Mahavira's birth, enlightenment and nirvana
Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, was born at Kundalgram (Vaishali or Kundalpur near Nalanda, by rival traditions), attained kevala jnana on the Rijubaluka river near Jamui, preached his first sermon at Rajgir's Vipula hill and left the body at Pawapuri, where the Jal Mandir floats in its lotus tank. Rajgir's five hills each carry Jain temples, Gunawa in Nawada is where his chief disciple Gautam Swami gained nirvana, and the Chausa bronzes in Patna Museum are among the oldest Jain images anywhere.
01 · Nalanda · 2–3 hours from Rajgir
Where Mahavira attained nirvana in 527 BCE and was cremated. The Jal Mandir stands in the middle of a lotus lake on the cremation spot, reached by a long causeway; it is the most serene place in Bihar.
Discover02 · Nalanda
Rajgir03 · Vaishali
Vaishali04 · Nalanda
Nalanda05 · Nawada
Kakolat Falls06 · Banka
Mandar Hill
07 · Patna
Pataliputra, still alive
08 · Buxar
Rama's forest, two battles, a Ganga ghat
3 days / 2 nights · Gentle
Three days in the cradle of Buddhism with a Hindu pilgrim town and the oldest caves in India thrown in — all within an hour of one hotel bed.
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7 days / 6 nights · Gentle
The classic loop — Patna, Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodh Gaya — done at a pace that leaves time for a sunrise at the Mahabodhi and an afternoon on the hot-spring steps.
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Field note · 4 min
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Sikh Circuit