Rajgir

Vishwa Shanti Stupa, also known as the World Peace Pagoda, is a Japanese funded Buddhist stupa on Ratnagiri Hill above Rajgir, built in 1969 as part of a global series of peace stupas by the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist order and is a key highlight of Rajgir tourism and commonly included in Rajgir travel guide and Rajgir sightseeing routes. The 43 metre white stupa features four gilded statues of the Buddha representing the four stages of his life — birth, enlightenment, teaching, and parinirvana — making it one of the most significant places to visit in Rajgir and a major stop in Rajgir tour packages and things to do in Rajgir. It is reached via India’s oldest aerial ropeway, a single chair lift built in 1970 that climbs 390 metres in about 8 minutes, and the viewpoint from the top offers wide views across the ancient Magadha plains, making it a popular experience for anyone on a Rajgir trip or Rajgir holidays.

The Saptaparni Caves on Vaibhavgiri Hill are where the First Buddhist Council was held shortly after the Buddha’s parinirvana in 483 BCE, when 500 monks led by Mahakasyapa gathered to codify the Buddha’s teachings into the Tripitaka (Three Baskets), making it one of the most important places to visit in Rajgir and a key part of Rajgir tourism and Rajgir sightseeing, reached by a steep climb from the base of Rajgir as part of many Rajgir travel guide and Rajgir trip itineraries. Nearby, Griddhakuta Peak (Vulture’s Peak) is where the Buddha delivered important Mahayana teachings such as the Heart Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, adding to the spiritual significance of things to do in Rajgir and often included in Rajgir tour packages and Rajgir holidays.