Travel
Bihar can be easily reached from points inside India. The Capital City of Patna has only a Restricted International Airport, which means it provides limited facilities and can service only chartered flights. Another small International Airport is located in the town of Gaya, but is served only from Bangkok and Colombo. Both airports are easily reached from inside India, especially by flights from Delhi.
Bihar is also extremely well connected to the rest of India by rail and road. The rail system in India is excellent, and is usually the preferred mode of travel within the country. There is a vast network of roads, both State and National highways, in Bihar, and connecting it to other parts of the country.
Once you arrive in Bihar you will not lack for things to see. Many of the prime tourist locations are, as to be expected, religious related sites. One of the most important is Bodh Gaya located around 100 kilometers from Patna. This is one of the four pilgrimage sites revered by Buddhists, and is generally considered the most important. It is the location of the Mahabodhi Temple which is over 2500 years old. It is the place where Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment. One of the highlights is the holy Bodhi tree which is a sapling taken from the Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka which is said to be a sapling of the original Bodhi tree. The temple has been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Another important travel destination is the town of Vaishali. This was the site of an ancient metropolis, and it was the capital city of a political entity that held sway over the area of what is now Bihar State, and has the distinction of being the world’s first republic. This republic was founded in the 6 th century BC on a model that was later followed in the Greek republics This little bit of information is always a shock to the visitor from one of the modern Western Democracies who has always supposed the idea for this form of country originated somewhere other than this ancient land in the shadow of the Himalayan Mountains.
The center for travel and tourism in Bihar State is the capital city of Patna. This city, bustling with a population of over 1.2 million people could make a claim to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the entire world. Despite the slight troubles one might encounter to reach it, it is well worth the trip. It is the cultural center of this region, and its central location on the banks of the wide Ganges River, makes it ideal for visits to outlying points of interest. It is likely that one would be hard pressed to find time to visit outlying sites as the town itself abounds with glimpses into the past of India. It is a city sacred not only to the Buddhist, the Hindu, and the Jainist, but also to the Sikhs.
|
