Vaishali (ancient city)

Few sites carry this much weight in two religions at once. The Buddha gave his last sermon at Vaishali before his mahaparinirvana, and the Relic Stupa here is said to hold his ashes; Mahavira was born at Kundagrama, a suburb of the same city. Before either, it was the capital of the Vajjika League, about as close to a republic as the 6th century BCE came. The site is scattered across a group of villages north of Patna rather than gathered in one place, so it rewards patience. The lion-topped Ashokan pillar is among the best preserved anywhere.