Kurkihar, a small village, is located at a distance of 22 km from Gaya, a little ahead of the village of Wazirganj. The village sits atop a mound that was earlier a Buddhist monastery. In the year 1930, the village shot into limelight when 148 bronze artefacts were unearthed from this mound. These artefacts included a range – buddhas, bodhisattvas, stupas, bells and ritual objects. Today, these artefacts adorn the shelves of a special room in the Patna Museum. Quiet a lot of stone sculptures dug out from Kurkihar are also kept in the Indian Museum in Kolkata.

However, this does not mean that there is nothing of significance to see in this small village itself. There are two Hindu temples here, out of which one still preserves a commendable collection of Buddhist sculptures discovered from the area. Prominent amongst these is the exquisite statue of Akshobhya Buddha which stands just outside the entrance of the temple. Also, instantly noticeable are the fourteen carved pillars that date back to the 9th century.

Votive stupas of varying sizes are also seen at the edge of a large tank. Moreover, a number of sculptures have been moved over by the local zamindar to his own house. Out of these, the most interesting one is a relievo representing a teaching bodhisattva seated in a niche of a rock between two female attendants. The frieze above shows devotees approaching a stupa with offerings while the top part of the relievo shows five bodhisattvas, each enshrined in a small niche.

Around 3 miles from the village, at Punwan, there are a lot more of Buddhist relics to be seen. However, unfortunately, they have not been preserved well and much of it has been destroyed by the digging activities of the villagers. Also, a temple by the name of Triloknath, which once existed there has been carried away for the bricks.


Quick Getaways

• Gaya : Located quiet close to one of the four holy sites of Buddhism, Bodh Gaya, Gaya was the venue where the Buddha delivered His well known fire sermon. The gaya Museum, till date, preserves a pretty decent collection of Buddhist artefacts.
  
  
• Barabar Caves : The Barabar caves are just 20 km from Gaya and are one of the earliest rock cut caves of India. The caves were first built during the reigns of Emperor Ashoka though additions were made during later period as well. The caves are basically three types - Nagarjuna caves, caves of the five Pandavas and the Hut caves. The caves make for a worthwhile visit and should not be missed during your trip to the region.
  
  
• BodhGaya : One of the four holy sites for the Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is just 12 km from Gaya. Here, at this place, under a banyan tree, Prince Gautama attained supreme knowledge and became the Buddha. Must visit in this town include the Mahabodhi temple, Bodhi tree, the Ashoka Pillar and the various monasteries – Thai Monastery, Japanese Monastery, Tibetan Monastery, The Bhutanese temple, The Chinese Temple and Monastery and the Buddhist Monastery of Bhutan.