Best Tourist Attractions in Hajipur, Bihar, India

Best Tourist Attractions in Hajipur, Bihar, India

Hajipur being the headquarters of Vaishali district of Bihar, a north state of India is known for its production of Bananas. It is located at a distance of 10 Kms from Patna and is connected to Patna by ‘Mahatma Gandhi Setu’, one of the world’s longest bridges. Since Hajipur is located very close to Patna, it is the second most fast developing city after Patna itself and is attracting more and more middle class and upper class people as home city with lots of dwelling opportunities.

History of Hajipur

Hajipur got its name by the fact that it was developed by Haji IIyas Sha, a Bengal King, during middle of the 14^th century. The famous ‘Jama Masjid’ is located within the fort built by Haji IIyas Shah in Hajipur.

It was also known as Ukkacala and got significance after Lord Buddha choose it for delivering one of his preaching called ‘Cula Goplalaka sutta.’ And also, it is quite interesting to note that the portion of ashes of Anand, the closest disciple of Lord Buddha, was enshrined in this town only. Another interesting thing about Hajipur is that during the British Rule, it was a small town belonging to the Muzaffarpur district of Bengal and was in the main focus during the struggle of the great Akbar with Afghan governors of Bengal. In addition, one more interesting fact about Hajipur is that is finds its root in history from the time of Mahabharata and takes credits for being the place for the establishment of democracy around 600 B.C. The establishment of ‘Ancient Lichhavi Republic’ is a testimonial for this. Its historical prominence is that it is both the birth place for Lord Mahavir and the place where Lord Buddha gave his last preaching and declared his Parinirvana.

Geography and Climate of Hajipur

In 1972, Hajipur was separated from Muzaffarpur and was made as the headquarters of Vaishali district. It is located at 25.68° N 85.22° E. Towards its North lies Muzaffarpur, to its South lies Patna, to its East lies Samastipur and to its West is Saran.

Its geographical elevation of Hajipur is 46 meters, makes it suitable for mango, banana and litchi plantations and has got semi-tropical monsoon climate with lots greenery with plants and trees and the period from May to June is very hot while the period from December to January is very cold.

People, Food and Culture of Hajipur

Most of the population in Hajipur speak Hindi and mother tongue being Bihari and Hindi and prefer north food and they are very friendly people.

Tourist Attractions in and around Hajipur

Hajipur has many places of interests for tourists as listed below.

Vaishali Mahotsava

It is a great annual celebration on Baisakh Purnima around middle of the April month that signifies the birth anniversary of 24^th Tirthankara Lord Mahavir.

Ramchaura Mandir

This temple is dedicated to Lord Sri Rama and is located at Rambhadra very near to Helabazar in Hajipur. It is believed by the local populous that Lord Sri Rama visited this while heading towards Janakpur. People worship the footprints of Lord Sri Rama located here and celebrate Ramanavami every year. Ramchaura are preserved in Patna Museum.

Mahatma Gandhi Setu

This bridge, stretching about 6.75 Km, is the major link connecting north and south Bihar and is constructed over river Ganges near the village Jadhua, and Hajipur is connected to Patna through this bridge. While passing on this bridge, one will get enchanting and panoramic sight of banana plantations and full of greenery.

Kaun Haara Ghat

It is one of the beautiful ghats of Ganga-Gandak and the ghat got its name due to an ancient legend.

Pataleshwar Mandir

This temple is sacred and as per the local populous, Lord Shiva is in Lingam form and hence, this is dedicated to him.

Nepali Mandir

This temple was built during 18^th century and mostly built upon wood. It signifies the pagoda-style architecture belonging to Himalayan Kingdom and has got various carvings highlighting the Nepali Culture.

Other prominent tourist attractions in Hajipur include:

Shri Maha Prabhuji’s Baithakji at Helabazar
Sonepur Fair

Best Seasons / Time to Visit Hajipur

Although one can visit Hajipur at any time of the year, it is best to visit during December and January and during the mid-April.

How to reach Hajipur?

Reaching to Hajipur is easiest from Patna as it is located only 10 Km away from it. One can reach Hajipur from Patna via NH-19 taking services of buses, taxis or auto rickshaw by travelling for 25-30 minutes.

Accommodations in Hajipur

As Hajipur is fast growing city in Bihar, it has all kinds of facilities for tourists to make their visit a memorable one. The city has many well known hotels that provide both luxurious and non-luxurious services.

The following of are some of the prominent hotels in Hajipur