Bihar is a northern state of India. The state of Bihar lies south of Nepal and with West Bengal in the west and Uttar Pradesh in the east. It is the Hindi heartland of India. It is here that Buddha gave his first sermons and obtained enlightenment.
The capital city of Bihar is Patna. The metropolis of Patna lies on the junction of 3 crucial rivers of which one is the river Ganges River. Lord Siddhartha once told that the city of Patna, then called Patliputra would confront three major assaults in the future.
They were to be fire, political turmoil and flood. Indeed the state of Bihar but also the city is under constant threat from fire, flood from the major rivers and it’s a political hotbed.
The state of Bihar was named as Magadha in its ancient times. Its very first major ruler was called Ashoka the Great. The spread of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and the Far East is credited to this great ruler.
He sent his sons as missionaries to spread the word of Lord Buddha. The kingdom of this ruler spread from eastern India to the borders of Persia. It has been documented that he did not invade Persia because he was married to the daughter of the king of Persia.
For the student of ancient history and followers of Buddhism, a trip to Bihar is a must. The ancient town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar houses the most holy sites of Buddhism. Some of which includes the original Bodhi tree where Buddha got enlightenment.
Various sects of Buddhism and various Buddhist countries of the world have set of temples at Bodh Gaya. The town of Bodh Gaya can be reached by getting to Patna and then taking the road or overnight train. A pilgrimage to the holy sites of Bodh Gaya is a revelation.