Rajgir

Rajgir (or Rajagriha) is a city in Bihar in India. It is 15 km from the ruins of Nalanda University, and 100 km from Patna, the capital of the state.

Understand
Rajgir, meaning the abode of Kings, has been mentioned first in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata as the capital of Magadh, ruled by the mighty King Jarasandha. Although the exact time of the origin of this city has not been established, it is estimated by scholars that it must be around 3,000 years old.

Rajgir has been mentioned in ancient Buddhist and Jain scriptures and also in the travelogues of Buddhist travellers Huen Tsang and Fa Hian who visited India during the Mauryan and Gupta times. The city is divided in two parts, the old fortified city which lies in the valley surrounded by seven hills (Chhatha, Ratna, Saila, Sona, Udaya, Vaibhara and Vipula) and the new city established by Ajatshatru, the son of Bimbisara and a contemporary of Lord Buddha.

Rajgir has been closely related to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and has played host to Lord Buddha and Mahavira, thus has many archeological sites related to Buddhism and Jainism.

By plane
Patna and Gaya are the nearest airports which are connected to the major cities of India.

By train
Rajgir is on the secondary line linking Patna and Gaya. There are two local train from Patna, one from Gaya, one from Bakhtiyarpur, and one from Fatuha. And Express trains from Varanasi, Patna and New Delhi. As well as a Fast passenger train from Howrah.



By bus
Rajgir is connected to Patna by road and one can reach there form Patna by using NH 31–82. There are some direct buses from Patna to this town but more frequent with the connection at Bihar Sharif.

Tourist buses from Bodh Gaya operate twice a day (7am and 2pm) during peak season.

Buses from Gaya leave every half hour during the day, even in off season. The bus station is located in suburb of Manipur on the east side of the river. There are shared rickshaws from the train station, and also direct from Bodhgaya for ₹20.

By car
One can also take a rented car to reach the place.

Get around
Tanga (horse-drawn carriage) is the main mean of the transportation. Ongoing rate to the base of Ratnagiri or Gridhakuta (Vulture's Peak) is ₹150 return including waiting but can be negotiated down to ₹50 one-way. Shared ride in town (between Makhdum Kund and bus stand) is also available for ₹10.

There is a chairlift to the top of Ratnagiri where Shanti Stupa is located. The rate is ₹120 return ticket only. There is a modern cable car route installed recently to the top of Ratnagiri. The rate is ₹250 for foreigners.

You can also walk up 600+ steps to the top. Gridhakuta, the meditating place for the Buddha, is however located on the half way and not on the path of the chairlift.

Do




Sleep
There are a few places to stay near both the railway station and the bus station, and on the 2km road in between. The town has many budget hotels (Double ₹300), as well as Bihar tourist run hotels (Double ₹1200). 9am checkouts are common, but can often be negotiated before money is exchanged.

Go next

 * Bihar Sharif; Buses leave about every 30 minutes from the main bus stand. (about ₹30 in 2020)
 * Bodhgaya &mdash; often requires a change of bus in Bihar Sharif or Gaya
 * Deo &mdash;city of the Sun Temple.
 * Kakolat &mdash; a good waterfall
 * Nalanda; Buses leave about every 30 minutes from the main bus stand. (about ₹15 in 2020)
 * Patna; a direct bus from Rajgir to Patna only leaves once a day. Often the better option is to take a regular bus to Bihar Sharif (about ₹30 in 2020), then change for a bus to Patna (₹60 in 2012)