Holy places in Bihar

Temples, monasteries, gurudwaras, dargahs, stupas and caves across Bihar. Open one to see what it is and plan a yatra from it.

Places we can arrange now

• Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya: Where the Buddha attained enlightenment
• Mahavir Mandir, Patna: Patna's beloved Hanuman temple
• Takht Sri Patna Sahib: Birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh Ji
• Nalanda Mahavihara: The world's oldest residential university
• Vishnupad Temple, Gaya: Lord Vishnu's footprint, and the great seat of pind daan
• Rajgir (Griddhakuta): Hills where the Buddha and Mahavira taught
• Pavapuri (Jal Mandir): Where Bhagwan Mahavira attained nirvana
• Ajgaibinath Dham, Sultanganj: Where the kanwar yatra begins, on the north-flowing Ganga
• Vaishali: An early republic, sacred to Buddhists and Jains
• Mundeshwari Devi: Among the oldest functioning Hindu temples in India
• Kesariya Stupa: One of the tallest Buddhist stupas in the world
• Barabar Caves: Shaiva devotees climb to the Siddheshwar Nath temple, and the caves draw pilgrims and visitors as the...
• Saptaparni Cave: It is held to be where the First Buddhist Council met after the Buddha's parinirvana and where Ananda...
• Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir: Pilgrims come to circumambulate and pray for peace at one of about 80 Nipponzan Myohoji peace pagodas...
• Jivakamravana: It is the mango grove the physician Jivaka gave to the sangha and where the Buddha was treated after...
• Cyclopean Wall: It is the wall of Rajagriha, the Magadhan capital of Bimbisara and Ajatashatru in the Buddha's and...
• Son Bhandar Caves: Jain pilgrims come for the arhat images and the Vairadeva inscription, one of the oldest datable Jain...
• Telhara monastery: It is the third great Magadhan mahavihara after Nalanda and Vikramshila, named in the Chinese pilgrims'...
• Jain temples, Kundalpur: Digambara Jains come because they hold this to be Kundgram, the birthplace of Mahavira
• Bari Dargah: Devotees of all communities come to offer chadar and make vows at the shrine of the saint who is...
• Maqbara of Malik Ibrahim Baya: Devotees climb the hill to pray at the tomb of a soldier-saint, and the hilltop has a temple and park...
• Giriyak Stupa: It is the surviving Gupta-period stupa of the Rajgir hills, visible for miles, and carries a double...
• Badi Patan Devi: Devotees believe the right thigh (and the *pata*, the cloth, from which "Patan" and the city's name are...
• Agam Kuan: The well and the adjoining goddess are revered for curing smallpox and chickenpox; people throw coins...
• Maner Sharif: Maner is a major Sufi pilgrimage centre, "the land of Sufi saints"; devotees come to the tombs to seek...
• Padri Ki Haveli: Catholics come to worship at Bihar's mother church; others come for its history and its Mother Teresa...
• Kamaldah Jain Temple: It is an important stop on the Jain pilgrimage circuit of Bihar and the place associated with...
• Sher Shah Suri Masjid: It is used for prayer and is the best-known piece of Afghan-period Islamic architecture in Patna
• Ramchaura Mandir: Devotees come for darshan of the footprints of Rama at a stop on his journey to Janakpur
• Budhi Mai Temple: Local and regional devotees come to the goddess Budhi Mai, chiefly at the time of her mela
• Baba Garibnath Temple: Devotees come to pour water on the Garibnath lingam and ask for their lives to be bettered; worship in...
• Punaura Dham: It is held to be the birthplace of Sita - the field where King Janaka, ploughing during a famine, found...
• Haleshwar Sthan: Devotees come for Shiva darshan at the temple founded at the sacrifice connected with Sita's birth; it...
• Bagahi Dham: Devotees from across India and from Nepal come for its yajnas and for Shiva darshan; it is also the...
• Ashokan Pillar, Lauriya Areraj: It is one of the surviving inscribed Ashokan pillars, visited on the Buddhist circuit and in...
• Lauria Nandangarh: It is the best-preserved standing Ashokan pillar with its capital intact, visited on the Buddhist...
• Sonepur Mela: Pilgrims come for the holy dip at the confluence on Kartik Purnima and then for darshan at the Harihar...
• Chirand: Pilgrims come for the Chyavana-ashrama association and the annual fair; the mound itself draws visitors...
• Gupta Dham: To offer worship at the self-formed Shivling deep inside the cave, especially during the Shivratri fair
• Rohtasgarh Fort: Pilgrims climb for darshan at the Rohitasan Shiva temple and the Ganesh and Devi shrines on the fort...
• Maa Tara Chandi Temple: It is counted among the 51 Shakta pithas, and Hindus assemble in large numbers to worship the goddess
• Deo Sun Temple: It is the largest Chhath site in the region - lakhs of devotees come to bathe in Surya Kund and offer...
• Deokund: Large numbers of people come here for Chhath Puja each year
• Chandika Sthan: For darshan at a Shakti Peetha, and specifically for vows about eye ailments
• Kastaharni Ghat: The name means "the bathing place which expels all pains"; pilgrims bathe here believing it relieves...
• Budhanath Temple: In Shravan the temple draws over a million devotees for Rudrabhishek and Jalabhishek, and the Bhagalpur...
• Champapuri: Champapuri is the only place where all five kalyanaks of Bhagwan Vasupujya occurred, which makes it one...
• Mandar Hill: The hill is identified with the churning rod of the Samudra Manthan, and both Hindus and Jains climb it...
• Lachhuar Jain Temple: It is one of the most important Jain pilgrimages in Bihar and, in Shvetambara tradition, the doorway to...
• Kusheshwar Asthan: It is the leading Shaiva shrine of the Darbhanga countryside, called the Baba Dham of Mithila, and...
• Uchchaith Bhagwati Temple: This is the temple of the Kalidasa legend - the goddess is said to have appeared to the dull student...
• Rajnagar Kali Mandir: It is the surviving living shrine of the ruined Rajnagar palace complex and the main Kali temple of the...
• Shri Ugratara Sthan, Mahishi: It is the principal tantric Shakti shrine of the Kosi region

More places coming soon

• Akshayavat: It is where the final, concluding pinda of the Gaya Shraddha is offered, making it the last stop of the...
• Sita Kund: Pilgrims come because Sita is held to have performed Pind Daan here for her father-in-law Dashratha...
• Ramshila Hill: Rama is believed to have offered pinda on this hill, so mourners offer pindas here during Pitrapaksh
• Pretshila Hill: Devotees bathe in Brahma Kund and then perform pinda-daan on the hill for ancestors believed to be...
• Brahmayoni Hill: Hindus climb it in large numbers during Pitripaksha to offer at the hill and squeeze through the...
• Mangla Gauri Temple: It is counted among the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas, the spot where Sati's breast fell, and newlyweds...
• Phalgu River ghats, Gaya: Tarpan and the riverbed pinda offerings of the Gaya Shraddha are made on these ghats
• Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Gaya: Sikhs visit because both Gurus stopped here and taught that a person's own good deeds, not their...
• Bitho Sharif Dargah: Pilgrims come to fulfil vows and for healing, particularly for illness and for afflictions believed to...
• Shri Digamber Jain Mandir and Dharmshala, Durga Bari: It is the main Digambar Jain place of worship and pilgrim lodging in Gaya city
• Shri Parshvnath Digamber Jain Mandir, Ramna: Local and visiting Jains use it for daily darshan and puja
• Durga Bari: It is the focus of Gaya city's Durga Puja, organised by the Durga Bari Puja Committee
• Baba Koteshwar Nath Dham: Devotees come to worship the Sahastralingi Mahadev and the ancient peepal tree, above all on...
• Muchalinda Sarovar: It marks the sixth week of the Buddha's post-enlightenment retreat
• Great Buddha Statue: It is the landmark image of modern Bodh Gaya, the first great Buddha built in India, consecrated by the...
• Sujata Stupa: It marks the house of Sujata, who offered the Buddha milk-rice under a banyan and ended his years of...
• Sujata Kuti: Pilgrims walking the Sujata route from Bodh Gaya stop here alongside the stupa
• Dungeshwari Cave Temple: This is where Siddhartha Gautama is believed to have practised severe austerities for six years before...
• Jagannath Temple, Bodh Gaya: Hindus in Bodh Gaya come for darshan and for the daily Mahaprasad
• Maya Sarovar: It is a devotional and family stop associated with Maya Devi, more a park and evening show than a shrine
• Wat Thai Buddhagaya: Thai and other Theravada pilgrims come for the main Buddha image and for meditation sessions
• Indosan Nipponji: Japanese pilgrims and meditators come here, and it is one of the quietest halls in Bodh Gaya for sitting
• Royal Bhutan Monastery: Bhutanese and Himalayan pilgrims come here, and other visitors come for the murals, which are among the...
• Tibetan Temple, Bodh Gaya: Tibetan pilgrims come for prayer, and other visitors come to turn the great Dharmachakra
• Karma Temple: It is a Karma Kagyu prayer and practice centre for pilgrims of that lineage
• Tergar Monastery: Pilgrims attend the winter Monlam prayer gathering and teachings here
• Namgyal Monastery, Bodh Gaya: Pilgrims turn the prayer wheels and attend teachings when the Dalai Lama is in Bodh Gaya
• Chinese Temple, Bodh Gaya: Chinese and East Asian pilgrims come here, and the 200-year-old image is the draw for others
• Vietnamese Temple, Bodh Gaya: Vietnamese pilgrims come here for prayer and lodging
• Burmese Vihara: Burmese pilgrims stay and practise here, and it is a long-standing pilgrim rest house
• Bangladesh Buddhist Vihara: Bangladeshi pilgrims lodge and worship here
• Metta Buddharam Temple: A quieter Thai alternative to Wat Thai for darshan and meditation
• Root Institute for Wisdom Culture: Western and Indian practitioners come for structured meditation retreats and courses rather than for...
• Lomas Rishi Cave: Visitors come for the facade; devotional use of the cave itself is historical rather than current
• Nagarjuni Caves: They are visited as the companion set to Barabar and as some of the oldest dated rock-cut chambers and...
• Kauvadol: It is a secondary stop on the Barabar circuit; images at the foot of the hill still receive local...
• Koncheswar Mahadev: It is a living Shiva temple and the finest surviving brick temple in Gaya district
• Kurkihar: Villagers and visitors worship the Pala-period stone images that remain in the Devi temple; students of...
• Gurpa Hill: Buddhists come because Mahakasyapa is held to have died, or entered samadhi, here while waiting for the...
• Tapovan: Pilgrims take a holy dip in the hot springs, which are believed to cure chronic illness
• Venuvana: It is the first monastery ever offered to the Buddha and where he spent several rains retreats, so...
• Pippala Cave: Buddhists visit it as Mahakashyapa's dwelling and a meditation retreat; Hindu visitors come for the...
• Bimbisara's Jail: Buddhists come because Bimbisara, the Buddha's royal patron who is said to have attained sotapanna...
• 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
• Maniyar Math: It is the surviving shrine of the Mani Naga serpent cult named in the Mahabharata and in Buddhist...
• Jarasandh ka Akhara: Visitors come for the Mahabharata association - the place where Bhima, on Krishna's advice, killed...
• Ajatshatru Fort: Visitors come for the fort of the king who convened the First Buddhist Council and who is central to...
• Jain temples on the five hills of Rajgir: Rajgriha is where Munisuvratanatha, the 20th Tirthankara, had four of his five kalyanakas, where...
• Veerayatan: Jains come for darshan and the Tirthankara gallery, and the campus is used as a retreat and a service...
• Gurdwara Sheetal Kund: Sikh families come for darshan at the spring Guru Nanak is said to have turned cold, and to bathe in it
• Ghora Katora Buddha statue: Visitors come for the lake Buddha and the quiet of the valley; it is the meditative end of the Rajgir...
• Archaeological Museum, Nalanda: Pilgrims and students come to see the Buddha and Bodhisattva images recovered from the mahavihara...
• Xuanzang Memorial Hall: Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Indian Buddhists come to venerate the relics of the pilgrim-scholar who...
• Black Buddha: Buddhists come for the ancient image itself; local Hindus have worshipped the same figure as Bhairav...
• Shvetambara Jain temple, Nalanda: Nalanda is where Mahavira spent fourteen rains retreats and where Indrabhuti Gautama, his chief...
• Surya Mandir, Surajpur Bargaon: It is one of Bihar's largest Chhath sites outside the river ghats; devotees come to offer arghya to the...
• Statue of Buddha, Jagdishpur: It is a living local shrine where an ancient Buddha image continues to receive Hindu worship, and a...
• Samosharan Temple, Pawapuri: Pilgrims come to the spot of Mahavira's last preaching assembly, usually in the same visit as the Jal...
• Gaon Mandir, Pawapuri: It marks the exact place of Mahavira's nirvana
• Chhoti Dargah, Biharsharif: Muslim devotees come to pray at the saint's tomb, particularly at the Urs
• Baba Maniram Akhara: People come for the Langot Fair and for the wrestlers' shrine
• Mora Talab Sun Temple: It is the town's Chhath and Surya worship tank
• Aashapuri Maharani Temple, Ghosrawan: Local and regional devotees come to the goddess; the village is also a stop for the Pala-period...
• Sitamarhi Cave: It is visited for the Ramayana association with Sita's refuge, and as one of the very few Mauryan...
• Gurdwara Gobind Ghat: It commemorates the incident in which Gobind Rai threw his gold bangle (kangan) into the Ganga as a...
• Gurdwara Guru ka Bagh: It marks the spot where Guru Tegh Bahadur first alighted on his return, and where he met his son Guru...
• Gurdwara Bal Lila Maini Sangat: Pilgrims come for the childhood association with Guru Gobind Singh, and receive boiled salted gram as...
• Gurudwara Handi Sahib: To honour the handi of khichri offered to the child Guru; a distinctive evening prayer here recalls his...
• Gurdwara Gai Ghat: It commemorates Guru Nanak's stay in Patna and is part of the Bihar government's "Guru Circuit" of Sikh...
• Choti Patan Devi: It is the second of the two Patan Devi shrines associated with the fall of Sati's remains at Magadha
• Shitala Mata Temple, Patna: Devotees come to Shitala Mata for protection from and cure of pox diseases, and for the fulfilment of...
• Khanqah Mujibia, Phulwari Sharif: Devotees come to the khanqah and the old mosques and dargahs of the town for Sufi blessing and...
• Ashokan Pillar, Kolhua: Kolhua is where the Buddha stayed repeatedly and is held to be where he gave his last sermon and...
• Abhishek Pushkarni: Pilgrims visit it as a holy bathing tank of the Lichchhavis, tied both to the Buddha's stay at Kolhua...
• Bhagwan Mahavir Janma Bhoomi, Basokund: Jains come to the birthplace of Mahavira; it is one of the principal Jain tirthas of Bihar
• Bawan Pokhar Temple: It is the principal Hindu shrine within the Vaishali archaeological complex, visited alongside the...
• Chaumukhi Mahadev: Devotees come to worship the four-faced Shivling, an unusual form not found elsewhere in the district
• Kaunhara Ghat: Pilgrims bathe and pray at the confluence, especially on full-moon days
• Lal Keshwar Shiv Temple: Local devotees come for worship of Shiva in lingam form
• Goraul Sharif: Muslims visit it as one of Bihar's leading Sufi shrines
• Chaturbhuj Sthan Mandir: Local devotees visit for regular worship at one of Muzaffarpur's older shrines
• Janaki Sthan Mandir, Sitamarhi: Many scholars and religious figures identify this as the place where Sita appeared from the earth...
• Panth Pakar: Pilgrims following the route of Sita's marriage journey stop here at the tree under which she is said...
• Hariharnath Mahadev Mandir, Hariharpur: Devotees come for Jalabhisheka, the pouring of water over the lingam
• Someshwar Nath Temple, Areraj: Devotees come to pour water on the Someshwar Nath lingam; lakhs of pilgrims arrive from other districts...
• Rampurva Ashokan Pillars: Visited on the Buddhist and Mauryan heritage circuit of Champaran; note that both capitals have been...
• Bettiah Catholic Church: Catholics come for worship at north India's oldest Catholic foundation; notably, hundreds of...
• Harihar Nath Temple, Sonepur: Pilgrims take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga and the Gandak and then worship the Harihar...
• Ami Ambika Bhawani Temple: Believers come from far off to offer oblation at the yagya kund and the well of the goddess
• Silhauri: Devotees come to worship Shilanath, chiefly at Shivaratri
• Gautam Asthan, Revelganj: Pilgrims come for the Ahalya episode of the Ramayana and to bathe in the Saryu at the ashram
• Dhorh Ashram: Devotees come to worship the large lingam at a riverside shrine of archaeological interest
• Chaurasan Temple: For darshan at the Shiva shrine at the highest point of the Rohtasgarh fort plateau
• Tutla Bhawani Temple: To worship Tutla Bhawani at the waterfall shrine, which draws crowds from across Rohtas and Aurangabad
• Tomb of Sher Shah Suri: Muslims visit to offer prayer at the mihrab and to pay respects at the Suri tombs; most other visitors...
• Harsu Brahm Sthan: Devotees come believing the deity relieves obstacles and afflictions; the site is locally known for...
• Umga Sun Temple: It is the second most important Chhath site in Aurangabad after Deo
• Siddheshwar Nath Temple, Barabar: It is the active place of worship on Barabar hill; Shaiva pilgrims climb for jalabhishek, particularly...
• Shri Gunawan Ji Tirth: Gautam Swami is held to have attained nirvana at this spot about twelve years after Mahavira's own...
• Sitamarhi Mandir, Nawada: To worship Sita at the cave held to be her place of exile, above all during the annual Sitamarhi fair
• Pir Shah Nafah Shrine: The Pir is regarded as the protector of the town and the shrine as a place of wish fulfilment; both...
• Gurdwara Pakki Sangat, Munger: Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed here on his journey east to Assam, and it was at Munger that he received news...
• Munger Fort: It is the enclosure for Munger's principal Muslim shrine and the anchor of the town's pilgrim circuit
• Ruins of Vikramshila: Buddhist pilgrims and students of the dharma come to one of the two great Pala universities, from which...
• Bateshwar Sthan: To perform jalabhishek at an ancient linga on the Uttarvahini Ganga at the Ganga-Kosi confluence...
• Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Bhagalpur: It is the mother church of the Catholic diocese covering eastern Bihar, and the focus of the diocesan...
• Madhusudan Temple, Bounsi: For darshan of Madhusudana and to join the chariot procession, and as the base shrine for the Mandar...
• Vasupujya Jain Temple, Mandar Hill: Mandar is held sacred in Jainism in connection with Vasupujya, and Jain pilgrims from Champapuri and...
• Kshatriyakund: Held by Shvetambara tradition and by Jain heritage sources to be the seat of King Siddhartha...
• Kali Mandir, Malaypur: It is the main Shakta shrine of Jamui district and the focus of a large local festival
• Simaria Ghat: For Ganga Snaana, and above all for the month-long Kalpavas, when devotees from across Mithila camp on...
• Jaimangla Garh Temple: It is counted among the 51 Shakti Peethas of India, reached across the lake
• Ahalya Sthan: This is the place where, in the Ramayana, Ahalya was released from her curse and rose from the stone at...
• Shyama Mai Temple: It is the principal Shakta temple of Darbhanga city and a major site for mundan and other sanskars
• Manokamna Temple: Devotees come to make wishes (manokamna) before the Hanuman image
• Kapileshwar Nath Temple: In the month of Shravan people come from across Bihar for jalabhishek of the Shivling here
• Saurath Sabha Gachhi: Thousands of Maithil Brahmins gather for arranged-marriage matching, and pilgrims worship at the...
• Kandaha Surya Mandir: It is the Sun temple of the Kosi region and a Chhath site
• Singheshwar Sthan: Because of the Sringi Rishi connection, large numbers of childless women come here to pray for...
• Nayanagar Durga Sthan: It is known locally for fulfilling manokamna, with devotees offering flowers and leaves
• Purandevi Mandir: It is regarded as a Siddhapeeth of the region, and the city of Purnia is named after the goddess
• Baba Bishu Raut Temple: Devotees pour milk offerings over the deity, above all on Sirua Bisua

By area

• Bodh Gaya: Where the Buddha reached enlightenment. The monastery belt of eighteen countries stands around the tree.
• Gaya: Pind Daan for the ancestors. Pitru Paksha fills the town for a fortnight every year.
• Barabar: The oldest rock cut caves in India, polished to a mirror and given to the Ajivikas by Ashoka.
• Rajgir: The Buddha's Vulture Peak and the first Buddhist council. Hot springs below, and the five hills the Jains walk.
• Nalanda: The oldest residential university in the world, and the ruins are still the size of a town.
• Pawapuri: Where Mahavira reached nirvana, on an island in a lotus tank. Kundalpur is next door.
• Biharsharif: The shrine of Makhdum Shah Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri, and the urs that fills the town every year.
• Nawada: A Mauryan cave held to be Sita's refuge, and the Jain tirth at Gunawan.
• Patna: Birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh. Six faiths inside one old city, which nowhere else in Bihar can say.
• Vaishali: The first republic, the Buddha's last sermon, and Mahavira's birthplace at Basokund.
• Sonepur: Harihar Kshetra, where the Gandak meets the Ganga, and the largest cattle fair in Asia at Kartik Purnima.
• Muzaffarpur: The Shravan kanwar walks to Baba Garibnath, and Chaturbhuj Sthan is beside it.
• Sitamarhi: Held to be the birthplace of Sita.
• Kesaria: The tallest Buddhist stupa standing, where the Buddha gave the Licchavis his begging bowl and turned them back.
• Lauriya Nandangarh: Ashokan pillars with the lion capital, and the Rampurva pair a short drive on.
• Darbhanga: The Shiva shrine in the Kosi wetlands, and Ahalya Sthan from the Ramayana.
• Madhubani: Where Kalidasa is said to have been given his gift, and Saurath Sabha, the old marriage assembly of Mithila.
• Mahishi: The Tara shrine of Mithila, with the Surya temple at Kandaha in the same fields.
• Singheshwar: The Shiva shrine of Kosi and the mela that fills it at Shivratri.
• Purnia: The Puran Devi shrine that gives Seemanchal its name.
• Simaria: Kalpvas on the Ganga every Kartik, and Jaimangla Garh out in the Kabar wetland.
• Munger: A Shakti Peeth on the Ganga, with the fort and the bathing ghats beside it.
• Sultanganj: Where the Kanwar Yatra begins and the water is lifted for the walk to Deoghar. Vikramshila's ruins are near.
• Mandar Hill: The hill the gods used to churn the ocean. A Jain Siddha Kshetra on the same rock.
• Lachhuar: Kshatriyakund, held by the Shvetambaras to be the birthplace of Mahavira.
• Deo: Chhath. The largest gathering at any sun temple in Bihar, and it lasts four days.
• Sasaram: The Tara Chandi Shakti Peeth, with Sher Shah Suri's tomb in its lake and Rohtasgarh fort above.
• Mundeshwari: The oldest Hindu temple in India still in daily worship, on a hill above the Kaimur plain.

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