| Patna |
| Population 1,697,976 (in 2001) Altitude 53 m Area 3202 square km Languages Hindi, Magadhi, Maithali, Bhojpuri, Urdu, English |
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| Patna is the capital of the state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Ancient Patna, known as Patliputra, was the capital of Magadha Empire. Patliputra was also a famous seat of learning and fine arts. The Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri are nearby. Patna is also a sacred city for Sikhs, the tenth and last Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here. Patna is located on the south bank of the Ganges River, called Ganga locally. Patna has a very long riverline, and it is surrounded on three sides by rivers, the Ganga, Sone, and Poonpun (also spelt Punpun). Just to the north of Patna across the river Ganga flows the river Gandak making it a unique place having four large rivers in its vicinity. The bridge over the river Ganga (Mahatma Gandhi Setu) is 5850 m long and is one of the longest single river bridges in the world. The city has been known by various names during its more than two millennia long existence, Pataligram, Patliputra, Kusumpur, Pushpapura, Azimabad, and the present-day Patna. Patna received its current name during the reign of Sher Shah Suri, whose tomb is at Sasaram, near Patna. There are several theories regarding the source of the name Patna. Some say it is derived from Patan, the name of the Hindu goddess, Patan Devi. Others say it comes from Pattan (meaning "port" in Sanskrit), since the city, located near the confluence of four rivers, has been a thriving river port. It may be a short form of Patliputra , one of the most ancient names of this city. Many languages are spoken in Patna. Hindi is the official language. The native dialect is Magadhi or Magahi, named after Magadha, the ancient name of Bihar. Dialects from other regions of Bihar spoken widely in Patna are Angika, Bhojpuri, and Maithili. Other languages spoken in Patna include Bengali, Oriya, and English. Sights Patna Museum Patna Museum has more than 50,000 rare art objects, many related to India in the ancient times, middle ages and the British colonial era. The museum also contains the Holy Relic Casket with the sacred ashes of Lord Buddha. Shershah Masjid This mosque was built by Sher Shah, after defeating the Mughal Emperor, Humanyun to become the ruler of Delhi. Locally known as Shershahi, this mosque was built in 1545, which makes it the oldest mosque in Patna. Kumhrar Excavations here have resulted in the discovery of architectural remains from the Mauryan Empire. According to archaeologists, most of the structures built by the Mauryans were in wood and were unable to survive the high water content of the soil in this region. Some of the structures found at this site are remains of a large, pillared assembly hall belonging to the Mauryan times. Of the 80 pillars excavated at the site, only one remains. There are also the remains of a Buddhist monastery, some parts of Anand Bihar, and a few clay figures and wooden beams. Har Mandir The second-most important gurudwara of India. The Takht Harmandir, built in white marble, consecrates the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, and draws thousands of devotees each day. The Gurdwara is located in the Chowk area of Patna City in the older part the city and also has a museum on its third floor. Golghar Captain John Garstin built a Golghar in 1786 for the storage of food for the British army, with a storage capacity of 140,000 tons. The base of the building is 125 meters wide and the walls are 3.6 meters thick. There are stairs to go to the top of the building which allow one to have some beautiful views of the city and the nearby river Ganga. Jalan Museum This museum is built over the ruins of the Qila House, which was the site of Shershah’s fort. It is a private collection of Chinese paintings and an invaluable assortment of silver and jade filigree work belonging to the Mughal period. Bihar Institute of Handicraft and Design Located in the Pataliputra Colony, this institute is making an attempt to revive the old handicrafts and art of Bihar for modern use, especially Mithila paintings. Padri Ki Haveli Padri Ki Haveli ("Mansion of Padre"), also known as St Mary's Church, is the oldest church in Bihar. When Roman Catholics were arrived in Bihar, They built a small church in 1713 at a place now known as "Padri-ki-Haveli'. |
| Accommodation New Amar Hotel (0612) 2224157 Located about 500 m north of the train station. Room: Rs 300 Banks and Internet There are several banks in Patna where you can change money and travelers cheques and a few with ATMs. There are also several internet cafes. Transport Air Patna Airport or Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport is a domestic airport with flights to Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai and Ranchi. Train Patna (PNBE) to Gaya (GAYA) Train numbers 3243, 8623, 8625 Patna to Kolkata (CP) Train numbers 3112 Patna to Delhi (DLI) Train numbers 2309, 2393, Patna to Varanasi (BSB) Train numbers 2333, 2391, 3049, 3133 Bus The new main bus station (Mithapur Bus Station) is situated about 2km south of the train station Patna to Gaya Rs 60, 97 km Departs every hour Journey time 3 hours Patna to Rajgir Rs 50, 103 km Departs every hour Journey time 4 hours Getting to Nepal The nearest border crossing to Patna is at Raxaul, 210 km to the north. It is easier to take a bus to the border as there are no direct trains. Buses to Raxaul depart from the main bus stand. Patna to Raxaul Rs 120, 210 km Departs twice daily Journey time 8 hours See the Visas and Borders section on the Bihar and India Homepages for more information on crossing the border. |