Vaishali of Bihar is said to be the world's first republic, dating back to the 6thcentury BC
King Vishal, a son of Ikshvaku, has founded the city and built a massive fort there, after the name of whom the name of city was given “Vaishali”
Vaishali has immense significance in Buddhism as Lord Buddha had visited Vaishali thrice, and delivered his last sermon and announced his Nirvana there
Lord Mahavira, the last Tirthankar of Jainism, was born in Kundupur near Vaishali
In the 6th century BC, Vaishali was under the rule of Lichchavi clan, who extended its empire to the hills of Nepal
Vaishali had served as the capital of the Vajjika League of Vrijji Mahajanapada, a pioneering republic in the 6th century BCE
The ‘Abhishek Pushkarini’, was the sacred coronation tank in Vaishali which were used for anointing elected representatives
Vaishali boasts the Japanese temple and Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda), symbols of peace built by the Nipponzan Myohoji sect
Besides this, Vaishali is also famous for the courtesan Amrapali, who became Lord Buddha's disciple
Vaishali Museum was established in 1971 by the Archaeological Survey of India to preserve antiquities of the ancient city