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Patna today is an important city of East India and gateway to many Buddhist pilgrim centers like Nalanda, Bodhgaya and Pawapuri. The best time to visit Patna is just after monsoon in the month of October to February.
The Mauryans built a Royal Highway to enhance Indo-Hellenic trade which connected Pataliputra to Taxila in Pakistan. This later came to be known as Grand Trunk Road. |
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Jewels of The Crown : |
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| Not only is Patna rich with places of tourist attractions; Buddhist pilgrimage places like Vaishali and Nalanda around Patna are also counted among the most important places to visit in East India. Apart from places like Harmandir Sahib, Patna Museum and Golghar, Patna is home to Mahatma Gandhi Setu, which is one of the longest bridge in the world with length of approximately 7.5 KM. |
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| Golghar : |
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| Built in 1786 by Captain John Garstin, Golghar is one of the most dominant structures in Patna. It came up as a result of devastating famine that struck the region in 1770 to serve as a state granary. This impressive building is round in shape rises to a height of 29 m. There is staircase circling the building and leading to the top. There is hardly any better place than this spot to get a glimpse of River Ganges and entire Patna city. |
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| Patna Botanical & Zoological Garden : |
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Sanjay Gandhi Botanical and Zoological Garden of Patna is one of the most extensive site of it's kind in the entire country. It includes flora and fauna from various parts of India as well as other countries. The Garden is open throughout the year.
During the New Year's Day and other holidays, the park is packed with people living in Patna as well as tourists from neighboring towns. Picnic and cookouts are all around with people dressed in colorful clothes to celebrate the occasion.
Adjacent to the Garden, Patna's famous 18-hole golf course is situated providing the finest in golf in Bihar. Including some of the very tough holes, the course allows beautiful surroundings for both amateur and pros, children and adults alike. |
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| Harmandir Sahib : |
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| The Magnificent Gurudwara in the Chowk area of old Patna, consecrates the birthplace of the tenth religious leader of Sikh faith, Guru Gobind Singh. The milky white structure was originally built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the famous ruler of Punjab and is considered one of the holiest shrines for Sikh religion. Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara contains important Sikh scriptures and personal belongings of Guru Gobind Singh. |
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| Patna Museum : |
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| Built in the style of Mughal and Rajput architecture, Patna Museum has a part of Patna since 1917. On display are different archaeological items, old age coins, art objects, paintings, textiles, Hindu and Buddhist artifacts. There is a casket excavated from the Relic Stupa of Vaishali, believed to contain the sacred ashes of Lord Buddha. However the main attractions of the museum is the splendid collection of items related to first President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad. It also contains the fossilized tree that is more than 200 million years old. Patna Museum is open on all days except Monday, from 10 AM till 4.30 PM. |
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| Khuda Baksh Oriental Library : |
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| The Khuda Baksh Oriental Library is an asset for scholars of medieval history. The Khuda Baksh Oriental Library has rich collection of books and rare Persian and Arabic manuscripts. A number of them are beautifully laminated. This museum was founded in 1900. It also contains the Mughal and Rajput paintings and the only books rescued from the Moorish University of Cordoba in Spain and an inch-wide Quran. It is now one of the India's national libraries. |
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| Kumhrar : |
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| Kumrahar is situated 11 km. from the Patna railway station. Excavations done in this village have found the ruins of Pataliputra, enclosed within a high brick wall. These ruins date back to 600 BC to 600 AD. The buildings were devastated by fire and lay hidden in the silt. The more recent fifth phase dates from the beginning of the 17th century. Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya’s court also said that the royal palace excelled in splendour and is better than the palaces of the Egyptian, Babylonian and Cretan monarchs. Some of the most important findings are the rare wooden ramparts and a large Mauryan assembly hall with highly polished 80 sandstone pillars belonging from 300 to 400 BC. In the 5th century AD, when the Chinese pilgrim Fa-hien visited the area, he commented on the brilliant enamel-like finish achieved by the Mauryan stone cutters and referred it as the shining bright like a glass. |
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| State Secretariat Building : |
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| It is a significant building in the entire city with its Clock Tower and Martyrs’ Memorial observing the death of seven school and college students who were cruelly killed by the armed forces of the British army during the Quit India movement of 1942. |
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| Patna Planetarium: |
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| It is one of the most indispensable things to watch in Patna and is also the largest Planetarium in Asia. Each year it is frequented by innumerable domestic as well as foreign tourists. Regular film shows are conducted on the subjects relating to astronomy and exhibitions are also conducted here. |
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| Qila House : |
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| Also known as Jalan House, it is a treasure trove of interesting jade collections, Chinese paintings and various far-eastern works of art that were collected by Diwan Bahadur Radhakrishan Jalan. |
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Accommodations In Patna : |
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| Hotel Maurya : |
| Being the capital of Bihar and an important business center in East India, there are numerous luxury and budget hotels for accommodation. Most of the budget hotels are located close to the Patna Railway station and luxury hotels are around the city center. Hotel Maurya, Hotel Pataliputra, Hotel Chanakya and Hotel Republic are the renowned luxury hotels in Patna. In Budget hotel category, Hotel Samrat, Htel Meghdoot and Hotel 5 Diamond are the preferred one. |
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How To Reach Patna : |
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| By Air : |
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| Patna has its own airport named Jai Prakash Narayan airport. There are daily flights from and to Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airways are the major flight operators serving Patna. |
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| By Rail : |
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| Patna Railway station is connected to all major cities of India with regular trains. Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai are the most conveniently linked stations to Patna. The bus station is close by to station from where buses to all important cities of Bihar are available. |
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| By Road : |
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| Patna is connected to all big and small cities of Bihar by good network of roads. The frequency of buses to nearby cities and states is also commendable. |
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| Local Transport : |
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| You will find ample of options to choose from to commute inside the city. There are buses, shared autos and rickshaws in good numbers. However the best way to explore the laid back city is by hiring an auto rickshaw which are reasonable in speed, fare and convenience. |
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