Deo Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Deo, also called Dev City, is a city in the state of Bihar. It is the site of the Sun Temple.

Deo has always been famous for its temple complex that houses the famous Deo Sun Temple. There are also temples or monasteries from many nations with a Hindu or Buddhist tradition such as Nepal, Tibet and Japan.

The nearest airport is at Gaya 70 km (43 mi) - Druk Air flies from Bangkok once a week. Thai Airways flies to Gaya daily. Air India flies from several destinations including Kolkata and Delhi. Alternatively, you may take a flight to the Patna Airport 170 km (110 mi) away and take a train or a taxi to Bodh Gaya as Patna has multiple daily direct flights to Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

The road is very good so the journey can be quite fast. It takes roughly 3 hours to 3.5 hours from Patna to arrive. The best way is to avoid the Dev Market, as the roads are very narrow.

The nearest railway station is Anugraha Narayan Road Railway Station, 16 km (9.9 mi) away. From there, you can take a bus or a three-wheel taxi (rickshaw). Rickshaw prices vary, but the going rate was ₹30 for a shared ride or ₹200 for an entire rickshaw no matter what time of the day in April 2015. There is rarely a shortage of rickshaws.

The train from Patna costs ₹30 for the passenger train and ₹60 for an express non-reserved seat. The fastest express trains in the early morning take about two-and-a-half hours and the slow passenger train takes about four hours, which is still comparable to buses. Trains leave every one to two hours.

The best train travel from Calcutta is about 8 hours; from Delhi, about 15 hours (2nd class air con costs ₹161 - book upstairs at Anugraha Narayan Road railway station station then pay downstairs at window 29).

The road from Patna is in good condition: the train & road is also recommended.

• Bihar State Tourist Development Corporation, ☏ +91 612 225411. runs seasonal deluxe bus services to and from Patna, gaya & Aurangabad District. 
• Private buses leave in the morning for Patna, Varanasi, Nalanda, Rajgir, and overnight for Kolkata and Gaya.

Map of Deo

By far the most convenient way to get around Deo are the auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, and tourist taxis. As always, make sure to bargain and agree on a price before setting out on the trip. The costs are usually quite low; a few rupees will likely get you most places in the city.

Deo is very walkable. Most of the major destinations are within 1 km (0.62 mi) (about a half-hour walk) from the Deo Sun Temple. There are lots of pilgrims visiting for much of the year, so the streets will be crowded. Avoid walking in the streets alone at night.

• 24.65879184.4370261 Deo Sun Temple (Devark Sun Temple). Deo Sun Temple is 100 ft (30 m) high. Built during the 8th century. There is a huge pond surrounding it. During Chhath festival, it is just not possible to reach to the temple on any vehicle but on foot. Those interested in Nagar style of building construction can go and see this temple. Good place to visit.  
• 24.65944484.4369442 Deo Fort (Raja Kila), Deo Town (Near Deo Sun Temple). An old king fort. (updated Mar 2019)

• Umga – Visit this place for a glimpse of Sun Temple.
• Bodh Gaya – This place The main temple complex houses the famous Mahabodhi temple/stupa and a descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment.
• Nalanda – This Buddhist university was established in 450CE. There are extensive ruins, but no inhabitants. Nalanda Museum is open 10:00-17:00 daily except Friday. Shared jeeps plying the route between Rajgir and Bihar Sharif make a stop at the turnoff for Nalanda. Rickshaws and other vehicles are available from there to the main gate, a distance of 2 km. PWD operates a guest house near the gate.
• Patna - 200 km (120 mi) by road, deluxe buses for Patna available from BSTDC (enquiry phone No. +91 631 220 0672) K2 Hotel (07:00, 14:00 daily), you can also go by train from Gaya Junction or Anugraha Narayan Road Railway Station.
• Rajgir – The site of Gridhakuta (Vulture's Peak), where the Buddha stayed and gave teachings on the Mahayana (the second turning of the wheel), and Venuvana, the first Buddhist monastery. Rajgir is also an area known for its hot springs, which are open to the public. There are daily bus tours that depart from behind the Birla temple (close to Cafe OM) and cover Rajgir, Nalanda and around 10 to 12 other interesting sights on the way. These buses leave at around 08:00 and return at 19:00. Be ready for a really bumpy ride, which is well worth the effort. Charges are surprisingly low at ₹150 only for the whole day (2009 rates). If you ask any travel agent within Bodh Gaya about this, they will most likely not tell you about this cheap option. It is preferable to book your tickets a day in advance, as at times there are large groups of pilgrims. If you want to venture out on your own, there is an option of changing buses at Bihar Sharif.
• Sarnath: Sarnath is another of the four main pilgrimage sites in Buddhism. It is a suburb of the holy city of Varanasi.