Patna
Encyclopedia
Paṭnā is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar
and the second largest city in Eastern India (in terms of population
). Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Ancient Patna
, known as Pataliputra, was the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka
, Nanda
, Mauryan, Sunga, Gupta, Pala and Suri dynasties.
Pataliputra was also a seat of learning and fine arts. Its population during the Maurya period (around 300 BCE) was about 400,000. The walled old area, known locally as Patna City, is a major trading centre.
The modern city of Patna is situated on the southern bank of the Ganga. The city also straddles the rivers Sone
, Gandak
and Punpun
. The city is approximately 35 km long and 16 km to 18 km wide.
In June 2009, the World Bank
ranked Patna in second place in India, after Delhi
, in terms of the ease of starting a business. As at 2004-2005, Patna had the highest per capita gross district domestic product in Bihar, at Rs31,441. On the basis of,assumed average annual growth,Patna has been ranked as 21st fastest growing city in the world and 5th fastest growing city in India
by City Mayors Foundation.Patna registered average annual growth of 3.72%,for the period of 2006-2020.
The Buddhist, Hindu
, and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali
, Rajgir
, Nalanda
, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri
are nearby and Patna is also a sacred city for Sikh
s as the last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
, was born here.
:पटना ):
Legend ascribes the origin of Patna to a mythological King Putraka who created Patna by magic for his queen Patali, literally "trumpet flower", which gives it its ancient name Pataligrama. It is said that in honour of the queen's first-born, the city was named Pataliputra. Gram is Sanskrit for village and Putra means son. Legend also says that the Emerald Buddha
was created in Patna (then Pataliputra) by Nagasena
in 43 BC.
, the Puranas
, the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata
. The first references to the ancient region of Patna are found about 2,500 years ago in Jain and Buddhist scriptures.
, the king of Magadha, wanted to shift his capital from the hilly Rajagrha to a more strategically located place to combat the Licchavi
s of Vaishali
. He chose the site on the bank of the Ganga and fortified the area. Gautama Buddha
passed through this place in the last year of his life. He prophesied a great future for this place, but at the same time, he predicted its ruin from flood, fire, and feud. It is said that Buddha made a halt here when he was on the last journey to his native land of Kapilavastu
.
(a contemporary of Alexander) ruled a vast empire, stretching from the Bay of Bengal
to Afghanistan
. The early Mauryan city mostly consisted of wooden structures. Emperor Ashoka
, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, transformed the wooden capital into a stone construction around 273 BCE.
Megasthenes, the Greek historian and ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya, gives the first written account of the city. He wrote that the city was situated on the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Arennovoas (Sonabhadra - Hiranyawah) and was 9 miles (14.5 km) long and 1.75 miles (2.8 km) wide. Michael Wood, in The Story of India
(2007), describes this city as the greatest city on earth during its heyday. The Sungas ultimately retained control of Pataliputra and ruled for almost 100 years. The Sungas were then followed by the Kanvas and eventually the Guptas. There has been academic controversy regarding whether or not the Indo-Greeks occupied the area around 185 BCE.
A number of Chinese travellers came to India in pursuit of knowledge and recorded their observations about Pataliputra in their travelogues, including those of a Chinese Buddhist Fa Hien, who visited India between 399 and 414 CE, and stayed here for many months translating Buddhist texts.
and the Pala
kings. With the disintegration of the Gupta empire, Patna passed through uncertain times. Bakhtiar Khilji captured Bihar in the 12th century AD and destroyed many ancient seats of learning, and Patna lost its prestige as the political and cultural center of India.
Guru Gobind Singh (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ) (22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, was born as Gobind Rai in Patna to Teg Bahadur
, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs, and his wife Gujri
. His birthplace, Patna Sahib, is one of the most sacred pilgrimages for Sikhs.
The Mughal
period was a period of unremarkable provincial administration from Delhi. The most remarkable period during these times was under Sher Shah Suri, who revived Patna in the middle of the 16th century. He built a fort and founded a town on the banks of the Ganga. Sher Shah's fort in Patna does not survive, although the Sher Shah Suri Masjid mosque, built in Afghan architectural style, does. Mughal emperor Akbar came to Patna in 1574 to crush the Afgha Chief Daud Khan. Akbar's navratna and state's official historian and author of "Ain-i-Akbari
" Abul Fazl
refers to Patna as a flourishing centre for paper, stone and glass industries. He also refers to the high quality of numerous strains of rice grown in Patna, famous as Patna rice
in Europe.
By 1620 the city of Patna was the great entrepot of northern India, "the largest town in Bengal and the most famous for trade". This was before the founding of the city of Calcutta. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
acceded to the request of his favourite grandson, Prince Muhammad Azim, to rename Patna as Azimabad
, in 1704 while Azim was in Patna as the subedar
. However, very little changed during this period other than the name.With the decline of the Mughal empire, Patna moved into the hands of the Nawabs of Bengal, who levied a heavy tax on the populace but allowed it to flourish as a commercial centre.
The mansions of the Maharaja of Tekari Raj
dominated the Patna river front in 1811-12.
and silk
. Soon it became a trading centre for saltpetre,Bernier, Franois (A.D. 1656-1668),in Travels in the Mogul Empire, has written that,a prodigious quantity of saltpetre was imported from Patna. It was carried down the Ganges with great facility, and the Dutch and English send large cargoes to many parts of the Indies,and to Europe. urging other Europeans—French, Danes, Dutch and Portuguese—to compete in the lucrative business. Peter Mundy
, writing in 1632, described Patna as "the greatest mart of the eastern region". After the decisive Battle of Buxar
(1764), Patna fell into the hands of the East India Company
, which installed a government. It was ruled during the Raj
by a series of Viceroy
s, including Rahul Gunderjaharagand
.
In 1912, Patna became the capital of the provinces of Orissa
and Bihar when the Bengal Presidency
was partitioned, although in 1935 Orissa became a completely separate entity with its own capital. It soon emerged as an important and strategic centre.
Some buildings constructed during the period of British control remain, many designed by I. F. Munnings. Most of these buildings reflect either Indo-Saracenic
influences - for example, the Patna Museum and the State Assembly - or overt Renaissance
influences, as seen with the Raj Bhawan and the High Court. Some buildings, like the General Post Office and the Old Secretariat bear pseudo-Renaissance influence. Some say the experience gained in building the new capital area of Patna proved very useful in building the imperial capital, New Delhi.
. Most notable were the Champaran movement against the Indigo
plantation and the 1942 Quit India Movement
. National leaders who have come from the city include Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
, the first President of the Constituent Assembly of India
; Dr. Sachidanand Sinha; Dr. Rajendra Prasad; Bihar Vibhuti (Anugrah Narayan Sinha
); Basawon Singh (Sinha)
; Loknayak (Jayaprakash Narayan
); Sri Krishna Sinha
; Sheel Bhadra Yajee
and Sarangdhar Sinha (Singh).
Patna continued to be the capital of the state of Bihar after independence in 1947, though Bihar itself was partitioned again in 2000 when Jharkhand
became a separate state of the Indian union.
, Gandak
, Punpun
and Sone. Patna is unique in having four large rivers in its vicinity. It is the largest riverine city in the world. The bridge over the river Ganga named Mahatma Gandhi Setu
is 5575m long and is the longest river bridge in the India.
with hot summers from late March to early June, the monsoon
season from late June to late September and a mild winter from November to February.Highest temperature ever recorded is 46.6 °C(In,1966), lowest ever is 2.3 °C(In,2003) and highest rainfall was 204.5 mm(In,1997). The table below details historical monthly averages for climate variables.
, sugarcane
, sesame
, and medium-grained Patna rice
. There are multiple sugar mills still in existence in and around Patna. It is an important business and luxury brand center of eastern India.
As of 2011, the economy of Patna has seen sustained economic growth. In particular, the economy has been spurred by growth in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods
industry, the service sector, along with Green revolution
businesses. In 2009, the World Bank
stated Patna as the second best city in India to start up a business. As of 2010, the per capita income of Patna was ₨37737.
As of 2001, the slum population of Patna was only 0.25%. The lowest of any million plus Indian city. Patna is the 21st fastest growing city in the world, and the fifth fastest growing city in India, and is expected to grow at an average anual rate of 3.72%.
The population of the district of Patna is 5.77 million, with a density of 1803 per km2, as of the 2011 census of India. The sex ratio (females per 1000 male) is 892. The overall literacy rate
is 72.47%, with the male literacy rate being 80.28% and the female literacy rate being 63.72%.
Hindi is the official language of the state of Bihar
but many other languages are spoken. The native dialect
is Magadhi or Magahi, named after Magadha, the ancient name of Bihar. English is widely spoken by Patnaites, and other widely spoken dialects and languages include Angika, Bhojpuri and Maithili
.
, Mithila
, Vajj, and Anga
. Intermarriages and cultural mixing among the people of the five regions has been common. People are religious and family-oriented, and they are deeply rooted in tradition. Families are generally large, though the government is actively encouraging family planning
to curb rapid population growth. Extended families often live together in one home because of economic necessity.
"Khichdi", the broth of rice and lentils, seasoned with spices, and served with several accompanying items like curd, chutney, pickles, papads, ghee
(clarified butter) and chokha (boiled mashed potatoes, seasoned with finely cut onions, green chillies) is a common meal. Patnaites on Saturdays and is a staple food. Afternoon meals mostly consist of rice and vegetables while the dinner will consist of roti
s (flatbread) and lentils.
Patna is also known for the dry sweet delicacies of central Bihar, which owe their origins to various towns. For example, Khaja from Silao, Ladoo from Maner, Kala Jamun from Vikram, Khubi ka Lai from Barh, Kesaria Peda from Gaya and Chena Murki from Koelwar and Poori from Behea. Unlike Bengali sweets, which are soaked in syrup of sugar and are therefore wet, the sweets of Bihar are mostly dry.
s and local trains. Auto rickshaws are said to be the lifeline of the city. BSRTC has started City bus service on all major routes of Patna with 142 low floor AC/non-AC buses. Recently, radio cab facility was also started.
and Kolkata
which is one of the busiest rail route in India
.The city is a major railway hub and has five major stations: Patna Junction, Rajendranagar Terminal
, Gulzarbag, Danapur Junction
and Patna Sahib. Patna is well connected with gaya,jehanabad biharsharif,rajgir, islampur through daily passenger and express train services. Currently, the Indian Railways
has floated tenders to construct 5 new "deluxe" toilets in each of Patna's railway station. The plan also includes the modernisation of Patna Junction. In 2009, the construction of India's longest road-cum-rail bridge was underway on the banks on the Ganges nearby and will connect Patna to Pahleja Ghat. The bridge is expected to be completed in 2012. Sources say that when completed it will be 4.55 kilometre long and therefore the longest road cum rail bridge in India and one of the longet in the world.
The Planning Commission of India has given nod to Patna Metro
recently which will run on two routes- Dak bunglow Square to Saguna Morh and Danapur to Patna city. The metro will be implemented on a Public Private Partnership. Furthermore, RITES has started ground survey and soil testing for the Patna Monorail
to conduct techno-economic feasability studies.
, which is classified as a restricted international airport . The arrival of several low-cost carriers and a number of new destinations have caused a growth in air traffic in recent years, as has an improvement in the situation with regard to law and order. For the period April to December 2009 the airport ranked first in a survey of 46 airports in the country in terms of percentage growth of domestic passengers as well as domestic aircraft movement.
19
, 30
,31
, and 83
. It is 1015 kilometre from Delhi
, 1802 kilometre from Mumbai
and 556 kilometre from Kolkata
.
on the Bay of Bengal
, across the extremity of Jharkhand
province, across the centre of Bihar and then to Allahabad
in Uttar Pradesh
.
Patna is home to many tourist attractions
and it saw about 2.4 million tourists (including day visitors) in 2005. Tourists visiting the city accounted for 41% of the total for Bihar province, although Bodhgaya was the most popular destination for foreign visitors.
The cultural heritage of Bihar is reflected in its many ancient monuments. Kumhrar
and Agam Kuan
are the sites of the ruins of the Ashoka
n Pataliputra. Didarganj Yakshi
remains as an example of Mauryan art.
Takht Sri Patna Sahib
is one of the Five Takhts of Sikhism
and consecrates the birthplace of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Gobind Singh. There are five other Gurdwaras in Patna which are related to different Sikh Gurus; these are Gurdwara Pahila Bara, Gurdwara Gobind Ghat
, Gurdwara Guru ka Bagh
,
Gurdwara Bal Leela and Gurdwara Handi Sahib
.
Padri Ki Haveli
, High Court
, Golghar
and Secretariat Building are examples of British architecture.
Recently, the Bihar
government announced plans to build a state of the art landmark meuseum in Patna at a cost of approximately ₨350 crores on a site of 13.9 acres. 5 firms have been shortlisted for the srchitectural design.
Patna is one of the oldest major centres of learning in East India. Patna University, the first university in Bihar, was established in 1917 and is the seventh oldest university in South Asia Sub-continent. Patna Medical College, established in 1925 as the Prince of Wales Medical College, was ranked sixth in undivided India..
Now Patna has got its Central university- Central University of Bihar (CUB). Patna is home to Aryabhatt Knowledge University to which all the technical and Medical institutes in the state are affiliated.
Patna also houses one of India's most richly endowed libraries, the Khuda Baksh Oriental Library
, which has rare manuscripts dating back several thousand years.
, the National Institute of Technology
, and the Birla Institute of Technology
. National Institute of Fashion Technology
Chanakya National Law University
. Chandragupt Institute of Management
. and medical schools such as the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
.
, which is second largest in eastern India, next only to 'Eden Gardens
' of Kolkata
. The stadium features a swimming pool and a cricket academy. This stadium has served as venue for two one-day international cricket matches and several national sport events.
Patna Golf Club
has a 165 acres (66.8 ha) course. Patna Indoor Stadium, also known as Rainbow Field, is an indoor and outdoor sporting complex and will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra
, the Olympic
gold medalist.
Coming 19 February 2012, Patna will host a 42 kilometres (26.1 mi) marathon race. The event is being organised by the Bihar Entrepreneur Network in association with the Bihar Society, Karma Society, and other NGOs. A total of Rs.10 million will be distributed as prize money to the winners.
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and the second largest city in Eastern India (in terms of population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
). Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Ancient Patna
History of Patna
Patna , the capital of Bihar state, India, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world and the History of Patna spans at least three millennia. Patna has the distinction of being associated with the two most ancient religions of the world, namely, Buddhism and Jainism, and has...
, known as Pataliputra, was the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka
Haryanka dynasty
The Haryanka dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, an ancient kingdom in India, which succeeded the Barhadratha dynasty. According to the Puranas, the second ruling dynasty was the Shaishunga dynasty, but an earlier authority, Ashvagosha in his Buddhacharita refers to Bimbisara, who is...
, Nanda
Nanda Dynasty
The Nanda Empire originated from the region of Magadha in Ancient India during the 5th and 4th centuries BC. At its greatest extent, the Nanda Empire extended from Bengal in the east, to Punjab in the west and as far south as the Vindhya Range...
, Mauryan, Sunga, Gupta, Pala and Suri dynasties.
Pataliputra was also a seat of learning and fine arts. Its population during the Maurya period (around 300 BCE) was about 400,000. The walled old area, known locally as Patna City, is a major trading centre.
The modern city of Patna is situated on the southern bank of the Ganga. The city also straddles the rivers Sone
Son River
Son River of central India is the largest of the Ganges' southern tributaries. A British 1850s diary shows that the river was written in English as Soane.-Course:...
, Gandak
Gandak
The Kali Gandaki or Gandaki River is one of the major rivers of Nepal and a left bank tributary of the Ganges in India It is also called Krishna Gandaki in Nepal. In Nepal the river is notable for its deep gorge through the Himalayas and its enormous hydroelectric potential...
and Punpun
Punpun
Punpun is a Kasba in Patna District in the state of Bihar, India. It is 10 km south of Patna. The name Punpun comes from the river Punpun, a tributary of river Ganges, on whose bank the village has flourished....
. The city is approximately 35 km long and 16 km to 18 km wide.
In June 2009, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
ranked Patna in second place in India, after Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, in terms of the ease of starting a business. As at 2004-2005, Patna had the highest per capita gross district domestic product in Bihar, at Rs31,441. On the basis of,assumed average annual growth,Patna has been ranked as 21st fastest growing city in the world and 5th fastest growing city in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by City Mayors Foundation.Patna registered average annual growth of 3.72%,for the period of 2006-2020.
The Buddhist, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali
Vaishali District
Vaishali District is a district in Bihar state, India. It is named after the Vaishali . The history of Vaishali district is thus very ancient, and finds mention in the Indian classic Mahabharata, as well as in Buddhist and Jain tradition....
, Rajgir
Rajgir
Rajgir is a city and a notified area in Nalanda district in the Indian state of Bihar. The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, a state that would eventually evolve into the Mauryan Empire. Its date of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have...
, Nalanda
Nalanda
Nālandā is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the...
, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri
Pawapuri
Pawapuri or Pava is a holy site for Jains located in the Nalanda district in the Bihar state of Eastern India. It is located about 38 kilometers from Rajgir and 101 kilometers from Patna, the capital of Bihar.-History:...
are nearby and Patna is also a sacred city for Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s as the last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
, was born here.
Origin of name
Being one of the oldest cities of India the name of this city changed with time. There are several theories regarding the source of the modern name Patna (DevanagariDevanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
:पटना ):
- It is etymologicallyEtymologyEtymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
derived from Patan (Devanagari: पतन), the name of the HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
goddess, Patan Devi. - It comes from Pattan (Devanagari: पत्तन) (meaning "port" in SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
), since the city, located near the confluence of four rivers, has been a thriving river port. - It may be a short form of Pataliputra (Devanagari: पाटलिपुत्र), one of the most ancient names of this city.
- The Greeks called it PalibothraPalibothraPalibothra was the famed capital of the powerful kingdom of the Prasii about which many ancient writers have left their accounts. Megasthenes , in his book Indika wrote that the city of Palibothra was situated on the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Erannoboas , identified by Sir William Jones...
. MegasthenesMegasthenesMegasthenes was a Greek ethnographer in the Hellenistic period, author of the work Indica.He was born in Asia Minor and became an ambassador of Seleucus I of Syria possibly to Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, India. However the exact date of his embassy is uncertain...
(350-290 BCE), the Greek historian, referred to it in Greek as Palibothra or Palimbotra. - The place appears in the records of the Chinese traveller, Fa HienFaxianFaxian was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India, Sri Lanka and Kapilavastu in today's Nepal between 399 and 412 to acquire Buddhist scriptures...
, as Pa-lin-fou. - The city has been known by various names during its more than 2,000 years of existence – Patligram, PatliputraPatliputraPāṭaliputra , modern-day Patna, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Ajatashatru in 490 BC as a small fort near the River Ganges, and later the capital of the ancient Mahājanapadas kingdom of Magadha....
, Kusumpur, Pushpapura, AzimabadAzimabadAzimabad was an old name of Modern-day Patna., India. Patliputra was sacked by foreign attackers like Bakhtiyar Khilji and other Muslim raiders . This event is arguably seen by modern historians/ scholars as a milestone in the decline of Buddhism in India...
, and the present-day Patna. - Patna received its current name during the reign of Sher Shah SuriSher Shah SuriSher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
, whose tomb is at SasaramSasaramSasaram , sometimes also spelled as Sahasram, is the administrative headquarters of the Rohtas district in the Indian state of Bihar.It is one of the oldest cities in India, and is famous for production of stone chips and for the local quarrying industry...
, near Patna.
Legend ascribes the origin of Patna to a mythological King Putraka who created Patna by magic for his queen Patali, literally "trumpet flower", which gives it its ancient name Pataligrama. It is said that in honour of the queen's first-born, the city was named Pataliputra. Gram is Sanskrit for village and Putra means son. Legend also says that the Emerald Buddha
Emerald Buddha
The Emerald Buddha is the palladium of the Kingdom of Thailand, a figurine of the sitting Buddha, made of green jadeite , clothed in gold, and about 45 cm tall...
was created in Patna (then Pataliputra) by Nagasena
Nagasena
Nāgasena was a Brahmin who became a Buddhist sage lived about 150 BCE. His answers to questions about Buddhism posed by Menander I , the Indo-Greek king of northwestern India , are recorded in the Milinda Pañha....
in 43 BC.
Vedic era
The history of Patna spans at least three millennia. The city is referred to in ancient Indian texts such as the VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. The first references to the ancient region of Patna are found about 2,500 years ago in Jain and Buddhist scriptures.
Medieval era
Patna became significant around the year 490 BCE when AjatashatruAjatashatru
Ajatasatru was a king of the Magadha empire in north India. He was the son of King Bimbisara, the Great Monarch of Magadha. He was contemporary to Mahavira and Buddha. He took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father forcefully by imprisoning him...
, the king of Magadha, wanted to shift his capital from the hilly Rajagrha to a more strategically located place to combat the Licchavi
Licchavi (clan)
The Licchavis were the most famous clan amongst the ruling confederate clans of the Vajji mahajanapada of ancient India. Vaishali, the capital of the Licchavis, was the capital of the Vajji mahajanapada also. It was later occupied by Ajatashatru, who annexed the Vajji territory into his...
s of Vaishali
Vaishali (ancient city)
Vaiśālī was the capital city of the Licchavi, one of world's first republics, in the Vajjian Confederacy mahajanapada, around the 6th century BC. It was here in 599 BCE the 24th Jain Tirthankara, Bhagwan Mahavira was born and brought up in Kundalagrama in Vaiśālī republic, which make pious &...
. He chose the site on the bank of the Ganga and fortified the area. Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
passed through this place in the last year of his life. He prophesied a great future for this place, but at the same time, he predicted its ruin from flood, fire, and feud. It is said that Buddha made a halt here when he was on the last journey to his native land of Kapilavastu
Kapilavastu
Kapilavastu is the name of a region of ancient Shakya kingdom that is considered a holy pilgrimage place for Buddhists. The search for the Buddha's birthplace following the accounts left by Xuanzang and Faxian involved various searches in the late 19th century...
.
Mauryan empire
With the rise of the Mauryan empire, the place became the seat of power for the sub-continent. The emperor Chandragupta MauryaChandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya , was the founder of the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta succeeded in conquering most of the Indian subcontinent. Chandragupta is considered the first unifier of India and its first genuine emperor...
(a contemporary of Alexander) ruled a vast empire, stretching from the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The early Mauryan city mostly consisted of wooden structures. Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, transformed the wooden capital into a stone construction around 273 BCE.
Megasthenes, the Greek historian and ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya, gives the first written account of the city. He wrote that the city was situated on the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Arennovoas (Sonabhadra - Hiranyawah) and was 9 miles (14.5 km) long and 1.75 miles (2.8 km) wide. Michael Wood, in The Story of India
The Story of India
-External links:* at PBS* * - Interview with the creator Michael Wood...
(2007), describes this city as the greatest city on earth during its heyday. The Sungas ultimately retained control of Pataliputra and ruled for almost 100 years. The Sungas were then followed by the Kanvas and eventually the Guptas. There has been academic controversy regarding whether or not the Indo-Greeks occupied the area around 185 BCE.
A number of Chinese travellers came to India in pursuit of knowledge and recorded their observations about Pataliputra in their travelogues, including those of a Chinese Buddhist Fa Hien, who visited India between 399 and 414 CE, and stayed here for many months translating Buddhist texts.
Gupta and Mughal empires
In the years that followed, many dynasties ruled the Indian subcontinent from the city, including those of the Gupta empireGupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
and the Pala
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...
kings. With the disintegration of the Gupta empire, Patna passed through uncertain times. Bakhtiar Khilji captured Bihar in the 12th century AD and destroyed many ancient seats of learning, and Patna lost its prestige as the political and cultural center of India.
Guru Gobind Singh (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ) (22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, was born as Gobind Rai in Patna to Teg Bahadur
Guru Teg Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahadur became the 9th Guru of Sikhi on 20 March 1665, following in the footsteps of his grand-nephew, Guru Har Krishan. Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi....
, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs, and his wife Gujri
Mata Gujri
Mata Gujri was the wife of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhism, and the mother of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhism...
. His birthplace, Patna Sahib, is one of the most sacred pilgrimages for Sikhs.
The Mughal
Mughal era
The Mughal era is a historic period of the Mughal Empire in South Asia . It ran from the early 15th century to a point in the early 18th century when the Mughal Emperors' power had dwindled...
period was a period of unremarkable provincial administration from Delhi. The most remarkable period during these times was under Sher Shah Suri, who revived Patna in the middle of the 16th century. He built a fort and founded a town on the banks of the Ganga. Sher Shah's fort in Patna does not survive, although the Sher Shah Suri Masjid mosque, built in Afghan architectural style, does. Mughal emperor Akbar came to Patna in 1574 to crush the Afgha Chief Daud Khan. Akbar's navratna and state's official historian and author of "Ain-i-Akbari
Ain-i-Akbari
The Ain-i-Akbari or the "Institutes of Akbar", is a 16th century, detailed document recording the administration of emperor Akbar's empire, written by his vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak...
" Abul Fazl
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
Shaikh Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak also known as Abu'l-Fazl, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami was the vizier of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, and author of the Akbarnama, the official history of Akbar's reign in three volumes, and a Persian translation of the Bible...
refers to Patna as a flourishing centre for paper, stone and glass industries. He also refers to the high quality of numerous strains of rice grown in Patna, famous as Patna rice
Patna rice
Patna rice, a variety of the species Oryza sativa, and one of the varieties of long-grain white rice, is extensively cultivated in the Indo-gangetic plains, in and around Patna, capital of Bihar state, India. Patna rice is known for its elongated kernel with grain length greater than 6 mm, and has...
in Europe.
By 1620 the city of Patna was the great entrepot of northern India, "the largest town in Bengal and the most famous for trade". This was before the founding of the city of Calcutta. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
acceded to the request of his favourite grandson, Prince Muhammad Azim, to rename Patna as Azimabad
Azimabad
Azimabad was an old name of Modern-day Patna., India. Patliputra was sacked by foreign attackers like Bakhtiyar Khilji and other Muslim raiders . This event is arguably seen by modern historians/ scholars as a milestone in the decline of Buddhism in India...
, in 1704 while Azim was in Patna as the subedar
Subedar
Subedar is a historical rank in the Indian Army, ranking below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers. The rank was otherwise equivalent to a British lieutenant and was introduced in the East India Company's presidency armies, to make it easier for British officers to...
. However, very little changed during this period other than the name.With the decline of the Mughal empire, Patna moved into the hands of the Nawabs of Bengal, who levied a heavy tax on the populace but allowed it to flourish as a commercial centre.
Tekari Raj
Tekari Raj was a zamindari in South Bihar, the Tekari family belonging to the Bhumihar Brahmin.In the Mughal period, Tekari was a rich estate, protected by the Bhumihar Brahmin as part of the Mughal Empire....
dominated the Patna river front in 1811-12.
British empire
During the 17th century, Patna became a centre of international trade. The British started with a factory in Patna in 1620 for trading in calicoCalico
-Animals:* Calico butterfly, a genus of brush-footed butterflies commonly called the Crackers, Calicoes, or Clicks*Calico cat, a domestic cat with the common three- or four-colored coat pattern calico -Animals:* Calico butterfly, a genus of brush-footed butterflies commonly called the Crackers,...
and silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
. Soon it became a trading centre for saltpetre,Bernier, Franois (A.D. 1656-1668),in Travels in the Mogul Empire, has written that,a prodigious quantity of saltpetre was imported from Patna. It was carried down the Ganges with great facility, and the Dutch and English send large cargoes to many parts of the Indies,and to Europe. urging other Europeans—French, Danes, Dutch and Portuguese—to compete in the lucrative business. Peter Mundy
Peter Mundy
-Life:He came from Penryn in Cornwall. In 1609 he accompanied his father to Rouen, and was then sent to Gascony to learn French. In May 1611 he went as a cabin-boy in a merchant ship, and gradually rose in life until he became of independent circumstances....
, writing in 1632, described Patna as "the greatest mart of the eastern region". After the decisive Battle of Buxar
Battle of Buxar
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula Nawab of Awadh; and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor...
(1764), Patna fell into the hands of the East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, which installed a government. It was ruled during the Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
by a series of Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
s, including Rahul Gunderjaharagand
Rahul Gunderjaharagand
Rahul Gunderjaharagand was the 23rd Viceroy of Patna, India, reigning from 1854-1866.Born in Bissleboron, Patna, he was a leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857....
.
In 1912, Patna became the capital of the provinces of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and Bihar when the Bengal Presidency
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency originally comprising east and west Bengal, was a colonial region of the British Empire in South-Asia and beyond it. It comprised areas which are now within Bangladesh, and the present day Indian States of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, Orissa and Tripura.Penang and...
was partitioned, although in 1935 Orissa became a completely separate entity with its own capital. It soon emerged as an important and strategic centre.
Some buildings constructed during the period of British control remain, many designed by I. F. Munnings. Most of these buildings reflect either Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
influences - for example, the Patna Museum and the State Assembly - or overt Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
influences, as seen with the Raj Bhawan and the High Court. Some buildings, like the General Post Office and the Old Secretariat bear pseudo-Renaissance influence. Some say the experience gained in building the new capital area of Patna proved very useful in building the imperial capital, New Delhi.
Indian independence movement
People from Patna were involved in the Indian independence movementIndian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. Most notable were the Champaran movement against the Indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
plantation and the 1942 Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
. National leaders who have come from the city include Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
Swami Sahajanand Saraswati , born in a Jijhoutia Brahminfamily of Ghazipur of Uttar Pradesh state of India, was an ascetic of Dashnami Order of Adi Shankara Sampradaya as well as a nationalist and peasant leader of India...
, the first President of the Constituent Assembly of India
Constituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and following independence served as the nation's first Parliament.-Nature of the Assembly:...
; Dr. Sachidanand Sinha; Dr. Rajendra Prasad; Bihar Vibhuti (Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha , known as Bihar Vibhuti, was an Indian statesman who was the first Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister of the Indian state of Bihar...
); Basawon Singh (Sinha)
Basawon Singh (Sinha)
Basawon Singh has been among the greatest nationalists who joined into the freedom struggle at a tender age of 13 and kept on his struggle for the independence of the country from the colonial yoke and fighting for the rights of the underprivileged, industrial labours and agricultural workers all...
; Loknayak (Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
); Sri Krishna Sinha
Sri Krishna Sinha
Sri Krishna Sinha , known as Bihar Kesari, was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar . Along with the nationalists Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sinha is regarded among the Architects of Modern Bihar...
; Sheel Bhadra Yajee
Sheel Bhadra Yajee
' was a freedom fighter from Bihar who was associated with the non-violent and the violent form of freedom struggle.Yajee's participation in the freedom movement began in 1928 when, as a student, he attended the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. He joined the Congress Socialist...
and Sarangdhar Sinha (Singh).
Patna continued to be the capital of the state of Bihar after independence in 1947, though Bihar itself was partitioned again in 2000 when Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
became a separate state of the Indian union.
Topography
Patna is located on the south bank of the Ganga River. A characteristic of the geography of Patna is its confluence of rivers. The Ganga River is the largest. It is joined by four other rivers: GhagharaGhaghara River
Karnali or Ghaghara is a perennial trans-boundary river originating on the Tibetan Plateau near Lake Mansarovar. It cuts through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the Sarda River at Brahmaghat in India. Together they form the Ghaghra River, a major left bank tributary of the Ganges. With a length of...
, Gandak
Gandak
The Kali Gandaki or Gandaki River is one of the major rivers of Nepal and a left bank tributary of the Ganges in India It is also called Krishna Gandaki in Nepal. In Nepal the river is notable for its deep gorge through the Himalayas and its enormous hydroelectric potential...
, Punpun
Punpun River
The Punpun River is a tributary of the Ganges. It originates in Palamu district of Jharkhand and flows through Chatra, Aurangabad, Gaya and Patna districts of the Indian states of Jharkhand and Bihar.-Course:...
and Sone. Patna is unique in having four large rivers in its vicinity. It is the largest riverine city in the world. The bridge over the river Ganga named Mahatma Gandhi Setu
Mahatma Gandhi Setu
Mahatma Gandhi Setu , is a bridge over the river Ganges connecting Patna in the south to Hajipur in the north of Bihar. It was the longest river bridge in India at the time of its construction. It was inaugurated in May 1982 by the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi.Its length is which makes...
is 5575m long and is the longest river bridge in the India.
Climate
Patna has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
with hot summers from late March to early June, the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season from late June to late September and a mild winter from November to February.Highest temperature ever recorded is 46.6 °C(In,1966), lowest ever is 2.3 °C(In,2003) and highest rainfall was 204.5 mm(In,1997). The table below details historical monthly averages for climate variables.
Economy
Patna has long been a major agricultural center of trade, its most active exports being grainCereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
, sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
, and medium-grained Patna rice
Patna rice
Patna rice, a variety of the species Oryza sativa, and one of the varieties of long-grain white rice, is extensively cultivated in the Indo-gangetic plains, in and around Patna, capital of Bihar state, India. Patna rice is known for its elongated kernel with grain length greater than 6 mm, and has...
. There are multiple sugar mills still in existence in and around Patna. It is an important business and luxury brand center of eastern India.
As of 2011, the economy of Patna has seen sustained economic growth. In particular, the economy has been spurred by growth in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Fast moving consumer goods or Consumer Packaged Goods are products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable goods such as soft drinks, toiletries, and grocery items...
industry, the service sector, along with Green revolution
Green Revolution
Green Revolution refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s....
businesses. In 2009, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
stated Patna as the second best city in India to start up a business. As of 2010, the per capita income of Patna was ₨37737.
As of 2001, the slum population of Patna was only 0.25%. The lowest of any million plus Indian city. Patna is the 21st fastest growing city in the world, and the fifth fastest growing city in India, and is expected to grow at an average anual rate of 3.72%.
Demographics
The historical population of Patna is shown below:| Year | 430 BC | 200 BC | 100 AD | 361 AD | 800 AD | 2001 AD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 100,000 |  350,000 |
 69,000 |
150,000 |
74,000 |
1,697,976 |
The population of the district of Patna is 5.77 million, with a density of 1803 per km2, as of the 2011 census of India. The sex ratio (females per 1000 male) is 892. The overall literacy rate
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
is 72.47%, with the male literacy rate being 80.28% and the female literacy rate being 63.72%.
Hindi is the official language of the state of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
but many other languages are spoken. The native dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
is Magadhi or Magahi, named after Magadha, the ancient name of Bihar. English is widely spoken by Patnaites, and other widely spoken dialects and languages include Angika, Bhojpuri and Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
.
Culture
Although geographically located in the Magadh region of Bihar, many residents of Patna are natives of one of the four other constituent regions: BhojpurBhojpur district, Bihar
Bhojpur district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state in eastern India. Arrah town is the administrative headquarters of this district.-History:...
, Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
, Vajj, and Anga
Anga
Anga was a kingdom that flourished on the eastern Indian subcontinent in the 6th century BCE until taken over by Magadha in the same century. Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya, Anga also finds mention in the Jain Vyakhyaprajnapti’s list of...
. Intermarriages and cultural mixing among the people of the five regions has been common. People are religious and family-oriented, and they are deeply rooted in tradition. Families are generally large, though the government is actively encouraging family planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
to curb rapid population growth. Extended families often live together in one home because of economic necessity.
Cuisine
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
(clarified butter) and chokha (boiled mashed potatoes, seasoned with finely cut onions, green chillies) is a common meal. Patnaites on Saturdays and is a staple food. Afternoon meals mostly consist of rice and vegetables while the dinner will consist of roti
Roti
Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also consumed in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and...
s (flatbread) and lentils.
Patna is also known for the dry sweet delicacies of central Bihar, which owe their origins to various towns. For example, Khaja from Silao, Ladoo from Maner, Kala Jamun from Vikram, Khubi ka Lai from Barh, Kesaria Peda from Gaya and Chena Murki from Koelwar and Poori from Behea. Unlike Bengali sweets, which are soaked in syrup of sugar and are therefore wet, the sweets of Bihar are mostly dry.
Transportation and connectivity
Patna was one of the first places in India to use horse-drawn trams for public transport. Public transportation today is provided for by buses, auto rickshawAuto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a usually three-wheeled cabin cycle for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw...
s and local trains. Auto rickshaws are said to be the lifeline of the city. BSRTC has started City bus service on all major routes of Patna with 142 low floor AC/non-AC buses. Recently, radio cab facility was also started.
Rail
Patna lies in between New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
which is one of the busiest rail route in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.The city is a major railway hub and has five major stations: Patna Junction, Rajendranagar Terminal
Rajendranagar Terminal
Rajendra Nagar Terminal, , located in Rajendra Nagar, Patna is one of the five main railway stations in Patna, the capital city of Bihar state. It is located in the Danapur railway division of the East Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways...
, Gulzarbag, Danapur Junction
Danapur
Danapur , sometimes known as Dinapur or Dinapore is a satellite town of Patna in Bihar state of India. It is located on the bank of the River Sone which merges with River Ganges at Digha a few kilometers from Danapur...
and Patna Sahib. Patna is well connected with gaya,jehanabad biharsharif,rajgir, islampur through daily passenger and express train services. Currently, the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
has floated tenders to construct 5 new "deluxe" toilets in each of Patna's railway station. The plan also includes the modernisation of Patna Junction. In 2009, the construction of India's longest road-cum-rail bridge was underway on the banks on the Ganges nearby and will connect Patna to Pahleja Ghat. The bridge is expected to be completed in 2012. Sources say that when completed it will be 4.55 kilometre long and therefore the longest road cum rail bridge in India and one of the longet in the world.
The Planning Commission of India has given nod to Patna Metro
Patna Metro
Patna Metro is the proposed Mass Rapid Transit system for the City of Patna in Bihar. On Sep 14 2011, The Planning Commission of India gave nod to Patna Metro. The Metro rail will be introduced on two routes under the public-private partnership mode. The Metro rail will run on two routes:- Dak...
recently which will run on two routes- Dak bunglow Square to Saguna Morh and Danapur to Patna city. The metro will be implemented on a Public Private Partnership. Furthermore, RITES has started ground survey and soil testing for the Patna Monorail
Patna Monorail
Patna Monorail is a proposed monorail system for the city of Patna.-Network:There are 4 lines proposed to be built. RITES, the consultancy arm of indian railways has begun soil inspection aswell as ground survey for the monorail network.* Patna Junction to Gandhi Maidan.* Patna Junction to...
to conduct techno-economic feasability studies.
Air
There is an airport, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash AirportLok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport
Patna Airport , also known as Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna , is an airport located southwest of Patna, the capital of state of Bihar in India...
, which is classified as a restricted international airport . The arrival of several low-cost carriers and a number of new destinations have caused a growth in air traffic in recent years, as has an improvement in the situation with regard to law and order. For the period April to December 2009 the airport ranked first in a survey of 46 airports in the country in terms of percentage growth of domestic passengers as well as domestic aircraft movement.
Road
The city is served by several major road highways and state highways, including National HighwaysIndian highways
The National Highways Network of India, is a network of highways that is managed and maintained by agencies of the Government of India. These highways measured over as of 2010, including over of limited-access Expressways....
19
National Highway 19 (India)
National Highway 19 a National Highway in India that links Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh with Patna in Bihar. This -long route passes through Ballia, Chhapra, Sonpur and Hajipur....
, 30
National Highway 30 (India)
National Highway 30 is a National Highway entirely within the state of Bihar, India that links NH 2 to NH 19. This long stretch passes through Mohania, Kochas, Dinara, Bikramganj, Arrah, Koilwar,, Maner, Maner Sharif, Danapur, Patna, Fatuha and Bakhtiarpur in Bihar.- See also :* List of National...
,31
National Highway 31 (India)
National Highway 31 is an important National Highway in India. It provides gateway to the states in North-East India. This long National Highway starts in Barhi, Jharkhand at the NH 2 and generally traverses in Northeast direction passing through Jhumri Tilaiya, Koderma, Nawada, Bihar Sharif,...
, and 83
National Highway 83 (India)
National Highway 83 is a National Highway in India entirely within the state of Bihar. NH 83 links state capital, Patna to Dobhi on NH 2 and passes through Jehanabad, Gaya and Bodhgaya. The total length of NH 83 runs to .- See also :...
. It is 1015 kilometre from Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, 1802 kilometre from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and 556 kilometre from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
.
Water
Patna has a fixed terminal on National Waterway No. 1 which was established in October 1986. This 1620 kilometre route of navigable water runs from HaldiaHaldia
Haldia has a typical moderate climate with winter temperatures ranging from a low of around 7 degrees Celsius to a high of 22 degrees Celsius. Winters are chilly and is when the residents hold the Haldia Utsav festival. Summers can be very hot and humid. Usual summer temperatures in May, the...
on the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
, across the extremity of Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
province, across the centre of Bihar and then to Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
.
Places of interest
.Patna is home to many tourist attractions
Tourism in Patna
Patna is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world, with a history of 3,000 years. The rich culture and heritage of the state of Bihar is evident from the innumerable ancient monuments that are dotted all over the region. Patna is home to many tourist attractions. Bihar is visited by large...
and it saw about 2.4 million tourists (including day visitors) in 2005. Tourists visiting the city accounted for 41% of the total for Bihar province, although Bodhgaya was the most popular destination for foreign visitors.
The cultural heritage of Bihar is reflected in its many ancient monuments. Kumhrar
Kumhrar
Kumhrar or Kumrahar is the remains of an ancient city of Pataliputra, located 5 km from Patna Railway Station, on Kankarbagh Road, Patna, Bihar....
and Agam Kuan
Agam Kuan
Agam Kuan, which means "unfathomable well", is said to date back to the period of Maurya emperor, Ashoka. The well is located east of Patna, Bihar state, India. -The architecture:...
are the sites of the ruins of the Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
n Pataliputra. Didarganj Yakshi
Didarganj Yakshi
The Didarganj Yakshi is one of the finest examples of Mauryan art.The sculpture is currently located in the Patna Museum in Patna, India. It is 64" tall, carved out of a single piece of stone....
remains as an example of Mauryan art.
Takht Sri Patna Sahib
Takht Sri Patna Sahib
The Gurdwara at Patna Sahib was in remembrance of the birth place of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs on 22 December 1666, and like many historical Gurdwara's in India and Pakistan, this Gurdwara too, was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh , the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, on the...
is one of the Five Takhts of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
and consecrates the birthplace of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Gobind Singh. There are five other Gurdwaras in Patna which are related to different Sikh Gurus; these are Gurdwara Pahila Bara, Gurdwara Gobind Ghat
Gurdwara Gobind Ghat
Gurdwara Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ghat situated on the bank of river Ganges is hardly 200 yards from Takht Sri Patna Sahib. It is also popular as Kangan Ghat where child Guru Gobind Singh had thrown his gold bangle...
, Gurdwara Guru ka Bagh
Gurdwara Guru ka Bagh
About three kilometers east of Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib is where Guru Tegh Bahadur first alighted in a garden belonging to Nawabs Rahim Bakhsh and Karim Bakhsh, nobles of Patna, and where the sangat of Patna along with the young Guru Gobind Singh came out to receive him back from his four year...
,
Gurdwara Bal Leela and Gurdwara Handi Sahib
Gurdwara Handi Sahib
Gurdwara Handi Sahib is situated in Danapur is a cantonment station, 20 km west of old Patna City. Guru Tegh Bahadur had returned to Punjab in April 1670 leaving his family behind at Patna. The family after leaving Patna Sahib made their first halt here...
.
Padri Ki Haveli
Padri Ki Haveli
Padri-Ki-Haveli , also known as St Mary's Church, it 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....
, High Court
Patna High Court
Patna High Court is the High Court of the state of Bihar. It was established on 3 February 1916 and later affiliated under the Government of India Act, 1915. The court is headquartered in Patna, the administrative capital of the state.-History of Court:...
, Golghar
Golghar
The Golghar or Gol Ghar , , located to the west of the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, capital of Bihar state, India is a granary built by Captain John Garstin, in 1786.-History:...
and Secretariat Building are examples of British architecture.
Recently, the Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
government announced plans to build a state of the art landmark meuseum in Patna at a cost of approximately ₨350 crores on a site of 13.9 acres. 5 firms have been shortlisted for the srchitectural design.
Education
.Patna is one of the oldest major centres of learning in East India. Patna University, the first university in Bihar, was established in 1917 and is the seventh oldest university in South Asia Sub-continent. Patna Medical College, established in 1925 as the Prince of Wales Medical College, was ranked sixth in undivided India..
Now Patna has got its Central university- Central University of Bihar (CUB). Patna is home to Aryabhatt Knowledge University to which all the technical and Medical institutes in the state are affiliated.
Patna also houses one of India's most richly endowed libraries, the Khuda Baksh Oriental Library
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library is one of the national libraries of India. It was opened to public in October, 1891 by Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh with 4,000 manuscripts, of which he inherited 1,400 from his father Maulvi Mohammed Bakhsh...
, which has rare manuscripts dating back several thousand years.
Higher education
In the past few years, many other educational institutions have opened, such as the Indian Institute of TechnologyIndian Institute of Technology Patna
The Indian Institute of Technology, Patna is an autonomous institute for education and research in science, engineering and technology located in Patna, India. It is one of the 8 new IITs which have become functional between 2008 and 2009...
, the National Institute of Technology
National Institute of Technology, Patna
The National Institute of Technology Patna , formerly Bihar School of Engineering and Bihar College of Engineering, is a National Institute of Technology located in Patna, Bihar, India. It was created by the Government of India on January 28, 2004.-History:NITP is the sixth oldest engineering...
, and the Birla Institute of Technology
Birla Institute of Technology, Patna
The Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi's Patna Campus at Patna, India, was established in 2006, on the request of the Government of Bihar. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Institute and the Government of Bihar in December 2005. The Government of Bihar allotted of land and...
. National Institute of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology Patna
National Institute of Fashion Technology Patna is an autonomous institute for education fashion and related technology located in Patna, India...
Chanakya National Law University
Chanakya National Law University
The Bihar Government has established Chanakya National Law University to provide quality legal education along the lines of the established National Law Schools, such as NLSIU Bangalore, NUJS Kolkata, NALSAR Hyderabad, ....
. Chandragupt Institute of Management
Chandragupt Institute of Management
Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna has been established in 2008 as an autonomous institution under Societies Act, with active support and help from the Government of Bihar. An AICTE approved institution , it is established on the lines of IIMs. The institute is expected to contribute...
. and medical schools such as the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences was established on November 19, 1983 as an autonomous organisation on the pattern of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The estimated budget was 110 Crore rupees which was later revised to 133 Crores. It is one of the main health care...
.
Schools
In post-independent India, schools for young children are mainly based on the kindergarten form of education.Primary and secondary education in Patna is offered by various schools which are affiliated to one of the boards of education, such as the Bihar Board, ICSE, CBSE,and NIOS.Schools in Patna are either government run or are private (both aided and un-aided by the government).Sports
There are several cricket grounds located across the city, including the Moin-ul-Haq StadiumMoin-ul-Haq Stadium
Moin-Ul-Haq Stadium is located in Patna, Bihar, India. The stadium has hosted 2 One Day International matches including one from the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The stadium has a seating capacity of 25,000 people.-Ground Information:...
, which is second largest in eastern India, next only to 'Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity...
' of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. The stadium features a swimming pool and a cricket academy. This stadium has served as venue for two one-day international cricket matches and several national sport events.
Patna Golf Club
Patna Golf Club
The Patna Golf Club was established on March 21, 1916. The land originally belonged to the government of Bihar and Orissa, and was leased to the South Bihar Gymkhana Club. The club was formed by C.S...
has a 165 acres (66.8 ha) course. Patna Indoor Stadium, also known as Rainbow Field, is an indoor and outdoor sporting complex and will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Singh Bindra is an Indian shooter from Zirakpur, Mohali, Punjab and is the current World and Olympic champion in the 10 m Air Rifle event...
, the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist.
Coming 19 February 2012, Patna will host a 42 kilometres (26.1 mi) marathon race. The event is being organised by the Bihar Entrepreneur Network in association with the Bihar Society, Karma Society, and other NGOs. A total of Rs.10 million will be distributed as prize money to the winners.
Major public open spaces
- Patna Zoo
- Gandhi MaidanGandhi MaidanGandhi Maidan, previously known as the Patna Lawns, is a historic ground at Patna near the banks of Ganges. The Golghar falls to its west....
- PlanetariumPatna PlanetariumIndira Gandhi Planetarium is located in Patna's Indira Gandhi Science Complex. Planetarium was constructed through Bihar Council on Science & Technology at a total cost of about Rs...
- Srikrishna Science CentreSrikrishna Science Centre"Srikrishna Science Centre" was established in Patna in the year 1978 which was named after the first Chief Minister of Bihar . It was inaugurated on April 14, 1978 by the then Minister of Education, Govt of Bihar, Shri Thakur Prasad Singh...
- MuseumPatna MuseumPatna Museum is the state museum of the Indian state of Bihar. Built in 1917 during the British Raj to house the historical artefacts found in the vicinity of Patna, it is in the style of Mughal and Rajput architecture and is known locally as the Jadu Ghar.Items on display in the multipurpose...
Religious sites
- Agamkuan
- Mahavir MandirMahavir MandirMahavir Mandir is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman, located in Patna, Bihar, India. Million of pilgrims visit the temple every year and is the second most visited religious shrine in North India....
- Patan DeviPatan DeviPatan Devi , also called Maa Patneshwari, is the oldest and one of the most sacred temples of Patna. It is regarded as one of the 51 Siddha Shakti Pithas in India. According to Puranic legends, the 'right thigh' of the corpse of Sati had fallen here when it was chopped off by Lord Vishnu with his...
Temple - Maner SharifManer SharifManer Sharif is located west of Patna on NH 30. It is also called Maner . It is a popular medieval site and a notified area in Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar...
- Padri Ki HaveliPadri Ki HaveliPadri-Ki-Haveli , also known as St Mary's Church, it 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....
- Takht Sri Patna SahibTakht Sri Patna SahibThe Gurdwara at Patna Sahib was in remembrance of the birth place of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs on 22 December 1666, and like many historical Gurdwara's in India and Pakistan, this Gurdwara too, was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh , the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, on the...