Bihar is one of the beautiful state to visit in eastern India. With its sacred temples, unique culture and amazing festivals, Bihar becomes one of the exciting places to visit in eastern India.Bihar also stands as home to various attractions that attract tourists from all over the world. You can either shop in their busy markets or spot wildlife Sanctuaries in some of the famous national parks or celebrate the festival with the locals of Bihar or just taste the scrumptious food they serve with a bright smile on their face – The choice is yours. But just remember that anything that you do here will be worthy and stay fresh in your soul for life. To know about tourism in Bihar, check out this travel guide.
Planning a perfect vacation is mainly dependent on the time you are choosing to visit. So, make sure you choose the ideal time to visit Bihar.
Months between October and April are said to be the best time to visit Bihar. During this time, the weather will be pleasant all over the state and you would be experiencing neither heavy rainfall nor scorching summer. However, I have mentioned the weather conditions for each season in this travel guide to Bihar. Check out.
Months between April and June are considered to be the summer months and the temperature ranges from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. Though the weather can be too hot at times, summer is the perfect time to spot wildlife.
Months between July and September are said to be the monsoon months in Bihar and the temperature ranges from 28 to 32 degrees Celsius. Though there will be heavy showers frequently which is favourable for sightseeing, the rich plantations and other greeneries turn all the more beautiful after the rain.
Months between October and March are said to be the winter months in Assam and the temperature ranges from 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. This time is the best time to visit Assam as the climate will be pleasant and soothing throughout the day. Hiking, sightseeing and camping become more comfortable if tried during any of these months.
A place can become exciting only if it has many interesting things for tourists to do. One such place is Bihar which offers a lot of things that visitors can enjoy. Find below the list of things that this travel guide to Bihar has for you.
No matter what destination you are visiting, shopping a place on your itinerary. In Bihar, you have a lot of shopping places where you can buy the best souvenirs. Right from Woodwork to Madhubani paintings to silk sarees, you can get everything here at a reasonable price.
Madhubani painting has become synonymous with art and craft of Bihar in the whole world.
The process of painting and the use of natural dyes and pigments provide an eye-catching finish to these paintings. Traditionally, the painting was done on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts; but over the years it has moved to varied mediums including cloths, handmade papers, and canvas. Madhubani Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns. This is a unique craft, handcrafted by artisans. Madhubani Painting provides livelihood support to about 20000-25000 artisan’s family on regular basis in Madhubani district and other places of Bihar.
If you are an adventure lover, then Bihar has something for you. Be it the land sports or water sports, you will absolutely have a thrilling experience here. Some of the activities that you can try the hot springs could have been a very good place as the warm water gives a real relaxing feeling and river rafting in ganaga river and many more. While you are visiting bihar, do not miss to try an adventure, as this is an experience for a lifetime.
Festivals are one of the best ways to celebrate culture. And, Assamese expertise that. There are a lot of festivals that are celebrated by the people of Bihar. During the festival, people dress up in ethnic clothes and wear big ornaments to show their status in society. Some of the festivals are listed below.
This is probably the most famous festival of this State. When one hears Chatth Puja, Bihar instantly comes to the mind. This is an actually an ancient Hindu festival which is dedicated to the Sun God, Surya, and take place 6 days after Diwali. It is an expression of thanks giving and seeking blessings from the Almighty for sustaining life on Earth. During this festival, the person observing Chatth, also known as Parvati, observes a fast from dawn to dusk which concludes with sweets. This fast is followed by another fast for 36 hours till the final day, when puja starts at the river, before sunrise. You can witness thousands of devotees and the river during this time. Witnessing Chatth Puja will let you witness the devotion in its true sense.
This festival or rather Mela is observed every during the month of Shravan (July-August). It is an important month-long ritual which is held along a 108 km long route linking towns of Deogarh and Sultanganj. The devotees who take part, known as Kanwarias, wear saffron-coloured clothes and collect water from the sacred Ghats at Sultanganj. They then walk barefoot on the 108 km long stretch to Deogarh to bathe the sacred Shiva-linga. This festival draws thousands of people from all around the country every year
This fair of Bihar has its root in ancient mythology and folklore. The Sonepur Cattle fair is the Asia’s largest cattle fair which takes place in the town of Sonepur in Bihar. It is held on Kartik Purnima that is the first full moon after the festival of Diwali. In this fair, domestic cattle like an elephant, camel, sheep and birds are brought in from around the country and sold here. Apart from this, varied handicrafts and handloom stalls are also put up, along with the magic show and folk dances. This fair attracts a large number of foreign tourists each year.
The Makar Sankranti Mela is held every year at Rajgir (a town in Bihar) in the month of January. The devotees make flower offering to the deities in the temple and take a dip in the holy water. Another site associated with this festival is the Mandar Hills in the Banka district. According to legends, a great Asura once threatened the gods. The Lord Vishnu cut off the Asura’s head and piled up the body under the weight of the Mandar hill. The famous panchjanya – the sankh (conch shell) used in the Mahabharat war is believed to have been found here on the hills. This makes it a rather famous festival of the state.
Rajgir is the ancient capital of the Magadhan Empire in Bihar and is held sacred by both Jains and Buddhists because of its long association with Buddha and Mahavira. A Rajgir Mahotsav is held every year by the Department of Tourism, Bihar. It is a colourful festival of dance and music. A complete serene atmosphere is created here with the instrumental music, devotional songs, opera, folk dance, ballet and other dance and art forms. This festival held in the last week of October attracts a large number of tourists from around the world.
Wondering where to visit on your trip to Bihar? You have got a lot of options. This beautiful state has something to offer for everyone. Check out the below places that are mentioned in this travel guide to Bihar that you can visit to make your trip interesting.
patna-buddha-smriti-park
Patna, the capital city of Bihar.Situated on the southern bank of Ganga, Patna is the largest city of Bihar. Better known as Patliputra in ancient India, the city is also believed to be the one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Patna is a pilgrimage for Sikh devotees as it is reckoned to be the birthplace of last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The city flourished in the period of Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Shunga, Gupta and Pala earned fame all across India. Today’s Patna is a developing city, which is endeavouring to match up to the modernization; malls, high-end hotels and theatres have cropped in the city. However, Patna has to speed up a bit to become the part of other cosmopolitans. Altogether, Patna is a decent destination, with most of the modern facilities available.
Patna is well-connected by rail, road and air, thus it is easy to commute to this place from all across the country.
Sasaram in Rohtas district of Bihar is a small town, 148 km from Patna. Traditionally it is believed to be named after , the sage Parashurama and the legendary King Sahatrabahu. Sasaram was also the birth place of Sher Shah Suri, who ruled Delhi from 1540 to 1545 AD. It is well known for the mausoleums built during his regime. The Grand Trunk road, the most notable feature of Sher Shah Suri’s achievements, goes through Sasaram. The place is notably sought after for the beautifully sculpted tombs of Sher Shah Suri, his father and the architect who designed the monuments. These historic structures stand as mute testaments of the glory of a bygone era. Today apart from the historic significance, Sasaram has a thriving stone mining industry and is famous for the quality stone chips that are supplied all over India.
The best way to reach here would be to board a flight/train to Gaya (120 kms from Sasaram) and then book a cab/taxi.
nalanda-bihar
Probably the oldest university in India, Nalanda is an important site to visit in Bihar. A perfect reminisce to the time of flourishing Gupta and Pala period, Nalanda is an acclaimed tourist attraction in Bihar. It is believed that the last and most famous Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira spent 14 monsoon seasons here. Even, Buddha is said to have delivered lectures near the mango grove in Nalanda. The fame of this education centre was to an extent that Hieun Tsang, the famous Chinese traveller visited here and stayed for atleast two years here. Even, I-tsing another famous Chinese voyager stayed at Nalanda for about 10 years, AND such was the glory of this place. Today most parts of Nalanda lie in ruins but the place is surely worth exploring!
Better known as the World Peace Pagoda, Vishwa Shanti Stupa proudly stand at the historic city of Rajgir. It is one of the 7 Peace Pagodas built in India and is certainly a must visit in Bihar. The pagoda was built in 1969 to spread the message of peace and non-violence. Marked by four statues of Buddha that reflects four important phases of Buddha’s life – birth, enlightenment, teaching and death, this Peace Pagoda is amongst the finest examples of Japanese architecture in India.
Amongst the most famous places in Bihar is Gaya, which is a Hindu pilgrimage hub and a transit point for Buddhist pilgrimage centre of Bodhgaya. It is believed that it was here under the tree that Buddha attained enlightenment. Gaya is a busy city situated on the bank of River Phalgu and it is replete with many temples and historic sites dating back to different eras that stand as the evidence to the successful rule of Maurya and Gupta dynasty here. The glory of Gaya was extended so much so that even Hiuen Tsang could not resist mentioning it in his travelogues.
Kanwar Lake is India’s largest freshwater Oxbow lake. Situated in Begusarai, Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary is reckoned to be the haven for 60 species of migratory birds. Unfortunately, this place is losing its importance due negligence, in a Wetland Governance in South Asia, held in Delhi in 2014, the condition of this wetland ecosystem was discussed. We hope that some careful steps are taken for this bird sanctuary that has been a home to many birds both domestic and migratory.
Barabar Caves claim to be the oldest rock-cut caves in India. Dating back to Mauryan Empire, these majestic caves are certainly one of the best places to see in Bihar. Situated on twin hills – Barabar and Nagarjuni, the caves are said to be used by Ajivika sect, however, many traces of Buddhist and Jain art can be found here. Barabar Hills consists of 4 caves, whereas Nagarjuni Hills have 3 caves, each of the cave are well-polished and have articulate designs and inscriptions over its walls and ceilings.