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Bihar

Population: 97 million
Capital: Patna
Area: 173,877 sq km
Best Time to Visit: October to March
Main Language: Hindi
Literacy Rate: 38%

At one time, Patna was the capital of a good part of India. The name Bihar comes from the word vihara, “monastery.” Bihar is the place where Buddhism was born. There are also important holy places in relation to the Hindu and Jain religions.

Not many travelers come to Bihar, but pilgrims come to visit Bodhgaya, the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. Besides Bodhgaya, there are several other Buddhist places in Bihar: Nalanda, where there was a great Buddhist University, Rajgir, and Vaishali. Many people travel through Patna on their way to Kathmandu and Nepal.

Sonepur
Sonepur, 24km north of Patna, there is a month-long cattle fair in October and November. This is most likely the biggest cattle fair in Asia. Other animals are also traded, including elephants, horses, and camels. The fair takes place around the full moon day of Karttika (Oct–Nov), on which day it is considered auspicious to take bath at the confluence of the Ganges and Gandaki rivers located nearby. Many people go at this time to the nearby Hariharnath Temple, dedicated to the combined form of Vishnu and Siva.
Thousands of performers come and perform folk dancing, magic shows, and sing. Bihar Tourism sets up a Tourist Village, which contains high-class tents with bath in which people can stay.

Nalanda
There was a great Buddhist University, dating back to the 5th century, in xe "Nalanda" Nalanda, 90km southeast of Patna. All that is left is the ruins of the impressive university, which had 1,500 teachers and 8,500 students. Buddhist and Brahminical scriptures, medicine, Sanskrit, and logic were taught at the university. The Buddha and Mahavir visited Nalanda.

The Buddhist University once had a library containing nine million manuscripts. It was destroyed in 1199 by the Afghan Bhaktiar Khalji, who killed many of the teachers and students and burned and sacked the university.

The site of the university was hidden for centuries under a large hill, only to be rediscovered in 1860. Excavation began in 1916 and took twenty years to complete. The site includes the ruins of temples, stupas, and eleven monasteries. Entry is Rs 5 to the site, which is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm. The Archaeological Survey’s book on Nalanda gives a detailed description of this site.

In the Nalanda Archaeological Museum (10 am to 5 pm) there is a good collection of Buddhist and Hindu stone sculptures, terra-cottas, coins, and bronze. Many of the items date from the Gupta and Pala (8th to 10th centuries) periods.

Practicalities
The best place in town is Bihar Tourism’s Gautam Vihar. It is fairly ordinary, but it has some A/C rooms. The Tathaghat Vihar has simple rooms. The Ajatashatru Vihar has basic dorms only.
There are also several other basic places.
Nalanda is 90km southeast of Patna and 15km from Rajgir, which has a railway station.

Pawapuri
This is an important pilgrimage site for Jains. Mahavir, the last tirthankara of the Jain religion, died and was cremated here. It is said that so many people took the dirt from around where he was cremated that the tank was dug. In the middle of the tank is the marble Jal Mandir Temple. You can get a bus from Rajgir to Pawapuri.

Vaishali
Buddha preached his last sermon here and announced his coming parinirvana. Buddha visited xe "Vaishali" Vaishali, 55km north of Patna, three times during his life. Vaishali is also the birthplace of Mahavira (599 BC), one of the Jain tirthankars. A century after the Buddha passed away, in 383 BC, the Second Buddhist Council was held here. Vaishali is in the ancient land of Mithila.

At the main site is the Coronation Tank (Kharauna Pokhar), the water from which was used to anoint the ruler of Vaishali at his coronation. Next to the tank is the small Vaishali Archaeological Museum (open daily except Fri 10 am to 5 pm), which has sculptures, terra-cottas, pottery, and coins. Close by is an ancient Buddhist stupa, said to contain Buddha’s ashes.

Ashoka erected one of his famous pillars at Kolhua, 2km away. The 18.3m high pillar is made of highly polished red sandstone and has a life-sized lion carved on top. It is one of only two of the Ashoka pillars that still remain in their original place.

Nearby, Ram Kund (also called Monkey Tank) is said to have been dug by monkeys who offered Buddha a bowl of honey. There is also the ruin of a large stupa here.

There is a temple at Basarh by Bavan Pokhar tank.

A wall about 1km long surrounds the ruins of Raja Vishala ka Garh. The Parliament House was large enough to hold over 7,000 representatives. The 4th century Chaumukhi Mahadeva Temple at Kamman Chapra, has a four-faced Siva.

Practicalities
Places to stay are the Tourist Bungalow (75/125), PWD Rest House (125), Youth Hostel, and a Jain Dharamshala.
From Patna (55km) there are direct buses to Vaishali that depart from the Gandhi Nagar bus stand. You can also get a bus first to Hajipur (35km) or Sonepur, and then from there you take a crowded, shared taxi to Vaishali. The nearest railway junctions are Hajipur (35km) and Muzaffarpur (36km).
A Bihar Tourism tour from Patna comes here. A roundtrip taxi from Patna is about Rs 800.

Ranchi
Phone Code: 0651
xe "Ranchi"Ranchi is considered to be a hill station, but it is really a fairly fast moving place. It is 650m above sea level. Nearby is the interesting Jagannath Temple in Jagannathpur.

Information
The Tourist Office (314-826) is at the Hotel Birsa, Main Rd.
There are nice waterfalls in the area. Holiday Travellers (300–573), Patel Chowk, offers a tour of them, as occasionally does Bihar Tourism. Hundru Falls (44km) is one of the best. Also good are Dassamghagh Falls (35km) and Johna Falls (40km). The falls are best seen right after the monsoon.

Where to Stay
Most of the hotels are near the bus stand.
Hotel Paradise has rooms for Rs 150/175.
Hotel Konark (307-840) has clean rooms with a bath for Rs 175/200. It has a good restaurant.
Raj (22613), 57A Main Rd, has rooms for Rs 500/600. It has a vegetarian restaurant.
Hotel Yuvraj (502-842; fax 500-328) has rooms for Rs 500/600. It has a good restaurant.
Hotel Yuvraj Palace (500-326; fax 500-328), close by, has central A/C and rooms for Rs 1000/1200.
Ranchi Ashok (500-441; fax 500-424) is a fairly higher-class, central A/C place with rooms for Rs 1700/2200.
Krishna, Church Complex, Main Rd, is a recommended vegetarian restaurant.

Travel
Indian Airlines office (206-160), 4 Welfare Centre Enclave, has flights to Delhi, Calcutta, and Patna. The airport is 10km from the city center (Rs 100 by taxi).
There are trains departing from here to Delhi, Calcutta, Patna and other places.
There are buses to Gaya (7 hr), Hazairbagh Park (3 hr), and Dattoganj (160km west), for Palamau National Park.

Jagannathpur
There is a famous Jagannath Temple on a hillside here, built in the same style as the Jagannath temple in Puri. Each year, as in Puri, they hold a Ratha-yatra (cart festival) in June/July. Jagannathpur is 10km southwest of Ranchi.

Palamau National Park
This park, 170km west of Ranchi, has about sixty tigers and many wild elephants. It also has leopards, gaurs (bison), nilgais, wild boars, wild dogs, and wolves.

The best viewing time is from October to April, especially from March to April.
Visitors can take a jeep safari around the park or view the animals from a hide or tower. A jeep can be arranged in Betla, where the main gate is located.

The best way to explore the park is on the back of an elephant in the early morning. Elephant rides depart at 5.30 and 7 am (1 hr, Rs 50). Jeep and cars (Rs 50 admission) can also enter the park. A guide (Rs 20 per hour) must accompany visitors. It is possible to enter the park at night. Spotlights are used to see the animals.

Practicalities
There are places to stay in Betla, at the park’s entrance. Shyama Lodge, Janata, is a budget place. There are some other basic guest houses in the area.

There are Forest Rest Houses in various places in the park and around the area. Rooms with bath go for around Rs 200/250. They should be reserved in advance with either the Field Director, Project Tiger, Palamau, Daltongarh, or with Division Forest Officer, Daltongarh.

Van Vihar has good-sized rooms for Rs 350/400 and Rs 500/600 with A/C. It has a restaurant. You can often see deer from here.

Naihar has a nice garden and A/C rooms for Rs 450/600. Dorm beds are Rs 100. It has a restaurant.

There is a railway station in Daltongunj, 25km away. There are buses from Ranchi and Gaya (240km north) to here.

Hazaribagh
Near this town is the Hazaribagh National Park (19km north), which is part of Project Tiger. The park protects tigers, leopards, sambars, nilgais, wild boars, chitals, and deer. The best time to visit is between February and April. There are several hides and towers for viewing the animals.
Hotel Upkar (06546-2246) has rooms for Rs 175/225. There are several places to stay in Hazaribagh.
Forest Rest Houses in the park are very basic. You should reserve them with the Division Forest Officer, Hazaribagh. The Tourist Lodge is in Hazaribagh Park.
There are buses to Gaya (4 hr).

Parasnath
Parasnath, one of the main Jain pilgrimage places in India, is where Parasnath, the 23th Jain tirthankara attained nirvana. It is on the border with West Bengal, 30km west of Dhanbad, near the Calcutta-Gaya railway line.
There are twenty-four temples dedicated to the Jain tirthankars. The temples are on top of a hill at the altitude of 1166m. It is a difficult walk up to the top of the hill. It is possible to be carried up.

Raxaul
This unclean, boring town is used by travelers as a stop to and from Nepal.

The Indian Immigration Office is open 4 am to 10 pm. Visitors must have their passports stamped upon leaving the country.

There is no legal place to change money in Raxaul.
Hotel Ajanta (22019), Ashram Rd, near the border, has basic rooms for Rs 175/225 and Rs 350 with A/C.

Buses depart to Patna from Laxmipur, 3km south, hourly.

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