Ananda Stupa and the Ashoka Pillar

Vaishali (वैशाली Vaiśālī) is an ancient city and a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Mithila region of Bihar, India. It is where Buddha gave his last sermon before leaving to Kushinagar where he achieved Mahaparinirvana.

Get in

By train

Vaishali railway station  ECR  is served by only one train from Hajipur near Patna.

By car

Vaishali is 48 km (30 mi) north of Patna, on SH 74. It is also accessible from Muzaffarpur via NH 722.

See and do

• 1 Ashoka Pillar (Ashok Stambh). One of the monolithic pillars dispersed throughout India, inscribed with edicts by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The pillar is topped with a single lion, unlike the one in Sarnath, where there are four lions at four directions. (updated Dec 2023)
• 2 Ananda Stupa (N of the Ashoka Pillar). The main stupa of Vaishali. It was built to commemorate Ananda, the most well-known disciple of Buddha. (updated Dec 2023)
• 3 Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda). A Japanese temple built by the Nichiren Buddhist sect Nipponzan-Myōhōji. It looks similar to the Shanti Stupa in Rajgir except the peak. (updated Dec 2023)