Patna
Initially known as
Patliputra, sprawled along the southern banks of Ganga, Patna is the capital of
Bihar. The beehive shaped Gol ghar, a granary built to store surpluses against
possible famines, is the main landmark of the city. The Patna city museum
exhibiting old sculptures, paintings and other archeological finds; the Har
Mandir, one of the holiest Sikh shrines; Kumrahar, a small village on the south
of Patna are amongst the other places of interest. Excursions include Vaishali a
small town known to be the birthplace of Mahavir, one of the Jain Tirthankars;,
Nalanda, famous for its remains of Buddhist schools and monasteries; Rajgir,
also having remains of Buddhist ruins and the place where Buddha attained
Nirvana; Bodhgaya and Varanasi, both major religious centers for Buddhist and
Hindu pilgrims.
Vaishali
In Vaishali which is also the birthplace of Lord
Mahavir there are the ruins of two stupas which were built to
commemorate the Second Buddhist Council. The impressive Lion Capital was
raised by Ashoka to commemorate the Buddha's last sermon. There are also
Jain temples and a museum.
Sight Seeing Places:
Asoka Pillar, Buddha Stupas, Raja Vishal House, Coronation Tank, Bawan Pokhar
Mandir and Hari Katora Mandir, Miyanji Ki Dargah.
Baidyanath Dham (Deoghar)
Deo
Ghar meaning the House of the God, situated in the Santhal Parganas of
Jhar Khand is an important center of Hindu pilgrimage, having the
ancient temple of Baba Baidyanath - one of the twelve Jyotir lingams in
India. For centuries, devotees of Lord Shiva, in the month of Shravana
undertake a rigorous 100 kms pilgrimage by foot from Ajgaibinath to
offer Holy Water to Baba Baidyanath. The pilgrimage is than completed
with the homage paid at Basukinath a temple one hour away from
Baidyanath.
Sight Seeing & Religious Places:
Baidyanath Temple, Nandan Pahad, Naulakha Temple, Satsang Ashram, Tapovan, Basakinath
Mandir, Harila Joria, Trikut, Santhal Parganas Gramodyog Samittee, Balanand Ashram Yogyashala.
Gaya
A place of religious
sanctity for Hindus, Gaya lies 12 kms from Bodhgaya between Pretshila
and Ramshila hills and is washed by the shores of river Phalgu. Gaya has
a large number of Buddhist temples also. While Buddha was doing severe
penance, he became weak, tired and hungry. He rested under a tree where
he was offered food by a condemned village woman named Sujata. To
everybody's surprise Buddha accepted her offerings. Legend has it, that
after having consumed the food, Buddha's countenance assumed a divine
glow and he realised the Supreme Truth; that neither extreme self
indulgence nor self mortification is ever required. What is needed is to
follow the Middle Path. Sujata Sthan or Durgeshwari Temple stands as a
symbol commemorating this event. In the vicinity of Bodhgaya, there are
several other places of tourist interest such as the Surya Temple at
Deo, 20 kms from Gaya; the Sun God Temple at Urnya; the Konchishwar Maha
Deva temple at Konch; Barabar Caves just 40 kms away; the Buddhist
Rock-Cut Caves of 3rd Century B.C. at Sasaram, 123 kms away. As a
pilgrimage centre, Gaya is second only to Varanasi, for Hindus believe
whoever makes offerings here will free their ancestors from bondage to
the earth. In Bodhgaya stands the descendant of the bodhi tree under
which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Buddhist pilgrims from all
over world come here throughout the year. The main temple is the Maha
Bodhi Temple, originally erected by Emperor Ashoka in the third century
BC but restored only in 1882. Some Buddhist countries have built
monasteries in this area in their native styles.
Bodhgaya
It was in Bodhgaya
under the Bodhi tree that Gautama the prince attained enlightenment to become
Buddha. King Ashoka erected a shrine near the Bodhi tree which was replaced by
Maha Bodhi Temple in the 2nd century BC. It houses a gilded image of the Buddha
in the pose signifying enlightenment; there are carvings on the stupas depicting
tales from Buddha's lives. The original Bodhi tree was said to have been
destroyed and the present tree behind the temple complex is believed to come
from the sapling which was carried to Sri Lanka from the original tree and then
brought back to Bodhgaya.
Places Of Interest:
Maha Bodhi Temple & Other Buddhist Monateries.
Nalanda
The site of Nalanda was
one of the greatest monastic universities of the ancient world.
Established in the 5th century B.C. it remained a live center of
learning till the 12th century A.D. when it was destroyed by the invader
Bakhtiar Khilji. Lord Mahavir and the Buddha both taught here for years.
Hsuan Tsang the Chinese traveler studied here in the 7th century A.D.
and there is a monument in his memory. He was one amongst many of those
from East and Southeast Asia who came here to study logic, meta physics,
medicine, prose composition and rhetoric. The university of Nalanda
offered free educational and residential facilities to as many as 10,000
students and 2000 teachers, for it was supported by a number of
villages. Its library Ratna Sagar is believed to have contained nine
million volumes. It is not surprising that the destruction of this
university dealt a crippling blow to Buddhist education in India.
Excavations have revealed nine levels of occupation. Spread over 15
hectares stand the ruins of six temples, eleven monasteries, the
Sariputra Stupa built by Ashoka to honor the Buddha's first disciple,
Ananda, and scattered chaitya or prayer halls. Sculptures has relief's
and frescoes are still to be seen amongst the ruins. In 1951 an
international center for Buddhist studies was founded. Another modern
institution is the Nava Nalanda Mahavir Research Centre treasuring many
rare manuscripts. There is also a museum and a Thai Temple.
Tourism in States & Cities of India
Golden Triangle
