Typically the states Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal are referred to as Eastern India; whereas Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are referred to as North East India. But in a broader sense all these eleven states together form the Eastern part of India. This article will highlight the most popular destinations in East Indian states of Bihar, Orrisa, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Eastern India demonstrates the cultural riches, historical structures, Buddhist sites of importance, Hindu and Jain temples and the beauties of Indian wild life.
Places to visit in Eastern India:
Bihar
It is well known as the land of Lord Buddha. Ganges, the mother of all rivers in India flows along the state. India’s most powerful empires originated from Bihar such as the Mauryas, the Guptas and the Palas all ruled and built their dynasties in Bihar.
Patna is the capital city of Bihar. This was also the capital of ancient India – Pataliputra. If you are visiting Patna then you must not miss on these attractions – Hanuman Mandir, Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, Patna Museum, Kumhrar, Qila house, Gandhi Setu, Golghar, etc. Read, introduction to Bihar for further information.
Other important destinations in Bihar are: Bodhgaya (where Buddha got preached and got enlightment), Ancient Nalanda University, Vaisali, Rajgir (Where Mahavira lived and preached), Pawapuri and Sonepur (hosts Asia’s biggest animal fair).
Orissa
Orissa is a place of indigenous culture. If you like to drench yourself in water you have pristine beaches, lakes and waterfalls. If you are an animal lover then mingle with the wildlife in sanctuaries. If you have the interest for ancient monuments and temples then Orissa can offer you even more variety.
Bhubaneswar is the capital of Orissa. This is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Rajarani temple, Mukteswar temple, Lingaraj temple, etc are few of the temples you may want to visit. Apart from these temples the other prime tourists spots include: Udaygiri and Khandagiri caves, Dhauli, Nandankanan and Atri.
Konark Sun Temple, Chandipur beach, Chilika Lake, Jagannath Temple in Puri, Puri beach, Bhitarkanika National Park are the other tourist places one will enjoy seeing around.
7 Wonders of India – Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves
West Bengal
Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal has now turned out to be the most populous metro city of India. When in Kolkata you ought to see Belur math, Dakshineshwar temple, Malda district and famous terracotta temples of Bishnupur.
Darjeeling, Siliguri, Sundarbans, Cooch Behar, Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Hoogly, Mednipur, North and South Dinajpur and Howrah are the important places in West Bengal for tourists.
Jharkhand
Previously part of Bihar, it is now an independent state since the year 2000 with its capital at Ranchi. The state is typically covered with dense forests, wildlife sanctuaries and coal mines. Some of the best tourist places in Jharkhand include; TATA Steel Zoological Park and Jawaharlal Nehru Biological Park, Parasnath, a pilgrimage destination for Jains. Capital city of Ranchi has several waterfalls, forests and lakes such as the Ranchi Hill, Tagore Hill and Ranchi Lake. Deogarh also known as Baidyanath Dham is very popular pilgrim site for Hindus.
