Hajipur was once known as Ukkacala, a village that one came across first after crossing the Ganges at Patna. Hajipur has been mentioned in the Mahabharata and also as the place where democracy first came to India and possibly in the world, in the year 600 BC. But, in more recent times Hajipur is known as one of the places where Lord Buddha preached one of his discourses. Hajipur is also the place where the ashes of Ananda, Buddha’s favourite disciple, are interned. There are several tourist places to visit in and around Hajipur and we will see many of these in the paragraphs below.

Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib Ji is also known as Sri Patna Sahib and is among the most venerated gurudwaras in India located about 14km from Hajipur Station. This gurudwara was constructed to commemorate the place of birth of the 10th Sikh Guru who was born on 22 December 1666. Built by the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 1950s this gurudwara has a railway station of the same name very close to it. The station is on the route of many principal cities.

Hanuman Mandir is located about 16km from Hajipur Station and is your perfect getaway with your family. This is among the many popular tourist spots not very far from Hajipur. Folklore has it that the temple has existed since time immemorial. However, historically it is understood that Swami Balanand of Ramanand sect established the temple sometime around 1730 AD. The temple gained in popularity during the partition year 1947 with the arrival of innumerable Hindu refugees in Patna. The old temple was converted into a large temple in marble in the year 1987.

Buddha Smriti Park, located about 13km from Hajipur Station was created by the Bihar Government during the commemoration of the 2554th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. The park is constructed at the site where the notorious Bankipur Central Jail of the British era once existed and the park was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama on 27 May 2010. Two saplings from the sacred Bodhi Tree were planted here and these saplings came from Sri Lanka and Bodh Gaya. In the middle of the park is a 200 feet high Stupa which is known as the Pataliputra Karuna Stupa inside which is kept the holy ashes of Lord Buddha. The park has a museum and a laser show in the evenings.

Patna Museum, located about 13km from Hajipur Station was commenced on 03 April 1917 during the period of the British Raj. It was then expected to store and display historical items that had been discovered near Patna and which were of Rajput and Mughal architecture. Several of these items are now in Bihar Museum. Today one can see some of the most unique items of architectural value besides coins and paintings as well as instruments, textiles and thankas among several others. Here you will see fossilized remains of a 200 million years old tree and a casket which is supposed to contain the sacred relics of Lord Buddha.

Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, also known as Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan is about 16km from Hajipur Station and is located near Bailey Road in Patna. Opened to the public in 1973, this excellent park is today a celebrated spot for picnics. It has a botanical garden as well as a zoo and must be visited when you are touring Hajipur or are near Patna. In 1983 the entire land was declared as a protected forest. The zoo is home to more than 800 animals and 110 species that include not only the tiger and the leopard but also elephants, crocodiles, giraffe, zebras and the Indian one-horned rhinoceros.

The Golghar or Round House is actually a large-sized granary which is about 12km from Hajipur Station and to the west of the Gandhi Maidan in Patna. This granary was intended to be the first among several granaries to be built. However, this was indeed the first and the last granary built on order from Warren Hastings in 1784. Designed by Captain John Garstin of the Bengal Engineers the construction was completed on the 20th of July in the year 1786. It was further improved upon in 2002.

Gandhi Maidan, located about 12km from Hajipur Station, is a historical place in Patna near the banks of the Ganges. The grounds were used as a golf course as well as a track for racing horses between 1824 and 1833 and were spread over 60 acres of land. Earlier known as Patna Lawns, these grounds were used extensively during India’s freedom struggle, the more important of such events being the Quit India Movement and the Champaran Movement of 1942. The luminaries who addressed rallies from these grounds include Gandhi and Rajendra Prasad besides Nehru and Jai Prakash Narayan among many others. Today this area is used for various flag hoisting occasions and for the conduct of mass prayers and private parties.

Rajdhani Vatika, also known as Ecological Park or simply Eco Park is located at Strand Road, Patna some 15km from Hajipur Station. The Eco Park was inaugurated formally by the CM of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, in October 2011. The park covers almost 1500 m of pathways and also has a 1200m long joggers’ track. This park was basically developed to take some stress off Patna Zoo and covers more than 9.18ha of land which includes two lakes as well. The park is visited by more than 1 lakh visitors each month.

Ramchaura Mandir, a Hindu temple that is dedicated to Lord Rama is within the precincts of Hajipur only about 4km from the railway station, near Helabazar at a place called Rambhadra. According to folklore the temple is said to have existed since the Ramayana when Lord Rama is said to have visited this location while he was on the way to Janakpur. His footprints are worshipped here and the main function is held during the birth of Lord Rama during Rama Navami each year. The various objects that are archaeological in nature are displayed at the Patna Museum.

Gandhi Ghat in Patna is among the several ghats on the Ganges in Patna. This ghat was named after the Mahatma who was the iconic leader of India’s freedom struggle. Visitors come in droves to witness the Ganga Aarati which is conducted every evening. The location is also associated with the immersion of Gandhi’s ashes down the Ganges. Located about 11km from Hajipur Station, this ghat is right behind the National Institute of Technology. Visitors must pay a visit to this ghat and the right time is of course during the evening aarati which is quite an attractive event patterned after the similar aarti conducted in Haridwar and Varanasi.