Rajgir, in district Nalanda, is a great holy place of the Buddhists. It is the ancient Rajagriha or Girivraja, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Magadha. During the days of Mahavira and Buddha, who visited it very often, it was a very flourishing city. It was the venue of the 1st Buddhist Council held immediately after the Nirvana of Buddha, during

the time of king Ajatshatru.
Aerial Rope Way at Rajgir

The ruins of Rajgir, which have been partly excavated, cover an extensive area with in and outside the hill enclosure and include the ancient defenses and remains of habitations, shrines, stupas and monasteries. A monastery with large elliptical halls has been recently excavated and identified as Jeevak Amravan, mentioned in the Buddhist texts as a favourite retreat of Buddha.

Gridhakuta Hill

About 10km from the railway station is Gridhakuta (Vulture's Peak), the hill from where Gautama Buddha delivered many sermons, after he attained enlightenment. It was here that the Buddha delivered two important sutras - the Lotus Sutra and the Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom Sutra).

Vishwa Shanti Stupa

To mark the holy spot at the Gridhakuta Hill, there stands today the 38m high Vishwa Shanti Stupa. The awesome modern stupa can be reached by a chairlift, a fifteen-minute round trip offering panoramic views.

Ajatashatru's Fort

The ruins of a fort built by the king of Magadha, Ajatashatru, can be seen here. Built in the 6th century, it was within these high walls that he imprisoned his father, Bimbisara. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of Ajatshatru Stupa, which enshinres Magadha's share of the Buddha's relics.

Venuvana Vihar

It is a Japanese shrine where a monastery was built for the Buddha to live. It is said that king Bimbisara as an offering to the buddha, built Venuvana or the Monastery of the Bamboo Grove. Right next to it is the now-muddy water tank, Karanda, in which the Buddha bathed.

Saptadhara

Gushing from the base of the Vaibhava Hill are the seven hot springs, called Saptadhara, that attract the religious as well as the sick. The hottest of these sulphur springs is the Brahmakund, where the water is a steaming 45 degrees centigrade. It is believed that the Buddha used its waters to heal the ill and the infirm.

Pawapuri

Pawapuri is held in great reverence by the Jains as Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, was cremated here in 500BC. Jal Mandir, the white marble temple in the middle of this lake, blooming with beautiful lotus flowers affords a breathtakingly enchanting sight.

By Air

Nearest airport is at Patna.

By Rail

Nearest railhead is Gaya.

By Road

There are good road links to Gaya and Nalanda.

THE ANCIENT SEAT OF LEARNING
Towards the Southeast of Patna is a village called the 'Bada Gaon', in the vicinity of which, are the world famous ruins of Nalanda University. Housing about 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers, this university attracted pupils from all over the world. A Walk in the ruins of the university, takes you to an era, that saw India leading in imparting knowledge, to the world - the era when India was a coveted place for studies. The university flourished during the 5th and 12th century.

This place saw the rise and fall of many empires and emperors who contributed in the development of Nalanda. Many monasteries and temples were built by them. King Harshwardhana gifted a 25m high copper statue of Buddha and Kumargupta endowed a college of fine arts here. Nagarjuna- a Mahayana philosopher, Dinnaga- founder of the school of logic and Dharmpala- the Brahmin scholar, taught here.

The famous Chinese traveller and scholar, Hieun-Tsang stayed here and has given a detailed description of the situations prevailing at that time. Careful excavation of the place has revealed many stupas, monasteries, hostels, stair cases, meditation halls, lecture halls and many other structures which speak of the splendour and grandeur this place enjoyed, when the place was a centre of serious study.

The Ruins Of Nalanda University

The ruins of Nalanda university is spread over an area of 14 hectares. This university was totally built with Red Bricks. The Nalanda University attracted scholars from all over the world.

Mahananda Weir wild life Sanctuary, Sukna

18 kms form Siliguri, a place, deep inside forest & nature a good picnic spot.

Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall

Hieun Tsang was a Chinese traveller, who came to India in around 5th century. He has given a very detailed and vivid description of the Indian political and social conditions at that time. His writing is considered to be one of the most authentic sources of information of that period. Hieun Tsang was also attracted by the glory of Nalanda University. He came and stayed here, both as a student and as a teacher. As a student, he studied Yoga for six years under Acharya Shil Bhadra. He was in Nalanda for twelve years. The memorial has been built in his memory.

Surya Mandir

Near the University of Nalanda, is a temple dedicated to the Sun God. This temple has a number of statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities. The five feet high statue of Parvati is of particular interest and attraction.

The Museum

This museum was established in 1971 and has a good collection of ancient manuscripts and Buddhist statues. The manuscripts kept here were found during the excavation of area and many of them are rare in appearance and style. The museum also displays the culture of the Hindu society during the Maurya, Gupta and other periods.

Nav Nalanda Vihar

To keep alive the ancient tradition of spreading knowledge, Bihar Government has set up a Pali Institute near the ancient university. In this institute, Indian as well as foreign students study and do research work. This institute was established in 1951, near the famous Lotus Pond. This Institute has been attracting students from Japan, Sri Lanka, Korea, Tibet, Bhutan, Indonesia etc. Mainly students do research work on Buddhism and Pali here.

By Air

The nearest Airport is that of Patna, which is 90 kms away.

By Rail

The Nalanda Railway Station is on the branch route of Bhaktiyarpur-Rajgir section of the Eastern Railway.

By Road

Nalanda is well connected by roads to other parts of the state. Particularly from Patna the bus services are good. The Bihar State tourism Department has its buses running from Nalanda to other parts of the state.

Vaishali derives its name from King Vishal, whose story of valour is narrated in the Ramayana. History accounts that when Pataliputra was the capital of Magadha, Vaishali emerged as a center of trade, industry and commerce. The world's first democracy with a duly elected council-- Vajji, had its seat of administration in Vaishali.
Ashoka Stupa
Being associated with Buddha and Jain Tirthankars, Vaishali has emerged as a historical and scenic place. Lord Buddha came thrice here and also gave his last sermon at Vaishali. Amrapali, a courtesan, gifted a mango grove to Buddha and later she became a Buddhist nun. Vaishali was also the venue for the second Buddhist council, 100 years after the death of Buddha.

Vaishali is also considered to be the birthplace of Jain Tirthankar, Mahavira, by the Swetambar sect of Jains. Many historical monuments and material were found in the excavations at Vaishali.

Ashokan Pillar

Also known as the 'Singh Stambh' or Lion Pillar, this pillar is supposed to have been built by Emperor Ashoka. This pillar is one of the masterpieces in the art of sculpting. Four lions crown this pillar. These lions form the national emblem of India.

The Fort of King Vishal

This one kilometer long fort is said to have housed the parliament of olden times. This fort is named after King Vishal. The fort was a part of the oldest democracy in the world. The construction of this fort is worth giving a look.

Buddhist Stupa Museum

The museum of Vaishali is worth visiting. This museum houses some of the excavated artifacts from Vaishali.

Abhishek Pushkarni

About the Abhishek Pushkarni , it is said that a king was anointed with the water of this tank before his coronation. Then there are the Stupas, and the Dargah of Miran ji, which are some of the tourist places in Vaishali. The stupas found in Vaishali had stone caskets, which contained the relics of Buddha.

By Air

The nearest airport is that of Patna and no direct air service is available for Vaishali. The Patna Airport is just 55 kms from Vaishali.

By Rail

Vaishali does not have direct railway station. The North Eastern railway stations of Patna, Muzzaffarpur and Hajipur are railheads from where the onward journey to various places in India can be carried out.

By Road

The place is well connected by roads and regular bus services are available from Patna and other near by towns.