Patna
General Information
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.
Patliputra, the city has a rich historical
past and has seen many empires come
and go. It traces its history 3000 years
back to its founding as the capital
of the great Mauryan and Gupta empires.
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..
Main
Sightseeing of Patna
Golghar : Alarmed
by the famine of 1770, captain John
Garstin built this huge granary for
the British army in 1786. The massive
structure is 29 m high and the walls
are 3.6 m wide at the base. The winding
stairway around this monument offers
a brilliant panoramic view of the
city and the Ganga flowing by.
Martyr's Memorial :
A memorial to seven freedom fighters
who sacrificed their lives in the
Quit India Movement of August 1942,
the Martyr's Memorial is a modern
sculpture facing the Secretariat,
where they were shot in their attempt
to host the national flag.
Har Mandir Takht :
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru
of the Sikhs, was born in 1660 in
Patna. The Har Mandir Takht, one of
the four sacred shrines of the Sikhs,
stands at this holy site. The original
temple was built by Maharaja Ranjit
Singh, and contains belongings of
the Guru and Sikh holy texts.
Patna Museum : The
Patna Museum houses a First World
War cannon, metal and stone sculptures
of the Mauryan and Gupta periods,
Buddhist sculptures and quaint terracotta
figures. A 16 m long fossilised tree
is one of its special features.
Pathar ki Masjid :
Adjacent to Har Mandir Sahib, on the
bank of the Ganga, is this beautiful
mosque built by Parwez Shah, son of
Jehangir, when he was the governor
of Bihar. It is also called Saif Khan's
mosque, Chimmi Ghat mosque and Sangi
Masjid.
Sher Shah Suri Masjid :
Sher Shah Suri built this mosque in
1545 to commemorate his reign. Built
in the Afghan architectural style,
it is one of the many beautiful mosques
in Bihar, and one of the impressive
landmarks of Patna.
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library
: Founded in 1900, a magnificent
one man collection of rare Arabic
and Persian manuscripts, Rajput and
Mughal paintings, oddities like the
Koran inscribed in a book only 25mm
wide and an assortment of old and
new books from the University of Cordoba,
Spain. It is one of the national libraries
in India. The library also contains
the only books to survive the sacking
of the Moorish University of Cordoba
in Spain.
Jalan Museum : Built
on the foundations of Sher Shah's
fort, Qila House contains an impressive
private collection of antiques, including
a dinner service that once belonged
to George III, Marie Antoinette's
Sevres porcelain, Napoleon's four-poster
bed, Chinese jade and Mughal silver
filigree,.It is a private collection,
and prior permission is required for
a visit.
Sadaqat Ashram : The
Ashram is the headquarters of Bihar
Vidyapeeth, a national university.
India's first president, Dr. Rajendra
Prasad lived here after his retirement
and there is a small museum here showcasing
his personal belongings.
Agam Kuan : Agam
Kuan (Unfathomable well) is one of
the most important early historic
archeological remains in Patna. It
is situated just close to Gulzarbagh
railway Station, which is proposed
to be associated with the Mauryan
Emperor Ashok.
Gandhi Setu : Asia's
longest roadway bridge
Padri Ki Haveli :
The Place were Mother Teresa got her
training.
Biological Park :
Also known as Sanjay Gandhi Biological
Park
Modern Planetarium : Indira
Gandhi Science Complex, is one of
the must visiting places in Patna.
This is among few Planetarium's (Taramandal)
in India.
Kumhrar : Kumhrar,
site of the ancient city of Patliputra,
lies 5 kms from Patna railway station.
Archaeological findings in this area
establish Patna's claim to over a
thousand years of political glory
- 600 BC to 600 AD. Very little of
this grandeur remains though, except
for the remains of a huge Mauryan
hall supported by 80 sandstone pillars
dating back to 300 BC..
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Excursions
from Patna
Nalanda :
Located 95 km from Patna lies the ruins
of one of the most centres of learning
in the ancient world. Nalanda University,
built in the 5th century BC. Patronised
by royalty and eminent religious leaders
like Buddha and Mahavira, it enjoyed
an excellent repurtation world over.
Maner :
Situated at 30 kms away frp, Patna this
place sacred to the memory of the 13th
century Sufi Saint Maneri. Bari dargah,
his cenotaph and the tomb of his disciple
Shah Daulat are visited by streams of
Muslim pilgrims. Area around the shrine
is a picnic spot.
Bodhgaya : At a distance
of around 135 kms this site of Buddha's
attainment of enlightenment. One of
the holiest place for Buddhist devotees.
Rajgir : Situated
at a distance of 110 Km. Situated amongst
lush green hills. The ancient capital
of the Magadha emperors it became an
important venue for pilgrims from not
only Buddhist and Jain faiths but also
for Hindus and Muslims.
Vaishali : This ancient
city is around 55 kms from Patna famous
for its association with the Buddha
and Lord Mahavira. Vaishali is credited
with the world's first republic. Vaishali
is now well connected with Patna by
a bridge over the river Ganga..
How
to reach Patna?
By Air : Patna is connected
from all major cities of India by all
major domestic flights.
By Rail : Well-connected
railway network for all major cities
of India .
By Road : Connected
to all major cities by road and the
main city distances are Nalanda-95 km,
Rajgir-110 km, Pawapuri-90 km, Gaya-120
km, Bodhgaya-135 km, Raxaul-210 km,
Ranchi-335 km, Muzzafarpur-78 km, Sasaram-
152 km, Vaishali-56 km, Calcutta-653
km, Delhi-997 km.
