Bodhgaya
The magnificent Unesco World Heritage-listed Mahabodhi Temple, marking the hallowed ground where Buddha attained enlightenment and formulated his…
Must-see attractions in Bihar
Bihar
Housed in a majestic colonial-era building, this museum contains a splendid collection of Mauryan and Gupta stone sculptures, some beautiful bronze…
Bihar
This massive, bulbous granary was built by the British army in 1786 and was being restored at the time of writing. The idea behind its construction was to…
Bodhgaya
Undoubtedly, the most sacred fig tree ever to grace the Earth was the Bodhi Tree at Bodhgaya, under which Prince Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism,…
Bihar
Set in a landscaped park, Kolhua comprises a large, hemispherical brick stupa guarded by a lion squatting atop a 2300-year-old Ashoka pillar. The pillar…
Bihar
Allow an hour or two for wandering the extensive ruins at Nalanda – they’re peaceful and well maintained with a parklike atmosphere of clipped lawns and…
Bihar
This peaceful 9-hectare park, inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 2010, is notable for its massive sandblasted charcoal stupa (₹50), which houses a unique,…
Bihar
Buddha is thought to have preached the Lotus sutra on this rock outcrop. There are some faint remains of a 1500-year-old stupa, some prayer flags and a…
Bodhgaya
This 80ft-high Japanese-style statue of the Buddha seated in a lotus posture towers above a pleasant garden at the end of Temple St. The impressive…
Bihar
This impressive museum, one of the largest in south Asia, has three history galleries, plus displays on contemporary art and ethnic groups of Bihar. It…
Bihar
The Nalanda archaeological museum is small but has some fascinating finds, including the Nalanda University seal and a host of sculptures and bronzes…
Bihar
This 5th-century stupa, originally 12m tall, is now in ruins, but it was once one of the eight locations in which Buddha's ashes were buried. The…
Bihar
Rising high out of the earth from where the dying Buddha donated his begging bowl, the enormous Kesariya Stupa is an enthralling example of how nature can…
Bodhgaya
This fairly nondescript cave in the Pragbodhi Hills northeast of Bodhgaya is where Buddha is said to have spent seven years living as an ascetic, almost…
Bihar
Sher Shah was a warrior who briefly seized power from the Mughal emperors in 1540 to become the ruler of the Suri empire for five years. If you’re…
Bihar
One potential excursion from Patna is to hire a taxi to this architecturally elegant three-storey mausoleum fronted by a large tank, 30km west of Patna…
Bihar
You'll have to rely heavily on your imagination to envisage what was once one of the greatest cities in the ancient world, ruled by kings Ajatasatru (491…
Bodhgaya
The huge Sujata Kuti stupa, across the Falgu River from Bodhgaya, was built to commemorate the residence of Sujata, the cow-herder who fed the starving…
Bihar
Constructed in 1965, this blazing-white, 40m stupa stands atop Ratnagiri Hill about 5km south of town. Recesses in the stupa feature golden statues of…
Bihar
Close to the banks of the Falgu River south of town, this stone-spired temple was constructed in 1787 by Queen Ahilyabai of Madhya Pradesh and houses a…
Bihar
A 40-minute uphill hike from the back of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple takes you past Jain and Hindu temples to this atmospheric cave and natural rock…
Bihar
Next to the Lakshmi Narayan Temple complex (on your left as you approach the temple), the Jaipur-pink Buddha Jal Vihar is a limpid green pool set in well…
Bodhgaya
The richly decorated Bhutanese Monastery is unique in having images of the kings of Bhutan and the bearded Zhabdrung, Bhutan's religious leader, as well…
Bihar
About 2km from the archaeological museum is the huge Xuan Zang Memorial Hall, built by the Chinese in honour of the famous Chinese pilgrim-traveller who…
Bihar
Brave the 423 steps to reach the summit of this hill 1km southwest of the Vishnupad Temple, where Buddha is said to have delivered his fire sermon. The…
Bodhgaya
This museum contains a number of (mostly headless) stone Buddhist sculptures dating from the 8th to 12th centuries, but the highlight is the collection of…
Bodhgaya
The most impressive of Bodhgaya's Tibetan-style monasteries is the Tergar Monastery of the Karmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Karmapa is often in…
Bodhgaya
The impressive Thai Temple has a brightly coloured wat with gold leaf shimmering from its arched rooftop and manicured gardens. Meditation sessions are…
Bihar
These foundations mark the jail in which King Bimbisara was imprisoned until his death by his son Ajatashatru. Bimbisara was the first king to adopt…
Bodhgaya
This Nyingma-school Tibetan monastery is notable for its large stupa dedicated to Tibetan lama Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and containing bone fragments of…
Bihar
This impressive, modern whitewashed pagoda built in 1996 by Japanese Buddhists dominates the Vaishali area.
Bodhgaya
This lovely temple is an exercise in quiet Japanese understatement and has meditation at 5pm.
Bihar
Hindu pilgrims visit this temple, about 2km south of town (turn right out of the bus stand and keep walking), to enjoy the health benefits of the hot…
Bihar
Just outside Nalanda you’ll find the striking Nandyavarta Mahal at Kundalpur, believed by the Digambar Jain sect to be the birthplace of Lord Mahavira,…
Bihar
This pleasant park just north of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple marks the site of the bamboo grove given to Buddha by King Bimbisara, thus considered by many…
Bihar
About 1km from Lakshmi Narayan Temple (turn left out of the temple, then first left), this Jain museum tells the history of each of the 24 Jain…
Bihar
Legend attributes these caves to the treasury of King Bimbisara but actually they are a series of Jain meditation caves, bare except for a couple of stone…
Bihar
The small museum at Vaishali contains some fine 1000-year-old Buddhist statuary and an intriguing 1st- to 2nd-century AD toilet pan. It also has an…
Bodhgaya
Within the Mahabodhi Temple complex, there's a well-manicured Meditation Park for those seeking extra solitude, though it lacks the atmosphere of the main…
Bihar
These ruined monastery foundations mark the mango grove given to Buddha by Jeevak Kaumarbhritya (525–450 BC), the court physician of Maghada.
