Bihar

Of all India’s states, Bihar is the one most intimately linked to the Buddha’s life, resulting in a trail of pilgrimages which have come to be known as the Buddhist circuit. The very name Bihar is derived from the word ’Vihara’, which means Buddhist monastery. The Buddhist trail begins at the capital city, Patna, where a noteworthy museum contains a collection of Hindu and Buddhist sculptures. The Khuda Baksh Oriental Library has rare Muslim manuscripts including some from the University of Cordoba in Spain. 40 km away, Vaishali was the site for the second Buddhist Council as the presence of ruins testify. 90 km south of Patna is Nalanda which translates as ’the place that confers the lotus’ (of spiritual knowledge). A monastic university flourished here from the 5th to the 11th century. It is said to have contained nine million books, with 2,000 teachers to impart knowledge to 10,000 students who came from all over the Buddhist world. Lord Buddha himself taught here and Hieun Tsang, the 7th century Chinese traveller, was a student. Ongoing excavations have uncovered temples, monasteries and lecture halls. 
Rajgir, ‘the royal palace’, 12 km south, was the venue for the first Buddhist Council. The Buddha spent five years at Rajgir after having attained enlightenment, and many of the remains at Rajgir commemorate various incidents, the hill of Gridhrakuta being perhaps the most important, as this is where the Buddha delivered most of his sermons. Bodhgaya is the spot where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, with the Mahabodhi Temple marking the precise location. Bihar’s Buddhist circuit has modest back-up facilities by way of accommodation, international dining and surface transport. (For those interested in the Buddhist circuit, it may be worthwhile to note that Sarnath, in Uttar Pradesh, close to Varanasi, is an important part of the circuit, and has been beautifully developed. Besides the excavated sites, a museum here houses several Buddhist icons, among them the Ashoka Lion, India’s national emblem).

Patna
The imperial city

Altitude : 53 metres.
Temperature (degree C) : Summer - Max. 43, Min. 21; Winter - Max. 20, Min. 6.
Rainfall : 120 cms.
Clothing : Summer - Cottons, Winter - Heavy Woollens.
Best Season : October to March.

Patna once called Pataliputra the capital of Bihar,is among the world's oldest capital cities with unbroken history of many centuries as imperial metropolis.
A very fertile arched stretch of land along the bank of the Ganga, the history and heritage of modern day Patna go back well over two millennia. Like Delhi, Patna too had been the regal seat of governance for successive kingdoms since ancient times. And to this day, it is the capital city of the state. As each ruler ascended in power and established dynastic glory, he gave his capital a new name. Thus the ancient Kusumpura metamorphosed through Pushpapura, Pataliputra, Azeemabad and now into Patna, a continuous history ranging from 6th century BC to present times - a record claimed by few cities in the world. It was Ajatshatru the Magadha king who first built a small fort in Pataligram on the bank of the Ganga in 6th century BC, which later blossomed into the ancient glory still to be seen in the neighbouring archaeological sites at Kumrahar. Bhiknapahari, Agamkuan, Bulandi Bagh and Kankar Bagh. Pataliputra dominated the political fortunes of the whole of north India between 6th century BC and 5th century AD, a fact established by archaeological excavations. After a temporary eclipse, in 16th century Sher Shah Suri returned the city to its former glory and established the present Patna. After the decline of the Mughals, the British too found Patna a convenient regional capital and built a modern extension to this ancient city and called it Bankipore. It was in Gandhi Maidan in this area that Mahatma Gandhi held his prayer meetings. 

Infrastructure
Air : I.A flights connect Patna with Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Lucknow, Ranchi.
Fare:- Calcutta-Patna Rs.1370 (Y), Rs.1697 (C). 
Rail: Patna is connected by rail to Bombay, Calcutta, Guwahati, Ranchi, Varanasi.
Fare:- Calcutta-Patna Rs.564 (AC-2A), Rs.423 (I), Rs.135 (II). 
Road: By road Patna to Nalanda-90 km, Rajgir-102 km, Pawapuri-90 km, Gaya-172 km Bodhgaya-179 km, Raxaul-210 km, Ranchi-335 km, Muzzafarpur-72 km, Sasaram- 152 km, Vaishali-56 km, Calcutta-653 km, Delhi-997 km. 
Bus : Regular direct bus services connect Patna to Calcutta, Rajgir, Nalanda, Pawapuri, Vaishali, Gaya-Bodhgaya, Ranchi, Raxaul, Muzzafarpur, Sasaram. 
Fare : Calcutta (Babughat) - Patna Rs.80-100/-. 
Local Transport : Auto Rickshaw, Cycle Rickshaw, Tonga, Bus and Unmetered Taxi. 
Conducted Tour : B.S.T.D.C. operates the following tours from B.S.T.D.C., C/O Paryatan Bhavan, Birchand Patel Path, Patna - 800 001,
1) Patna City Tour : Everyday except Monday, from 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs. Rs.50/- 
2) Rajgir-Nalanda-Pawapuri : Everyday, from 0800 hrs. to 2000 hrs. Fare: Rs.75/- 

Places to see

Kumrahar
Archaeological findings in this area establish Patna’s claim to over a thousand years of political glory -. 600 BC to 600 AD, and then again, 16th century onwards, spanning the rule of several dynasties. Very little of this grandeur remains though, except the remnants of a huge Mauryan hall supported by 80 sandstone pillars dating back to 400 - 300 BC. 

Golghar 
Alarmed by the famine of 1770, captain John Garstin built this huge granary for the British army in 1786. The massive structure is 29 m high and walls 3.6 m wide at the base. The stairway winding around this monument offers a magnificent panoramic view of the city and the Ganga flowing by. 

Har Mandir Takht 
It was in Patna, far from Punjab, where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs who consolidated the warrior sect, was born in 1660. The Har Mandir Takht, one of the four sacred shrines of the Sikhs, stands at this holy site, The original temple was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and contains belongings of the Guru and Sikh holy texts. As a sign of reverence, it is also called Patna Sahib by the Sikhs. 

Martyrs’ memorial
A memorial to seven freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives in "Quit India" movement of August 1942, it is a modern sculpture facing the Secretariat where they were shot in their attempt to hoist the national flag. 

Pathar ki Masjid 
Adjacent to’Har Mandir Sahib, this beautiful mosque was built by Parwez Shah, son of Jehangir, when he was the governor of Bihar. Situated on the bank of the Ganga, it is also called Saif Khan’s mosque, Chimmi Ghat mosque and Sangi Masjid. 

Sher Shah Suri Masjid
Sher Shah Suri built this mosque in 1545 to commemorate his reign. Built in Afghan architectural style, it is one of the many beautiful mosques in Bihar and a landmark in Patna.

Khuda Baksh Oriental Library
A magnificent one man collection of rare Arabic and Persian manuscripts, Rajput and Mughal paintings, assortment of old books and new books from the university of Cordoba, Spain, it is one of the national libraries of India now. 

Patna museum 
The museum contains a First World War cannon, metal and stone sculpture of Maurya and Gupta periods, Buddhist sculpture, terra-cotta figures. The famous Didarganj Yakshi of 3rd century BC and a 16 m long fossilised tree are some of its special possessions. 

Jalan museum 
Built at the old site of Sher Shah’s fart, it has an excellent collection of jade, Chinese paintings, Mughal glass and silver filigree carvings. It is a private collection and visitors need prior permission.
 
Sadaqat Ashram 
It is the headquarters of Bihar Vidyapeeth, a national university. India’s first President Dr.Rajendra Prasad lived here after his retirement and there is a small museum here displaying his personal belongings.
 
Maner 
About 29 km from Patna, Bari Dargah, is the cenotaph of the Sufi Saint Hazrat Makhdoom Yahiya Maner. The tomb of his disciple Shah Daulat is also here. It is an important pilgrimage place for Muslims during the annual urs. 
Other places of interest near Patna

Padri ki Haveli- an 18th century catholic church. 
Biological Park - a zoo cum botanical garden. 
Patna Yoga Vidyalaya. Patna School of Yoga - famed for excellence of Yoga teaching. 
Quila House (Museum), Laxmi Narayan Temple, Pathar-Ki-Masjid, Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, Rajendra Mueusm, Gandhi Museum.

Maner 29 kms, Sasaram 148 kms, Sonepur 25 kms, Vaishali 56 kms, Nalanda 90 kms, Rajgir 102 kms, Gaya 174 kms, Bodhgaya 179 kms. 

Informations
1. Bihar State Tourist Information Centre, Fraser Road, Patna. Tel : 25295.
2. Government Of India Tourist Office, Room No. 151, 162 Tourist Bhavan, Birchand Patel Path, Patna. Tel : 226721.
3. Bihar Tourist Information Centre, 26-B Camac Street, Calcutta 700016 Tel: 247-0821.