The hot springs at Rajgir
Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Muslims have bathed in the same water here for centuries
What it is
Water comes hot out of Vaibhava hill into a set of walled kunds at the foot of it. Brahmakund is the hottest. Makhdum Kund, further along the same hill, is named for a Sufi saint. They have been in continuous use since before the Buddha came to this valley.
Why it matters
Four religions bathe in the same water on the same hill, and have done for two and a half thousand years. That is not a thing said about many places, and it is literally true here.
How it works
- Go early. By nine the queue at Brahmakund is long.
- Separate enclosures for women; ask at the gate which.
- Leave valuables with somebody. There is nowhere secure.
- Who it is for
- Anybody. Separate enclosures for men and women.
- Not for
- Anybody uneasy in a crowd — the kunds are busy from early morning.
- Best season
- Oct - Mar
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Free. Small charges for a changing room and a locker.
- When
- Daily from early morning. Malmas Mela fills the valley for a month every ~3 years.
- Booking
- None.
- Book ahead
- None
- Languages
- Hindi
Rules
- Bathe in a change of clothes, not swimwear
- No soap in the kunds
- Leather is left outside
What to bring
- A change of clothes and a towel
- A bag for wet things
Where
- Rajgir (Griddhakuta): Hills where the Buddha and Mahavira taught
- Brahma Kund: Bathing in the hot springs is treated as purifying and curative, and the water is believed to be...
- Makhdum Kund: Muslim pilgrims come to bathe in the spring associated with Makhdum Sahib and to pray at the tomb
- Gurdwara Sheetal Kund: Sikh families come for darshan at the spring Guru Nanak is said to have turned cold, and to bathe in it
- Saptaparni Cave: It is held to be where the First Buddhist Council met after the Buddha's parinirvana and where Ananda...
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