Rajgir- "House of the King"

Rajgir

Rajgir was the ancient capital city of the kings of Magadha. The name Rajgir literally means "House of the King". Rajgir pilgrimage is a very important Buddhist site since Lord Buddha spent his 12 years here and also preached two sermons. The Rajgir Buddhist pilgrimage is one of the most visited sites in India and has many structures built in the Buddhist architectural style. 

Rajgir is famous for its hot water springs. It's major attraction is the peace pagoda, Vishwa Shanti Stupa. It was built in 1969 to spread the message of peace and non-violence. Then there is Venu Vana, an artificial forest where one can enjoy eternal peace and practice meditation. Main tourist attractions of Rajgir include the ancient city walls from Ajatshatru's period, the Bimbisar's Jail, Jarasandh's Akhara, Gridakuta Hill and Sonabhandara Cave.

Some major sites worth seeing in Rajgir are as follows: 

Gridhakuta Hill

Gridhakuta Hill: It is also known as the Vulture's Peak. This is the place where Lord Buddha preached many of his teachings and sermons. Upon the attainment of enlightenment, he preached two of the most important sermons named as Lotus Sutra and the Prajnaparamita.

Saptparni Cave: It is the cave where the first congregation of the Buddhist Council took place after Lord Buddha attained nirvana. The place also has a Burmese temple and a Japanese temple. 

Shanti Stupa

Shanti Stupa: It is a beautiful structure in white and is one of the major Buddhist attractions at Rajgir. Located at the top of Ratnagiri hill, it has four golden statues symbolizing the four stages in life- Birth, Enlightenment, Teaching and Death.

Jain Temples: The Jain temples on the hills surrounding Rajgir are worth the visit. Not only is it fun to go for a trek on the hills, but also the surrounding landscape provides delightful panorama. There are 26 Jain temples in all. 

Rajgir can be reached in the following ways:-

By Air: Rajgir can be reached through Gaya International Airport. Another airport is at Patna. Air India, Indigo and Jet Airways connect Patna to Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi.

By Rail: Rajgir railway station connects the city to other parts of country yet the nearest convenient railhead is at Gaya. 

By Road: Rajgir is connected by road to Patna - 110 km, Nalanda - 12 km, Gaya - 78 km, and Pawapuri - 38 km.

Given below is a video shown by a lady on some of the famous places of Rajgir which are worth a visit!!

Gaya in Bihar

Phalgu River

Gaya constitutes a city of historical and of mythological significance. It is the second largest city of Bihar and one of the famous tourist attractions.The city has a mix of natural surroundings,age old buildings and narrow bylanes.The banks of Phalgu river are lined with ghats and temples.The Pipal Tree and Akshayavat (the undying banyan tree) are considered to be sacred. It is a place sanctified by the Hindu,Jain and Buddhist religions.

Pinda Daan

Gaya is significant to Hindus from the point of view of salvation for the souls of ancestors.According to Ramayana,Lord Rama had come to Gaya along with Sita for the ritual (pitripaksha or pindadaan).

Parasnath Hill Temple

For Jainism, Gaya is an important place as it has many Jain temples and also it has nearest airport to reach Jain Pilgrimage Pawapuri from where Lord Mahavira attained Moksha. Parasnath Hill,the pilgrim destination located in Gaya,is considered the most sacred for Jain followers. Jain devotees flock in large number every year to Parasnath hill.

Mahabodhi Temple

It is a notable place for Buddhists because it was at Brahmayoni Hill that Lord Buddha preached the Fire Sermon and people became enlightened after listening to his discourse.Over time,the day of enlightenment came to be known as Buddha Purnima.

Ancient History: The history is of the days of enlightment of Gautam Buddha.In Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Temple,Gautam Buddha attained enlightment under Bodhi Tree.Since then the place around Gaya (Rajgir, Nalanda and Vaishali) has become the citadel of knowledge for the people of the world. Gaya further flourished under the Mauryans Dynasty who ruled from Patliputra (now Patna), During this time Gaya was part of Magadh region.

Modern history:The town of Gaya is the birthplace of renowned nationalist Dr Anugrah Narain Sinha who is Bihar first Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister. The legendary freedom fighter Sahajanand Saraswati established an ashram at Neyamatpur Gaya which became the centre of freedom struggle in Bihar.Yadunandan Sharma became the undisputed leader of peasants in Gaya. The place has also immensely contributed in the Indian Independence Movement.During the independence movement, the All India Session of the Congress was held under the presidency of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das in 1922, which was attended by great leaders such as Mahatama Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and Jawaharlal Nehru.