Is it safe to travel through Bihar State to reach Root Institute?
If you apply common sense, travelling as a Westerner within Bihar is probably just as safe as travelling anywhere else in India . Some travel guides caution tourists about robbery by “dacoits” in Bihar. It should be noted that almost 100% of local crime is among the locals (by locals, to locals). The rare incidents that involve a tourist usually occur when travellers make poor choices to travel on roads late at night or to go trekking alone in isolated areas. Therefore we encourage you to NOT travel by bus/taxi late at night (after 10pm) even between Bodhgaya and Gaya (the closest railway station). There are several Westerners (including young women) who live at Root Institute year-round and make frequent trips on the local trains and buses without any problems, even when travelling alone.
