Vikramshila Mahaviharaविक्रमशिला महाविहार
The other great Pala university. A cruciform stupa, 208 cells, and almost no crowds.
See what is open on your dateOpen in Google MapsWhereBhagalpur, Bihar
Anga
Anga
Best time to visit15 October to 15 March
Good seasonsPost-monsoon (October to November), Winter (December to February)
DifficultyEasy
Time needed3 hrs
Base and nearbyAntichak, Kahalgaon
EntryASI ₹25 · site museum closed Fridays
About Vikramshila Mahavihara
One of the great Buddhist universities of the Pala age, founded by Dharmapala in the late 8th century and headed for a time by Atisha Dipankara, who carried its teaching to Tibet. Excavations from 1960 to 1982 uncovered a huge cruciform stupa ringed by 208 monastic cells and a terracotta frieze around the plinth. It gets a fraction of the visitors Nalanda does and the site is the better for it. The small ASI museum shuts on Fridays.
What to see and do
- The cruciform central stupa
- 208 monastic cells around the court
- Terracotta plaques on the plinth
- Atisha and the Tibet connection
- ASI site museum
Opening status, best time and closures here are estimates from usual seasons and past patterns, not live information. Confirm with the local authority before you go. Terms of use
More places in Bhagalpur
- Champanagar, ancient ChampaBhagalpur, Bihar · Pilgrimage RoutesThe capital of ancient Anga and the nirvana place of the twelfth Tirthankara.
- Ajgaibinath Temple, SultanganjBhagalpur, Bihar · Temples & ShrinesShiva on a rock in the Ganga, and the start of the 105 km kanwariya walk to Deoghar.
- Bateshwar Sthan, KahalgaonBhagalpur, Bihar · Temples & ShrinesA Shiva temple on the rock, three rock islands in the Ganga, and Vikramshila down the road.
- Kuppaghat AshramBhagalpur, Bihar · Pilgrimage RoutesA Santmat ashram built round a meditation cave on the Ganga, the quiet corner of Bhagalpur.
- Bhagalpur Tussar Silk WeaversBhagalpur, Bihar · Villages & Hidden GemsThousands of handlooms in the lanes of the silk city. Watch, then buy at the loom.
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All places in Bhagalpur · All places in Bihar
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Jagah Pedia is a free travel guide by Santosh Pandey. Status, timings and closures are estimates from usual patterns, so confirm locally before you travel.