Bihar

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East India

Where the Buddha found enlightenment, and where one of the ancient world's great universities stood.

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Vaishali

Vikramshila

What Bihar is known for

BuddhismAncient historyHeritageTemplesFood

Browse Bihar by theme

The same places, sorted the way you might be thinking about the trip.

Spiritual & Pilgrimage

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Mangala Gauri Temple

Mangala Gauri Temple in Gaya, Bihar is one of the Shakti Peethas, the sacred shrines of the Divine Mother in the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. According to tradition, this is where the **breast** o…

Patneshwari (Maa Patan Devi)

Patneshwari (Maa Patan Devi) in Patna, Bihar is one of the Shakti Peethas, the sacred shrines of the Divine Mother in the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. According to tradition, this is where the **r…

Heritage

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Rohtasgarh Fort

Rohtasgarh, on a spur of the Kaimur plateau above the Son valley, is one of India's mightiest and least-visited forts — its walls run for miles around a summit reached by ancient stepped paths. Nam…

Buxar Fort

Buxar Fort is a largely ruined historic fortification on the banks of the River Ganga in Buxar, Bihar, near the Uttar Pradesh border. The fort's own surviving remains are modest; Buxar's national s…

Discover Bihar

Where the Buddha found enlightenment under a tree that still stands, and where one of the ancient world's great universities taught for seven centuries.

Festivals Road trips

Festivals

Dates move each year — check before you book.

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Chhath Puja

Offerings made standing in the river at sunset and again at sunrise, usually late October or November.

Road trips

The Buddhist circuit is compact and mostly flat.

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Patna to Nalanda and Rajgir

The ruined university, then the hills where the Buddha taught.

Gaya to Bodh Gaya

Half an hour to the Mahabodhi temple and the tree.

Patna to Rohtasgarh

A long drive to an enormous, largely forgotten hill fort.

Food & cuisine

Signature dishes and local flavours to look for while exploring Bihar.

3 dishes

Litti Chokha

Roasted wheat-flour balls stuffed with spiced sattu (roasted gram flour), served with mashed spiced vegetables.

Thekua

A dense, deep-fried wheat-and-jaggery cookie, central to Chhath Puja offerings.

Malpua

A sweet, syrup-soaked pancake, served warm as a festive dessert.

Top cities in Bihar

Bihar

Patna, the ancient city of Pataliputra, was the capital of the mighty Maurya and Gupta empires and is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Today it is a key gateway to Bihar's Buddhist circuit and a major Sikh pilgrimage site as the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh.

Attractions in Bihar

Places across themes — pick a vibe to dive in, or browse them all.

Heritage

5 places in Bihar

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Bihar

Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya is the most sacred site in Buddhism — the place where Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree to become the Buddha. The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Sit…

Bihar

Nalanda

Nalanda was the greatest university of the ancient world, a vast Buddhist monastic centre of learning that flourished for 700 years and drew scholars from across Asia. Its red-brick ruins are an UN…

Bihar

Buxar Fort