Photo: Ramya RAW / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
📍 Purnia, East Bihar, Bihar
A more than 300-year-old ruined fort north of Purnia, built by the region's Mughal-era rulers to guard against invasions from the Nepal frontier. This large quadrangular fortress once housed thousands of soldiers behind its high walls and strong gates. Now overgrown and atmospheric, it is a State Protected Monument set amid the plains of north-east Bihar.
Jalalgarh Fort lies about 20 km north of Purnia town, near the Kosi region. Historical accounts differ on its origins: some credit Saif Khan, the Faujdar of Purnea (around 1722), while the Purnia district gazetteer attributes it to the early 17th century, built to defend against incursions from the Nepal border.
A large quadrangular structure with high brick walls, strong gateways and inner chambers, it is said to have once garrisoned thousands of soldiers. Today much of it lies in ruins, its walls draped in vegetation, giving it a haunting, historic atmosphere. It is listed among Bihar's State Protected Monuments and is a rewarding stop for history and heritage enthusiasts.
October to March, when the weather is cool and pleasant for exploring the ruins.
A tranquil oxbow lake in the Amdabad area of Katihar, flanked by the Mahananda and the Ganga. Gogabil is Bihar's first Community Reserve and, in 2025, became a Ramsar site of international importance. In winter its yearround waters draw flocks of migratory ducks, geese and waders, making it a rewarding spot for birdwatchers in the state's far east.
Historical & Ruins Vikramshila was one of the two greatest Buddhist universities of ancient India, alongside Nalanda, founded by the Pala king Dharmapala in the late 8th century. It was a leading centre of Tantric Buddhism and produced renowned scholars such as Atisha Dipankara, who carried Buddhism to Tibet. Its imposing cruciform stupa and grid of monk cells, set beside the Ganga, make it a quiet, evocative heritage site.
Hindu Temples An ancient Lord Shiva temple perched dramatically on a rock island in the middle of the Ganga at Sultanganj. It is the starting point of the famous Shravani Mela, when saffronclad Kanwariyas collect holy Ganga water here and carry it on foot to Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, about 100 km away. The rock is carved with ancient sculptures and inscriptions.
A seasonally flooded wetland in Darbhanga's Kusheshwar Asthan block, fed by overflow from the Kamla river. Each winter it becomes a refuge for thousands of migratory birds flying in from Mongolia and Siberia, including several threatened species. Notified in 1994, it is one of North Bihar's important havens for waterfowl.
