Bihar, the name of this state is derived from
the world ’vihara’, which means
Buddhist monastery. The Buddhist trail begins
at the capital city, Patna, where a noteworthy
museum contains a collection of Hindu and Buddhist
sculptures. Bihar is the one most intimately
linked to the Buddha’s life, resulting
in a trail of pilgrimages which have come to
be known as the Buddhist circuit. Lord Buddha
himself taught here and Hieun Tsang, the 7th
century Chinese traveller, was a student. Ongoing
excavations have uncovered temples, monasteries
and lecture halls.
Rajgir, ‘the royal palace’, 12
km south, was the venue for the first Buddhist
Council. The Buddha spent five years at Rajgir
after having attained enlightenment, and many
of the remains at Rajgir commemorate various
incidents, the hill of Gridhrakuta being perhaps
the most important, as this is where the Buddha
delivered most of his sermons. Bodhgaya is
the spot where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment,
with the Mahabodhi Temple marking the precise
location. Bihar’s Buddhist circuit has
modest back-up facilities by way of accommodation,
international dining and surface transport.
(For those interested in the Buddhist circuit,
it may be worthwhile to note that Sarnath,
in Uttar Pradesh, close to Varanasi, is an
important part of the circuit, and has been
beautifully developed. Besides the excavated
sites, a museum here houses several Buddhist
icons, among them the Ashoka Lion, India’s
national emblem).
Main Cities of Bihar
Patna,
at ancient times it was called Pataliputra
the capital of Bihar, is among the world's
oldest capital cities with unbroken history
of many centuries as imperial metropolis.
A very fertile arched stretch of land along
the bank of the Ganga, the history and heritage
of modern day Patna go back well over two
millennia. Like Delhi, Patna too had been
the regal seat of governance for successive
kingdoms since ancient times.
Pataliputra dominated the political fortunes
of the whole of north India between 6th century
BC and 5th century AD, a fact established
by archaeological excavations. After a temporary
eclipse, in 16th century Sher Shah Suri returned
the city to its former glory and established
the present Patna. After the decline of the
Mughals, the British too found Patna a convenient
regional capital and built a modern extension
to this ancient city and called it Bankipore.
It was in Gandhi Maidan in this area that
Mahatma Gandhi held his prayer meetings.
How to get there :
By Air : Patna is well-connected
with Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Lucknow, Ranchi
by domestic flights
By Rail : Patna is connected
by rail to Bombay, Calcutta, Guwahati, Ranchi,
Varanasi
By Road : By road Patna to
Nalanda 90 km, Rajgir 102 km, Pawapuri 90
km, Gaya 172 km Bodhgaya 179 km, Raxaul 210
km, Ranchi 335 km, Muzzafarpur 72 km, Sasaram
152 km, Vaishali 56 km, Calcutta 653 km, Delhi
997 kms
By Bus : Regular direct bus
services connect Patna to Calcutta, Rajgir,
Nalanda, Pawapuri, Vaishali, Gaya Bodhgaya,
Ranchi, Raxaul, Muzzafarpur, Sasaram.
Major Tourist Attractions of Patna
:
Kumrahar : Archaeological
findings in this area establish Patna’s
claim to over a thousand years of political
glory -. 600 BC to 600 AD, and then again,
16th century onwards, spanning the rule of
several dynasties. Very little of this grandeur
remains though, except the remnants of a huge
Mauryan hall supported by 80 sandstone pillars
dating back to 400 – 300 BC.
Golghar : Alarmed by the
famine of 1770, captain John Garstin built
this huge granary for the British army in
1786. The massive structure is 29 m high and
walls 3.6 m wide at the base. The stairway
winding around this monument offers a magnificent
panoramic view of the city and the Ganga flowing
by.
Har Mandir Takht : It was
in Patna, far from Punjab, where Guru Gobind
Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs who consolidated
the warrior sect, was born in 1660. The Har
Mandir Takht, one of the four sacred shrines
of the Sikhs, stands at this holy site, The
original temple was built by Maharaja Ranjit
Singh and contains belongings of the Guru
and Sikh holy texts. As a sign of reverence,
it is also called Patna Sahib by the Sikhs.
Pathar ki Masjid : Adjacent
to’Har Mandir Sahib, this beautiful
mosque was built by Parwez Shah, son of Jehangir,
when he was the governor of Bihar. Situated
on the bank of the Ganga, it is also called
Saif Khan’s mosque, Chimmi Ghat mosque
and Sangi Masjid.
Sher Shah Suri Mosque :
Sher Shah Suri built this mosque in 1545 to
commemorate his reign. Built in Afghan architectural
style, it is one of the many beautiful mosques
in Bihar and a landmark in Patna.
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library :
A magnificent one man collection of rare Arabic
and Persian manuscripts, Rajput and Mughal
paintings, assortment of old books and new
books from the university of Cordoba, Spain,
it is one of the national libraries of India
now.
Patna Museum : The museum
contains a First World War cannon, metal and
stone sculpture of Maurya and Gupta periods,
Buddhist sculpture, terra-cotta figures. The
famous Didarganj Yakshi of 3rd century BC
and a 16 m long fossilised tree are some of
its special possessions.
Jalan Museum : Built at
the old site of Sher Shah’s fart, it
has an excellent collection of jade, Chinese
paintings, Mughal glass and silver filigree
carvings. It is a private collection and visitors
need prior permission.
Sadaqat Ashram : It is
the headquarters of Bihar Vidyapeeth, a national
university. India’s first President
Dr.Rajendra Prasad lived here after his retirement
and there is a small museum here displaying
his personal belongings.
Maner : About 29 km from
Patna, Bari Dargah, is the cenotaph of the
Sufi Saint Hazrat Makhdoom Yahiya Maner. The
tomb of his disciple Shah Daulat is also here.
It is an important pilgrimage place for Muslims
during the annual urs.
Excursions from Patna :
Maner 29 kms, Sasaram 148 kms, Sonepur 25
kms, Vaishali 56 kms, Nalanda 90 kms, Rajgir
102 kms, Gaya 174 kms, Bodhgaya 179 kms
Vaishali,
today is a small village surrounded by banana
and mango groves and rice fields. But excavations
in the area have brought to light an impressive
historical past. The epic Ramayana tells the
story of the heroic King Vishal who ruled
here. Historians maintain that one of the
world's first democratic republics with an
elected assembly of representatives flourished
here in the 6th century B.C. in the time of
the Vajjis and the Lichhavis. And while Pataliputra,
capital of the Mauryas and the Guptas, held
political sway over the Gangetic plain, Vaishali
was a rich centre for trade and industry.
Historically important, Vaishali, on the
left bank of the Gandak river, is spiritually
supreme: Lord Buddha visited this place frequently
and at Kolhua, close by, preached his last
sermon. To commemorate the event, Emperor
Ashoka, in the third century B.C. erected
one of his famous lion pillars here. A hundred
years after the mahaparinirvana of the Buddha
- Vaishali hosted the second great Buddhist
council. Two stupas were erected to commemorate
this event.
Jainism, too, has its origins in Vaishali,
for in 527 B.C., Lord Mahavir was born on
the outskirts of the city, and lived in Vaishali
till he was 22. Vaishali is then twice blessed
and remains an important pilgrim centre for
both Buddhists and Jains, attracting also
historians foraging for the past.
How to get there?
By Air : The nearest airport
is Patna 56 km and connected to Bombay, Calcutta,
Delhi, Ranchi & Lucknow.
By Rail : Hajipur (35 km)
on the North Eastern Railway is the nearest
railway station
By Road : Vaishali is connected
by road to Patna (55 km), Muzaffarpur (36
km) and Hajipur (35 km).
Major attractions of Vaishali :
Ashoka Pillar at Kolhua, Buddha Stupas, Raja
Vishal Ka Ghar, Coronation Tank, Museum, Bawan
Pokhar Temple and Harikatora Temple, Miranji
Ka Durgah, Kundupur (4 km)
Gaya, the most sacred
Buddhist and Hindu shrines. Gaya is one of
the most important pilgrimage places for the
Hindus. It is believed that a Hindu will reach
heaven if his last rites are offered under
the celebrated ’Akshayabat’ or
immortal banyan tree, standing in the yard
of Vishnupad temple. Believed to be built
on the footsteps of Vishnu, the grand temple
was renovated by Ahalyabai, queen of Indore.
Tourist attractions around Gaya :
Deo : Around 20 km from Gaya,
Surya temple here is the site of famous Chhath
puja in November. Kurkihar - ancient habitation
with ruins. Presumed to be the Kukkutapadagiri
mentioned by Hiuen Tsang in 7th century.
Barabar caves : Situated
around 40 km from Gaya, earliest Buddhist
rock cut caves. Sasaram – 123 km from
Gaya, tombs of Sher Shah Suri, his father
and son. There is a cave with Ashokan edicts
and a Dargah on Chandan Pir Hill.
Pawapuri : In Pawapuri
or Apapuri, 38 km from Rajgir and 90 km from
Patna, all sins end for a devout Jain. Lord
Mahavira breathed his last here and was cremated
here. People took away not only the ashes
but also the scooped out earth and thus a
tank came into being. Now the famous Jalamandir
marble temple stands at the site. There is
another Jain temple here viz. Samosharan.
Parasnath hill : It is
believed that 22’ tirthankars’
out of 24 attained salvation here and is one
of the most sacred pilgrim centres for the
Jains.
Call of the hills : The
Chotanagpur plateau is one of the most beautiful
areas in Bihar. Studded with hills 300 –
900m in altitude and covered with verdant
virgin forests, this area of rivers, lakes,
meadows and valleys is an ideal retreat of
peace and beauty. Rich in wildlife, these
forests are an anthropologist’s delight,
since the ancient lifestyle of the tribes
like Santhal, Ho, Munda, Oraon, Koi, Chero,
Kharia, Paharia has remained essentially unaltered.
Ranchi : This erstwhile
summer capital of Bihar is 676 m in altitude
and is a beautiful hill station. There. are
beautiful water falls around, with lilting
names like Hundru, Jonha, Dasamghagh and Himi.
Other landmarks are a Shiva temple on a hill
top with Ranchi lake at the foot of the hill,
and Morabadi hill and Tagore hill.
Hazaribagh : A small hill
resort 93 km from Ranchi and 616 m above sea
level, though having usual lakes and hills,
is more famous for its wildlife sanctuary.
Wildlife like bear, nilgai, sambar, chital,
tiger, panther, kakar, etc. can be viewed
from 10 watch towers. February – March
and October – November are the best
seasons for visiting here. Tilaiya dam 63
km away is a picnic spot.
Netarhat : Called the ’Queen
of Chotanagpur’ this exquisite little
hill station has fantastic sunrise and sunset.
Situated 1127 m above sea level, it has beautiful
waterfalls around, like Upper Ghagri and Lower
Ghagri.
Palamau : A popular tourist
resort 140 km from Ranchi. Betla National
Park is nearby where gaur, chital, elephant,
sloth bear, wild bear, sambar, nilgai, kakar,
chinkara, mouse deer, dhole, tiger and panther
can be seen. This is one of the Tiger Project
Reserves. There are tree top towers, watch
towers and ground level hideouts for professional
photographers. February – March and
October - November are the best seasons and
excellent accommodation is available here.
Jamshedpur : It is one
of India’s earliest planned cities and
to this day beautifully maintained and managed,
in spite of being an industrial township.
Industrial giants like TISCO, TELCO are situated
here. Surrounded by the Dolma hills, it has
retained its hill station atmosphere.
Damodar Valley : Site of
one of the earliest power projects, river
Damodar is harnessed here in a massive network.
Maithon. Panchet and Tilaiya are the major
dams.
Dhanbad : This centre of
coal mining and industries lies 171 km from
Jamshedpur and is famous for the picturesque
Topehanchi lake nearby. Bokaro Steel Complex
is 47 km away.
Bhagalpur : Famous for
its silk and a university town today, it has
a long heritage of learning. The ruins of
the ancient Vikramshila university is 42 km
away. Rock cut temple at Colganj and Vishnu
temple on a hill top are tourist attractions.
Monghyr : The little town
has nothing to show today for its long history
except a Mughal fort and a temple, but it
was once the capital of the ancient Anga kingdom.
The British conquered Bihar in the battle
of Buxar at Buxar nearby. There is a sound
and light show at Buxar recounting the story
of Ramayana and history of India.
Bodhgaya, is one of
the sacred places for the Buddhists as well
as for the Hindus. Here under the Bodhi Tree,
Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become
Budhha, the `Enlighted One'.
"The Buddha once lived here"
Lord Buddha the gentle colossus who founded
the first universal religion of the world,
worked and lived much of his life in Bihar
though he was born in Kapilavastu, now in
Nepal. Most of the major events of his life,
like enlightenment and last sermon happened
in Bihar. Significantly. the state’s
name originated from ’Vihara’
meaning Buddhist and Jain monasteries, which
abounded in Bihar.
Though the Buddha was born as a Sakya prince
in the Terai foothills of the Himalayas, Buddhism
as a religion was really born in Bihar and
evolved here through his preaching and the
example of his lifestyle of great simplicity,
renunciation and empathy for everything living.
Perhaps the present day life of trauma and
tension reminds us of the other alternative
that was always available to us, the Buddha’s
way of life, gentle and simple.
Several centuries after Buddha’s passing
away, the Maurya emperor Ashoka (234-198 BC)
contributed tremendously towards the revival,
consolidation and spread of the original religion.
It is the monasteries Ashoka built for the
Buddhist monks and the pillars erected to
commemorate innumerable historical sites associated
with the Buddha’s life, mostly intact
to this day, that helped scholars and pilgrims
alike to trace the life events and preachings
of a truly extraordinary man.
The Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya,
under the Bodhi tree, 10 km from Gaya. the
ancient Hindu pilgrimage centre. The tree
from the original sapling still stands in
the temple premises. It is the most important
Buddhist pilgrimage centre as Buddhisrn was
born here.
The magnificent Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya
is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries
cultures and many heritages that came to pay
their homage here. The temple definitely has
architecture of the Gupta and later ages,
inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims
from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China between
7th and 10th century AD. It is perhaps still
the same temple Hiuen Tsang visited in 7th
century.
How to get there?
By Air: Nearest airport is Gaya 12
kms. However convienent airport is Patna.
Indian Airlines connect Patna to Bombay,Calcutta,Delhi,Ranchi
& Lucknow.
By Rail: The nearest railhead
is at Gaya, 12 kms.
By Road : Bodh Gaya is connected
by road to Gaya 12 kms, Nalanda 62 kms, Rajgir
46 kms, Patna 152 kms, Varanasi 215 kms, Calcutta
482 kms.
Nalanda, founded in
the 5th centuary A.D. Nalanda is known as
the ancient seat of learning. World's most
ancient University lies in ruins which is
62 kms from Bodhgaya and 90 kms south of Patna.
Emperor Ahoka built many monastries, temples
and Viharas here.
Though the Buddha visited Nalanda several
times during his lifetime, this famous centre
of Buddhist learning shot to fame much later,
during 5th-12th centuries. Hiuen Tsang stayed
here in 7th century and has left detailed
description of the excellence of education
and purity of monastic life practiced here.
In this first residential international university
of the world, 2,000 teachers and 10,000 students
from all over the Buddhist world lived and
studied here. The Gupta kings patronised these
monasteries, built in old Kushan architectural
style, in a row of cells around a courtyard.
Ashoka and Harshavardhana were some of its
most celebrated patrons who built temples
and monasteries here. Recent excavations have
unearthed elaborate structures here. Hiuen
Tsang had left ecstatic accounts of both the
ambiance and architecture of this unique university
of ancient times. An international Centre
for Buddhist Studies was established here
in 1951. Nearby is Bihar Sharif, where an
annual urs is celebrated at the Dargah or
tomb of Malik Ibrahim Baya. Baragaon, 2 km
away has a sun temple, famous for Chhath puja.
To be visited are Nalanda museum & Nava
Nalanda Mahavihar in addition to the great
ruins.
How to get there?
By Air : The nearest airport is at
Patna 89 kms. Indian Airlines connect Patna
to Calcutta, Ranchi, Bombay, Delhi and Lucknow.
By Rail : Though Rajgir (12
kms) is the nearest railway station to Nalanda
yet the nearest convenient railheadis at Gaya
65 kms.
Road : Nalanda is connected
by good road with Rajgir 12 kms, Bodh Gaya
50 kms, Gaya 65 kms, Patna 90 kms, Pawapuri
26 kms, Bihar Sharif 13 kms etc.
Tourist attractions of Nalanda :
Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall, The Nalanda University
Complex, Swarajpur Baragon. The Nalanda Museum
(Opens 1000 to 1700 hours. Closed on Friday.)
Lauria Areraj : A 11.5
m high Ashokan column was erected here in
249 BC. The polished sandstone pillar has
six edicts on it. The site is 30 km from Motihari.
Lauria Nandangarh : This
site, 23 km from Bettiah and 14 km from Shikarpur,
has the famous lion pillar erected by Ashoka.
The 8.5 m polished sandstone column also has
an edict engraved on it. Nearby there are
the remains of Nandangarh Stupa, believed
to contain the ashes of the Buddha.
Rajgir, situated around
46 kms from Bodhgaya, Rajgir is sacred to
the memory of the founders of both Buddhism
and Jainism. Rajgir today is vestiges of a
legendary and historical remains like the
cyclopean wall and the marks engraved in rocks.
Rajagriha in Patna district was the ancient
capital city of the Magadha kings. The Buddha
often came here to retreat at the Jivkamaravana
monastery in a beautiful orchard. One of his
most devoted and prosperous devotees, surgeon
Jivaka also lived here. The rich merchant
community here soon became the Buddha’s
followers and built many structures of typical
Buddhist architecture. The Buddha converted
the Mauryan king Bimbisara, one of his most
celebrated followers at the Griddhakuta hill,
where he delivered many of his sermons as
well. The Japanese have built a Stupa on top
of the Ratnagiri hill, linked by a ropeway.
After the Buddha reached ’parinirvana’
his followers met at the Saptaparni cave in
Rajagriha, the first Buddhist Council ever
held. It was here that the teachings of the
Buddha were penned down for the first time.
Rajgir is also an important place of pilgrimage
for the Hindus and Jains. Other places to
be visited are Bimbisara ka jail, Jarasandha
ka akhara, Venuvana, Karand tank, Maniyar
math, Swamabhandar cave, Pippala cave, Viswa
Shanti Stupa, the famous hot water springs
and ruins of an old fort.
How to get there?
By Air : The nearest airport is at
Patna 101 kms. Indian Airlines connect Patna
to Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Ranchi and Lucknow.
By Rail : Though Rajgir itself
is the railway station yet the nearest convenient
railhead is at Gaya 34 kms.
By Road : Rajgir is connected
by road to Patna 102 kms, Nalanda 12 kms,
Gaya 34 kms, Pawapuri 38 kms, Bihar Sharif
25 kms etc.
Major tourist attractions of Rajgir
: Ajatashatur's Fort, Amaravana
(Mango Garden), Venuban, Bimbisara's Jail,
Swarna Bhandar, Cyclopean Wall, Griddhakuta
(Vulture's Peak), Saptparni Cave, Pippala
Cave (Watch Tower), Jain temples, Karnada
Tank, Maniyar Math are the main attractions
here.
Ranchi, picturesquely
situated in the valley of Chotanagpur at an
altitude of 2140 feet (654.5 metres) above
sea level. It is well known for its scenic
attractions waterfalls, salubrious climate,
glades, barren rocks and verdant hillocks.
It has a number of industrial field. Ranchi
is also a central place for the study of tribal
ways of life.
How to get there?
By Air : Ranchi is connected by regular
Indian Airlines services with Calcutta, Patna,
Bombay and New Delhi.
By Rail : Ranchi is on the
South Eastern Railway and is directly connected
with Calcutta, Patna, Rourkela etc.
By Road : Ranchi is situated
on National Highway No.23 & 33 and there
are nets of good roads around it. Ranchi is
directly connected by regular bus services
with all the main places in the state and
also outside the state.
Major tourist attractions of Ranchi
: Ranchi Hill, Tagore Hill (Moradabad
Hill) 4 kms, Kanke Dam 4 kms, Ranchi Lake,
Tribal Research Institute & Museum, Heavy
Engineering 11 km, Hatia Dam 12 kms, Jagannath
Temple 10 kms, Mental Hospital 9 kms are the
main tourist attractions of Ranchi.
Hazaribagh, nestling
in low hilly terrain, at an average altitude
of 1800 ft. (615 metres) this 183.89 sq. kms
National Park has an abundance of wild animals,
i.e. wild Boar, Sambar, Nilgai, Chital, Sloth
Bear, tiger and Panthar. The 1970 census has
established the presence of 14 tigers, 25
Panthers and 400 Sambars.
How to get there?
By Air : The nearest airport
Ranchi (91 kms) is connected with Calcutta,
Patna, Lucknow and Delhi by regular Indian
Airlines service.
By Rail : Nearest railway
station is Koderma which is 59 kms away or
alternately one can apporach the National
Park from Hazaribagh Road railway station
(67 kms) on the Howarh-Delhi Grand Chord line.
By Road : Hazaribagh town
is connected by road to Ranchi 91 kms, Dhanbad
128 kms, Gaya 130 kms, Patna 235 kms, Daltonganj
198 kms, Calcutta (via Asansol-Govindapur-Barhi)
434 kms.
Palamau National Park (Betla)
Palamau has the distinction of being the forest
where the world's first tiger census was enumerated
in 1932. Large herds of Gaur & Chital
are commonly seen. Elephants are present mostly
after the monsoons upto the time when the
water holes begin to dry up in March. Tiger,
Panther, Sloth Bear, Wild Bear, Sambar, Nilgai,
Deer are also permanent residents. Palamau
National Park is now a part of one of nine
tiger reserves in India under "Project
Tiger".
General information :
Area: Total Area- 1026 sq.km., Buffer
Zone- 813 sq.km., Core Area- 213 sq.km., Tourist
Zone- 35 sq.km.
Established on: June 1974.
Altitude: 300 to 1140 metres.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max.47, Min.28,
Winter- Max.23, Min.07
Best Season: October to March
Languages Spoken: Hindi, English
Inside transport & facilities : Elephants
of the Department of Tourism and one jeep
of the ForestDepartment to take the tourists
around the park with guide and spotlight.
Five Watch Towers from where animals can be
observed and photographs taken.
How to get there?
By Air : Nearest airport Ranchi is
161 kms away from Betla. Daily Indian Airlines
service connects Ranchi with Calcutta, Patna,
Lucknow and Delhi.
By Rail : The nearest railhead
is at Daltonganj 25 kms from Betla. And the
second nearest railway station is Ranchi 161
kms from Betla.
By Road : Good motorable
road connects Betla to Daltonganj 25 kms,
Ranchi 171 kms, Patna 384 kms, Hazaribagh
190 kms, Netarhat 211 kms, Calcutta 575 kms
