The history of Vaishali goes back to the days of King Vishal from whom Vaishali probably inherits its name. Vaishali existed even before the birth of Lord Mahavira, that is 599BC. Long before Buddhism and Jainism came on the scene, Vaishali was the capital of a vibrant confederation known as Vajji. This means that Vaishali was the first republic in the world, even before that of Ancient Greece.

The town is mentioned in Mahabharata and it is also known that Buddha delivered his last sermon here before he attained enlightenment. The weather in Vaishali is typically tropical. It is hot and dry in summer, fairly wet in the monsoon and cold during the winter. The best time to visit Vaishali is of course in the winter season, although the place is attractive during the rainy season as well.

The climate of Vaishali is typically tropical. The hot weather lasts from March till almost the end of June. May witnesses the highest temperatures and is invariably the state’s hottest month. During the hot season Vaishali experiences dust storms and thunder storms and these could reach high velocities upwards of 60kmph. Vaishali does experience the hot winds that the rest of Bihar experiences and life is generally quite uncomfortable during this period. Summer is best avoided by visitors to Vaishali.

These days Bihar’s monsoon season is often erratic and unpredictable. Bihar has therefore experienced around seven years of drought. It was way back in 2007 that Bihar received a really good rainfall. The reason could be due to cutting down of trees and industrialization. Bihar, including Vaishali has had monsoons that have been erratic over the last decade. These years Vaishali may receive up to around 214 cm rain annually if nature favours. Monsoon may start as early as May or as late as the second week of July. July and August are the rainiest of months while monsoon may withdraw by around the first week of October.

The winter in Vaishali progresses from the beginning of November and ends somewhere around the month of March generally. The weather of the place is therefore excellent during the months of October and November. You will enjoy bright and warm days while the sun is not uncomfortable. But, prepare for chilly nights the moment the sun sets since the temperature falls abruptly and the heat of the day disappears. In the past there have been deaths during the winter in these parts. Therefore, visitors are advised to be properly clad during Vaishali’s nights. In the past Vaishali has experienced night temperatures of around 0.7 °C.