Jehanabad
Bifurcated from the Gaya district, Jehanabad came into existence in 1986. The bifurcation was aimed at tackling social problems like poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment. The district is located 45 km off Patna, and has its headquarters in Jehanabad city.
How to get there Jehanabad is linked both by road and rail. It can be reached by the road that connects Masaurhi block. The Patna-Gaya railway line passes through this district and links the main line of Patna and Grand Chord Line of Gaya. There are four railway stations and a 31 km long railway line in this district. The nearest airport Gaya International Airport is situated at a distance of about 55 km.
Places of interest Barabar: Situated at a distance of 11 km from the Makhdumpur block headquarters, Barabar deserves to be called a tourist’s paradise. It comprises a group of hills with distinct peaks. These hills are noted for the world famous Seven Caves. There is an ancient temple of Siddheshwarnath that attracted the attention of pilgrims even before the advent of Buddhism. At the foot of Siddheshwarnath Temple on the south side, lies a small basin surrounded by hills with openings on the north-east and south-east where walls have been built. Towards the southern corner of the basin are two small sheets of water, which find an outlet underground to the south-east and reappear in the sacred spring called ‘Patal Ganga,’ where a bathing festival is held annually on Anant Chaturdashi. A Tourist bungalow here provides decent accommodation to tourists, but advance booking is a must.
The Barabar Caves are chiselled in granite with intricate care and the interior surface is done with glossy finish. Chinese traveller Yuan Tsang has given detailed descriptions of the place in his book. However, the credit
goes to British author E.M. Forster, who in his book, ‘A Passage to India1 unraveled the charm of the Barabar hills.
IB AROUND JEHANABAD Dharaut: About 10 km north-west of Barabar hills, Dharaut has been identified as the site of the Buddhist monastery of Gunamati. A large tank known as Chandpokhar or Chandrapokhar is located at the foot of the Kunwa hill. The name of the tank perpetuates the legend that it was excavated by Raja Chandra Sen. Two modern temples at its north-eastern corner is believed to have contained innumerable ancient statues. Dabthu: Located 6 km east of Hulasganj, this place will be of particular interest to lovers of history and archaeologists. Dabthu is mainly known for its finely carved images and ruins of temples. Due to ravages of time, many images of deities have got mutilated.
Ghejan: Situated in the TatanF-Faridpur block of the district and about 19 km away from Jehanabad on the Shakmabad-Ghyan road, this place gained importance after the excavation of Gupta-period” stone statues. A huge statue of Lord Buddha can be seen in the village.
Kako: Situated at a distance of 10 km from the district headquarters, there is a temple in the north-east of the village which has an ancient idol of sun god. There is also a mausoleum of the great woman Sufi saint Hazrat Bibi Kamal. The Sufi saint is said to have been endowed with mystic powers.