Places to visit nearby destination - Patna
Bodhgaya
 Located in the state of Bihar, Bodhgaya along with Sarnath
and Kushinagar are the most sacred places for the Buddhists
around the country. It is here in Bodhgaya that Buddha
is supposed to have attained enlightenment under the Bodhi
Tree. The tree from the original sapling still stands
in the temple premises.The magnificent Mahabodhi temple stands adjacent to this
bodhi tree. The temple stands on the site of the ancient
temple erected by Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. The inscriptions
here describe the visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar
and China between 7th and 10th century AD.
Gaya
 Located in the Central Bihar at a distance of around
112 km south of Patna, Gaya is one of the holiest Hindu
cities. The main tourist attraction here is the Vishnupad
(Vishnu footprints) Temple, built by Rani Ahilya Bai of
Indore in the 18th century.
Nalanda
 Situated at around 90 km off Patna, Nalanda was one of
the greatest centres of Buddhist learning in ancient times.
Today, it is a small village, but the archaeological excavations
have unearthed a great part of most important centre of
Buddhist learning in the world. Important attractions
are the ruins of the Nalanda University, the Hiuen Tsang
Memorial Hall, the Surya Mandir, the Nalanda museum, and
the Nav Nalanda Vihar.
Rajgir
At a distance of 102 km off Patna, Rajgir is a well-known
pilgrimage of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism alike. Before
Patna, Rajgir or Rajgriha (as it was known earlier) was
the capital of Magadh. The major centres of interest are
the Swarna Gufa, Griddhakuta Parvat, hot springs, and
Vishwa Shanti Stupa.
Sasaram
Known for the extraordinarily beautiful mausoleum of
Sher Shah, Sasaram is located around 148 km from Patna.
The mausoleum is located in a beautiful lake and looks
like a floating structure.
Sonpur
Venue to the largest cattle fair in Asia, Sonpur is located
just 25 km from Patna. The trip from Patna is easy and
if you are visiting the city in the month of November,
don’t miss the fair. People from all over the country
flock here to sell their livestock. A visit to the temple
of Hariharnath after bathing on the confluence of Ganga
and Gandak here is considered auspicious.
Vaishali
 A place holy to Buddhists as well as Jains, Vaishali is
located around 55 km from Patna. The place derives its
name from King Visala of Ramayana. The place has the distinction
of being the capital of one of the first republics in
the world run by the Lichchavis. This is the same place
where Lord Buddha preached his last sermon and announced
his approaching Nirvana. Lord Mahavira, the 24th Jain
Tirthankara, was born here in Kundligrama (Vaishali) in
599 B.C. The main attraction is the newly built Vishwa
Shanti Stupa, the Ashokan pillars, and a host of other
structures related to Buddhism and Jainism.
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