How To Reach Pawapuri

Pawapuri, sacred to the Jains, is located in Bihar’s Nalanda District. It is 19km from Rajgir and 101km from Patna, that is Bihar’s capital. Pawapuri is holy for the Jains on account of the fact that it is here that the famous Jal Mandir is located. When he was in Pawapuri, Lord Mahavira stayed in the king’s Rajikshala and it was here that Lord Mahavira was buried in 500 BC. Among other sites, Pawapuri is popular for nearby Nalanda and its Monastic University. The fastest way to reach Pawapuri is to take a flight to Patna and then reach Pawapuri by hiring a taxi.

The roads in the state of Bihar near and around Pawapuri are fairly good. But, these are being modified as are the roads of the rest of the country. Major places near Pawapuri include Rajgir, Bihar Sharif and Nalanda. Of these, Rajgir is about 19km from Pawapuri while Bihar Sharif is around 15km and Nalanda 22km both from Pawapuri. Patna, Bihar’s capital is about 101km from Pawapuri and the best part is that there are good buses on all these roads.

Today Pawapuri Road also has a rail station. There are trains between Pawapuri Road and Lucknow. However, it is better to plan your rail journey either to Rajgir which is 19km from Pawapuri or better still Patna which is around 100km from Pawapuri. The Buddh Purnima Express between Varanasi and Rajgir is a fairly convenient way to travel by train since one can get off and on at Rajgir which is fairly close to Pawapuri.

Pawapuri does not have its own airport. The nearest viable airport is Patna which is around 100km away from Pawapuri and there are buses and taxis that ply between these two places. Pawapuri, Varanasi, Nalanda, Gaya and Rajgir are all great attractions for people from all over the world because of their strong connections with Buddha and Mahavir. One can plan one’s route accordingly so that one can fly from one centre to the other while making short hops by car or rail when required.

Although one will possibly not expect it, there is a good bus service from Delhi to Pawapuri according to the report of a tourist who reported a “robust bus network and frequency” between these two places. There is an excellent connectivity which is supported by state buses as well as “private operators who have a fleet of Volvo, Mercedes Benz and Corona sleeper in both AC and non-Ac Buses”. According to reports there are tongas and auto rickshaws as well as cycle rickshaws and even taxis in Pawapuri.