Navlakha Palace (नवलखा महल), also called Naulakha Palace (नौलखा महल) is situated in town of Rajnagar (राजनगर) near Madhubani (मधुबनी) in Bihar. This Palace was built by Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga. This Palace suffered extensive damage during the earthquake of 1934 and was not rebuilt thereafter. Now this palace is in ruins.[1] The oldest surviving Madhubani painting (done in year 1919, on occasion of marriage of Shrimati Lakshmi Daiji, daughter of Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga) is found in the gasauni ghar (the room where family deity is kept) of this Palace.

Situated in the town of Rajnagar near Madhubani in Bihar, the palace was built in the 17th century A.D. by Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhangha. It suffered extensive damage caused by an earthquake in 1934, and sadly wasn’t rebuilt after. Situated near the kamala river is a marble temple of the goddess kali, and it’s still widely visited, another temple of the goddess Durga forms an integral part of the palace, and is still in operation, also known as the Rajnagar palace complex, it’s one of the major tourist attractions in Mithila and people come to visit all year round.

There are very few written records or photographs available of the Navlakha Palace. Late Prof. Umanath Jha has described the Navlakha Palace from his childhood memories in his book Bital Din Aa Bisral Log (बीतल दिन आ बिसरल लोग) as below:

Navlakha Palace was situated near eastern banks of Kamla River. To the north of the main entrance to the Palace campus, was situated a portion known as Durga Bhawan. Durga Bhawan was the southernmost part of the Palace. Durga Bhawan faced eastward and had a big pond in its front. On the northern side of this pond, a marble temple of Goddess kali was situated. This temple is still there and widely visited. I visited this temple in 2010. A temple of Goddess Durga formed integral part of this building. This temple was situated in a huge hall having two storeyed high ceiling. This hall was also used for purpose of dance and music recitals. The middle part of the Palace had a seven storey high tower. This Durga temple is still in operation, however other extensions have crumbled.

In the western side of Durga Bhawan, a rectangular building having three courtyard was situated. This building was the portion for ladies. On the northernmost part of this building was the white coloured two storeyed palace of Elder Queen (Bari Maharani). On the north of Maharani’s palace another pond was located. This pond was surrounded on the remaining three sides with garden. To the south of Maharani’s Palace was residence blocks of the rest of ladies of royal household. Thereafter, Gosauni ghar (the room housing the deity) was located and then the Palace of Younger Queen (Chhoti Maharani) was located. The palace of Chhoti Maharani was the southernmost part of this building. This building was connected to the Durga Bhawan by a two storeyed corridor. The upper storey was covered with windows having red, blue, yellow and green glasses. The ladies could pass from the ladies wing to Durga Bhawan through upper storey of this corridor and could also witness the scenes, tamasha, etc. held outside or inside the palace campus from this corridor. This corridor had two gates, which were large to let an elephant along with its "Hauda" (a seat, may be with or without a canopy, carried on the back of an elephant or camel) pass through. The complex also contained a temple of Goddess Tripura Sundari which had painting of the Goddess which seemed to stare at you even if you looked at it from different angles. This painting was done by an artist named Abdul Gani.

It is also known as Rajnagar Palace complex. It is one of the major tourist centers of Mithila. This place is easily accessible train or road. This is only a mile east of Rajnagar Railway station. People come to visit this place year round. Bihar government has failed to capitalize on this resources.

Kakolat waterfall a stunning little hidden wonder of nature, situated on the beautiful Kakolat hill, located on the border of Bihar and Jharkhand, just 33 km from Nawada. This is one of the most visited and renowned Bihar getaway, where tourists come from all over the state and adjoining areas to witness the sheer beauty of Mother Nature cascading marvelously. The Kakolat waterfall of Bihar cascades down from a height of between 150 to 160 feet and forms a natural reservoir at the base of the waterfall. Good fall in bihar.

Legends are also associated with the Kakolat waterfall such as, a Treta Yug king was cursed to take the shape of a python and live at the falls here, by a Hindu spiritualist. The place was then visited by the Pandavas during their exile and it was during that time that the python king got rid of the curse, and he proclaimed that any person who bathed in the waterfall would never be reborn as a snake.

Kakolat waterfall has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction in Bihar, where huge crowds can be seen during summers for weekend picnics. This waterfall also boats a wide variety of watersports and fun in the water. Apart from its significance as a tourist destination, the Kakolat waterfall is also widely visited at the time when a big fair is held on an occasion of bishua or chait Sankranti. This is basically a religious event accompanied with a three day mela, where many devotees take their bath in the waterfall. The Kakolat waterfall has great historical and mythological significance. The waterfall is located near Govindpur police station, about 33 km away from Nawada, on Kakolat Hill. Below the falls there is a deep natural reservoir.

The fall is approximately 160 feet (49 m) in height. The scene is panoramic due to all-round green forest area. Kakolat Fall is a popular tourist spot in Bihar. During the summer, people from all over India come to the falls for picnics.

Patna Museum is the state museum of the Indian state of Bihar. Built in 1917 during the British Times to house the historical artefacts found in the vicinity of Patna, it is in the style of Mughal and Rajput architecture and is known locally as the Jadu Ghar.

History

The Museum was constructed by the British to conserve and display the historical artifacts found in the vicinity of the state capital. The concept of having a museum arose in 1912, after Bihar and Bengal were separated. Patna Museum started functioning in 1915 from the commissioner's bungalow, on the campus of A N Sinha Institute.

The artifacts were then shifted to a new rooms of Patna High Court building before being taken to the present building in 1929. the land of present building was selected on Patna-Gaya road (now Budh Marg) in 1925. The two storeyed building, designed by Rai Bahadur Bishnu Swarup, was completed in 1928. It was opened as the first museum of Bihar and Orissa Province by then Governor of Bihar and Orissa Sir Hugh Lansdown Stephenson.

Collections

Items on display in the multipurpose museum include archaeological objects, coins, art objects, paintings, instruments, textiles, paintings, thankas, bronze images and sculptures and terra cotta images by Hindu and Buddhist artists. It has a rare collection of British-period paintings depicting day-to-day life, as well as a fine collection related to the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. It also houses a First World War cannon.

The fossil of a tree said to be more than 200 million years old is on display, as is a casket — unearthed in 1958 by archaeologist A. S. Altekar at the Relic Stupa of Vaishali — said to contain the sacred ashes (relics) of Gautama Buddha. The world-famous Didarganj Yakshi statue, discovered on a Ganges riverbank in 1917, is the museum's most prized collection.

Beginning November 2009, a project was started to build a replacement museum in Patna to enable the display of larger collections of up to 20,000 objects.

Patna museum has a large collection of sculptures of the Gandhara and the Mathura style art. These sculptures belong to the Kushana period. The Gandhar style sculptures, also known as ‘Greeco-Buddhist Art’ are made of blue-schist of Swat valley and the collection includes figures of Buddha. Other than Lord Buddha, several statutes of Bodhisattvas have also been kept in the Patna Museum. Patna Museum preserves holy relic casket of Lord Buddha containing his ashes.

Patna Museum houses many historic items found during excavations in different parts of Bihar. Some belong to the pre-historic phase and some are from early centuries of first millennium. Post-excavation, archeologists found many things including some historic objects, stone sculptures, bronzes, terracotta, paintings – miniature and thanka paintings and coins, which all are important to know the history and development of Bihar.

The museum at Patna has some pre-historic objects of great interest including of Palaeoliths, microliths and neoliths. These objects were found from different parts of India. Certain objects like Paleolithic tools found at Bariar (M.P.) and Lalitpur (U.P.), Attirampakkam (Tamilnadu) have also been kept in display in the museum.

The museum also displays sculptures from the Kushana period, which include the famous trio from Devangarh in the Nawada district. Three deities Ekanamsa, Balarama and Vasudeva have been separately depicted here which is unconventional and not found anywhere else. Other than these, the museum also has three images of Avalokitesvra, Maitreya and Buddha in bhumisparsh posture. These images were excavated from Vishnupur of Gaya districts. There are some door frames with the figures of Ganges and Yamuna depicted on the sides of them.

Maner also spelled Maner or Maner Sharif, is a Satellite town in Patna Metropolitan Region, in the Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar. Maner Sharif lies 24 km west of Patna the capital of Bihar. Patna on National Highway 30 (India). The town has tombs of Sufi saints Makhdoom Yahya Maneri and Makhdoom Shah Daulat, known as Bari Dargah (the great shrine) and Chhoti Dargah (the small shrine). Maner is an important tourist areas and tourism centre . The city's name is said to come from its status as a center of turismo.

History

Makhdoom Shah Daulat died in Maner Sharif in 1608 and Ibrahim Khan, Governor of Bihar, built a mausoleum to him that was completed in 1616.


The domed mausoleum's walls are adorned with intricate designs and its ceiling has passages from the Qur'an. Maner Sharif also has a mosque constructed by Ibrahim Khan in 1619. Maner Sharif was a regional centre of learning and is where the Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini studied.

Maner is known for its variant of laddu made with ghee and promoted by local vendors as being made using the sugar-sweet waters of the Sone river. Maner laddu featured in the Bollywood movie Khudgarz.

The ancient capital of Magadha, Rajgir is an important Buddhist and Jain pilgrim destination. Rajgir was the hotpot of political and religious activities in ancient India, still has relevance in modern times. Both, Lord Buddha and Mahavir Jain spent a significant portion of their lives at Rajgir. King Bimbisar even donated a monastery to Lord Buddha.Rajgir has number of tourist destinations to see. Many of them are relevant and important for Buddhists and Jain followers and some are important for Hindus too. Gymnasium of Jarasandh and Bimbisar, Saptparni caves, Gridhkut hills, and Jivakameavan Gardens are major tourist attractions at Rajgir.Gymnasium of Jarasandh
Jarasandh, a mythological fighter of Mahabharat, is said to have his gym at Rajgir. Legend tells us that Bhim had defeated Jarasandh in one of their duels. Though historically it can not be proved, local belief of the fact has to be accepted.

Ajatshatru Fort

Ajatshatru, who ruled Magadha, built a fort here. Other than that fort, there is one Stupa which is believed to have been built by Ajatshatru is a major attraction at Rajgir.

Shanti Stupa

Named for the mission of establishing world peace, the Vishwa Shanti Stupa is located at an altitude of 400 meter. Built in marble, the stupa is adorned by four statues of Lord Buddha from four side-corners. You can reach to the spot by ropeway.

Cyclopean Wall

The Cyclopean wall was meant for the fortification of the capital city of Rajgir. Earlier it was 40 Km long and encircled ancient Rajgir. The construction of the wall is of stones. This Pre-Maurayan structure is a major tourist attraction among tourists. Though not in existence in its glorious form, its traces are still there and boast the grandeur of its existence at some point of time.

Sonbhandar Caves

There are numerous folklores of mysteries associated with these caves. There are two halls inside the cave and as believed one of them served as guard room and another as treasure room. Local people are of opinion that some treasure from Bimbisar is still safe inside the cave. People try to get some clue from a non-deciphered inscription. Besides the treasure theory of Sonbhandar caves, the spot has great attraction for its historical links with Bimbisar of Magadha.

Venu Vana

Lord Buddha had become popular during his life time and had earned a good many disciples among whom some were rulers. One of such rulers was king Bimbisar of Magadha. Bimbisar, out of respect, donated a monastery to Lord Buddha which is called Venuvana Vihar.

Bimbisar Jail

Bimbisar, a staunch follower of Lord Buddha, suffered a lot from his own son, Ajatsatru. Ajatshatru imprisoned his father Bimbisar and asked him to choose the place of imprisonment. King Bimbisar chose this spot as from here he could see Lord Buddha everyday.

Jain Temples

Rajgir is as important for Jain followers as the Buddhists. In and around the Rajgir hill, there are 26 temples which can be reached by trekking on the mountain. Here comes the real test of your stamina to climb the peaks.

Chariot Route Marks

The mysterious rock cut in the form of two parallel furrows deep into rock for about thirty feet are worth visiting. According to local beliefs, the cut is the path of Lord Krishna’s chariot. When Lord Krishna visited Rajgir owing to the power and force and speed of his chariot the root became like this. Another attraction at the place is a non deciphered script dating from the 1st to 5th century AD, engraved in the rock around the chariot marks.

Pippala cave

There are hot springs and above the hill is the cave Pippala in Vaibhava Hill. These caves are not man made but natural. These were, according to some historians, were used as watch towers and later housed monks.

Nalanda University was one of the first universities in the world, founded in the 5th Century BC, and is located approximately 90 kilometers of the city of Patna. It was a Buddhist center of learning from 427 C.E to 1197 C.E. It has been called “one of the first great universities in recorded history.”

According to historical studies the University of Nalanda was established 450 C.E. and was one of the world’s first residential universities. Nalanda dates back to the fifth or sixth century and was already 600 years old when the first European university – in Bologna, Italy – was established.

Evidence exists that other institutions of higher education were already established in Asia, such as the ancient university of Taxila in Pakistan but Nalanda was the first university to educate in matters other than religion, which at that time and place was mainly Buddhism.

In earlier times, it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 faculty members and was the first great university in recorded history and one of the world’s first residential universities as it had dormitories for students.

The university was considered an architectural masterpiece. The subjects taught at Nalanda University covered every field of learning and it attracted students and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. According to several sources, the curriculum of Nalanda University at the time contained science, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy.

It was devoted to Buddhist studies, but it also trained students in fine arts, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, politics and the art of war. The university was an architectural and environmental masterpiece, says Jeffrey E. Garten, former Dean of the Yale School of Management.

“The modern world, to be sure, has a great deal to offer from which people in the past would have liked to have learned and would have been thrilled to learn, but the past too had some great examples of intellectual great truth that can both inspire and inform us today,” said Nobel Prize-winning economist Dr. Amartya Sen.

“Old Nalanda as an educational institution was fully dedicated to the pursuit of learning. It was committed to educational excellence. Indeed, because it was largely successful in achieving and maintaining excellence that Nalanda attracted foreign students – from China, Japan, Korea and elsewhere. The institution was Buddhist in terms of its foundation, but Nalanda’s teaching and research were not confined to Buddhist studies. Indeed it was well-known also for what it offered in secular subjects such as health care, linguistics, and astronomy. It was also a “modern” institution – modern in relation to its time – in offering education that went well beyond religion, and included science (such as astronomy) and the pursuit of practically useful arts,” said Dr. Sen.

Since the beginning of human existence, every generation, somehow passed on its stock of values, traditions, methods and skills to the next generation and that belonged to Nalanda, the most global university of its time.

Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha,the Enlightened One. Born; in the foothills of the Himalayas as a Sakya prince of Kapilvastu (now in Nepal), most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon, happened in Bihar. Buddhism as a religion was really born in Bihar and evolved here through his preaching and the example of his lifestyle of great simplicity, renunciation and empathy for everything living. Significantly, the state’s name of ‘Bihar’ originated from ‘Vihara’ meaning monasteries which abounded in Bihar. Several centuries after Buddha’s passing away, the Maurya Emperor Ashoka (234-198 BC) contributed tremendously towards the revival, consolidation and spread of the original religion. It is the monasteries, Ashoka built for the Buddhist monks and the pillars known as Ashokan Pillars erected to commemorate innumerable historical sites associated with the Buddha’s life, mostly intact to this day, that helped scholars and pilgrims alike to trace the life events and preaching of a truly extraordinary man. There is a magnificent Mahabodhi temple and the Tree from the original sapling still stands in the temple premises. The temple is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures and heritages. While its architecture has a distinct stamp of the Gupta era, it has later ages inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China between 7th and 10th century AD. It is perhaps still the same temple Hieuen Tsang visited in 7th century.

Mahabodhi Temple: The temple stands in the east to the Bodhi Tree. Its architectural effect is superb. Its basement is 48 square feet and it rises in the form of a slender Pyramid till it reaches its neck, which is cylindrical in shape. The total height of the temple is 170 ft. and on the top of the temple are Chatras which symbolize sovereignty of religion. Four towers on its corners rise gracefully giving the holy structure a poise balance. This sacred edifice is like a grand banner unfurled by time to proclaim to the world the pious efforts of the Buddha to solve the knots of human miseries, to ascend above worldly problems and to attain transcendental peace through wisdom, good conduct and disciplined life.

Inside the temple, in the main sanctum, there is a colossal image of the Buddha in sitting posture touching the earth by his right hand. In this posture the Buddha accomplished the supreme enlightenment. The statue is of black stone but it has been guilder by the devotees. The entire courtyard of the temple is studded with large number of votive stupas. These stupas are of all sizes built during the past 2500 years ago. Most of them are extremely elegant in structural beauty. The ancient railings, which surround the temple, are of the first century BC and are among the very interesting monuments of the century.

Animesh Lochan Chaitya: It is believed that the Buddha spent one week here looking towards the great Bodhi tree out of gratitude, without twinkling his eyes.

Bodhi Tree: The present Bodhi Tree is probably the fifth succession of the original tree under which the Buddha had attained enlightenment. Vajrasana, the seat of stability, is a stone platform on which the Buddha is supposed to have sat in meditation gazing east, under the Bodhi tree.

Chankramana: This marks the sacred spot of the Buddha’s meditative perambulations during the third week after pious enlightenment. It is believed that wherever the Buddha put his feet lotus sprang up.

Ratnagarh: The Buddha spent one week here, where it is believed that five colors came out of his body.

Other Treasures of Bodhgaya: 80 ft Statue of the Buddha, Lotus Tank, Buddha Kund, Rajayatana, Brahm Yoni, Chinese Temple & Monastery, Burmese Temple, Buddhist Monastery of Bhutan, International Buddhist House & Japanese Temple, Thai Temple & Monastery, Tibetan Monastery, Archaeological Museum. Sujata village (2 kms), Dungeshwari Hill (Prag bodhi) (22 kms by road), Maitraya Project (3 kms).