Rajagaha

රජගහ නුවර

 Rajagaha, meaning ‘King’s Abode,’ was the capital of the Kingdom of Magadha, the largest city in the Middle Land, and was visited by the Buddha on many occasions during his life. It consisted of two parts, the old city built amongst hills, and the new city located on the plain just beyond the hills. Both were surrounded by huge walls, the remains of which can still be seen today. The Buddha praised the beauty of many of the natural and man-made landmarks around the city , his two favourite places being the Bamboo Grove and a low rocky hill called the Gijjajuta Peak, just beyond the east gate of the city. Several places in Rājagaha which are mentioned in the Tripiṭaka have been identified and excavated by archaeologists. Rajagaha is now called Rajgir and is in the modern north Indian state of Bihar.

Surrounded by five holy hills, the picturesque little town of Rajgir is important for Buddhists. Here the two rock-cut caves were the favourite retreats of the Buddha and it was on this hill that he preached two of his most famous sermons. The nearest airport is in Patna (115 kms) and the railhead is in Bhakhtiyarpur (54 kms). Rajgir is well connected by good roads to Patna, Gaya, Delhi and Kolkata (Calcutta).

Literally, Rajgir has got the name from Raj Griha meaning the abode of the king. The city was the capital of the mighty Magadha Empire during the period of Lord Buddha's lifetime. The city has hosted Lord Buddha during the reign of rule of Bimbisara who was overwhelmed, along with many citizens, by the charm and grace of Lord Buddha.

Gridhakuta Hill - Gridhakuta Hill was the favourite place of Lord Buddha, where he delivered many discourses after he attained enlightenment. It was here that he gave two important sutras the Lotus Sutra and the Prajnaparamita.

Saptparni Cave - It was here, where the first Buddhist council was held after Buddha attained Nirvana. Also a Burmese temple, and a modern Japanese temple can be seen here.

Shanti Stupa - This is an immence white structure situated on the top of the hill Ratnagiri and is the main Buddhist attraction at Rajgir. This houses four gold statues representing Buddha's birth, enlightenment, teaching and death.


Ancient Ruins - There are many sites including ruins of the ancient city, caves, and places associated with Ajatasatru and king Bimbisara can be seen here. Here one can see the Ajatasatru's fort built in 5th century BC where the emperor had imprisoned his father. The 1.5-km long outer wall was built by stone blocks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Buddhist_council
http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/As/India/Bihar/SonBhandar.htm