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| Bihar |
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 Bihar
has been the cradle of Indian civilization. This is the land where Buddhism
originated. Not only is it the birthplace of Buddhism and Jainism, but it
is also the region where almost all religions flourished, so as to make
it a pilgrim's destination for Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs right
from the ancient times. This is the place where ancient universities of
India like Nalanda and Vikramshila were situated. The beautiful scenery
of the foothills of the Himalayas, plains of the Ganges and wide spread
forests are all a part of the natural treasure of Bihar. Bihar is surrounded
by Nepal, Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and comprises four
cultural regions - Bhojpur, Mithila, Magadha and Chotanagpur. Rivers Kosi
and Gandak from the north and Sone from the south join the Ganga. River
Damodar flows through the picturesque Chotanagpur plateau and its valley
is known as the Rohr of India. With captivating scenic beauty, rich wildlife
and exquisite art and craft, Bihar has been blessed by nature and enriched
by spiritualism to enthrall visitors of all kind. |
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| GETTING HERE |
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Patna, the capital of Bihar, is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow
and Ranchi. It is categorised as a restricted international airport, with
customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. Gaya has
a small international airport connected to Colombo and Bangkok. Bihar is
well connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns
are interconnected, and they are also directly connected to almost all major
cities of the country by rail. There is a vast network of National and State
highways running through the state, connecting it with important cities
all over India. For Buddhist pilgrims, the best option for travelling to
Bihar is to reach Patna or Gaya, either by air or train, and then travel
to Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir and Vaishali. Bihar State Tourism Development
Corporation provides Tourist Coaches and Taxis for local sightseeing as
well as visiting the outstation sites. The Corporation also operates some
buses on daily basis on certain routes. |
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| WHAT TO SEE |
Historic sites
The entire landscape of the state is dotted with historic sites. Important
ones are Patna, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali, Pawapuri,
Champaran and Sasaram.
Patna
Once called Patliputra and the present state capital, it is not only the
fastest growing city of Bihar but also ranked among the world's oldest capital
cities with unbroken history of many centuries as an imperial metropolis.
Patna Museum and Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan are among important tourist
landmarks. Patna is a booming modern city of North India, which has several
very wonderful attractions apart from cultural, historical and spiritual
sites.
Vaishali
(55 kms from Patna) One of the earliest republics in the world (6th century
BC), it was here that Buddha preached his last sermon. Vaishali, birthplace
of Lord Mahavira, is also sacred to the Jains. This is among the destinations
in the state, which is visited by huge numbers of tourists from all over
the world. |
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Rajgir
(100 kms from Patna and 19 kms from Nalanda) Rajgir, the ancient capital
of Magadh, is an important destination in the Buddhist circuit. Rajgir
is also a place sacred to the Jains, since Lord Mahavira spent many years
here.
Bodhgaya
(90 kms from Patna) Situated near the holy city of Gaya, it was Bodhgaya
where Buddha attained enlightenment. Bodhgaya, an important place of pilgrimage,
has a number of monasteries.
Nalanda
(90 kms from Patna) A great centre of Buddhist learning, Nalanda came
into existence around the 5th century BC and was a flourishing university
town with over ten thousand very learned scholars, students and an extensive
library.
Kushinagar
(230 kms from Patna and 53 kms from Gorakhpur) Kushinagar is the place
where Lord Buddha breathed his last and achieved Nirvana. |
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