Start here · Essential guide
A Pilgrimage to the Sacred Site of Rajgir: The Ancient Capital
A broad guide to Rajgir, ancient Rajagriha and Magadha capital, and the hills, groves and ruins that Buddhist pilgrims traditionally visit in Bihar.
India
The ancient Magadha capital, Vulture Peak and its surrounding hills.
Start here · Essential guide
A broad guide to Rajgir, ancient Rajagriha and Magadha capital, and the hills, groves and ruins that Buddhist pilgrims traditionally visit in Bihar.
A route through the wider Rajgir valley: the hot springs, the ancient stone walls and Jivakamravana, with archaeology kept separate from tradition.
Quieter corners of Rajgir: the Venuvana bamboo grove, the hot springs and the Shanti Stupa on the ridge, with a reminder to check what is currently operating.
Gridhrakuta, or Vulture Peak, and the teachings traditionally associated with it, including its role as a setting for several Mahayana sutras.
Mahavira was the Jain teacher, not a Buddhist figure, and Patna's Mahavir Mandir is a Hindu temple. This guide covers the Jain sites around Rajgir and Pawapuri.
The teachings traditionally given at Rajgir, from monastic rules to discourses for kings and lay people, and why they make it valued across Buddhist traditions.
The Saptaparni Cave and the First Council tradition, the cyclopean wall, and the open questions about how scholars identify these places at Rajgir.
The people of Rajgir in the Buddha story: King Bimbisara, his son Ajatashatru and the physician Jivaka, and the places tradition links to them.
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