Good earthwork and beautifully carved stone pillars of his
palace
From Muzaffarpur, the town of Motihari is 82km north-west. A further 28km
to the west lays the Asoka pillars of Laurya, Arayraj, with its beautiful
inscription in Pali.
From Motihari, 88km to the north lays the great Asokan pillar
with its 1lion capital’.
This is in village
of Lauriya –Nandangarh.
The polish on the stone shaft of this pillar, even after 2.5 millennia, is a
thing to marvel.
Where to begin
An examination of the group of sites on the south bank of
the Ganga can usefully start with the ruins of the ancient town of Pataliputra, which is within the confines of the present
city of Patna. It
was built by Chandragupta Maurya around 300 BC. One can still see portions of
the timber and earthwork and beautifully carved stone pillars of his
palace.
From Patna, you would be well
advised to go to Gaya
by train, since there is at present no bridge over the Punpun. There exists a
tortuous road via Fatwa and Hilsa, but it is not advisable to take it.
The archaeologically and historically important sites are Gaya and Bodh. They are
the study places of Buddhism and Buddhist Viharas (visiting places) also. Stupas and Barbar caves can be seen here.