PATNA

Patna is the gateway city for places of Buddhist importance such as Vaishali, nalanda, Rajgir, Gaya and Bodhgaya. Situated on the banks of the River Ganga, has a history which goes back well over two millennia. The city has been the capital of many kingdoms and each ruler gave it a new name.Today Patna is undergoing tremendous changes in the commercial as well as the tourism sector.
PLACES OF INTEREST:

Gaya: Gaya is 125 km from Patna. Situated at the banks of the River Phalgu many Hindus visit Gaya to pray for the well-being of the departed souls. An important Jain & Hindu pilgrimage.
Bodhgaya: Situated 16 km from Gaya & 140 km from Patna. It is here that Buddha attained Enlightment under the Bodhi tree, the saplings of which can still be seen in the temple premises.
Nalanda: Nalanda is 90 km from Patna. The centre of one of the oldest known universities of the world. Its ruins show that over 2000 teachers and 10000 students from all over the Buddhist world lived and studied here.An international centre for Buddhist studies also functions here. The Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang who came to Nalanda as a student in the 7th century AD has left extensive description of the university.
Museum: Situated 2 km from the railway station & 12 km from the airport. Contains a first World War period Cannon, metal & stone sculptures of the Maurayan & Gupta periods. Buddhist sculptures & terracotta figures. Special attractions include the famous Didarganj Yakshi of the 3rd century B.C and a 16m long fossilised tree. It has a unique collection of Jade, Chinese paintings & Mugal glass & silver filigree carvings.
Season: September to March.
Getting There: By Air- Various Domestic Airlines flights connect patna with Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Calcutta, Varanasi , hyderabad and Ranchi . By Rail- Patna is well connected with major cities such as Delhi, Lucknow, Calcutta, Varanasi etc. By Road- Being the take-off point for the Buddhist circuit, patna is well connected with places such as Kathmandu, Gaya, Bodhgaya, Rajgir & Nalanda via road.