Gaya to Bodhgaya

Just looking for a bit of advice,

I read some info a few posts below which suggested that one shouldn't travel between Gaya and Bodhgaya late at night due to safety concerns.

I'll be arriving at gaya train station around 10.30pm and want to head straight to bodhgaya, thought that I'd just take a rickshaw or taxi. Would it be a better idea for me to book a hotel and arrange for them to have someone pick me up.

thanks

Well, maybe you read so for a reason.

While I've never been there myself, it is the common wisdom, yes.

Most recent incident reported in Indian Press was a Japanese girl was raped while travelling that stretch of the road in darkness. I have been there with my wife. We were told by people in the manastery where we stayed "not to travel by night" to or from Gaya. We were to catch a train at around 11PM to Delhi. We left our place in a taxi arranged by our monastery at around 7PM.

My advice would be to stick around Gaya station until day break. Even though your hotel might send a taxi to fetch you, taxi driver may not be of help if a few thugs stop his taxi on the road in darkness. I don't want to scare you but, be better safe than sorry.

Good Luck!

Where you travelling from?

I saw one of your posts of got the feeling you were travelling to Gaya from Lucknow, but there's no 22:30 arrival.

http://erail.in?T=LKO::GAYA:

The Sealdah Express looks perfectly timed.

How long will you be in Bodh Gaya?

Is your travel partner (Girlfriend?) the kind who's happy to step off the beaten track a little?

we've cahanged plans a few times, originally we were going from Kolkata then I decided I wanted to go direct to Lucknow. After some discussion we decided that we both wanted to go to kolkata for at least a day so cancelled the mumbai Lucknow flights and booked a Kingfisher flight to Kolkata (which means spending the night in Mumbai airport since we arrive at 1am and depart at 6.20). Anyway we are arriving in Gaya on the Kokata Rajdhani at 22.36. My friend's looking forward mostly to visiting small towns and villages which is why we're hoping to go to Pawapuri, Sasaram, Khajuraho and deeg. Whilst I'm a bit of a buff for Mughal and colonial architecture hence Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and fathepur sikri. I wasn't quite clear as to the reason travel between Gaya and Bodhgaya wasn't reccomended, if there is a problem with bandits and thugs on the road then clearly it's better to stay in Gaya but if it was an issue with the rickshaw/Taxi drivers themselves then I thought that arranging a pick up may be a good idea.

That is said to be the issue yes (so banditry, known as "dacoity," after dacoit, in India). In much of Bihar, for that matter; as well as some neighboring areas (parts of Uttar Pradesh, rural western West Bengal, etc. The relatively newer state of Jharkhand, carved out of Bihar, for that matter.)

I don't think it's your drivers you need to beware of so much. But they won't be able to prevent it, either. (Nor will they likely want to risk their lives for it.)

It's said to be mostly an issue by night. And I wouldn't normally let it stop me from much of anything; but these stories about Bihar are persistent enough (and consistent, for a long time. And see also just AlohaGuy's comments above) that it would seem wise to heed whatever common cautions prevail. So avoiding travel after dark; if traveling by train, travel by the higher classes where (as far as I know) there ought to be guards on board; and such. I'm sure it's otherwise an interesting and off-beat state to visit.

(Now specifically between Gaya and BodhGaya btw, I'm sure those bandits know there'll be plenty of tourists, from all over the world -- including many an international Buddhist pilgrim --, shuttling to and fro. So the route would seem like an attractive target.

Again, it isn't said to normally be a problem by day, however.)

I recommend to take the Doon Expr from Kolkata (Howrah actually, leaves 20:35). Most convenient over-night train that arrives in Gaya at 5 a.m. In fact passes thru Lucknow later.

I dont see any problem traveling nowadays at night between Gaya to Bodh Gaya.. I was too skeptic but I cross that way around 2AM and headed towards Patna.. The roads was busiest in night, though was bit scared of naxals but didnt found such weird thing, there was a Police Patrolling which I saw when i left GT Road and headed towards Gaya..so on my personal experience I would say, its nothing to fear about..

Had decided that it would be better to stay at a hotel near Gaya railway station and head off th next morning although we'd rather go straight to Bodhgaya. Now Questioning that descision, contradiction confuse me (it doesn't take a lot).
Thanks for all the replies BTW

I guess if it makes you feel better, that's good enough (It is of course true that it's always hard to say how up-to-date or even realistic such cautions are, certainly for someone like me who's not even been to the state -- though must have trained across it, years ago when these stories already existed though I may not have been quite as aware of them, it never gave me any pause, and I was just simply in Sleeper Class, whether there were any guards on board I don't recall, though it's generally quite common or at least by night even in that class. But as noted, these stories have been so persistent and for such a long time, I know what I would do. Then if you find out on the ground it's much better than that, then so much the better.)

It was just a few years ago that a good member here described how by night there's just no street lights on in was it Patna or someplace (if it was, that's Bihar's capital of course. The way I recall, it was certainly not in just some village. May well have been Gaya in fact, I guess.) Now while I rarely worry in India, I imagine that and coupled with its reputation then might give me the creeps. (Modern city dwellers may never realize this, but it will make a place pretty much pitch-black.) (And I also found it odd; if it has that reputation, then at least organizing some light you'd think might be something. But, maybe that's India for ya, another of those strange little anomalies I guess.)

If I'm not mistaken I think Steve's been there in recent years, maybe he'd like to comment. Then there was AlohaGuy's above, and I think Atala seems to know the area pretty well.

Jeraboa,
Your experience might be similar to BJWright or not. If I was in your place, I would stick with the decision to stay at Gaya and play it safe. I wouldn't test my luck and may have to regret later. It is not worth it.
Aloha

I have travelled to that place and i reached that place around midnight and searched hotel room in the night. You dont have many good hotel choice around Railway Station. Few are at a distance. There is only one decent hotel just in front of the Railway Station.
I suppose you are arriving by train.
See the situation is like this between Gaya and BodhGaya and once you leave Gaya then you will get only fields just like typical Indian country side with almost no street light at that stretch and incidences dont happen too often or daily and i have travelled in that route in the night too. I did not found it to be scary. But you being white it may be a different story for you.
For you my advice would be to stay a night in and around the railway station and that too in a decent hotel and then head to BodhGaya early in the morning even at the dawn if you feel like, it wont be a problem.
Where i find problem is that
1. You are white.
2. You expect to arrive at 10:30. If this is the train arrival time then you cannot be sure of this time. You can be late by few hours and be or may be right on time.
3. It is always safe and better to be at home before the dusk.
Good Luck
And Safe Journey

The danger I see is this (I quote myself):
Safety travel to Bodhgaya?

It is just a guess, but I think the likelihood of an incident happening increases the earlier it is in the night. Robbers have to sleep too. So I would think 11 p.m. is more dangerous than 2 a.m. Another guess is that the busy season (Dec/Jan) is more likely to attract the attention of robbers.

I would definitely never take an auto. It is not cheaper, but easier to take out.

All of this is just guesswork. Personally I would change the ticket and take the Doon Expr instead.

Ok, Thanks again for the replies the information supplied was really useful.

Had a good think and if I were travelling alone I think I may be inclined to take the risk, but I'm not. Hotel Siddhartha International is near gaya railway station and I can book a room online for late arrival, it sounds Quite nice so I think this is the best option.

Greetings everyone,

In looking at train schedules from Kolkata to Gaya, I see that train #12381, the Poorva Express, has one of the faster times. While it only runs 3 days per week, it seems to be a convenient daytime train, with few stops, departing Kolkata 8:20 a.m., arriving Gaya at 2:50 p.m. Why then is the Doon Express or other trains preferable? Thanks.