The Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) in Nalanda on Friday asked a minor charged of theft to recite national anthem before acquitting his case. The JJ Board also asked the minor a few general knowledge questions and directed his guardians to take emotional care of the boy and make arrangements for his education.
The minor was caught by the locals while trying to steal a bag containing money at a bus stand under Parbalpur police station area in Nalanda in April this year and was handed over to the local police, who then sent him to Hilsa jail.
“It’s a case of violation of the child rights. Also, the way this case was handled by the police, indicates how insensitive people have been towards children and their rights and requirements. Now, things should be handled in very sensitive manner,” said Dharmendra Kumar, a member of the JJB.
“By the time the minor was brought to the JJB, he had already spent one and half month at the Hilsa prison while under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, he should have been brought here within 24-hours of arresting. He might have gone through emotional torture and must have suffered much at the prison.
“So during the hearing, the principal magistrate of JJB realised that no further investigation was necessary and that it would linger his trauma. He also felt that the minor needed emotional support and counselling instead of punishment. So he was asked a few general knowledge questions and was also asked whether he could recite national anthem,” the JJ Board member said. Rajesh Pathak, assistant prosecution officer, Nalanda, said the minor has been staying with his relatives as he has already lost his parents.
“He informed that he had a troubled life at his relatives place and on the day of the incident, he had hot discussion with the relatives and left home in a fit of anger. He was hungry and just to purchase food he had tried to steal money from the woman’s bag. He also said he had left school after passing class seven and now wanted to resume studies,” Pathak explained.
Dharmendra said his offence should have been put under general category.
“Instead, an FIR was lodged and he was put into Hilsa jail. Later a senior official at the prison noticed the minor among prisoners and recommended his case to the JJ Board where he was conformed to be a minor after medical examination,” Pathak added.
The JJ Board member said it was sad to see the lack of awareness among police about the JJ Act and its guidelines and they needed to be sensitised towards children’s rights.
“This was not the first time that a case was lodged against a minor and he was prisoned, there have been number of such cases. Though the JJ Board is supposed to dispose off the case within four months, in many cases the minor is brought to the board after weeks and months,” he said.
The Nalanda district magistrate has ordered a probe after it came to light that a man was forced to carry the body of his eight-year-old son on his shoulders on Tuesday as the hearse at government hospital was unavailable at that time.
The incident brought back the memories last year’s incident in Odisha, where one Dana Manjhi was forced to walk 10 kilometers carrying his wife’s body on his shoulders as he was not provided any transport from the government hospital to his village in Kalahandi district.
Tuesday’s incident took place at the Sadar hospital at Biharsharif, 75 kms south-east of Patna.
Nalanda DM Yogendra Singh has sought clarification from the civil surgeon Parmanand Chowdhary and constituted a two-member team led by the SDM to investigate the matter.
“The incident has come to our knowledge but the lone hearse at Sadar hospital had gone to Silau and the man did not wait for its return. Instead, he preferred to carry the body on his shoulders,” the DM said.
Sources said the boy, from Sagar Sitabigha village of Parwalpur, fell unconscious while riding a bicycle. He was admitted to a private clinic from where he was referred to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital, where he died during the course of treatment.
The DM said this was second such incident in the district in recent times when an ambulance service had been found wanting. “A few months ago, the agency providing the service was penalised after it was found that the drivers were taking money from patients for the service provided,” he said.
Similar incidents in May 2017 in Majhaulia village of Muzaffarpur, and in October 2017 in Patna, had raised questions on health care system in the state.
A historic city located in the Nalanda district of Bihar, Rajgir is predominantly a religious place for both Buddhism and Jainism. Its link to both Gautama Buddha and Mahavir has imparted it with a sacredness, not easily experienced anywhere else in India.
While there’s tons to see and do in Rajgir, start your tour of the city with the 6th-century Ajatshatru Fort. The fort’s highlights are its high walls, Bimbisara jail, gigantic stone tower and Ajatshatru Stupa.
Another popular Buddhist pilgrimage site is the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, also known as the World Peace Pagoda, situated on Ratnagiri Hill. Considered to be the world’s tallest Peace Pagoda, this white structure is an architectural marvel with the four phases of Buddha’s life showcased through four golden statues of Buddha.
Among the Jain temples here, the most prominent is the Digambar Jain Siddha Kshetra Temple. Another important one is the Lal Mandir, located in Udaigiri Hills; a magnificent structure made of red and white stones.
Built during the Mauryan period, the sturdy 40km long Cyclopean Walls made of raw stones is an iconic architectural wonder encircling old Rajgir. Even though the walls no longer retain its former glory, it is nonetheless a must visit for history aficinados.
A prime attraction in Rajgir, Venu Vana is the Bamboo Forest, where Lord Buddha was said to have lived 2,500 years ago. There’s a big pond in the midst of Venu Vana; it adds to the peacefulness, serenity and beauty of the place.
The Hot Springs of Rajgir have an importance of their own. Found in abundance in the city, they are considered to be sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Known for their medicinal values, the most sacred Hot Spring in Rajgir is the one in Saptarni Cave and the hottest is said to be the one at Brahmakund, at 45 degree Centigrade.
If L&T achieves all its share purchase targets, it will end up holding 66% in Mindtree, worth at least ₹10,800 crore
Last week, L&T launched its open offer to buy a 31% stake from the public shareholders of Mindtree
MUMBAI: Singapore-based Nalanda Capital on Monday sold its entire 10.61% stake in Mindtree Ltd to Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), signalling the likely end of the stiff fight put up by promoters to the first hostile takeover bid of an Indian software services company.
Nalanda sold its whole stake worth ₹1,707.46 crore to L&T in an ongoing open offer for shareholders of Mindtree. The 10-day open offer closes on 28 June.
Two people directly aware of the matter confirmed the transaction. It is, however, not known if Nalanda took the step following a show-cause notice by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to the firm for pressing Mindtree’s public shareholders to refrain from tendering shares to L&T at ₹980 per share in the open offer.
On Thursday, Sebi served the show-cause notice to Pulak Chandan Prasad-led Nalanda Capital asking why penal action should not be taken against it for behaving like persons acting in concert (PAC) to thwart L&T’s open offer, without making a counter offer.
“Sebi has questioned Nalanda Capital that on what basis it advised Mindtree’s other public shareholders that L&T should offer a price 20% higher than ₹980 per share. Nalanda Capital has been asked to clarify that being an FPI (foreign portfolio investor), which Sebi regulation empowers it to advise any shareholder in any investee company in India on any such share sale,” said the first person, who is directly aware of Sebi’s processes.
Even though Nalanda has now sold its entire stake to L&T, the company, which is registered as an FPI with Sebi, has to mandatorily respond to the show-cause notice in order to avoid potential penal action by the markets regulator.
Sebi’s notice followed complaints by Mindtree’s investors last week accusing Nalanda Capital of attempting to prevent Mindtree shareholders from selling shares to L&T in the open offer.
On 20 June, proxy advisory firm InGovern Research urged Sebi to probe the matter arguing that Nalanda Capital’s actions could be significantly detrimental to the interests of Mindtree’s minority shareholders. Mint has reviewed a copy of the letter.
Emails to Nalanda Capital, Mindtree and Sebi remained unanswered.
The two people cited earlier said Sebi’s contention is that without the prior approval of the markets regulator, Nalanda Capital cannot either act as a PAC or prevent Mindtree’s public shareholders from tendering their shares in the open offer without making a counter offer.
L&T last week launched its open offer to buy a 31% stake from the public shareholders (including Nalanda) of Mindtree. “Last week, L&T bought close to 7% in Mindtree from public shareholders in the open offer. Amansa Holdings Pvt. Ltd has sold its entire 2.77% stake to L&T on Friday. With stake purchases from Nalanda, mutual funds and some index funds, L&T now holds close to 48% in Mindtree,” said the first person quoted earlier.
The purchase of Nalanda’s stake takes L&T closer to its target of acquiring control of Mindtree.
Mindtree’s existing promoters have been resisting L&T’s takeover plan. Mindtree’s four promoters—N. Krishnakumar, N.S. Parthasarathy, Subroto Bagchi and Rostow Ravanan—hold a total of 13.32% with their families.
However, in the past two months, L&T first acquired a 20.32% stake in Mindtree held jointly by Café Coffee Day (CCD) founder V. G. Siddhartha and two CCD affiliate firms. It later bought more shares of Mindtree from the open market to raise its holding to 28.90%.
L&T has the option of buying a total of 15% of Mindtree shares from the open market. If L&T achieves all its share purchase targets, the engineering conglomerate will end up holding 66% in Mindtree worth at least ₹10,800 crore, along with management control, which will mark the country’s first ever hostile takeover in the IT industry.
Nalanda spent ₹453.1 crore when it bought Mindtree shares in 2009 at an average price of ₹260, making an almost four times gain on its investment in the last decade.
A third person familiar with the development said another reason behind Nalanda’s move could be the promoters of Mindtree losing control of the board.
Last week, Mindtree’s board agreed to induct three L&T executives—chief executive officer S. N. Subrahmanyan, chief financial officer R.S. Raman and senior executive vice-president of L&T’s defence business Jayant Damodar Patil. Mindtree also agreed to L&T’s proposal to induct two independent directors—former L&T executive Prasanna Rangacharya Mysore and former bureaucrat Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa.
Soon after the announcement of L&T’s open offer for 31 percent stake in Mindtree, a section of the investors’ community has complained to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), fanning the flames of discord between L&T and Mindtree promoters on the proposed transaction. CNBC-TV18 has learnt that a section of the domestic investors has complained to the market regulator about the conduct of Nalanda Capital and has charged it with acting in concert with the promoters of Mindtree.
In a fresh round of charges, minority shareholders of
L&T have asked if Nalanda Capital is acting in concert with the
Mindtree promoters and a few other investors. If so, their combined
shareholding as persons acting in concert (PAC) certainly exceeds the
regulatory threshold of 25 percent (as per regulations 3(1) and 4 of
SAST regulations) which obliges them to make an open offer, or in this
case a competing offer to L&T’s open offer as that got announced
first.
According to sources, minority shareholders of L&T,
mostly mutual funds, may have urged SEBI “to investigate and take
appropriate action against the people involved in this violation of
rules meant to safeguard the interest of minority shareholders.”
Mindtree
has proposed an astronomical dividend pay-out of Rs 24/share this year,
which is much higher than their dividend payout in past many years.
This will erode the company of almost half its cash reserves at a time
when another company is in the process of acquiring it and their open
offer price factors in the cash component as part of the valuation. This
may also lure the shareholders to hold on to the stock and not tender
shares in the open offer as the record date for the dividend is early
July, after the open offer date of June 17 to June 28.
Nalanda University (NU) is set to hold its first governing board (GB)
meeting since February 2018 at its Delhi office on Thursday.
The
17th GB meeting is crucial as it will pave the way for shifting of
academic activities to its upcoming sprawling 455-acre campus to the
north of Rajgir hills, besides approving new proposals and reviewing
ongoing admissions.
The varsity’s board was re-constituted in
November 2016 with all new members. The lone member of the Nalanda
Mentor Group (NMG) retaining his position and the Indian government’s
representative in the new GB was former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament
N K Singh, presently chairman of the 15th finance commission.
In
January 2017, the university also got a new Chancellor in Dr Vijay
Bhatkar, following the resignation of George Yeo on November 25 in the
wake of dissolution of NMG. In May, Prof Sunaina Singh also took over as
the new vice-chancellor.
Set
up in 2014 to recreate the glory and academic excellence of ancient
Nalanda and serve as an intellectual bridge between India and East Asia,
the NU witnessed a flurry of activities in 2016-17, which led to a
complete change of guard.
There were also reports of faculty attrition in NU, but the V-C played it down, saying it was nothing abnormal.
“Some
people have left as their term ended, others left as they got better
avenues in locations of their choice, while there were also those who
found it tough to continue in the disciplined atmosphere that we are
striving to enforce on the campus. We have enough faculty members of
quality for our schools and new ones are also coming in,” said V-C
Sunaina Singh, who took over in the wake of sexual harassment slur on
the NU.
However,
the biggest plus for NU is that it is now set to move to its campus.
Former President Pranab Mukhejee had laid the foundation stone of the
campus on August 27, 2016.
“The work is on schedule and the first
phase comprising five main buildings has been completed. The campus,
likely to be fully ready by 2020, will go beyond the highest green
building features as per government guidelines, i.e. a rating of 5 under
GRIHA. We plan to start teaching this year itself from the new campus,
as adequate facilities are ready now,” said the VC.
At present, NU
has four schools, but a few new centres are in the pipeline, including
one on the Bay of Bengal Studies, which was announced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi while addressing the member states of the Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) at Katmandu on August 31, 2018.
The
Government of India would also cover 30 scholarships to member states
(Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) to
conduct research on Bay of Bengal region at the NU. Another centre in
the offing is on sustainable development.
At present, admissions in NU is on and the first cycle has been completed, while the second cycle is set to begin.
NU also plans to start Ph.D programmes from this year, which was earlier approved by the academic council.
A woman, as everyone
knows, usually gives birth to a baby after nine months of pregnancy, but in
Bihar 298 women claim to have delivered two to five children in a span of
60 days – at least that’s what records of incentives amount given to new
mothers under a government scheme show.
A woman gets around Rs.1,000 when she gives
birth under the government’s Janani Suraksha Yojana but a total of Rs.6.6 lakh
was paid as incentive to 298 women who claimed to have delivered two to five
children within 60 days under the scheme, says a report of the Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG) that exposes corruption in the state.
These irregularities were found in the year
2008-09 in the districts of Bhagalpur, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Kishanganj
and Nalanda, according to the CAG report 2009 tabled in the monsoon session of
the state assembly that concluded last week.
“The concerned officials paid incentives
under the Janani Suraksha Yojana to these women two to five times in 60
days,” the report says.
Unfortunately, thousands of genuine lactating
mothers were denied the incentive due to them. The CAG report says that of
470,307 new mothers, 97,146 were not provided cash incentives under the Janani
Suraksha Yojana for want of funds. Also, payment of Rs.25.19 crore to 1.8 lakh
beneficiaries were made after a delay ranging between eight and 732 days.
Opposition leaders criticised the state
government for the corruption in the implementation of the Janani Suraksha
Yojana in the state.
“All this is happening in Bihar when Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar is claiming good governance. This is just a trailer of
the unbelievable corruption in implementation of welfare schemes,”
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) state president Abdul Bari Siddiqui said.
Said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)
youth leader Gopal Sharma: “High corruption during Nitish Kumar’s
four-and-a-half year rule has eaten into welfare schemes like in the case of
Janani Suraksha Yojana exposed by the CAG report.”
Maner Sharif (Patna, Maner): It is a large village of historical antiquities, situated in the extreme north west of Danapur Sub-division, about 32 kms west of Patna on Patna-Arrah Highway. In the early ages Maner was a centre of learning and it is said that grammarian Panini, and also Bararuchi, lived and studied here. Maner contains two well-known Mohammedan tombs, that of Shah Daulat or Makhdum Daulat, known as Chhoti Dargah, and the other that of Sheikh Yahia Maneri or Makhdum Yahia, called the Bari Dargah. Makhdum Daulat died at Maner in 1608, and Ibrahim Khan, Governor of Bihar and one of the saint’s disciples completed the erection of his mausoleum in 1616. The building is exceptionally fine one, with walls containing carvings of great delicacy and high finish. A great dome crowns it, and the ceiling is covered with carved inscriptions from the Quran. Every detail of it is characteristic of the architecture of Jehangir’s region, and it is by far the finest monument of the Mughals in Eastern India. Inside the compound there is a mosque also built by Ibrahim Khan in 1619, whiles a fine gateway bearing an older inscription corresponding to 1603-01, and affords access to the north. The tomb of Yahia Maneri lies in a mosque walls and ghats, and pillared porticos jutting out into it, which is connected with the old bed of the River Sone by a tunnel 400-ft long.
Khankah Mujibia (Phulwari Sharif, Patna): Nearly 7 kms from Patna Railway Station, Phulwari Sharif is an important Islamic pilgrimage. It has been always a favorite abode of Sufi saints in various times. Hazrat Pir Muzibullah Quadri was one of those in the 18th Century. The Khankah Muzibia, founded by him at Phulwari Sharif is called the Bari Khankah. An old Madarsa here has been the most important centre for teaching of Islamic philosophy since its establishment. Sacred hairs of the beard of Paigamber Hazrat Muhammad Saheb are preserved here in Banri Khankah that attracts throngs of his followers and a big mela is held every year. There is also an archeologically important and worth seeing ancient Sangi Masjid (mosque) built of red stones at Phulwari Sharif. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Humayun.
Khankah Emadia (Mangal Talab, Patna City, Patna): One of the off-springs in the family of prominent Sufi Saint Hazrat Pir Muzibullah Quadri had founded another Khankah during 19th century near a tank called Mangal Talab that is situated in the Patna City Chowk area. It is called Khankah Emadia that houses a Madarsa. An Urs is held here annually when throngs of devotees assemble and pay their respect to their beloved Sufi Saint.
Dargah Sharif, Mithan Ghat (Patna City, Patna): A beautiful double storied mosque was built by Mughal Prince Azim on the banks of Ganges at Mittan Ghat, Patna City area that was previously called Azimabad during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. This mosque was built for Mulla Mittan who was teacher of the Prince. It was the place from where the great Sufi Saint Hazrat Makhdum Munnem used to preach his disciples during the 18th Century. The ancient mosque still exists and is popularly known as Dargah Sharif. Every year, after 5 days of “the Eid festival, an annual Urs Chiraga is held here when devotees assemble at this Dargah Sharif in great numbers.
Hajipur Karbala (Vaishali): It was constructed 175 years ago by Shah Alam. It attracts a large crowd of Muslims throughout the years.
Hasanpura (Siwan): The village is situated about 21 kms South of Siwan on the bank of Dhanai river. According to tradition, Makhdum Saiyed Hasan Chisti, a saint who came from Arabia to India and settled here, founded this village. He also founded a Khankah (religious institution) here. The village contains remains of a large mosque and tomb of the Saint, which is visited by both Hindus and Muslims. The grave is a large open court to the west of the village. In front of it is a basalt image of Vishnu but it has been ruthlessly treated. It is regarded as an inauspicious fiend who has turned into stone by the holy Makdum and must not be raised or placed erect. It contains no inscription but its style shows it to belong to about the seventh century A.D.
Bibi Kamaal Sahiba (Kako, Jehanabad): The village is the headquarters of the block of the same name and is situated on the Jehanabad-Bihar Sharif road, about 10 kms East of Jehanabad railway tation. According to a local legend, Ram Chandra’s stepmother, Rani Kaikeyi of Ayodhya lived here for sometime and the village took its name after her. The village took its name after her. The village has also a tomb of Hazrat Bibi Kamaal Sahiba, a great Muslim lady saint. It is said that this lady was the aunt of Hazrat Makhdum Saheb of Bihar Sharif and possessed divine powers.
Bari Dargah (Bihar Sharif, Nalanda): This is headquarters of Nalanda district that lays 30 kms South of Bakhtiarpur on NH-31. This is also a railhead on the Bakhtiarpur Rajgir branch line of the Eastern Indian Railway. This town is known as Bihar Sharif, owing to its many Muslim tombs that still retain traces of its former importance as a Muslim pilgrimage. There is a hill called Pir Pahari, about 1 m to the northwest of the town. At its summit is the dargah or mausoleum of the Saint Mallik Ibrahim Bayu, round which are tem smaller tombs. It is a brick structure surmounted by a dome and bears inscriptions showing that the saint died in 1353. Another great dargah is that of Mokhdum Shah Sharif ud-din, also called Makhdum-ul-Mulk, died here in 1379; the inscription over the entrance shows that his tomb was built in 1569. This tomb, which stands on the south bank of the river, is held in great veneration by the local Mohammedans, who assemble here on the 5th day of Sawan to celebrate the anniversary of his death. The Chhoti Dargah is the shrine of Badruddin Badr-I-Alam, famous saint who died here in 1440.
Chhoti Dargah (Bihar Sharif, Nalanda): Dargah of Makhdum Hazrat Sultan Ahmed Charampose, Bihar Sharif (Nalanda). The biggest and the oldest building of Mohalla-Amber in the Bihar Sharif Town (Nalanda), is Tomb of Hazarat Makhdum Sultan Saiyad Shah Ahmed Charampose Teg Barhana Rohmatulla Alaib. He was born in the year 1236 and passed away in 1335 (according to Islamic calendar 657-776 Hizri). He is ranked to a very high order among other Sufi saints and Auliahs. Thousands and thousand of people participate in the ‘Urs’ celebrated here in memory of the Saint every year.
Patna is a city abounding in the relics of the bygone ages. Takht Harmandir Saheb is of religious importance to the Sikhs and is believed to be the place of birth of the last Sikh guru, Govind Singh. The Jalan Museum with a rare collection of curios. Sher Shah’s mosque in the heart of the city is a splendid example of Afghan architecture. Among the numerous mosques in Patna, Begum Hajjam’s mosque stands as the oldest. Saif Khan’s Madarsa mosque, built in 1630, commands a magnificent view of the riverfront. Saif was married to Malika Bano, the elder sister of Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of emperor Shahjahan. Excavations at Kumhrar have yielded the remains of a Mauryan palace with sandstone pillars. One can still see Agam Kuan or the fathomless well, which was part of Ashoka’s hell for prisoners. The famous Mahendru Ghat in today’s Patna is the reminder of Mahendru (Ashoka’s brother) who had sailed from this very Ghat to Ceylon in order to preach Buddhism. The Khuda Baksh Oriental library is a treasure trove of medieval manuscripts. The Patna Museum is noted for its collection of statues and a very old fossilized tree, 16 meters high. Close to the museum is the Gol Ghar, the 29 meter high beehive shaped granary constructed in 1786, following a terrible famine. The Patna Cemetery is a historically important European monument situated in what was once a Haveli (mansion) and is now a hospital. Some distance from the cemetery is the Padri ki Haveli, a Catholic church with an imposing façade.
Thirty kilometers from Patna is Maner, a medieval stronghold of the Turks and the site of the shrines of Hazrat Makhdum Yahya Maneri and his son Shafruddin Ahmed Maneri.
Tour to Bihar The remains of an ancient fort with massive cyclopean walls together with other sites amidst lush green surroundings of Rajgriha recreate the glory of the past. Until the discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa, this was believed to be the oldest architectural remains in India. The site is equally revered by the Jains, as their 24 Tirthankars are believed to have practiced austerities on the different hills of Rajgriha. The Jal Mandir at Pawapuri (the sinless city) marks the site where Vardhamana Mahavira (the 24th Tirthankar) was cremated while Parasnath hill is associated with the Nirvana of the 23rd Tirthankar, Sri Parsvanath.
Nalanda, in the heart of Bihar, stands as the world’s most ancient seat of learning. The ruins confirm the university’s ability to cater to the needs of 10,000 students until the 12th century AD. The excavations have yielded numerous monasteries, temples, stupas and statues of Buddha. The Vikramshila University was an important institution of Tantric Buddhism and there was a regular exchange of teachers between the two universities.
Bodh Gaya houses the site of the sacred Mahabodhi tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Adjoining the tree is the high-spired Mahabodhi temple considered to be the most sacred shrine for Buddhists. Add to this the Hindu legend of Gaya, which was the name of a demon that grew so powerful that the gods felt threatened. As a pre-condition to his death, he demanded that the area covered by his body should be one of the holiest spots of the world. This land is believed to be Gaya.
Rajmahal is a medieval settlement on the eastern fringe of Bihar. It is believed to have been founded by Raja Man Singh, the Rajput general of Emperor Akbar. It was earlier a strategic place for the Bengal sultans who pitched their advance tent here before moving on to any military campaign.
The picturesque mausoleum of Sher Shah at Sasaram, outdoes the Taj Mahal in size, with a dome that surpasses it by 13 feet. Also at Sasaram we find the mausoleum of Sher Shah’s father, Hasan Shah Sur. No less picturesque is the tomb of Sher Shah’s son, Salim Shah, built in the center of a lake. On the outskirts of the village is the tomb of Aliwal Khan, the chief architect working for Sher Shah. A few hours’ drive from Sasaram takes one to the Rohtasgarh fort. In the words of Abul Fazal it is “a well defended paradise (fort) with no equal for strength and solidity.” The fort, 28 miles in circumference, is a perfect platform for eco-tourism projects. It is perched high on the Kaimur hills and there are abundant springs and numerous monuments that bring to life the history of its Mughal and Afghan governors and still later the Britishers who almost destroyed the surviving parts.
The Chotanagpur plateau spread over 34,000 square miles that encompass the southern half of Bihar, is one of the most fascinating places in India. There is no end to scenic attractions, waterfalls, deciduous forests, hills (rising up to 3,000 feet), plateaus (at an elevation of 1,000 feet), valleys, wildlife, and of course the aboriginals, who predominate this region. Add to this the salubrious climate that makes the region an ideal getaway.
The oldest geological formation of India are found in the Chotanagpur plateau of Bihar that also stores a vast deposit of a variety of minerals that cater to national and international needs. Bihar, on an average accounts for half the total output of coal and mica, the whole of copper and about 45 per cent of the iron produced in India. It is also the only region in the country to have Uranium mines.
Prominent places in Chotanagpur include Ranchi (2,140 feet), a picturesque hill station that inspired Tagore to compose a book of poems; Netarhat or the ‘queen of Chotanagpur’ is perched at 3,700 feet and offers beautiful sunset and sunrise views; Palamau is famous for its tropical forest and is rich in wildlife, and is the place where the world’s first tiger census was conducted in 1932. As of today, there are 45 tigers in the reserve and they are now said to be venturing out in search of new territories. No less interesting is the Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary nestling at a low terrain (1,800 feet). Hazaribagh is also vying for a place in the international heritage list for its recent findings of rock paintings, caves, stone age tools and smelted iron slag that shows a much early advent of the Iron Age than the theorized Chalcolithic age. At another village in Hazaribagh, the archaeologists have unearthed densely packed layer of pottery shards that are identical to those found at Harappa.
Introduction The ancient town in Bihar was once home to the world’s first university for higher learning. Nalanda is about 90 km southeast of Patna. Nalanda means “giver of knowledge”. The university at Nalanda began as a Buddhist monastery. Lord Buddha stayed at Nalanda several times in the local mango grove.
Nalanda
Lord Mahavir is also believed to have attained ‘moksha’ at
Pawapuri, which is located in Nalanda. Also, according to one sect of Jainism,
he was born in the nearby village, Kundalpur.
Interestingly, there’s a Nalanda Buddhist Centre (NBC) in Brazil. Set up in
1989, the centre was so named as a tribute to the great legacy of Nalanda, The
NBC was the second Theravada Buddhist tradition centre set up in Brazil 22
years after the Sri Lankan temple was first established.
Places of Interest
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Ruins of ancient Nalanda
The university of Nalanda was established in 450 AD under the patronage of the
Gupta emperors, notably Kumaragupta. It was one of the world’s first
residential universities. Its dormitories accommodated over 10,000 students and
2,000 teachers.
The Nalanda varsity had eight separate compounds and ten temples
besjdes many meditation halls and classrooms. There were also lakes and parks.
The subjects taught at the university covered every field of learning, and it
attracted pupils and scholars from as far as Korea, Japan, China, Tibet,
Indonesia and Turkey, among other countries.
Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang has given a detailed account of the
university. The terracotta seal of Nalanda University has been put on display
in the ASI Museum at Nalanda.
Pawapuri
Lord Mahavir attained ‘nirvana’ (salvation from the endless cycle of life and
death) at Pawapuri,and thus the placeis a holy site for Jains.It is located 38
km from Rajgir in Nalanda district and 90 km from Patna,and it was here that
Lord Mahavir,the last of the 24 Jain Tirthankars,breathed his last around 500
BC. He was cremated at Pawapuri,also known as APapuri (the sinless town).
There was a great rush to collect his ashes,and, as a result, so
much soil was removed from the place of his cremation that a pond was
created.Now, an exquisite marble temple, Jalmandir, stands magnificently on a
rectangular island in the middle of the pond.
There’s another Jain temple, Samosharan, here. This is the
placewhere Lord Mahavir delivered his last sermon
Kundalpu
Just 1.6 km from the ruins of Nalanda is this place called Kundalpur. The
Digambar sect of Jains believes that the 24th and the last Tirthankar, Lord
Mahavir, was born here. There are many Jain temples in this village.
Multimedia
Museum
India’s first multimedia museum was opened here on January26, 2008. It has a
section that recreates the history of Nalanda using a 3D animation film with
narration by TV and movie actor Shekhar Suman. There are four more sections in
the Multimedia Museum Geographical Perspective Historical Perspective,Hall o
Nalanda and Revival o Nalanda.
Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) Museum Nalanda,the
archaeological museum set up in 1917, housesthe antiquities,mainly those
excavated from the earliest university cum monastery complex at Nalanda and
from Rajgir. Out of 13,463 antiquities, 349 are on display in the four
galleries of the museum. The antiquities from Nalanda are datable from 5th to
12th century AD but some of those from Rajgir are a little older. The
sculptures kept in this museum are made of stone, bronzes, stucco and
terracotta but majority of those have been carved on basalt stone.
Most of the idols belong to the Buddhist faith but there are also those
belonging to Jain and Hindu religions.
A scale model of excavated remains of Nalanda university occupies the central
place of the hall. There are 57 idols and sculptures displayed in the first
gallery.
Opening hour:10 am to 5 pm
Friday closed
Entrance fee: Rs 2 per head
Free entry for children up to 15 years
Xuanzang
Memorial Hall
A memorial has been built and named after the Chinese traveller and scholar
monk, Xuanzang, who was a student at Nalanda and subsequently became a teacher
at the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara.The magnificent hall is located barely 1.3 km
away from the ruins of Nalanda.
It was in January 1957 that India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on
behalf of the government of India, received the relics of Xuanzang along with
his biographyand an endowment for the construction of a hall in his memory from
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lamaof Tibet. The initiative was
aimed at enhancingthe cultural relationship between India and China. The
construction work started in 1960 and was completed in 1984. The relics of
Xuanzang have been preserved in the Patna Museum.
HOW
TO REACH
The road between Patna and Ragir-Nalanda-Pawapuri is in
excellent condition. Private and state transport buses ply between Patna and
Biharsharif, the district HQ town of Nalanda. Tempos or horse-driven carts can
be hired from Biharsharif for Rajgir. Alternatively, one can hire a taxi from
Patna to Rajgir-Nalanda-Pawapuri. There’s also a direct train between Delhi and
Nalanda. Called Shramjeevi Express (2391 Up/2392 Dn), it runs via Patna.
By
Air:
Nearest Airport
Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna, 100 km away.
By
Rail:
Nearest railhead
Nalanda.
By
Road: Connected
by good roads with all major cities of India.
Where
to Stay:
There are several hotels in and around Rajgir. Apart from hotels, tourists can
opt for tourist bungalows or government-owned hotels or guest houses
Indo-Hokke Hotel (3-star facilities), Phone: 255231, Fax: 255245
Rajgir Residency (2-star facilities), Phone: 255404, Fax: 255405
Hotel Tathagat Vihar, Phone: 255176, Fax: 255176
Hotel Siddhartha, Phone: 255216, Fax: 255352
Emergency, Contact
Nalanda District Magistrate: 235203, 235204, Fax: 235205
Nalanda Superintendent of Police: 235207, Fax: 233978
Rajgir Dy Superintendent of Police: 255461
Rajgir Police Station: 255258
Medical Emergencies, Contact
Rajgir Hospital: 255102
Local Transport: Auto rickshaws, Cycle-rickshaws, tangas.
Tourist Season From October to February. From mid-December to the end of January,
temperature here ranges from 5 degree C to 15 degree C. May and June are hot
and the mercury goes up to 46 degree C. It’s monsoon time towards the end of
June.
Clothing: Light cotton in summer and woolen in winter (specially during November
to January).
