Ashokan Pillar, Lauriya Areraj
Ashokan pillar · Emperor Ashoka · Lauriya village, East Champaran, Bihar
It is one of the surviving inscribed Ashokan pillars, visited on the Buddhist circuit and in...
A single block of polished sandstone about 11.12 m (36.5 ft) above ground, weighing roughly 34-40 tonnes, raised around 242-249 BCE. It carries the six Major Pillar Edicts in well-preserved letters, split into a northern face of 18 lines and a southern face of 23. The animal capital it once bore is gone (district sources say it went to the Kolkata museum). ASI-protected. It lies about 55 km north-west of Lauriya Nandangarh.
Plan your visit
- Area
- Kesaria
Yatras that include Ashokan Pillar
- Mauryan and Ashokan Bihar: A second pillar, edict still legible on the shaft.
- Champaran and Gandhi: On the same road north, and two thousand years older than the rest of this route.
Experiences here
- Valmiki Tiger Reserve: Bihar's only tiger reserve, in the forest along the Nepal border
Tirtham can arrange here
Guide, car and stay around Kesaria
Also around Kesaria
- Champaran meat (ahuna): Mutton sealed in a clay handi and cooked for hours over coals, from Champaran.
- Marcha rice and chura: A pepper-grained, fragrant rice from West Champaran, GI-registered in 2023, famous as chura.
Nearby places
- Kesariya Stupa: One of the tallest Buddhist stupas in the world
- Someshwar Nath Temple, Areraj: Devotees come to pour water on the Someshwar Nath lingam; lakhs of pilgrims arrive from other districts...
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Ashokan Pillar important?
A single block of polished sandstone about 11.12 m (36.5 ft) above ground, weighing roughly 34-40 tonnes, raised around 242-249 BCE. It carries the six Major Pillar Edicts in well-preserved letters, split into a northern face of 18 lines and a southern face of 23. The animal capital it once bore is gone (district sources say it went to the Kolkata museum). ASI-protected. It lies about 55 km north-west of Lauriya Nandangarh.
Can Tirtham plan a yatra to Ashokan Pillar?
Yes. Tell us how long you have and who is going, and Tirtham plans the days, the guide, the car and the stay.
Plan my Yatra. Rather talk to someone? Call or WhatsApp +91 87893 56605, or contact us.