Gaya
Bihar has some of the most sacred Buddhist and Hindu shrines. Gaya
is one of the most important pilgrimage places for the Hindus. It
is believed that a Hindu will reach heaven if his last rites are offered
under the celebrated 'Akshayabat' or immortal banyan tree, standing
in the yard of Vishnupad temple. Believed to be built on the footsteps
of Vishnu, the grand temple was renovated by Ahalyabai, queen of Indore.
Excursion
Deo
20 km from Gaya, Surya temple here is the site of famous Chhath
puja in November. Kurkihar - ancient habitation with ruins. Presumed
to be the Kukkutapadagiri mentioned by Hiuen Tsang in 7th century.
Barabar caves
40 km from Gaya, earliest Buddhist rock cut caves. Sasaram
123 km from Gaya, tombs of Sher Shah Suri, his father and son. There
is a cave with Ashokan edicts and a Dargah on Chandan Pir Hill.
Pawapuri
In Pawapuri or Apapuri, 38 km from Rajgir and 90 km from Patna,
all sins end for a devout Jain. Lord Mahavira breathed his last
here and was cremated here. People took away not only the ashes
but also the scooped out earth and thus a tank came into being.
Now the famous Jalamandir marble temple stands at the site. There
is another Jain temple here viz. Samosharan.
Parasnath hill
It is believed that 22' tirthankars' out of 24 attained salvation
here and is one of the most sacred pilgrim centres for the Jains.
Call of the hills
The Chotanagpur plateau is one of the most beautiful areas in Bihar.
Studded with hills 300 900m in altitude and covered with
verdant virgin forests, this area of rivers, lakes, meadows and
valleys is an ideal retreat of peace and beauty. Rich in wildlife,
these forests are an anthropologist's delight, since the ancient
lifestyle of the tribes like Santhal, Ho, Munda, Oraon, Koi, Chero,
Kharia, Paharia has remained essentially unaltered.
Ranchi
This erstwhile summer capital of Bihar is 676 m in altitude and
is a beautiful hill station. There. are beautiful water falls around,
with lilting names like Hundru, Jonha, Dasamghagh and Himi. Other
landmarks are a Shiva temple on a hill top with Ranchi lake at the
foot of the hill, and Morabadi hill and Tagore hill.
Hazaribagh
A small hill resort 93 km from Ranchi and 616 m above sea level,
though having usual lakes and hills, is more famous for its wildlife
sanctuary. Wildlife like bear, nilgai, sambar, chital, tiger, panther,
kakar, etc. can be viewed from 10 watch towers.
February March and October November are the best
seasons for visiting here. Tilaiya dam 63 km away is a picnic spot.
Netarhat
Called the 'Queen of Chotanagpur' this exquisite little hill station
has fantastic sunrise and sunset. Situated 1127 m above sea level,
it has beautiful waterfalls around, like Upper Ghagri and Lower
Ghagri.
Palamau
A popular tourist resort 140 km from Ranchi. Betla National Park
is nearby where gaur, chital, elephant, sloth bear, wild bear, sambar,
nilgai, kakar, chinkara, mouse deer, dhole, tiger and panther can
be seen. This is one of the Tiger Project Reserves. There are tree
top towers, watch towers and ground level hideouts for professional
photographers. February March and October - November are
the best seasons and excellent accommodation is available here.
Jamshedpur
It is one of India's earliest planned cities and to this day beautifully
maintained and managed, in spite of being an industrial township.
Industrial giants like TISCO, TELCO are situated here. Surrounded
by the Dolma hills, it has retained its hill station atmosphere.
Damodar Valley
Site of one of the earliest power projects, river Damodar is harnessed
here in a massive network. Maithon. Panchet and Tilaiya are the
major dams.
Bhagalpur
Famous for its silk and a university town today, it has a long heritage
of learning. The ruins of the ancient Vikramshila university is
42 km away. Rock cut temple at Colganj and Vishnu temple on a hill
top are tourist attractions.
Monghyr
The little town has nothing to show today for its long history except
a Mughal fort and a temple, but it was once the capital of the ancient
Anga kingdom. The British conquered Bihar in the battle of Buxar
at Buxar nearby. There is a sound and light show at Buxar recounting
the story of Ramayana and history of India.
Getting There
Gaya is an important railway junction. There are bus services from
all important towns of Bihar.
Top
General Information & Accomdation info on Gaya city of Bihar - India
|