Maurya

The origin of word 'Viharas'

by bkarjee

"Ironies of the City-Patna"

Patna is the Capital city of one of the largest Indian state in terms of population-Bihar. It is located on the southern bank of the river Ganges.
Some of the oldest religions like Buddhism and Jainism owe their origin to this state. Followers of Buddhism have a lot of places of interest in and around Patna.
Patna is very well connected to all parts of India by flights and Indian Railways. The best time to visit Patna is from Sept to Mar. Present day Patna has a bit of work to do in terms of tourism infrastructure but there a few very good places of tourist interest in and around Patna. The Buddhism Circuit of Rajgir, Nalanda, Pawapuri and Bodh Gaya are around 100 KMs from Patna and this is the best entry point for these places. Vaishali, the birth place of Lord Mahavira (responsible for the origin of Jainism) is around 60 KMs from Patna. Vaishali is also famous for still intact Ashok Stambh (Iron Pillar which has stood for hundreds of years without a spot of rust). This is also the place where Lord Buddha is understood to have given his last sermon. Within Patna, there are host of places to see. Most of them describe a vivid picture of the earstwhile Mauryan Empire and later parts of its glorious history