Patna India Travel Guide
Lying on the southern bank of the
River Ganges is Patna the capital of the state of
Bihar. The city has a very glorious history, and is one of the oldest capitals of the world.
Patna History
Patna’s history dates back approximately three thousand years. It was named Pataliputra, and was a significant part of the
Magadha kingdom, during King
Ashoka’s gory conquests. In the beginning of 5th century, the city was made capital of the
Mauryan Empire, by their king Ajatshatru. Trade started commencing in the city from all over the world. It was during this time that the city started building itself as one of the most important cities in Asia. After the
Mauryan Empire, came the
Gupta Dynasty, which held the reins of power for a very long time. The
Mughals, who took over power later in India’s history, made Patna into a bigger commercial centre by the 16th century. The British soon overpowered the
Mughals and by 1912, made Patna the capital of the province of
Orissa. In 1935, the state of
Bihar was formed, and Patna was made the capital of
Bihar.
Patna Today
Patna was a glorified capital in the past, but now it is more notorious for its politics and congestion. The city however is an important pilgrimage spot for the
Sikh community and is still famed for its production of the hand woven raw silk known as
tussar. Patna has very fertile land and a booming textile industry.
Patna Things To Do and Attractions
The
Takht Har Mandir Sahib is a pilgrimage site for the
Sikh community. It is the birth place Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, and has a very high religious value for the
Sikhs. The edifice is made completely of marble and it houses the personal belongings of the guru along with texts written by him. You can also visit a beehive shaped monument known as the Golghar, constructed by a British officer named Captain John Garstin in the year 1786. This thirty meter tall granary was built after a famine that had hit Patna a few years earlier. You can also marvel at one of the other
Patna things to do – a wonder known as the Agam Kuna. This is a well that was built by King
Ashoka during his reign as a
Buddhist monk. This well is very famous as it never dries, and is assumed to have an endless supply of water. Do not forget to visit the Patna Museum when you are in the city. It has a unique collection of antiques and rare artifacts from around the world. Along with a fossil of a sixteen meter tree aged more than 200 million years, it has a huge collection of old coins and terracotta figurines.
Patna Excursions
There are lots of very interesting places around Patna to be visited. Fifty-five kilometers from the city is Vaishali, the birthplace of Lord Mahaveer, who was a spiritual leader for the
Jain community. One hundred kilometers from city is a major pilgrimage site for
Buddhists in Gaya. They even have an airport in Gaya built specifically for the frequent tourists traveling in from all over the world. Ninety kilometers from Patna is
Nalanda, one of the oldest universities in the world, where the famous people like the traveler Huien Tsang have studied.
Patna Shopping
There are lots of bazaars where you can get silk
sarees at bargain able rates in Patna. You can also find different kinds of paper, and high quality bed linens in the city. Do not forget to check out the tussar fabric mentioned above.
Patna Restaurants
Patna has a lot of
restaurants to satisfy both locals and foreigners. You will also find lot of on roadside vendors serving delicious foodstuffs at very cheap rates. Do try the local
bhang, which is a kind of a sweet drink with an effect similar to marijuana.
Patna Nightlife
It’s hard to find pubs in Patna, so the best place of getting alcoholic beverages in a safe environment is in the bars of the
star rated hotels.
Patna Getting There and Around
The city is very well connected by airways, with a domestic airport in the city. Try to avoid traveling to the city by road; the best way to reach Patna after the airways is the railways.
