In the gray world of Ashoka of Bhimsa
I did not mention the Rajgir mentioned in the Ramayana, but Buddha, Mahavira, Bhimsa or Ashoka could not be left out. Without them Rajgir is incomplete. Lord Buddha is almost completely involved with this town. He has spent more than a decade here. Here he gave religious instruction, and also converted King Bhimsa to Buddhism in the Gridhakoot hills.
He lived at Benuban Bihar in Bhimsa, known as Gurudakshina. The 24th and last Tirthankara Mahabir was not left out either. Rajgir was also his workplace for 14 years. Today's Rajgir was then known as Rajgriha. Bijisa's son Ajatashatru built a fort here more than two and a half thousand years ago. However, he changed his name to Giribraj because he did not like it. Even then Pataliputra (Patna) was not built, so Giribraj was the capital of Magadha Mahajanapada.
The natural attraction of Rajgir in the middle of the valley surrounded by dense green forest is also of another dimension. Beaver, Bipul, Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Shongiri - five hills surround him. Beautiful wide road. Horse-drawn tangas still run here.
However, I do not know how long it will last, so I will ask you to take a look at the notes here one by one by pressing on the tanga before it disappears under the pressure of modernity. Not far from Benuban, the famous hot springs cross the river Saraswati at the foot of the Beivar hills.
The statue of the bear sits here. The water of Brahmakund is quite hot. There are also a few more spring streams. Bathing arrangements for men and women are different. Seeing the arena of Jarasandha, the mind leaves history and enters the courtyard of Mahabharata. This is the battlefield where the battle between Bhima and Jarasandha took place. Bimbisara and Ajatashatru were the royal physicians during their time. His clinic was also in Jibak's garden.
It was here that he treated Lord Buddha. Bhimsa's gold reserves are just ruins today. It is believed that hidden treasures are still hidden there. The deposed Bhimsa was imprisoned in his own prison by his son Ajatashatru. Take a look at Ajatashatru forts and stupas. All are ruins today. But if you want, you can still hear the footsteps of history. See also the wheel marks of Krishna's chariot on the rocks. That is the peace of mind of the believer.
At the top of the 1,500-foot Ratnagiri Mountains, the Buddha of Japan has built the World Peace Stupa of Marble. Buy a ticket for 60 rupees per person and sit on the ropeway with a lot of fascination. You can also get up on foot here. At the foot of the Gridhkoot hill, he would come down from the chariot of Bhimsa to the place called Rathke-utor and come to the top of the hill to listen to the advice of Buddha. There are still two caves and a ruined courtyard at the top of the hill. However, that mountain is inaccessible and dangerous today.
Nalanda is only 15 km away from Rajgir. The ruins of the world's oldest university have emerged from the pages of history books. It is thought that Hiuen Tsang was a student here in the 7th century! It is known from his writings about the skyrocketing glory of this famous university. Buddhadeb visited Nalanda several times, but it was established as a university much later in the 5th century.
The unpaid Nalanda University, which lasted for 5-12 centuries, rose to fame under the supervision of Acharya Shilbhadra. More than 2,000 professors taught 10,000 students from all over the world. Emperors Ashoka and Harshavardhana were patrons of Nalanda.
The excavations carried out over a 14-hectare site in Nalanda yielded some surprising information. Monuments made of red brick. In the middle of the road from south to north, two houses have been built. Which of them is a monastery, which is a dormitory, chaitya, classroom, sangharam and many more. Several Buddha statues have also been found. There is a wonderful view of the whole area from the top of the pyramid-shaped temple number three. On the opposite side of the entrance you will see the Archaeological Museum (10-5 hours open). Pali and Buddhism are currently taught in the new Nalanda monastery. The Memorial Hall was built in memory of Hiuen Tsang.
Backpack
Getting there: Even if there is a railway station in Rajgir, it will be easier to get there by train from Howrah to Bakhtiyarpur Junction. Lots of trains will meet on this route. The best catch is 12331 Himgiri Express, 12351 Danapur Express or 12302 Purba Express. It takes 6-7 hours. Rental cars, shared taxis, trekkers and buses will be available to reach Rajgir, 55 km from Bakhtiyarpur.
Stay: There will be no difficulty in staying. There are lots of private hotels.
In detail
Tourist Information Center, Nilkantha Bhavan, 1st Floor, 26-B Camac Street, Kolkata 700 071 (Near Vardhan Market).
"Professionally, I was in Patna for about seven years. Almost every year I would go to Rajgir for a three-day," Rajgir Dance Festival ". The proverbial dancers would light up the stage.
When I visited Nalanda University, I saw that in front of some rooms, there were a lot of pots made of huge copper, not exactly pans, but a lot of flats, like a baking pan at home. According to the guide, there was no electricity at the time, so the copper object, used to reflect sunlight, was used as a way to illuminate the room.
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