Looking Beyond the Famous Summits
Vulture Peak draws most of the attention in Rajgir, and with good reason. But the valley also has smaller places that reward a slower pace, and some of them are close to the main road. None of the places below is a secret, and each can be busy at festival times, but they are often visited briefly or skipped. This article covers three: the bamboo grove, the springs and the ridge-top stupa.
Venuvana, the Bamboo Grove
Venuvana (Veluvana in Pali) is a name found throughout the early scriptures. According to tradition, King Bimbisara offered a bamboo grove to the Buddha and his monks soon after the Buddha’s awakening, and it is often described as one of the first large gifts to the community. Texts also mention a feeding place for squirrels, which gives the grove its fuller name in some sources.
The modern Venuvana is a small park with bamboo, shaded paths and a pond. Whether it occupies exactly the same ground as the ancient grove cannot be proven, and the site has been landscaped for visitors. Even so, many pilgrims find it one of the gentlest places in Rajgir, a good spot to sit in the early morning and to think about the first years of the monastic community. The Sigalovada Sutta, a teaching for lay people, is traditionally set at Rajagriha, and some readers like to bring a translation here.
Practical points: it is usually quietest soon after opening, and the grove is small, so a visit takes well under an hour. Opening hours, fees and any restrictions are set locally, so check before you go.
The Hot Springs, Briefly
The warm springs at the foot of Vaibhara hill are a short distance from Venuvana, and the two are often combined. Early texts mention a hot-water place called Tapoda, which is commonly linked with these springs. Today the springs are chiefly a Hindu bathing place, so they feel busy and devotional, not meditative. If you visit, treat them as another community’s sacred space: dress modestly, keep your voice low and ask before taking photographs.
The Shanti Stupa on the Ridge
On the Ratnagiri ridge stands the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, a white domed monument with Buddha images set around its base. It was built by the Japanese Buddhist order Nipponzan Myohoji and was completed in the later 20th century. It belongs to a series of peace pagodas that the order has built in several countries. For a visitor, the stupa offers a wide view over the valley and a quiet platform for walking clockwise, a practice explained in the note on circumambulation practice.
A ropeway, sometimes called a chairlift, has long run from the base of the ridge to the stupa, and there is also a footpath. Whether the ropeway is running on a given day is not guaranteed. It may be closed for maintenance, in bad weather or during busy periods, and its fares and hours change. Check current operation with local officials or your lodging before planning around it, and be ready to walk or to skip the visit. Anyone who is not steady on their feet, or who is travelling with an older companion, should find out in advance what the access really involves. The shape and symbolism of this kind of monument are explained in the guide to the parts of a stupa.
A Gentle Half-Day Plan
One way to link these places is to begin at Venuvana in the early morning, walk or ride to the springs only if you wish to see them, and then go up to the ridge in the late afternoon when the heat has eased. Rajgir is very hot in the summer months and wet in the monsoon, and heat on pilgrimage can be a real hazard, so carry water and rest often. Nothing here is travel or medical advice.
Etiquette
- Remove shoes where requested and keep them off carpets and platforms.
- Avoid pointing your feet at Buddha images, and do not touch images or monks.
- Do not use drones or flash photography unless clearly allowed; local rules vary.
- Take litter with you. A quiet place stays quiet only if visitors look after it.
Customs differ between communities, so follow any signs and the guidance of people on site.