Bodh | Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary | Patna | Valmiki National Park | Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary |
Bihar is a state in India full of monasteries. Sacred sites of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs and Muslims are found in abundance in this state, where the first great empires arose in India and went under.
Bihar extends out from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north to Orissa in the south. Bihar that derives its name from Vihar which means monastery is the birthplace of Buddhism and Jainism. The pilgrimage travel is very important factor for Bihar Tourism. Bodh Gaya is the most important tourist attraction among Buddhists.
The pilgrimage tourism in Bihar is very popular among the tourists. There are religious monuments in Bihar belonging to Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Jainism. The most prominent pilgrimage sites are Mahavir Mandir, Sitamarhi, Madhubani for Hindus. Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb, Gurdwara Pahila Bara, Gurdwara Gobind Ghat for Sikhs, Bodh Gaya for Buddhists, Vikramasila, Rajgir for Jains and Sasaram, Bihar Sharif for Muslims.
There are plenty of other tourist attractions in Bihar for those who are not really interested in religious visits. Tourists can find out more about the rich culture and heritage of Bihar during ancient times by visiting Excavation sites at Kumhrar, Kesaria, Vikramshila and Nalanda.
There are plenty of forts in Bihar to keep tourists interested. Among most popular are Rohtasgarh Fort, Sasaram Fort and Munger Fort. Bihar is also home of varieties of wildlife species. Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary has over species of birds. Tiger tourism in Bihar is also quite popular thanks to the tiger reserve at Valmiki National Park. Bihar is the only place in world that is conserving Gangetic Dolphins. Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is the place for dolphin lovers to get up close with the rare Gangetic Dolphins.
