Tourist Places in Bihar
There are many states in India, and every state has its beauty and specialty. Similarly, Bihar, which is one of the 28 states of India, is a very beautiful state, but many people do not know it very well about Bihar. Due to this, many people think that there are not many tourists and popular places in Bihar. This article will discuss the best tourist places in Bihar to visit.
1. Patna
Patna, the capital of Bihar, is one of the best tourist places in Bihar. In Patna, there are many places to visit. From temples to palaces, all are found in Patna. This city is situated on the banks of the river Ganges, which further enhances the beauty of this city. You can spend a pleasant evening sitting here on the banks of the Ganges. This city is one of the oldest cities in the whole world. Today Patna is a very important place in India, and not only this, but this place was also one of the most important places in history. Patna was earlier known as Pataliputra, and every year thousands of people come here to visit this place. Patna is a very holy place for Sikhs as it is the place where the last, i.e., the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh, was born. Moreover, it is also a very sacred place for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. Some best places to visit in Patna with family and friends and spend quality time with them are:-
- Gandhi Ghat
- Patna Sahib Gurudwara
- Revolving restaurant
- Golghar
- Bihar Museum
- Indira Gandhi Planetarium
- Patna Museum
- Srikrishna Science Centre
- Sanjay Gandhi Botanical Garden
- Patan Devi Temple
- Kumhrar
- Gandhi Sanghrahalaya
- Mahavir Mandir
- Padri Ki Haveli
- Buddha Smriti Park
- Eco Park, and many more.
2. Bodh Gaya
Whenever we talk about the most important and best tourist places in Bihar, Bodh Gaya’s name comes to everyone’s mind. Bodh Gaya is a small village in the Gaya district of Bihar, and its distance is about 120 Km from Patna. Bodh Gaya is a Buddhist pilgrimage site; lakh pilgrims visit this place every year. Four places are very important for the follower of Gautam Buddha, and this place is one of them.
It is said that in Bodh Gaya, Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. Moreover, Bodh Gaya is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a place where a lot of tourists come from Japan and China. Near Neranjana river Bodh Gaya is located, and in ancient times this place was also known as Uruwela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana, or Mahabodh. Some best places to visit in Bodh Gaya with family and friends and spend quality time with them are:-
- The Mahabodhi Temple
- Lord Buddha statue
- Tibetan Refugee Market
- Bodhi Tree
- Thai Monastery, and many more.
3. Gaya
Gaya is situated on the banks of the river Falgu. Like Bodh Gaya, this city is also very beautiful. This city is also a very holy place; in Gaya, lakhs of devotees come every year. Moreover, the distance between Gaya and Bodh Gaya is approx. 20 Km and its distance from Patna is approx. 117 KM.
Gaya is a very holy place for Hindus, and it is considered a very holy place to do Pind-Daan. It is said that Lord Rama had come to Gaya to do Pind Daan of his father Dasharath along with his brother Lakshmana and wife Sita. In Gaya, there are many places to visit. Some of them are:-
- Mangla Gauri temple,
- Vishnupad Temple,
- Tibetan Monastery,
- Barabar Caves,
- Dungeshwari Cave Temples,
- Thai Temple and Monastery
- Royal Bhutan Monastery, and many more.
4. Nalanda
Nalanda is one of the most famous or popular places in Bihar. This place is approx. 100 Km from Patna and near Rajgir. Nalanda is famous worldwide due to Nalanda University, the world’s first residential university. Nalanda University is India’s first university or, in other words, the oldest University in India. Students from different countries used to come to study at this university. Most of the students came from China and Japan.
This university was built or founded by Kumargupta I, who was a great ruler of the Gupta Empire. This university was founded in the 5th century, and students were taught in this university till the 13th century. It is said that every subject was taught in this university, and more than 90000 books used to be in this university’s library. Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji set fire to this university in the year 1197 and killed thousands of Buddhist monks. It is said that even after 3 months of fire, the library of this university was not extinguished. Millions of books were burnt to ashes in that fire, including many important books. Today this place comes under one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In 2010, the Government of India decided to revive this university, and also, a contemporary Nalanda University was established in Rajgir. With your family and friends, you can visit this place and know more about this burnt university.
5. Rajgir
There are many places to visit in Bihar, but Rajgir or Rajagriha is the most popular place in Bihar. This is one of the most attractive places in Bihar. The distance between Rajgir form Patna is 100 Km, and the distance from Nalanda is 15 Km approx. Girivraj is another name for Rajgir. Rajgir means king’s house or king’s adobe. It is a very beautiful place to visit and enjoy with family and friends. Here you will find many things to explore. There was a time when Rajgir was the capital of ancient India. Magadha, which was one of the 16 Mahajanapadas, had its first capital Rajgir. It is a very famous place for Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
It is said that Jarasandha, who was the great ruler of the Magadha dynasty, and Rajgir was the place where the battle between Bhima and Jarasandha happened. And Shri Krishan also came to this place along with Pandavas. Munisuvrata, the 20th Tirthankar of Jain Dharam, was also born in Rajgir. Mahavir and Gautam Buddha gave many of their sermons in Rajgir, and King Bimbisara offered a monastery to Gautam Buddha in Rajgir. So in this way, Rajgir is a very popular place for the people of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
You will feel peace in Rajgir, and this place is situated in a lush green valley and surrounded by rocky hills. Apart from this, you will get to see many mysterious places like Garam Kund here. If you are in Rajgir, then you must see these places and take yourself to a different world.
- Japanese Stupa or Vishwa Shanti Stupa
- Gridhakuta or Vulture’s Peak
- Rajgir Ropeway
- Bimbisara Jail
- Veerayatan Museum
- Cyclopean Walls
- Saptaparni Caves
- Sonabhandar caves
- Seven hot springs or Saptarshi
- Ghora Katora Lake
- Ajatshatru Fort
- Glass Bridge
- Pandu Pokhar
- Jarasandha Ka Akhara,
- Navlakha Palace, and many more.
6. Pawapuri
Pavapuri is another holy place on the soil of Bihar. This place is near Rajgir (about 20 Km) and 100 Km from Patna. It is one of the most sacred places for the followers of Jainism because it is here that Mahavira took nirvana; in other words, this is a place where Mahavira had spent the last moments of his life. Apart from all this, there are many things to see and explore. The Jal Mandir of Pawapuri is very famous in Bihar and all over India and is dedicated to the 24th Tirthankara and the founder of the Jain religion, Lord Mahavira. Apapapuri is another name for this place which means sinless town.
7. Vaishali
Vaishali is a small district in Bihar, and the distance between Vaishali and Patna is only 32 Km. Historically, Vaishali is also known for having been the World’s first democratic republic. Vaishali is a very sacred place for Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. It is the place where Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara and founder of Jainism, was born. It is also said that this is the place where Buddha gave his last sermon. In Vaishali, there is one temple known as Ramchaura temple. Here footprints of Lord Ram were found, and due to this, Vaishali is also a sacred place for Hinduism. Furthermore, the Ashok pillar is also found. The district headquarter of Vaishali is Hajipur, and the banana of this place is very popular in the world. Some best places to visit in Vaishali are:-
- The Ashoka pillar
- Vishwa Shanti Stupa
- Buddha’s stupa
- Vishal Fort or Vishal’s Garh, and many more.
8. Sasaram or Sahasram
Sasaram is a city in the Rohtas district of Bihar. It is a very popular and beautiful place. Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Suri Empire, was born here, and when Sher Shah Suri took control from the Mughals in the year 1540, then he made Sasaram the capital of the Sur dynasty. One of the oldest forts in the world and the oldest Fort in India, Rohtasgarh Fort, is located here. Also, when Sher Shah Suri ruled India, then Rohtasgarh Fort was his capital palace.
Apart from all this, there are many tourist places in Sasaram where you can enjoy nature. This is the perfect place for nature lovers, tourists, and photographers because, in Sasaram, there are several waterfalls, forts, and rivers, which makes it a perfect place for any photographer, and tourist. Gautam Buddha also stayed at this place for several days, and due to this, Sasaram is also a sacred place for Buddhism followers, apart from natural beauty. The distance between Sasaram and Patna is approx. 150 Km, and it takes 4 hrs to reach Sasaram from Patna.
Some best place to visit in Sasaram is:
- Shershah Suri’s Tomb
- Maa Tara Chandi Temple
- Tomb of Hasan Khan Sur
- Tons Falls
- Dhua Kund
- Ganesh Temple
- Rohtasgarh Fort
- Tomb of Chandan Shaheed
- Tutrahi Waterfalls
- Shergarh, and many more.
9. Valmiki National Park and Valmiki Tiger Reserve
Bihar’s only national park is located in the West Champaran district of Bihar, which is spread over 898.45 km2. Valmiki National Park is approx. 100 Km from, Bettiah city, which is the nearest city to Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
The forest area of Valmiki Nagar is also known as Bhainsa Lotan. The owner of this area was Bettiah Raj and Ramanagar Raj till the year 1950. Then in the year 1978, it was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary, and in 1990, Valmiki National Park was established. Valmiki National Park or Valmiki Tiger Reserve is the 18th Tiger Reserve in the country. Various types of animals, birds, and plants are found here.
If you are a nature lover and want to see different types of fauna and flora, then this place is for you. Here you may see Bengal Tiger, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic black bear, Indian sloth bear, Otter, Indian Leopard, Wild dog, Wild water buffalo, Deer, Wild boar, Pythons, King cobras, Krait, Banded kraits, Kalij pheasant, three-toed quail, Paradise Flycatcher, Grey shrike, green willow warbler, Tree pipit, and many more. In addition, you can do many activities with your family. If you are in Bihar, then somehow make time for this beautiful place.
10. Champaran
Champaran is divided into two districts: East Champaran and another is west Champaran. The East Champaran district headquarter is in Motihari, 150 Km from Patna, and the West Champaran district headquarter is in Bettiah, 45 Km from Motihari. West Champaran is the largest district in Bihar.
It is a very beautiful place to visit. This is the same land in India from where Mahatma Gandhi started the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917. Raxaul, a town in East Champaran, shares an open border with Nepal.
The world’s largest Buddha Stupa is located in Kesaria Town of East Champaran. The birthplace of famous writer George Orwell is also in Motihari. Apart from all these, if you are a food lover and also like to eat non-veg, you should try the Ahuna Meat or handi meat of Champaran, which is very delicious. If you are in Bihar or near Champaran, then go and visit various tourist places in Champaran and enjoy yourself with your family and friends. Some best places to visit in Champaran include:-
- Buddhist Stupa, Kesariya
- Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Motihari
- George Orwell Monument, Motihari
- Ashokan Pillar, Lauria Areraj
- Nandangarh, Lauriya
- Someshwar Shiv Mandir, Areraj, and many more.