Rājagaha
Rājagaha, meaning ‘King’s Abode,’ was the capital of the Kingdom of Magadha, the largest city in the Middle Land, and was visited by the Buddha on many occasions during his life. It consisted of two parts, the old city built amongst hills, and the new city located on the plain just beyond the hills. Both were surrounded by huge walls, the remains of which can still be seen today. The Buddha praised the beauty of many of the natural and man-made landmarks around the city (D.II,116), his two favourite places being the Bamboo Grove and a low rocky hill called the Vultures’ Peak, just beyond the east gate of the city. Several places in Rājagaha which are mentioned in the Tipiṭaka have been identified and excavated by archaeologists. Rājagaha is now called Rajgir and is in the modern north Indian state of Bihar.
‘Rajagaha in Ancient Literature’, Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India, 1938.
