Dungeshwari Cave


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 dying from starvation in the process. There's not much to see but getting here is fun; either on a motorbike tour or on foot.

Guides and autorickshaw drivers in Bodhgaya offer a three-hour return trip here. On a motorbike you can return to Bodhgaya on village trails, stopping at a huge banyan tree and the Sujata stupa en route. It's also possible to hike here in two hours via Sujata, though you have to wade across the knee-high Fagu River en route. Ask frequent directions, head towards the obvious Pragbodhi Hills and then follow them north. A guide is a good idea.


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