Lauriya Nandangarh is home to one of the best-preserved Ashokan pillars anywhere in India, a single polished sandstone column over 12 metres tall, standing largely intact since it was erected in the 3rd century BCE, com…
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Introduction
Lauriya Nandangarh is home to one of the best-preserved Ashokan pillars anywhere in India, a single polished sandstone column over 12 metres tall, standing largely intact since it was erected in the 3rd century BCE, complete with its original lion capital and inscribed edicts. The surrounding area also contains a cluster of ancient burial mounds believed to predate the pillar by centuries, adding an additional layer of archaeological interest.
The site remains relatively quiet and undeveloped, visited mainly by those specifically interested in Ashokan-era history and epigraphy rather than casual tourists, giving it a genuinely contemplative, uncrowded atmosphere rare among India's major ancient monuments.
History
Erected under Emperor Ashoka as part of a network of pillars proclaiming Buddhist moral edicts across his empire, the Lauriya Nandangarh pillar is considered one of the finest surviving examples due to its exceptional state of preservation.
Best time to visit
October to March.
How to reach
About 175km from Patna, roughly 4 hours by road via Bettiah.
