Best Time to Visit Bihar
Bihar, situated in the eastern part of the country, the place that
gave birth to Buddhism and Jainism and helped in the growth of Sikhism and
Hinduism, has a past that is unmatched anywhere in the world. It was the
center of first republic in the world at Vaishali. The city of Patliputra
was largest and grandest in the world at the height of its glory. To Bihar's
north is the Kingdom of Nepal. On its other three sides Bihar is surrounded
by the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the west, Jharkhand to the south
and West Bengal to the east. Patna is the capital of Bihar.
Bihar was called Magadha in ancient times. Its capital Patna, then known as
Pataliputra, was the center of the Mauryan empire, which dominated the
Indian subcontinent from 325 BC to 185 BC. Emperor Ashoka was the most
famous ruler of this dynasty. Bihar remained an important place of power,
culture and education during the next one thousand years. The Vikramshila
and Nalanda Universities, were among the oldest and best centres of
education in ancient India but got destroyed by wars in the medieval period.
Best Time To Visit in Bihar
The best time to visit Bihar is from October to March.
Weather
The climate of the state is tropical with hot summers and cold winters.
Monsoon brings medium to high rainfall and floods several areas in north
Bihar. Humidity levels remain high in north and central Bihar throughout the
summer and monsoon season, making them quite uncomfortable.
Places of Tourist Interest
Bodhgaya : Bodhgaya is the place where the Prince Siddharth attained
the supreme enlightenment and became 'The Buddha', the enlightened one. This
the place where the saga of Buddha began and Buddhism was born here under
the Peepal Tree. Bodhgaya has naturally developed into the most sacred spot
for Buddhists from all over the world, especially the affluent south East
Asia. It is 13 km. from Gaya town. Apart from a Budhist pilgrimage
destination, Gaya is also an important Centre of Hindu Pilgrimage where
people go to pray for the salvation of their ancestors.
Nalanda : Nalanda has a very ancient history. Lord Vardhamana Mahavir
and Lord Buddha frequently visited it in the 6th century BC. During his
sojourns, the Lord Buddha found this place prosperous, swelling, teeming
with population and containing mango-groves. It is also supposed to be the
birthplace of Sariputra, one of the Chief disciples of the Lord Buddha.
Nalanda, where ruins of the great ancient university have been excavated, is
situated at a distance of 90 km. south east of Patna by road. It falls on
way to Rajgir. It is also linked by rail with Patna, Rajgir and Bakhtiyarpur
(on Delhi-Howrah main track). The great stupa flanked by flights of steps
and terraces, votive stupas and beautiful sculpture give the present day
tourists a glimpse of the past glory that once was Nalanda. Many of the
stupas were two or even three times built one over the other on the same
spot. A row of monastery sites lies from south to north. By and large all of
them are of the same pattern. But most important of them is site no.1,
entrance of which lies in the west wall through a large portico of which the
roof rested on pillars.
Patna : Patna, the capital of the State of Bihar, is an important
business centre of eastern India. More significantly, it is a gateway to the
Buddhist and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya and
Pawapuri. Beneath the din and bustle of Patna, the capital of Bihar state,
has a fascinating past. Some of the places of tourist attraction are Gol
Ghar , Museum, Harmandirji, Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, Kumhrar, Martyrs
Memorial, Jalan Museum, Pathar Ki Masjid, Agam Kuan, Biological Park, Bihar
Institute of Handicrafts and Designs, Birla Mandir, Nawab Shahid-Ka-Maqbara,
Pachim Darwaza and Padri-Ki-Haveli
.
Rajgir : Rajgir is south of Nalanda and sacred to the memory of the
founder of both Buddhism and Jainism.
 Lord Buddha spent many months of
retreat during the rainy season here, and used to meditate and preach on Griddhkuta, the 'Hill of the Vultures'. Lord Mahavir spent fourteen years of
his life at Rajgir and Nalanda. It was in Rajgriha that Lord Buddha
delivered some of his famous sermons and converted king Bimbisara of the
Magasha Kingdom and countless others to his creed. Rajgir is located in a
verdant valley surrounded by rocky hills. An aerial ropeway provides the
link with a hilltop stupa "Peace Pagoda" built by the Japanese. On one of
the hills in the cave of Saptparni, was held the first Buddhist Council. The
Saptparni cave is also the source of the Rajgir Hot Water Springs that have
curative properties and are sacred to the Hindus.
HOW TO REACH
BY AIR - Bihar has two airports at Patna and Ranchi connected to Delhi,
Mumbai, Lucknow, Calcutta, as well as Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Indian Airlines and Sahara Airways have direct flights between Patna and
Delhi.
BY RAIL - The state has a well-developed railway network with almost all the
major and minor places connected through good trains. Major railway stations
like Patna, Dhanbad, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, and Ranchi are connected to all the
major cities of India by regular trains.
BY ROAD - There is good network of roads connecting all the major parts of
the state with Patna, the state capital. National Highways like 2, 23, 28,
30, 31, and 33 connect the state to places all over India. The distance of
some of the major places in the state from Patna are Sonepur 25 km, Vaishali
55 km, Nalanda 90 km, Gaya 97 km, Bodhgaya 110 km, and Ranchi 289 km.
Buddhist Tour
Packages in India
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India Buddhist Tour
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Buddhist Tour With Nepal
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Footsteps of Lord Buddha
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Footsteps of Buddha
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Buddhist Tour With East India
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Land of Buddha Tour
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Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour
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Buddhist Temple Tour
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Buddhist Travel Package
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Buddhist Destination Tour India
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Buddhist Travel India
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Ladakh Buddhist Tour
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