Unexplored Bihar

Kesariya Stupa ( Buddha Stupa ), Bihar : Situated in the East Champaran district of Bihar, Kesariya serves as the place of the largest Buddhist stupa in the world. Kesariya stupa, as it is known, is located at a distance of about 110 km from Patna, the capital of Bihar. The stupa is believed to date back to somewhere between 200 AD and 750 AD may have been associated with the 4th century ruler, Raja Chakravarti. The local people call this Stupa as Devala, "means the house of god". Before the excavation of this, they believed that inside it there is a temple of 'Lord shiva' which is built by king Bhema .  The stupa is the largest in the world, with a height of 104 ft, and attracts lots of Buddhist pilgrims from around the world. The stupa is rare example of Buddhist architecture and archaeological preservation. It is believed that the stupa has further immersed into earth after the famous 1934- earthquake before which, the height of this stupa was 123 ft.

Maner Sharif , Patna, Bihar : Maner is a town situated 25 Km from Patna on bank of Ganga. Maner was the western gate of Patliputra (Patna) in the Mauryan rule. It is believed the town is named after the Sufi saint Hazrat Makhdoom Yahiya Maner , whose tomb is known as Bari Dargah . The Tomb of Makhdum Shah Daulat, locally called as Chhoti Dargah , is situated in Maner. This mausoleum is the finest Mugal monument in Bihar and is remarkable for its architectural elegance and rich decorative carvings. It was built in 1616 A.D. by Ibrahim Khan Fath Jang, Governor of Bihar under the Emperor Jahangir, over the grave of his religious preacher Makhdum Shah Daulat who according to the Persian inscription over the southern enterence, died in 1608 A.D. . The mosque to the west was completed in 1619 A.D. and the gateway on the north in 1623 A.D. Architecturally it is the finest specimen of its time in Bihar. In the centre it houses the grave of Saint Makhdum Shah Daulat and of Ibrah