Vishnupad Temple in Gaya stands on the bank of the Falgu River and enshrines a footprint, about 40 cm long, believed to be that of Vishnu, set in a silver basin. The present temple with its octagonal tower was built in 1787 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. Hindus come here from all over India to offer pinda for their ancestors, especially during Pitru Paksha.

The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya marks the place where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha. The brick temple with its 55-metre pyramidal tower dates largely from the 5th and 6th centuries and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A descendant of the Bodhi tree grows behind it beside the Diamond Throne. Pilgrims from every Buddhist country gather here; phones are not allowed inside.

The Jal Mandir at Pawapuri is a white marble temple in the middle of a large lotus-filled tank, reached by a long stone causeway. It marks the place where Mahavira, the 24th Jain tirthankara, was cremated in the 6th century BCE; so many pilgrims took away the sacred earth, it is said, that a pond formed. It is among the holiest sites of Jainism.

Mahavir Mandir, beside Patna Junction station, is one of the most visited Hanuman temples in northern India. The present multi-storey temple was built in the 1980s on the site of an older shrine. It is especially crowded on Tuesdays and Saturdays and at Ram Navami. The temple trust runs hospitals and charities funded by the offerings.

Takht Sri Patna Sahib is one of the five seats of authority of the Sikh faith. It marks the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, who was born here in 1666 and spent his early years in Patna. The white marble gurdwara was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and rebuilt in the 1950s. Relics of the Guru, including his cradle and weapons, are preserved inside.

Padri Ki Haveli, the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the oldest church in Bihar. First built in 1713, it was rebuilt in its present form in 1772 to a design by the Venetian architect Tiretto. The cream-coloured building has a classical facade with Ionic columns and a large bell. Mother Teresa trained in nursing at the adjoining hospital.

Maner Sharif, about 30 km west of Patna, is an important Sufi centre with two notable tombs. The Bari Dargah holds the 13th-century saint Makhdum Yahya Maneri; the Chhoti Dargah, the tomb of Makhdum Shah Daulat, was completed in 1616 and is among the finest Mughal monuments in eastern India, with a domed hall, carved ceilings and corner pavilions beside a tank.