Footsteps of Buddha Tour

Pick up at Airport / Railway Station on arrival at Patna. Check into hotel. Sightseeing of the city in AC taxi. Patna was known as Patliputra in ancient times. It was the capital of powerful kingdom of Magadh which in West started from modern day Afghanistan and extended till modern day Bangladesh in East. During ancient times, Megasthenes(350-290 BCE), the Greek historian and traveler, referred to it in Greek asPalibothraorPalimbotra. The place appears in the records of the Chinese traveller,Fa Hien (5th Century), as Pa-lin-fou. Visit Kumhrar that has ruins of the ancient city of Pataliputra built during the times of Emperor Ashoka. Thereafter leave for Bodh Gaya.

After breakfast, visit important sites related to Lord Buddha. According to Buddhist traditions, circa 500 BC PrinceGautama Siddhartha, wandering as an ascetic, reached the banks of theriver Phalgu, near thecityofGaya. There he sat in meditation under a bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa). After three days and three nights of meditation, Siddhartha attained enlightenment and thus became Lord Buddha. He then spent seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience.

The Mahabodhi temple is located in the east adjacent to the original Bodhi tree. It actually stands on the temple erected by Emperor Ashoka and rises in the form of pyramidal spire till it reaches its neck, which is cylindrical in shape. Several Buddhist temples and monasteries have been built by the people of Bhutan, China, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam in a wide area around the Mahabodhi Temple.

Have dinner and night stay in hotel.

After breakfast, leave for Rajgir (Rajgriha) by AC taxi. This place is a famous pilgrimage centre for Buddhists, Jains and Hindus. Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism came here numerous times with his Sangha. Ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have been found in the city. There are several archeological sites related to Lord Buddha and Lord Mahavira in this place.
The various hot water springs, which are believed to have curative properties, are sacred to the Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains. Separate bathing places have been set up for men and women at Saptdharna; the seven streams behind the Saptarni Caves. Brahmaputra is the hottest spring with water temperature being 45 degree C.

Thereafter leave for Patna for Airport / Railway Station by Taxi