Touching Buddhahood: Buddhist Tours to Bihar

Do you want to visit the places that are of high importance in Buddhism? If you feel like going to one state and visit multiple places related to Buddhism, then Bihar is the ultimate place to land on. Bihar is one famous destination out of many, which can be visited to experience the mysterious religion of Buddhism. Buddhists have many places of importance dotted all across the world – one famous destination is Bihar.

Buddhist tours are very commonly routed through various sites of Bihar. Let us take a look at the Bihar Buddhist travel destinations that hold a high position in Buddhism.

Bodhgaya

Mahabodhi Temple (Photo: Pictures Pool)

Bodhgaya, often written as Bodh gaya, is the most crucial place for Buddhists all over the world.Bodhgaya is the place where the Lord of Buddhism, Gautam Buddha (Childhood name ‘Prince Siddhartha’) reached in search of truth. This is the place where the famous Bodhi tree is situated- the tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Bodhgaya is the place where Lord Buddha attained salvation or freedom from the circle of life and death.  There is no doubt about the sacred status of this place for it is the most sacred place in the world from a Buddhist point of view. The Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi tree are the key places to visit during your Bihar Buddhist travel to Bodhgaya. Buddhists from various nations like Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Nepal among others have made their monasteries all around the Mahabodhi temple – an interesting site to cherish!

Patna

Patna is the capital city of Bihar. There is a museum in Patna that features many important manuscripts as well as many Buddhist sculptures inside the premises. Each year, people interested in the practice of Buddhism reach Bihar to nurture their lives with the knowledge and learning of Buddhism. There are several statues, monks and manuscripts that throw light on the Bodhisattva and enlighten you with its practices and beliefs. Buddhist tours to Patna are commonly availed by people across the globe for these very reasons.

Nalanda

Nalanda is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India. (Photo: Siddhartha)

Visiting Bihar without making it to Nalanda during your Buddhist tour is not a great idea. Nalanda is famous for the ruins of prestigious Nalanda University, where students of all nationalities and ages swarmed to capture a glimpse of Buddhist teachings and preaching. It was a much looked upon center for knowledge as well as wisdom since ancient times. Also, Lord Buddha spent a considerable time in Nalanda, which give a sacred tinge to its importance.

Rajgiri

Griddhkuta Hill is very same one that was taken by Bimbisara several centuries ago. (Photo: Deepak Anand & Shalini Nigam)

It is the most serene town in Nalanda. This is the place in Nalanda where Lord Buddha spent many months. Rajgiri holds importance for other religions like Hinduism and Jainism apart from Buddhism. Griddhkuta Hill is the spot here where Lord Buddha meditated and preached from many months in a row for attain Buddhahood. During their Buddhist tour to Bihar, tourists can enjoy visiting various other temples of Hinduism and Jainism located here. Each year hundreds and thousands tourists reach Bihar to taken a glimpse through the ancient history of Buddhism. As per the Chief Minister of Bihar, this state is experiencing an increasing footfall every year.

Bihar is enlisted among the top ten tourist interest destinations in India, where it has even over- shadowed the famous tourist destination – Goa. Bihar has hosted International Buddhist Conclave, which multiplied the attention the state gets from Buddhists all over the world. When this conclave was held in Bodhgaya, the Buddhist scenario that was witnessed was explicable, though many newspaper articles tried to portray it.

Vaishali

Vishva Shanti Stupa

Vaishali holds a greater importance for the followers of Jainism. The twenty fourth teerthankara of Jainism, Vardhaman Mahaveer, was born in the district of Vaishali. It is one of the most auspicious places for Jains all over the world. As for Buddhists, Lord Buddha preached his last sermon in this area, which is why visiting Vaishali is of prime importance to every Buddhist. From a religious point of view, every place that existed at the time of their supreme God they believe in is auspicious. Every thing that God touched, every step that God had taken thousands of years ago, holds importance. Therefore, the place where these Mahaveer took birth and Buddha preached his last sermon, lived and meditated are of prime importance. Bihar has always held importance from a religions point of view. Being a secular state, there are religious places of Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Jainism as well as Buddhism.

Buddhist Prayer

Bodhgaya, Rajgiri, Patna, Nalanda and Vaishali are a few key places to be marked in any Buddhist tour to Bihar. It is evident that Buddhism and Jainism have many similarities in their teachings and beliefs. It cannot be a mere co-incidence then that the Lords of two great religions spent a lifetime in the same cities – Bihar is thus remains to be a sacred land for religious followers across the globe. Many even believe in getting released from their cycle of sins when they visit this famous destinations of Bihar.

Bihar has been one of the important places in the world with great religious persona attached to it. Evidences of existence of Bihar more than 3000 ago have also been found. Consequently, one can comprehend that the culture and tradition of the Bhojpuri speaking natives of Bihar is centuries old. They have far much established traditions as compared to many other places in India.

When you plan a Buddhist tour to Bihar, do not forget to buy a specimen of Madhubani paintings. If you visit the state during the period of Chhath pooja, which is one of the most auspicious festival for every resident of Bihar, you ought to witness its procession. You will be amazed with the dedication and belief of the people of Bihar.

There are an umpteen number of travel and tour guides present all over the world to guide you through the ways to plan and reach the famous destinations of Bihar.There are many special packages that can take you through all the places that are important from the Buddhism point of view or any other religion’s point of view for that matter. All you need is to take some days off and call the people waiting to plan an amazing tour for you and you can set foot on your Buddhist tour with the blink of an eye. No matter how many times you have visited the place, you will love to relive serenity in the air of the state of Bihar!

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