Sita's land — from her birth to Rama's bow
Mithila is Sita's country and Bihar's south bank is Rama's road to it. Sita was born of the furrow at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi; Janakpur's Janaki Mandir is across the Nepal border an hour away; Rama and Lakshmana passed through Buxar, where Rama slew Tadka at Vishwamitra's ashram, and Ahilya was freed at Ahilya Sthan near Darbhanga. Gaya is where Rama offered pind to Dasharatha; Sita Kund at Munger holds her agni pariksha; Valmiki's ashram where Luv and Kush grew up is claimed at Valmikinagar. The state's Ramayan Circuit joins them; a car and a week does it.
01 · Sitamarhi · 1 day, or 2 with Janakpur
Birthplace of Sita in the Ramayana — the Janaki Mandir at Punaura Dham marks where King Janaka's plough turned her up from the earth. A pilgrim town of ponds and temples on the Nepal border, an hour from Janakpur.
Discover02 · Darbhanga
Darbhanga03 · Buxar
Buxar04 · Gaya
Gaya05 · Munger
Munger06 · West Champaran
Valmikinagar & the Gandak
07 · Saran
Asia's largest cattle fair at the Gandak–Ganga meeting
08 · Madhubani
The town that paints its walls
5 days / 4 nights · Steady
East along the river to Munger's fort and Bhagalpur's dolphins, then north into Mithila for Darbhanga's palaces and the home of Madhubani painting.
View itinerary
5 days / 4 nights · Steady
Up through the republic of Vaishali and the stupa at Kesaria to Champaran's forest: two days of safaris in Bihar's tiger reserve and a day on the Gandak with gharial, dolphins and a raft.
View itinerary
10 days / 9 nights · Steady
The Kaimur forts, the Buddhist heartland, the capital, the Ganga towns and Mithila — the complete arc of Bihar's history and landscape, with a slack day built in for the place you fall in love with.
View itinerary
Next collection
Gandhi Circuit