Lauria Nandangarh Pillar and Stupa- The Hidden gems of Bihar

Lauria Nandangarh is a small town in Bihar. What is special about it? Well, the Lauria nandangarh pillar is the main source of attraction of this place. It draws its name from the famous Ashoka Pillars (laur) and the stupa mound (Nandangarh). The nearest city from this town is Narkatiaganj and Bettiah in West Champaran; these are 14 km and 28 km away from Lauria.

Brief History

• Lauriya has a total of 15 Stupa mounds placed in three rows. One of these stupas was first partially excavated by Alexander Cunningham, a British Army engineer, in 1862. 
• After which, Henry Bailey Wade Garrick excavated several of these mounds just after a few years of Alexander Cunningham. 
• In the year 1905, T. Block excavated four more mounds. 
• The excavation continued till 1939. At that time, all stupas were detected and dug out. 
• Lauria also has an attraction to Ashoka Pillars. These are a unique series of monolithic stone columns which are dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent. According to experts, these great pillars were erected by the Great Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
• Even though they feel like metal, the pillar in Lauria is made up of three different kinds of stones.
• Ashoka described his pillars as Dhaṃma thaṃbhā (Dharma stambha), which means “pillars of the Dharma”. 

State/Capital/District

Lauria Nandangarh is located in the state of Bihar. Lauria is a tiny town in the West Champaran region of Bihar. This part of Bihar is famous for various things like Meat and Gandhi’s first movement, ‘Champaran Satyagraha’.

How to Reach Lauria Nandangarh Pillar?

By Air

Unfortunately, it is impossible to reach this place directly by plane because it is a very remote place and is currently underdeveloped. But the good news is it is reachable by air if you book a ticket to Darbhanga, Bihar, which is just 4 hrs away from Lauria by road. Alternatively, you can travel to the capital of Bihar- Patna, from where you can easily take a bus or rent a car to travel to Lauria.

By Train

Even though Lauria doesn’t have a railway station, it is effortless to travel to Lauria via a train route. Here is a list of railway stations near Lauria:

• (SAHI) Sathi – Distance – 11.4 Kms 
• (MSHW) Musharwa Halt – Distance – 11.94 Kms 
• (RSWN) Rameshwar Nagar Halt – Distance – 12.88 Kms 
• (NKE) NARKATIAGANJ JN – Distance – 14.06 Kms 
• (CAI) CHANPATIA – Distance – 14.95 Kms 
• (CAMU) Chamua – Distance – 16.71 Kms 
• (GKA) Gokhula – Distance – 17.32 Kms

By Road

Lauria is well connected to the other cities and the capital Patna with a vast network of roads. You can book a ride directly from Patna to Lauria. If you do that, you can expect a bumpless travel experience. This is because of the efforts of the current government. You will witness 4 and 2 lane highway in your journey. 

After you reach Lauria by road, Train or Plane, you can quickly get a local ride from the station to the Lauria Nandangarh pillar and buddha stupas. And the streets inside the town are also well maintained and lit at night.

When to visit Lauria Nandangarh Pillar?

Bihar has extreme climate conditions. In summer, the temperature can go as high as 48-50 degree celsius, and as for winter, it can go as low as -1 or -3 degree celsius. Besides this, both the stupas and the Ashoka Pillars don’t have a designated place for tourists to rest up or take cover from heat or rain. And as you may know, the West Champaran Region of Bihar is prone to Flood. This is why we won’t recommend you to visit Lauria in Monsoon. So the best season to visit this place would be Autumn.  

Official Language

The official Language of Lauria is Hindi. The locals speak and converse in Bhojpuri, but they are also fluent in Hindi. You may be able to talk in English in a few establishments.

Weather

• Winter- commences early in November and ends in the middle of March. The average temperature varies from -1 to 10-degree celsius. 
• Summer- arrives in Bihar during March and lasts until June. The average temperature varies from 30 to 45-degree celsius. 
• Rainy (Monsoon)- This season begins in mid-June and continues until the end of September. This season is dangerous to travel due to the occurrence of flash flood here and there in Bihar.
• Autumn- commences at the end of September till the end of November. This season is famous for notorious tropical cyclones.

Fairs and Festivals of Lauria Nandangarh Pillar

Like the rest of Bihar, the people of Lauria also celebrate ‘Chhath Puja’ with great intensity. The whole town can be seen enjoying the fair that is followed by the festival. All age groups commemorate the celebration, and with time, it has evolved from being a simple cultural festival to a fun social gathering and fairs.

Chatt Puja is celebrated twice a year. This pooja is dedicated to the Sun God of Indian culture. Chhath Puja is celebrated at the beginning of the year during the Indian month of Chaitra, and the other one is during the Indian month of Kartik. The latter one is the major one, if you are planning to visit this place for the festival, then the date of Chhath Puja in 2021 falls on the Wednesday 10th of November.

Transportation/Stay to Prefer

To visit all these essential tourist spots in Lauria, you will need a place to rest and sleep. Because covering the beauty of this town is not possible within a day. For that, the city has adequate preparation in place. You can easily book hotels near Lauria Nandangarh pillar of ashoka or the railway and bus stations. You can get cheap hotels and motels by booking offline. If you wish to book a hotel in advance, you can go through hotel services like OYO and MakemyTrip. They also operate in this town. 

Now as for transportation, unfortunately, you will not find a taxi service in the town. Alternatively, you can book an autorickshaw or E-rikshaws to travel the city. You can either book them for a day or catch one in their route. If you have travelled there by your personal or rented car, you can also roam the city with it. The roads of the town are well maintained which will make your road trip quite marvellous.

Top Places to visit in Lauria Nandangarh Pillar

Heritage

The Lauria nandangarh pillar of Ashoka is the heritage site you must not forget to visit. It is a sight to behold! When your eyes lay upon this century-old marvel of art and architecture, it will leave you with awe. This over 2300 years old monument has a base diameter of 35 inches and an upper diameter is 22 inches. This 35 ft high tower was built between 268 to 232 BCE has been unfazed by the time, whereas buildings nowadays decay in 70-80 years only. Its massiveness and exquisite furnish is a striking proof of the skill and resources of the stonemasons possessed from the Ashokan age. Furthermore, this Ashoka Pillar is a beneficial place for a kid, as when you visit there, you can teach them about the ancient time clocks of our ancestors- the Sundial clock. 

Spiritual

The central spiritual spot in Lauria is, without a doubt is the Budda Stupas. Upon excavation, Nandangarh turned out to be a place hiding a big secret of stupendous Stupa with a polygonal or cruciform base, and one of its domes is missing, which must have been proportionately tall. This Stupa is so tall that it is counted among one of the highest in India. Without a doubt, this must have been a very spiritual place for students of Buddhism. Besides this, the stupas are carpeted with a vast and beautiful garden which is well maintained. Moreover, this place has its own guest house where you can stay to enjoy and explore its beauty fully.

Cuisines to Taste in Lauria Nandangarh Pillar

In this part of Bihar, the quality cuisine is a crucial part of the locals. This is because it is just 28km away from the west Champaran’s agricultural trade centre Bettiah. Lauria is rich in various kinds of fruits and vegetables. When you visit Lauria, you may take an interest in tasting these mouth-watering local cuisine:

• Lamb Meat Curry aka Champaran Meat (World Famous)
• Litti Chokha
• Kadhi bari
• Gughni
• Pittha
• Sattu

Souvenirs to buy in Lauria Nandangarh

Khadi Items: Bihar has the biggest market of Khadi Items in the whole wide world. When you visit Lauriya Nandangarh, do not miss the opportunity to buy some exotic khadi items. You can buy things like- Clothes, decorative artworks, Pagh (A headwear), etc., as souvenirs. 

If you liked this article on Lauria Nandangarh pillar the feel free to check our detailed travel guide on Wildlife Conservation: Why We Need to Save Wildlife?.

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