Siddhartha bathed in the Nairanjana River before attaining enlightenment.
The Nairanjana, also called the Nerañjarā or Niranjana, is associated with the area around Uruvela, near present-day Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India. After years of severe asceticism, Siddhartha recognized that starving and weakening the body would not lead to awakening. He bathed in the river and regained strength after accepting milk-rice from Sujata.
He then went to a nearby pipal tree and sat down to meditate. The tree became known as the Bodhi Tree, and the surrounding pilgrimage site became Bodh Gaya. Traditional accounts identify a particular bathing place as the Suppatittha ford, though the quiz asks for the river rather than the ford.
The river’s modern geographical identification is commonly connected with the Lilajan River, which joins the Mohana to form the Phalgu. This is why readers may encounter several spellings and names. Nairanjana is the conventional English form used in many Buddhist narratives, while Nerañjarā reflects the Pali spelling.