Bihar’s capital Patna is on the southern bank of the Ganges a holy river for Indians; joined by three major tributaries in its journey from Varanasi. The Mahatma Gandhi Setu one of the longest bridges in the world at 7.5 km crosses the Ganges 5km west of the city. The city has an illustrious history over the centuries. Ajatshatru shifted his capital of the Magadha empire from Rajgir to Patna.The remains of his ancient city of Pataliputra can still be seen in Kumrahar, a southern district of Patna.
For a first hand view of what Patna is all about, take a trip to the historic Gandhi Maidan. A huge expanse of green in the heart of the city, the Maidan wakes up every six months or so with amazing regularity whenever a political rally is held. |
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| Sightseeing: |
| Golghar |
| Overlooking the Maidan the huge beehive- shaped Golghar was built in 1786 as a granary to store surpluses against possible famines. The Golghar was built by Captain John Garstin at the instigation of the British administrator, Warren Hastings following a terrible famine in 1770 but it has scarcely been used since that time. It stands about 25 metres high and steps wind around the outside to the top where you have a fine view over the town and the Ganges. |
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| Patna Museum |
| This excellent museum contains metal and stone sculptures dating to the Mauryan and Gupta periods, terracotta figures and archaeological finds from sites in Bihar such as Nalanda. It also houses the world’s longest fossilized tree -16m long and 200 million years old. There is a fine collection of Chinese paintings and thangkas. |
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| Har Mandir |
| At the eastern end of the city in the chowk area of old Patna stands one of the holiest Sikh shrines. It was build by Raja Ranjit Singh marking the place where Govind Singh the tenth and last of the Sikh gurus was born in 1660.On the bottom floor of this dome –shaped structure there are holy Sikh scriptures and personal belongings of the Guru. |
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| Qila House (Jalan Museum) |
| Built on the foundations of Sher Shah’s fort in the east of the city Qila House contains an impressive private collection of antiques including Marie Antoinette’s Sevres porcelain. |
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| Sher Shahi Mosque |
| The heavy domed Sher Shahi built by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah in 1545 in the eastern part of the town is the oldest mosque in Patna. |
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| Padri-Ki-Haveli |
| A Church of Dutch style where Mother Teressa did her apprentice –ship in nursing. |
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| How to Reach Patna |
| Patna the capital city of Bihar boasts of a rich history and is witness to the glorious past of a few mighty empires in ancient India. |
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By Air: Patna being the capital city of Bihar has excellent air connection to many important Indian cities like, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata. Several Airlines serve this airport with regular flights.
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| By Train: Patna is a key railway station in the Eastern Railway division in India. Many important trains links the city to other significant railway stations all over India, like Kolkata, Delhi, Varanasi, Siliguri (New Jalpaiguri). |
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| By Road: An extensive road network links Patna to major cities and tourist detonations within Bihar and neighboring states. Bodhgaya, Rajgir, Ranchi, Siliguri are conveniently located by road to Patna. |
