Should not we occasionally pause to wonder at the marvel
that the Buddha, the Enlightened One, walked upon this land of ours? Bihar is
dotted with landmarks associated with the life and teachings of Lord Buddha and
these sacred spots link up to form the Buddhist circuit. Patna has an superb
museum having many exceptional Buddhist sculptures and manuscripts that throw
much light on Buddhism and Lord Buddha. The excellent museum also has several
statues of Lord Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
The pride of the Patna Museum
is the holy relic casket of Lord Buddha that contains his ashes. No wonder,
Buddhist scholars and others interested in Buddhism and its history make it a
point to visit the Patna Museum.
There is Bodhgaya, where the Buddha attained Enlightenment
under the Bodhi Tree. The magnificent Mahabodhi temple is a great source
of peace. It is also a World Heritage Site declared by the UNESCO.
The Kesaria Stupa is the highest stupa among the excavated Buddhist stupas in
Bihar.
Pilgrims also stop at Nalanda, an ancient centre of Buddhist
learning and a flourishing university Rajgir, 19km from Nalanda, was the
ancient capital of the Magadha Empire. Lord Buddha visited this monastery many
times to meditate and to preach. Vaishali, on the circuit, was one of the
world’s earliest republics and it was here that the Buddha delivered his last
sermon. To traverse the Buddhist circuit of Bihar is to walk in the footsteps
of the Buddha himself.
