The Buddhist Circuit Bihar

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.

For more details: Pilgrimage Tours of India and Footsteps of Buddha Tours