How To Get There?
Patna-The capital City Of Bihar is a little more than an overnight journey by train from Delhi.
Watch me as I take you through interiors of the unexplored Bihar,watch in youtube for better video clarity.
Why Bihar?
I believe over the years it is the most critized state in India.The reasons we all know or seem to know.The reason which is true yet not so true.The reason which is in our subconscious mind.The reason truly covered in my previous post
The Being Bihari Conversation
Today we discover the reason beyond what you might have thought of and give you insight on some positive sides of the coin.
But let me take a small quiz before we start,all you got to do is rate on the basis of your answers 1-10..1 being highest,10 lowest.
1)Do you think Bihar is Safe to Travel?
2)Do you think Bihar has anything worth looking at?
3)Do you think it can progress the way other states have?
4)What is the condition of girls in Bihar?
5)Bihar and Adventure sports,possible?
Dicey,its quite obvious to know that most of us have the same backward image we have had in our mind since long..and why so?
Because we are too hesitant to accept a change,a change so substantial that even I was surprised.
Bihar Tourism : How Many Takers?
It'my experience working in firms,talking to people that made me think one word Bihar and the people are off.Off to their own wonderland of negatives.When I was working in an adventure firm,I requested my senior to grant me permission to visit the Bihar Road Show,which he said to me would be of no use.
And it was true.It was of no use.The program started,the pictures clicked on some local dance sequence,the whos who invited,but nobody was really interested in promoting Bihar. Sad to say ,not even the tourism folks.
Don't you think its sad?
Patna - Nalanda
Adventure and Bihar?Rajgir is the first place in India to have started the single seated rope way long back.Is it scary?That's for you to decide,for me it was just another whirlwind where we sang aloud in thrill.Wish we could jump off.
Dona is a small village nestled some 125 kms away from the main city Patna.Named after Dronacharya,the village is worth visiting.Unlike what people might think of next,the roads to every place from Patna have been build upon in recent years.So yes,there are no more pot holes,no more narrow roads.Taxis charge 15 Rs/per km on rent from Patna.
In Between the Journey
Some people reach the destination,we believe in living the destination.When we started from Patna,we had three specific places in mind,Rajgir Nalanda and Dona.And while returning back we had planned Bodh Gaya the only famous and truly marketed place in Bihar.
With a hope that sparked a journey of curiosity,we were not sure what would be ahead.We started with the same set of fear as you would have thought of cows on road,pot holes,not even electricity.We were prepared.But unlike what we had thought of,we were pampered.
Lines of sugarcane juice stalls along the fields of sugarcane were on both sides of the road.It felt good and thirsty.We all excited with a live sugarcane juice in front,stopped our car for our very first break.When the gentlemen was busy preparing the sugarcane juice for us,we played in the sugarcane fields for the first time,as if it was ours.
Next was a break and a place we have never heard of nor seen.It so happened on the way to Nalanda via Bihar Sharif.Rocks with white color on both sides and a road.Clean as hell. We asked the driver what is the place, he said there's a garden on top.We had no time to drive to the top,so we clicked as many pictures as we could at the location which was so unknown yet beautiful.
Next was Nalanda,a university in ruins.A big one at that.It will take more than 3-4 hours to cover the whole periphery.Very popular with international tourists,the Nalanda University is one of the major attractions in Bihar.A series of excavations lay ahead.A series of surprises lay ahead.
Since it is frequented by international tourists due to importance to Buddhists,the place is maintained to the core.There are announcements on directions and how tos. There are instruction boards everywhere.
Next was supposed to be Rajgir.In between we stopped for biting on a sweet delicacy known as Khaja which we get in a place called Silao near Rajgir.The fresh Khaja melted in our mouth and we had several sweetened as well as non sweetened Khaja along the way.
With places like Nalanda and the Buddhist trail am sure Bihar does have its share of must visits on the tourist map. Nice post!
ReplyDeletehttp://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2012/11/fort-chapora.html
Hm Bihar has multiple sides...
ReplyDeletemust travel place it looks.
thanks for sharing.
Nalanda University ? Whoa...
It's good...write more in future with pics.All the best.
ReplyDeleteHuh... who said Bihar has nothing to offer to a traveler! It's just that all these past years the humpty dumpty didn't do anything and people didn't realise till he started selling bricks from the road works... lol... as things are improving now you can easily enjoy Bihar... cheers :-)
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Anunoy Samanta
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@Niranjan:Thanks Niranjan..There are many places in Bihar,people do not really know about them thanks to negative media all around.Hopefully my small initiative changes things a bit.
ReplyDelete@Nitish Kumar:Yep true.Folks have been ignoring it for quite a long time,time now for some limelight..in Bihar
ReplyDelete@K V V S Murthy:Thanks will do.One more post for Bihar,coming soon
ReplyDelete@Anunoy:Very true.But then people I have met of late have the same age old impression about Bihar,time we change it,in their minds
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for this post. With the kind of reach you have, I am sure it will help a lot in changing perspectives :)
ReplyDeleteThere is more to see .. Sasaram, Bhojpur, Rohtasgarh fort, and some waterfalls :)
Such a lovely post. Rajgir and Gaya is a must for those coming to Bihar. Nice photo of Nalanda.
ReplyDelete@Puru:Oh didnt know there is much much more to see.Was just there for 1.5 days,but then its great to know that there are places you know of.Bloggin is a platform we meet so many travellers,and when your comments start pouring in,I understand you are one of those well travelled ones :) .Thanks for encouragement,lets see.
ReplyDelete@Shalu:Thanks so much Shalu.Just doing my bit to see the positive side of Bihar.
ReplyDeletegood information...
ReplyDeletewith rich rural photos...
thanks
Hi Ankita,
ReplyDeleteLove your blog! You have some great stories and amazing photos. If you ever want to enter some in our contests at BarrelHopping, you can win some cash and get additional exposure to your work. Check us out when you have time and safe travels.
@Krishns:Thanks Krishna..More to come.
ReplyDelete@Mike:Thanks Mike,for telling me about BarrelHopping :)
ReplyDeleteEducated Biharis working outside have to be more friendly and social to get acceptance. most bad Biharis are one, who want to show that Bihar is bad but they are good, by showing sophisticated accent and good behavior. I can't understand how bihari accent can be linked to uneducated and criminal personality. Sushil kumar who won KBC had pure bihari accent and had more knowledge than any other contestant!!
ReplyDeleteBiharis must learn to respect themselves to get respect.
Thank you for this eye opener on Bihar. On my bucket list now!
ReplyDelete@MagicEye:Go ahead,you wouldn't be dissapointed
ReplyDeleteSuperb story. it's useful blog which give more information about Bihar. Nice pictures.
ReplyDelete