Rajgir, meaning the abode of gods, is a town in Nalanda district about 93 km southeast of Patna. It was ruled by King Jarasandh of Mahabharat and even finds mention in the Hindu epic. Though the exact date of origin is not known it is believed the city is about 3000-years-old.
The city is divided in to two parts. The fortified part is surrounded by seven hills and the other part was established by King Bimbisara’s son, Ajatshatru.
There are two local beliefs about the name of the town. One belief is that the town gets its name from the Hindi word ‘rajgriha’ which means royal house and the other belief is that the town gets its name from the Hindi word ‘rajgir’ which means royal mountain. Rajgir remained the capital of Magadha till the 5th century BC when Ajatshatru made Pataliputra the capital of his kingdom.
The town finds mention in the Mahabharata as Girviraj. Jarasandh was from Rajgir and he had defeated Krishna 17 times but during the 18th encounter, Krishna fled the battlefield as he had forsaken arms.
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