Patna the imperial city. Patna once called Pataliputra the capital of Bihar,is among the world's oldest capital cities with unbroken history of many centuries as imperial metropolis. A very fertile arched stretch of land along the bank of the Ganga. The history and heritage of modern day Patna go back well over two millennia. Like Delhi, Patna too had been the regal seat of governance for successive kingdoms since ancient times. And to this day, it is the capital city of the state. As each ruler ascended in power and established dynastic glory, he gave his capital a new name. Thus, the ancient Kusumpura metamorphosed through Pushpapura, Pataliputra, Azeemabad and now into Patna, a continuous history ranging from 6th century BC to present times - a record claimed by few cities in the world. It was Ajatshatru the Magadha king who first built a small fort in Pataligram on the bank of the Ganga in 6th century BC, which later blossomed into the ancient glory still to be seen in the neighboring archaeological sites at Kumrahar. Bhiknapahari, Agamkuan, Bulandi Bagh and Kankar Bagh. Pataliputra dominated the political fortunes of the whole of north India between 6th century BC and 5th century AD, a fact established by archaeological excavations. After a temporary eclipse, in 16th century, Sher Shah Suri returned the city to its former glory and established the present Patna. After the decline of the Mughals, the British too found Patna a convenient regional capital and built a modern extension to this ancient city and called it Bankipore. It was in Gandhi Maidan in this area, that Mahatma Gandhi held his prayer meetings.

Places to See

GolGhar

This huge and impressive beehive-shaped structure was constructed in July 1786 by Captain John Garstin following a terrible famine in 1770, to serve as a state granary. A flight of steps winds round this 29m high building to the top from where one gets a fine view of the river Ganga and Patna city.

 

Museum

It contains metal and stone sculptures of the Maurya and Gupta Periods, terracota figurines and archaeological finds from different sites in Bihar. Among its prized exhibit are Ashes of the Buddha, image of Yakshi (3rd century B. C.), and a 16 metre long fossilized tree.

Har Mandirji

This shrine consecrates the birthplace of the tenth religious preceptor of the Sikh faith, Guru Gobind Singh. Originally built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a ruler of Punjab, Harmandirji is one of the holiest Sikh shrines. Standing in the Chowk area of Old Patna, this dome-dhaped structure contains Sikh scriptures and the personal belongings of the guru.

Khuda Baksh Oriental Library

Set up at the turn of the century, the library has a distinguished collection of rare Arabic and Persian manuscripts, Rajput and Mughal paintings and oddities like an inch wide Quran. It also contains the only books rescued from the plunder of the University of Cordoba in Spain. It is one of the national libraries of India.

Kumhrar

Kumrahar, site of the ancient city of Pataliputra, lies 5 km. from Patna Railway Station on the Kankarbagh Road. Excavations here have revealed relics of four continuous periods from 600 BC to 600 AD. The fifth period begins from 1600 AD. An important find is the 80-pillared huge hall of the Mauryan dynasty.

Martyrs Memorial

Life-size statues in front of the old secretariat compound have been put up in memory of seven brave young men who faced bullets for the freedom of the country and sacrificed their lives in August 1942 in the historic struggle for India's independence during "Quit India" movement.

Jalan Museum

Constructed at the site of Sher Shad's fort, it preserves a rich private collection of jade, Chinese paintings and silver filigree work of the Mughal period. The museum can be visited only with prior permission, since it is a private collection.

Pathar Ki Masjid

Situated on the bank of river Ganga, this mosque is known variously as Saif Khan's mosque, Chimni Ghat mosque or Sangi Masjid. It was built by Parwaz Shah, son of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, during his tenure as governor of Bihar.

Agam Kuan

Agam Kuan (Unfathomable well) is one of the most important early historic archaeological remains in Patna. It is situated just close to the Gulzarbagh Railway Station, which is proposed to be associated with the Mauryan Emperor Ashok.

How To Reach Patna

By Air :The Loknayak Jaiprakash International Airport, Patna is 10 km from the city center. Patna is well connected to Delhi, Calcutta, Varanasi, Ranchi and Lucknow by regular flights. There are also some flights connecting Patna to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

By Rail:Patna Junction is 4 km from the city centre. Patna is conveniently linked to all the major cities of India through trains. It takes 15 hours at an average to reach Delhi from here by train. Patna is also situated on the main line of the Eastern Railway making it a major railway junction. The other cities, which are connected to Patna by rail are Calcutta, Chennai, Varanasi, Amritsar, Mumbai and Lucknow.

By Road:The excellent road network links Patna with other major tourist places of Bihar.