Bihar

Like many ancient civilisations, the Indian way of life was also clustered around its magnificent rivers. Few rivers of the world have moulded the culture, economy and personality of the people evolving on their banks as has the great river Ganga.

Cutting straight across Bihar from west to east, the bounteous Ganga had made the region so fertile and plentiful that its natural prosperity nurtured a veritable fountainhead of political and cultural civilisations down the millennia. And, the unbelievable range and quantity of mineral wealth buried under the region certainly helped. To this day, the coal belt in Bihar is the mainstay of thermal energy in north India. Bihar has 41% of the total mineral wealth of India.

Here, kingdom after kingdom rose and fell, leaving their indelible mark on history. Rival kings fought legendary battles, devastating the land and people. Yet, by some strange alchemy, the same land saw the birth and maturity of some of the most gentle and progressive religious teachers like the Buddha, Mahavira and Guru Gobind Singh.

Then came the Muslims, ruling with panache for five centuries, to be eliminated in their turn by the ever expanding colonisation of the English, who ruled till the middle of this century.

Bihar today is a quaint interface of the old and new.
 

Sight Seeing
Patna is situated on a fertile stretch of land along the bank of Ganga, and boasts a cultural heritage dating back 2000 years. The capital of Bihar, Patna has been the seat of governance for the region through successive dynasties, from the Mauryas and Guptas to the Mughals and the British. Patna's claim to over a thousand years of political glory are justified by the 600 B.C to 600 A.D. archaeological findings in this area. However, precious little of this glorious past is in evidence today.

Gaya is one of the most important pilgrimages for Hindus. It is believed that a Hindu will attain salvation if his last rites are offered under the immortal banyan tree in the yard of Vishnupad temple.

Nalanda, one of the first universities anywhere in the world, was established in the 5th century B.C. Buddha is believed to have visited Nalanda a number of times as have many travellers like Hieun Tsang. At its height, Nalanda was a flourishing residential university with over 10,000 students and 1500 teachers. The original site is being excavated and the digs have revealed the ruins of 11 monasteries and several temples.

Rajgir is located in a green valley surrounded by rocky hills. The place is sacred to both Buddhists and Jains as the Buddha delivered his earliest sermons here and the Lord Mahavira visited it often. The first Buddhist council or enclave was held here in the Saptarni Cave, which is also the main source of the Rajgir hot water springs. A cable car provides access to the hilltop "Peace Pagoda" temple which was built by the Japanese.

Bodhgaya is where the Buddha attained enlightenment. This makes it one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. Apart from being a significant archaeological site, it is also a vital Buddhist centre. Devout Buddhists and tourists from all over the world visit Bodhgaya to study Buddhism and the art of meditation, or to simply absorb the aura of calm that surrounds the place.
 

How to get there
Air : Bihar has two airports at Patna connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Calcutta, and Katmandu. Indian Airlines and Sahara Airways have direct flights to Patna from Delhi.

Rail : Bihar has well developed railway network with almost all the major and minor places connected by good trains. Major railway stations like Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Gaya are connected to all the major cities of India by regular trains.

Road : There is good network of roads connecting all the major parts of the state with Patna, the state capital. National highways like 2, 31, 28, 23, 30, and 33 connect the state from places all over India. Distance of some of the major places in the state from Patna are Sonepur (25 km), Vaishali (55 km), Nalanda (90 km), Gaya (97 km), Bodhgaya (117 km) and Rajgir (102 km).
 

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