Patna, the ancient capital of Bihar, in its
modern avatar is a disorganized city: noisy, dirty disorderly and polluted.
Once called 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.
History
The city came into prominence in the early years of the 5th century when Ajatshatru,
the second king of the Maurya dynasty shifted the capital of the Magadha Empire
to Patliputra. Over the next 1000 years, the city grew in stature as one of
the foremost cities of the Indian Subcontinent. It had a strategic importance
in the expansion plans of the various empires that ruled over India, whether
Mauryan, Mughal or British. Modern day Patna is more infamous than famous, thanks
in part to the general mayhem that prevails. The city has lost its prestige
as a centre of culture and education and gained disrepute for the antics of
its politician.
Places to See
Patna Museum
It has a 200 million year old, 16-meter long fossilized tree; a World War I
cannon and archaeological finds from the ruins of the ancient city of Nalanda.
It also has, what is considered to be, the best collection of 'Tangkhas’
(Buddhist religious paintings) outside Tibet. It is open from 10 am to 4.30
pm and is closed on Monday.
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library
It has some rare Persian and Arabic manuscripts and Rajput and Mughal paintings.
This library also contains some books that survived the Moorish plunder of
the University of Cordoba in Spain.
Takht Har Mandir Sahib
It is the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh the 10th Guru (teacher) of the Sikhs.
The devout also call it Patna Sahib. The 'gurudwara’ (the Sikh temple)
is made of white marble and was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It contains
the personal belongings of the Guru as well as holy texts.
Pathar ki Masjid
Adjacent to Takht Har Mandir Sahib is the Pathar ki Masjid, a mosque built
by Parwez Shah, the son of Emperor Jahangir, during his tenure as governor
of Bihar.
Golghar
Is the circular or beehive shaped building in the centre of the city constructed
by Capt. John Garstin in 1786 after the famine of 1770 as a granary. Climb
up to the top for a view of the Ganga and the city from its height of 29 meters.
To the south of Patna are the Kumrahar excavations. These are the ruins of
the three ancient cities of the Kings Ajatshatru, Chandragupta and Ashoka.
Sher Shahi
It is the oldest mosque in Patna; the Afghan ruler Sher Shah built it in 1545.
Gulzarbagh makes for an interesting expedition to see an old opium warehouse
of the British East India Company, even though it is the location of a government
printing press.
Nalanda
One of the world’s oldest known universities is in Nalanda, 90 km from
Patna. The ruins indicate the presence of more than 2000 teachers and 10,000
students from all over the world, who lived and studied here. The most famous
of them is the celebrated traveller Huien Tsang, who both studied and taught
here. One can see the remains of viharas, stupas (domes) and the living quarters
that made up the university premises.
Excursion
Gaya
100 km south of Patna is a major pilgrimage site for both Hindu and Buddhist
devotees. It can be reached by road on taxis or buses from Patna or by trains
available from Delhi, Calcutta, Patna or Varanasi. Buddha attained enlightenment
under the Bodhi tree inside the Maha Bodhi temple premises here. The temple
has figures of the Buddha in different postures and well-delineated tall stone
lotuses. The Buddha’s footprints are etched on the walls along with inscriptions
describing the visits from different pilgrims. There is a Shaivite monastery
near the temple with cells of the monks and the samadhis (memorial) of the dead
gurus.
Vaishali
Situated 55 km from Patna, where Lord Mahavira was born, and where Buddha
delivered his last sermon. Lord Mahavira the last 'Trithankara’ (spiritual
leader) of the Jains was born here. Ancient ruins, an Asoka pillar and a stupa
with Buddha’s relics are the other attractions in this mainly pilgrimage
centre.
Rajgir
Was the ancient capital of the Magadha Kings. Both Buddha and Lord Mahavira
spent many years here, making it an important pilgrim site. Monasteries and
Jain temples abound. Interesting places are the fort of Ajatshatru, Swarana
Gufa or the 'Cave of Gold' where, legend goes, if one could decipher the inscriptions
then the doors to the vaults of gold would open and Gridhakuta or Vulture’s
Peak where the Buddha meditated. Saptadhara in the middle of the town has
seven hot springs. It is said that Buddha used it to heal arthritis. Pilgrims
still come looking for a cure. The Rajgir Mahotsav is held in October with
a show of the classical performing arts.
Nalanda
One of the world’s oldest known universities is in Nalanda, 90 km from
Patna. The ruins indicate the presence of more than 2000 teachers and 10,000
students from all over the world, who lived and studied here. The most famous
of them is the celebrated traveller Huien Tsang, who both studied and taught
here. One can see the remains of viharas, stupas (domes) and the living quarters
that made up the university premises.
Dining Out
In the past couple of years, enough guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and bars
have opened to support the city's new role: not merely a place to unwind but
a hub to explore the new opportunities of the region. So, it is not surprising
to find a tandoori cuisine serving Moti Mahal, a la Delhi, opposite Hotel
Rajasthan, well known throughout the city for its exclusive vegetarian fare
of Hing Kachoris, Alu Sabji and Rasgullas.
Shopping
Patna has no malls but there are a number of markets all around. Dak Bungalow
Chowk is where the action is. Close to the railway station and now centre
of most business activity in the city, the four-point crossing that makes
up the Chowk boasts of a number of shops selling fancy stuff ranging from
Christian Dior shirts to Adidas shoes, small hotels and eating places in addition
to offices. Brimming with activity for the most part of the day, the Chowk
is quite the opposite of the area around the Bihar Secretariat, which looks
sleepy and deserted even though that is where the fortunes of the state are
made and unmade.
Patna, incidentally, was one of the few places in India which boasted of a
wholesale market for agricultural produce. Even today, Patna Rice is known
the world over. However, if you are interested in looking for antiques, visit
the lanes of Patna City.
Patna is the place to source the world-famous Madhubani paintings. These
paintings done mostly by women from the villages in Bihar are created with
natural colours on paper and cloth. Their subjects are mythology and religious
events and now are even available on dress material and sarees.
Visiting
The winter months between October and March are the best times to visit Patna
and Bihar. The weather though pretty cold, is any day better than the summers.
This period also sees some fine festivals and fairs including the Rajgir Mahotsav
in October; the world famous Sonepur Animal Fair held in October/November
culminating in the Patliputra Mahotsava in March.
Special Event
Patna comes alive every March to the Pataliputra Mahotsav, which features
parades, sports, music and dancing.
How to get there
By Air : Patna is connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Lucknow
and Ranchi by daily flights. Tourist taxis and buses are readily available to
provide transport to the city from the airport, a distance of 7 km.
By Train : Trains like Rajdhani, Magadh, Brahmaputra, and Northeast
Express connect Patna to Delhi, Lucknow, Calcutta, Varanasi, Amritsar, Mumbai,
Siliguri and Guwahati. The Indian railway network is ubiquitous.
By Road : Patna is connected to Kathmandu, Gaya, Bodhgaya,
Rajgir and Nalanda. One can get to Patna by road from Lucknow, Delhi or New
Jalpaiguri but really, it makes little sense to come here all weather-beaten
and windblown not to mention sore with all the bumps you would have to endure
on the ill- maintained Bihar roads. The state is also not the safest of places
for the road –traveller and mugging and thefts are rampant.
