Buddha visited Vaishali several times during the later years of his life, and spent at least one rainy season here. Vaishali is also the place where the Buddha gave his final speech and in memory emperor Ashoka built a lion column. The lion faces north, the direction Buddha took on his last voyage.

On entering Vaishali you will see the Coronation Tank, which contained “holy water” used to anoint local rulers. To one side of this is a modern Japanese stupa and temple, and to the other is a ruined stupa which is said to have been constructed to hold the Buddha’s ashes.

The other area of interest is a few kilometers away - there is a very attractive “village road” linking the 2 areas, which makes for a fascinating walk through traditional rural villages - at Kolhua. Here, in the 3rd century BC, Emperor Ashoka erected one of his famous stone pillars. This still stands, surrounded by the ruins of stupas, and a nunnery - Vaishali was the place where Buddha first encouraged women to become nuns.