Brief History: Vaishali
is one of the districts in Bihar, India. Vaishali derives its name from King Vishal of the Mahabharta age. Even before the advent of Buddhism and Jainism, Vaishali was the capital of the vibrant republican Licchavi state since before the birth of Mahavira (c. 599 BC), which suggests that it was perhaps the
first republic in the world. In that period, Vaishali was an ancient metropolis and the capital city of the republic of the Vaishali state, which covered most of the Himalayan Gangetic region of present-day Bihar state, India.
Connectivity (for those
who are not from Bihar, the insiders know it well J):Patna, the capital city of
Bihar is well connected with all the metro cities and most of the other cities
in India through railways or flights. From Patna you have multiple options to
reach Vaishali through road i.e. either via public transport, cab or connect
with the sight-seeing agents who will plan the tour for you. I personally
prefer the sight-seeing agents as you get the AC Volvos and a huge group to
hang out even if you are travelling alone.
Tip for planning the
tour: If you are travelling from outside Bihar, you should reach
Patna by the afternoon or evening of a day before you plan to go to Vaishali. You
can check in a hotel at Patna. You will easily find affordable or luxurious
hotel near the railway station. If you are not from a Hindi speaking state, the
tour might turn out to be an ordeal. Vaishali has extreme temperature
fluctuations and hence the best time to visit Vaishali would be from Feb to
mid-April or mid-September to mid-November.
Places to visit:If
you are planning the tour on your own, you should leave early morning from
Patna for Vaishali. Though the distance between Patna and Vaishali is not much,
you might get caught in the traffic and hence leaving early morning is most
advisable. A GPS devise/mobile is always advisable when visiting a new city.
This is my personal favorite (more than security it seems like a game to me J).
Vaishali has multiple stupas and Vihars:
a.
Relic stupa:
Here the Licchavis reverentially encased one of the eight portions of the
Master's relics, which they received after the Mahaparinirvana. After his last
discourse the Awakened One set out for Kushinagar, but the Licchavis kept following him. Buddha gave them his
alms bowl but they still refused to return. The Master created an illusion of a
river in spate which compelled them to go back. This site can be identified
with Deora in modern Kesariya village, where Ashoka later built a stupa.
b.
Kutagarasala Vihar:
Kutagarasala Vihar is the monastery where Buddha most
frequently stayed while visiting Vaishali. It is located 3 kilometers from the
Relic Stupa, and on its ground can be found the Ananda Stupa, with an Ashokan pillar in very good condition (perhaps the
only complete Ashokan pillar left standing), and an ancient pond.
c.
Coronation Tank:
A few hundred meters from the Relic Stupa is Abhishek Pushkarini, the coronation tank. The sacred waters of the tank
anointed the elected representatives of Vaishali.
d. World Peace Pagoda
Next to the coronation tank stands the Japanese temple and
the Viśvā Śānti Stūpa (World Peace Pagoda) built by Japanese Nichiren Buddhist sect Nipponzan Myohoji.
A small part of the Buddha's relics found in Vaiśālī have been enshrined in the
foundation and in the chhatra of the Stupa.
e. Museum:
There is an
Archaeological Survey of India museum near the Visva Shanti Stupa.
If after reading all this you feel that the place is too
religious, let me tell you that outside all the places mentioned above, you
will have vendors selling souvenirs at extremely reasonable prices. You would
find tasty snax but for the sake of hygiene carrying own snax or lunch is advisable.
