Jain temples on the five hills of Rajgir
Jain temple · Munisuvratanatha (20th Tirthankara), Mahavira, and the munis Jivandhara, Vidyuch · Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar
Rajgriha is where Munisuvratanatha, the 20th Tirthankara, had four of his five kalyanakas, where...
Temples on the crests of Rajgir's five hills - Vipulachal, Ratnagiri, Udaygiri, Swarnagiri (Arungiri) and Vaibhargiri - reached by stone stairways from the valley. The Digambara tirth account gives ten temples on the hills and two in the valley: four on Vipulachal (including a modern one for the four kalyanakas of Munisuvratanatha), two on Udaygiri (with recovered ancient idols kept in the Lal Mandir), three on Arungiri, and five on Vaibhargiri, one of them a 1,200-year-old excavated temple with 24 chambers. Wikipedia's Rajgir article records Shvetambara temples on the same five hills and puts the historical count at between 24 and 52; BSTDC says "About 26 Jain Temples" are visible on the hill crests. There is an ancient temple of Munisuvratanatha, about 1,200 years old. The Digambara dharmashala at the base has 60 standard and 50 semi-deluxe rooms with a mess.
Plan your visit
- Best season
- September to April" (Bihar Tourism's stated best season for
- Area
- Rajgir
- Status
- Coming Soon
Yatras that include Jain temples on the five hills of Rajgir
- Jain Yatra: Twenty-six temples across Rajgir's five hills. A full day on foot.
Tirtham can arrange here
Guide, car and stay around Rajgir
Also around Rajgir
- Litti chokha: The dish people mean when they say Bihari food.
- Sattu sharbat in summer: What Bihar drinks against the heat: roasted gram, water, lemon and salt, sold from carts on every corner.
- Magahi paan: The betel leaf of old Magadh, soft enough to melt in the mouth, grown under thatch in Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad and Nalanda.
- The ropeway up Ratnagiri: The ride up to the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, over the hills the Buddha walked, in an open chair or a cabin.
- Rajgir Mahotsav: Bihar's festival of classical dance and music, with a food fair, held in Rajgir each year.
- Silao khaja: A many-layered fried sweet made in Silao, on the road between Rajgir and Nalanda, GI-registered in 2018.
Nearby places
- Rajgir (Griddhakuta): Hills where the Buddha and Mahavira taught
- 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...
- 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...
- Jivakamravana: It is the mango grove the physician Jivaka gave to the sangha and where the Buddha was treated after...
- 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...
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Jain temples on the five hills of Rajgir important?
Temples on the crests of Rajgir's five hills - Vipulachal, Ratnagiri, Udaygiri, Swarnagiri (Arungiri) and Vaibhargiri - reached by stone stairways from the valley. The Digambara tirth account gives ten temples on the hills and two in the valley: four on Vipulachal (including a modern one for the four kalyanakas of Munisuvratanatha), two on Udaygiri (with recovered ancient idols kept in the Lal Mandir), three on Arungiri, and five on Vaibhargiri, one of them a 1,200-year-old excavated temple with 24 chambers. Wikipedia's Rajgir article records Shvetambara temples on the same five hills and puts the historical count at between 24 and 52; BSTDC says "About 26 Jain Temples" are visible on the hill crests. There is an ancient temple of Munisuvratanatha, about 1,200 years old. The Digambara dharmashala at the base has 60 standard and 50 semi-deluxe rooms with a mess.
When is the best time to visit Jain temples on the five hills of Rajgir?
September to April" (Bihar Tourism's stated best season for .
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