Ahichhartra Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Pantnagar Airport is about 40 km from Bareilly.

• By train

  Ahichhatra is 55 km from Northern Railway Station Bareilly, with taxis and buses available. Revati Bahoda Khera Station on the Chandosi-Bareilly line is another rail option, with vehicles available from there.

• By road

  Satellite Bus Station in Bareilly is 60 km away, and taxis and autos run from there.

Why devotees come here

Ahichhartra Temple is in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, and is tied to Ahichhatra, the ancient capital of North Panchala. Its ruins lie at Ramnagar village in Aonla tehsil. It is believed to be where Parshvanatha, a Jain Tirthankara, attained kevala jnana, or omniscience.

Ahichhatra was the ancient capital of North Panchala, a kingdom named in the Mahabharata. Its remains were found at Ramnagar village in Aonla tehsil, Bareilly. It is believed to be the place where Parshvanatha, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, attained kevala jnana, or omniscience. The Parshvanatha link is a matter of belief. The Bareilly district government website lists Ahichhartra Temple as a tourist place.

Excavations have brought to light a brick fortification and continuity of occupation from before 600 BCE to 1100 CE. The excavations are the source for these dates. The site was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the early kingdoms of India.

In the early CE, the temples here were decorated with large terracotta relief panels and sculptures. Many of these are of very high quality.

Tips for your visit

• For the last stretch, ask the driver for Ramnagar village in Aonla tehsil, since that is the place the ruins are linked to.
• Look for the brick fortification the excavations uncovered, which belongs to a settlement from before 600 BCE to 1100 CE.

Questions people ask