Bhagalpur Tourism And Travel Guide

Bhagalpur in Bihar is today known as the Silk City and is among the biggest cities in the state. Located near the River Ganga, it is a centre of education and is flourishing with great speed. Its plains are fertile and grow crops that include rice and wheat, maize and barley. Its waters are home to the National Aquatic Animal of India, the Gangetic Dolphin, at The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary which is located near the city. Tourism in Bhagalpur consists of visits to several temples, some of them ancient. A travel guide to Bhagalpur is detailed below for all visitors to the city. 

Bhagalpur is located in Bihar. The city is well connected by road to the rest of the state as well as with the states nearby. The city has excellent rail connections too with the entire country. However, Bhagalpur is dependent on other airports within the state and outside for its flight connection.

By Road:

The roads to Bhagalpur within the state are rugged and generally in good order. There are government buses, private buses and Volvo services that run within the state leading to Bhagalpur.

By Rail:

Bhagalpur is connected very well by rail to the rest of the country. You can therefore catch fast trains to Bhagalpur from all the principal cities. These include Mumbai and Delhi besides Kolkata and Chennai and others.

By Air:

Bhagalpur does not have its own airport. You could however fly to Patna and thereafter take a taxi to Bhagalpur which is 241km away and should not take you more than 7 hours to cover the distance.

The climate of Bhagalpur is generally just like the other cities in the state such as Patna and Gaya. The place is very hot in summer and cold in winter. It rains a fair amount in monsoon. It is best not to try to visit the place during either the summer or the monsoon. While summer is bound to be very uncomfortable, streets could get flooded during the rainy season, thereby making navigation a difficult proposition. 

Summer (March-June):

Summers of Bhagalpur are generally quite hot and sometimes wet as well. Summer temperatures reach more than 28°C with the occasional dust storms cooling down the place.

Monsoon (July-September):

Bhagalpur gets a fair amount of precipitation during the monsoon season. The months of July and August are the wettest and these receive around 250mm of rainfall. Roads tend to get flooded during this period, and there isn't much you can do in terms of tourism.

Winter (October-February):

Winters are very cold in Bhagalpur but they also make the best period to visit the place. Bring your woollens because night temperatures could be pretty low in these parts.

The history of Bhagalpur goes back to the times of the epics and the puranas according to which the city was in the Anava Kingdom during the time of Anu who was the great grandson of Manu. The area of Bhagalpur was then called Anga which was later under the Nandas and the Mauryas besides the Sugas and the Kanvas, all these periods falling between 545-30 BC. Today Bhagalpur is a prosperous city in Bihar and there are many sights to capture for the visitors.

Visit Mandar Hills:

A visit to the Mandar Hills which are located about 30km from Bhagalpur will be well rewarded on account of firstly the scenic location and secondly the amazing and ancient statues, sculptures and inscriptions one gets to see there. 

P K Das' Driftwood, Museum & Park

Visitors to Bhagalpur must see this unique museum & park that has some amazing driftwood and sculptures. The park is well maintained and a treat for tourists.

Colganj Rock Cut Temples:

This is a major attraction for tourists. These marvellous temples date back to the period of the Gupta Dynasty which covers 320-550 BC. There are priceless and artistic carvings depicting deities related to different religions.

Vikramsila University:

There are two ancient universities Bihar is well known for. The first is Nalanda and the second is Vikramshila. Located roughly 38km from Bhagalpur, the relics of this university include 100 ancient temples and some sculptures that go back to the 6th Century AD.

Bhagalpur has some good outlets of food for visitors. One can try Hotel Rajhans International as well as Royal Darbar, the latter being commented favourably for its service. There is also the Biryani Darbar Restaurant, obviously popular for its biryani, and Hotel Sriyash Regency that is acclaimed for its Chinese food. Try out Kesaria and Metro Mirchi Restaurant as well if you have some spare time.

There is a bit of a crisis in the silk industry in Bhagalpur. However, the tide seems to be turning in favour of the industry. Visitors can therefore do their shopping for silk textiles in any among the large number of such outlets in Bhagalpur. There are linen sarees too that seem to be in demand. Ladies can also purchase unstitched blouse pieces made of handloom textiles. There are shops that sell fabrics with silver zari work as well. One can also take a close look at Bhagalpuri Microfiber Chadar that seem to be selling well.