Bihar Bihar an important state in the Indian Union, has been a seat of ancient civilisations. Cutting straight across Bihar from west to east, the bounteous Ganga had rendered the region so fertile and plentiful, that its natural prosperity nurtured a great fountainhead of political and cultural civilisations down the millenia. Famous in history as Magadha, with Pataliputra as its capital, the region nurtured the Golden period of the Hindus. Rival kings fought legendary battles, devastating the land and the people. Yet, this land has also been the dwelling grounds of Mahavira, Buddha and even Guru Gobind Singh. Bihar is bound on the north by Nepal, on the east by West Bengal, on the west by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and on the south by Orissa. The name 'Bihar' is derived from 'Vihara', meaning monastery. Bihar has been a great religious centre for Hindus, Jains and most importantly, the Buddhists. It was at Bodhgaya in Bihar, that the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, and attained enlightenment. A descendant of the same tree, still flourishes in Bodhgaya today. Nalanda, which was a world - renowned Buddhist university in the 5th century AD, is also located in Bihar. Rajgir, a pilgrimage place for Buddhists and Pawapuri, where Lord Mahavira breathed his last, are near Nalanda. Other places of tourist interest in Bihar include Hazaribagh, a wildlife reserve, famous for its national park, Bhimbandh, famous for hot springs, Maner, a sacred Muslim shrine of Sufi Saint Hazrat Makhdoom Shah, Vikramshila, the ruins of a Buddhist university, Deoghar, famous for a Hindu shrine and Sasaram, the site of the tomb of Afghan emperor Sher Shah Suri.