Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir
Stupa · Gautama Buddha · Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar
Pilgrims come to circumambulate and pray for peace at one of about 80 Nipponzan Myohoji peace pagodas...
A 120 ft white marble pagoda, 103 ft in diameter, on Ratnagiri hill at about 400 m, built by Nipponzan Myohoji under Nichidatsu Fujii ("Fuji Guruji") and completed in 1969, renovated 1993. Four gold-gilded Buddha statues face the cardinal directions, representing birth, enlightenment, first sermon and death. A Japanese Buddhist temple (Nipponzan Myohoji) with a drum-chanting hall stands beside it. Access is by the Rajgir ropeway or by a long flight of steps; footwear is removed before entering and silence is expected.
Plan your visit
- Best season
- September to April" (Bihar Tourism)
- Area
- Rajgir
Festivals
- Anniversary of the stupa observed annually on 25 October (English Wikipedia, "Rajgir")
Yatras that include Vishwa Shanti Stupa
- Buddhist Yatra: The white stupa on the ridge, and the view that explains why Rajgir is ringed by hills.
- Silence and Stillness: The ridge at dawn, before the ropeway queue.
Experiences here
- The Jethian to Rajgir walk: The valley road the Buddha and King Bimbisara are said to have met on
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...
- 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...
- Makhdum Kund: Muslim pilgrims come to bathe in the spring associated with Makhdum Sahib and to pray at the tomb
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Vishwa Shanti Stupa important?
A 120 ft white marble pagoda, 103 ft in diameter, on Ratnagiri hill at about 400 m, built by Nipponzan Myohoji under Nichidatsu Fujii ("Fuji Guruji") and completed in 1969, renovated 1993. Four gold-gilded Buddha statues face the cardinal directions, representing birth, enlightenment, first sermon and death. A Japanese Buddhist temple (Nipponzan Myohoji) with a drum-chanting hall stands beside it. Access is by the Rajgir ropeway or by a long flight of steps; footwear is removed before entering and silence is expected.
When is the best time to visit Vishwa Shanti Stupa?
September to April" (Bihar Tourism).
Which festivals are celebrated at Vishwa Shanti Stupa?
Anniversary of the stupa observed annually on 25 October (English Wikipedia, "Rajgir").
Can Tirtham plan a yatra to Vishwa Shanti Stupa?
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.