Ind. J. of Applied & Clinical Sociology 11 (1), 2016, 100-109
ISSN: 2230-9772 (Print); 2347-5927 (Online)
©: Human Development & Welfare Institute
AN ACCOUNT OF PATNA: FROM HISTORY, CULTURE &
MODERNITY
NILESH RANJAN
Patna has a glorious past like none other
city in the Indian History. A city whose
administrative power controlled vast
region stretching from
modern Afghanistan in the West to
Bengal in the East, from Kashmir in the
North to Deccan in the South, and
which brought the golden period of
Indian art, culture and power, has a
recorded history of more than 2000
years. A city which saw the rise and fall
of powerful dynasties like of Mauryan's
and Gupta's, was once considered at par
with the glorious Mesopotamian city of
Susa
and
Ecbatana.
A
city
which welcomed
and
amazed
the great travelers like
Megasthanese
and Fa-hein,
proudly witnessed
the brilliance of Chanakaya, Panini
and Kalidas, to name a few. The
legendary
kings
like
Ajathshatru,
Chadragupta, Ashoka and Vikramaditya
ruled from the ancient land of modern
Patna. The city was associated with the
two ancient religions of the world Buddhism and Jainism.
The city kept on changing its name as
the time progressed. Ancient literature
refers it by various names like
Pataligrama,
Patalipur,
Pushpapur,
Kusumpur, Kusumvati, Palibothra,
Pataliputra, Azimabad etc. (read : name
change proposal question in state
assembly) In 6th Century BC, it was a
small village where Buddha, sometime
before his death, had noticed a fort
being constructed under the orders of
king Ajatshatru (491 - 461 BC) of
Rajgriha for the defense of Magadha
Kingdom against the Lichchavis
Republic of Vaishali. Impressed by
its strategic location,
successors
of
Ajatshatru, Udayabhadra shifted the capital
of Magadha kingdom from Rajgriha to
Pataliputra in the middle of the 5th
century BC. Since then for about one
thousand years Pataliputra remained the
capital of great Indian empires of Nanda,
Maurya, and Sunga and Gupta dynasties.
The place has also been an
important center of activity in the fields
of learning, commerce, art, culture and
religion.
With the rise of Mauryan Empire (321185 BC), its glory and power increased
manifold
and
it
became
the
nerve center of the Indian subcontinent.
Chadragupta ruled a vast empire and
established a strong centralized state
with a complex administration under
Kautilya. Megasthanese, who visited the city
in 4th Century BC mentioned it as a city
with 64 gates, 570 domes, 100 feet wide
and 30 feet deep moat for security and
sewage, with the buildings of wood
studded with gold and silver in his book
called Indica. Ashoka, the grandson of
Chadragupta took the empire to its zenith
during his tenure. The city prospered in
an era of peace and development. FaHein, the Chinese scholar who visited
during Ashoka's rule, gave a vivid
account of the city. The ruins of
Mauryan 80-Pillared Hall has been
excavated at Kumhrar in Patna. The
Mauryan rule also provided the city with
100
great
scholars
like
Aryabhatta,
Ashvaghosha, Chanakya (Kautilya),
Panini & Vatsyayana. Didarganj Yakshi,
the life size Chauri bearer sculpture
found at Didarganj is a high watermark
of the Mauryan era art.
With the fall of Mauryan dynasty in 184
BC, the empire disintegrated, but the city
continued to be important one. The rise
of Gupta dynasty gave the golden age of
the Indian culture. Chadragupta I (320335 AD) conquered the Magadha
kingdom and made Pataliputra as its
capital. The kingdom was further
consolidated by his son, Samudragupta
(335-376 AD), and his grandson,
Chandragupta II, also called as
Vikramaditya. The Gupta era was
marked by magnificent and creative
architecture, sculpture and painting. The
paintings at the Ajanta caves and
Elephant caves are excellent remnants of
the period. Kalidas was the renowned
writer in Gupta court. The Gupta
dynasty ended in 550 AD by the
constant attack of the Huns from the
North.
The conqueror from
the Afghanistan and Middle East started
the Muslim rule in India, with Pataliputra
also facing the brutal attack. The most
notorious was the attack of Qutb-ud-din
Aibak in 12th Century AD, which
destroyed the renowned learning center
at Nalanda, 120 km from it. The
constant brutal attacks on its cultural and
educational centers gradually
reduced
its reputation as a center of learning. The
city was again revived during the 16th
Century AD by Sher Shah Suri, the
warrior from Sasaram, 160 km from
Pataliputra, who became the ruler of
India for a short time. The mausoleum
of Sher Shah at Sasaram is a masterpiece
of architecture. Mughal emperor Akbar
visited Patna in 1574 AD to crush the
rebellion of Daud Khan. Ain-Ae-Akbari
referred Patna as a flourishing center for
paper, stone and glass industry.
After the decline of Mughal Empire, the
city went into the hand of Nawabs of
Bengal. In the famous battle of Buxar,
115 km from Patliputra in 1764 AD,
English defeated the Nawabs and that
changed the course of history for the
next two century. The city went into the
hand of East India Company. Patna
played an important role in the 1857
struggle movement. Pir Ali, a bookseller, led the movement from Patna. He
was later caught and hanged along with
his fellowmen. Many soldiers of the
Danapur Cantonment deserted the
British army and joined the Kunwar
Singh brigade at Arrah. The region was
an active belt of the revolt.
In 1912, when Bihar and Odisha were
carved out of Bengal presidency, Patna
was made the capital of Bihar and
Odisha. The British made administrative
building, like High Court, GPO, and
Assembly building etc. for effective
administration. The City also played an
important role in the National
movement for independence. The
Champaran movement and the Quit
India movement, in which many
people sacrificed their
life
are worth mentioning.
Today, Patna is a fine blend of ancient
traditions and modernity, and it is one of
the fastest emerging cities in India. Being
the capital of Bihar for more than
hundred years now (capital since 1913),
it has certainly distinctive advantage over
the other newly established capitals. It
has good connectivity with the rest of
the country through road, railways and
airways. Patna is regarded as the gateway
for the Buddhism, Jainism and Sufism
Circuit, which connect Vaishali,
Pavapuri, Nalanda, Rajgir, Bodh Gaya,
101
Maner Sharif and many other tourist
places.
Patna is a big trading center in the
Eastern India. It has big markets for
clothes, fruits and vegetables, traditional
items and modern amenities. The
opening of the malls and multiplexes has
opened new horizon of marketing-cumentertainment experience. Funtasia
Island water park on the outskirt of the
City has been attracting a large number
of people since its opening in
November, 2012. The city offers a host
of tourism options to the visitors in
various categories like historical,
religious, modern etc. (10 Things to do
in Patna). The city has limited but good
hotels and restaurant to cater to the
tourists. The population of Patna is close
to 17 Lakh (1.7 million) as per 2011
census.
Festivals bring color to the life in the
city. The biggest festival, Chhath is
celebrated with great devotion and
celebration across the city. The presence
of river Ganges beside the city adds
charm to it. The other big festivals
celebrated are Diwali, Dussehra, Holi,
Muharram, Eid and Guru Nanak Jayanti.
Patna truly reflects the meeting point of
Eastern and Northern India during the
festivals. The fairs and exhibitions are
common during the festive seasons,
which normally extends from beginning
of October to mid of March (till
Holi). Patna is a true secular city. The
people of all communities lives
in harmony and comes together in
festivals. A large number of tourists,
belonging to Sikhism, Buddhism and
Jainism community visit every year.
Presence of many ancient and historical
cum religious sites in and around it
attracts people from abroad in large
number.
Patna is a big and excellent center of
education. Thousands of student flock
here every year from every corner of the
State and neighbouring states. The city
has renowned colleges and excellent
schools belonging to central boards and
state board. The student cracks the
toughest exam of India in exceedingly
large
number. Super
30
batch,
which prepares the student belonging to
poor families for the IIT exam free of
cost, has already become internationally
acclaimed. Newly opened institutes like
IIT, NIFT, NIT, AIIMS, BIT
(Extension) etc. have added gravity to its
education culture.
The western area is dotted with the
architectural buildings from the British
era, whereas new areas are reflections of
modernity. The city is fast crossing its
limit
and
expanding
outward.
Kankarbagh, once the biggest colony of
Asia, is a modern city in itself. The
construction work on city's 'marine
drive', J P Ganga Path along the river
Ganges has started. The high speed 21.5
km corridor will connect Digha to
Didarganj by 2017, the year marked with
the great celebration of 350th birth
anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh at
Har Mandir Takht. The Patna Metro Rail
project is also in advance stage and
ground work is likely to start in the first
half of 2014. The city is witnessing many
new
infrastructural
development
throughout its length and breadth. Many
new flyovers are being built over the
congested area. Work on ambitious
projects of International Convention
Centre, Bihar Museum, Centenary
Building of Patna HC etc. has already
been started.
The city's tourist potentials are growing
rapidly with new developments. The
present day Patna sits over the ruins of
ancient Patliputra, thereby providing a
102
lot of scope for archaeological tourism.
The ruins of Kumhrar, the statue of
Didarganj Yakshi, Golghar, Har Mandir
Takht, Agam Kuan, and Khuda Baksh
National Library etc. are very well
known tourist places in Patna. Many
famous tourist spots of Bihar are
situated close to the city, hence
providing an ideal start-up place for
exploring the rich heritage of the state.
Patna is a growing bustling city where
chaos and calmness prevails side by side
like most other Indian cities. Gifted with
three distinct seasons and the great
Ganga flowing beside it, the city offers
everything for good living and rapid
development. A city, whose glorious past
reckons the present to emulate, is trying
hard to regain the lost attraction.
The lifestyle of Patna has evolved over
centuries. Being an old city, it has
inherited the characters of different
periods. The people, the language, the
culture, the festivals, the foods, the
accent etc. shows the conglomeration of
the different race, sects, religion etc.
Patna is blessed with a culture which
has continuously evolved during the last
2500 years of recorded history. The
population comprises of different sects
of people who came here over the
centuries and finally settled down. The
evolution and spread of religions like
Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism has
added secular aspect to the city. The
people from different regions of state
also settled down in the city,
bringing along with them culture, craft
and language of the region specific, thus
making the city as culturally vibrant.
Census 2011
Patna Population : 1,683,200 ( Male :
8,94,158 Female : 7,89,042 )
Patna Literacy Rate: 84.71 % (Male:
87.71 % Female: 81.33 %)
Patna Sex Ratio: 882 per 1000 males
Patna Child sex Ratio: 864 per 1000 boys
Total Child (0-6 years) population: 1,
90,496 (11.32 % of total population)
The people of the city follows the
traditional ways of living, though it is
fast changing. The people prefers live in
the joint families, though it is also on the
declining side now. The society
comprises of people of many religions,
which is further divided into many castes
and sub castes. The growth and the
development of the people from upper
castes is quite visible compared to that
of the lower castes. The majority of the
people is follower of Hinduism, followed
by
Islam,
Sikhism,
Christianity,
Buddhism and Jainism in that order. The
city is secular with no feelings of hatred
and people live together peacefully.
Despite some religious turbulence in
some part of the country in past, the city
has remained fairly calm and composed.
The accumulation of people from
various religions brings favour to the
festivals throughout the year. Marriages
still happens in the traditional way. The
parents decides about the marriage. The
marriages bring whole family together
and neighbours joyfully join in the
marriage ceremonies.
The language of Patna has been evolved
as a culmination of various regional
language. Though, Hindi is the official
language of the State and widely spoken,
yet it differ greatly from the pure Hindi
(Khadi Hindi) when spoken. The accent
also varies. The Hindi that is spoken in
the city is influenced by the regional
languages like Bhojpuri, Magahi, Braj,
Maithili and other local dialects. Besides
Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili is widely
spoken throughout the city. English is
widely understood in the city, though
not spoken as much.
103
The food of the city reflects the tradition
brought along the history and it’s quite
distinct. The Mughlai and Central Asia
food, brought along with the foreign
invaders during Medieval India can also
be found in the city. Rice forms the
staple food, eaten in combination with
lentils, vegetables, chapati and pickles.
People prefers to eat Samosa-Kachaudi
with Jalebis in the breakfast. The famous
breakfast item is Litti which is made
from flour, gram flour along with several
ingredients. It is becoming quite
popular in other states also. Chawmins
and
Golgappas
are favorable during
evening. The non-vegetarian foods are
also easily available. The other popular
dishes are Sattu-Paratha, Kheer, Sewai,
Keema, Khichdi, Halwa and Curries. The
new restaurants offers a variety of foods
belonging to different regions of the
world.
Patna is also a big market of handicrafts
items. The items made in different part
of state are brought in Patna for sale.
The stone works from Gaya, Bangles
from Muzaffarpur, and Madhubani
paintings from Madhunbani are worth
mentioning. On the Northern side of
Gandhi Maidan, one can easily find the
commodities made from bamboos and
wood for sale. Patna Qalam paintings has
a rich history and is blend of European
and Mughal paintings, having themes
based on animals, birds, and scenes from
Indian Social and communal life. Patna
Museum has a good collection of ancient
Patna Qalam paintings. Many forms of
regional dances can be seen in the season
during festive seasons, though songs
from Bollywood and Bhojpuri are also
very popular. The craft work
which includes Brass work, Zari work,
Tikuli work, Kasida etc. are famous in
Patna and adjoining areas. Patna City
being the oldest part of the city are more
famed for these kinds of works.
The city enjoys a good culture and
secular environment in the 21st century.
Situated at the confluence of Northern
India and Eastern India, influenced by
the major religions and owing to
the multiple regional culture presence,
Patna has a long list of festivals
throughout the year. The city celebrates
each major festival of India in a grand
way, be it Diwali, typical to North India
or Dusshera, typical to Bengal or Holi of
Mathura. However the biggest of all
festival is Chhath, which bring a feeling
of purity, devotion and worship in the
city during its 4 day long duration.
Beside it, the other big worshiping like
Ramnavami, Jitiya, Teej and Somwari are
of great value to the majority population.
Eid, Bakrid and Muharram are
celebrated with great joy and pomp
throughout the city, especially in the old
city, called Patna city. Christmas, Buddha
Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti and Guru Nanak
Jayanti are celebrated with great
affection in the city.
Chhath: Chhath is called "Aastha ka
Mahaparv" meaning biggest festival of
Devotion in the region. This festival is
dedicated to the worship of Sun God,
called "Lord Surya" in the Hindu
Mythology, who sustains life on the
Earth. It
is
one
of
the
rigorous festival which stretches for four
days
and
most
strict form
of worshiping is undertaken, which
includes holy bathing, fasting and
offering prayers to the Sun god by
standing in the water (river) during
sunset and sunrise. Chhath is celebrated
twice a year- one during March-April
called Chaitra Chhath and other during
October-November
called
Kartik
Chhath. The latter has great importance
because of the Kartik month.
On the first day of festival, called 'NahayKhaye' the devotee’s takes bath in river
104
and bring the water home for preparing
the offerings. The devotees eat only
once during the day. The second day is
called 'Kharna', in which devotees keep
fast throughout the day. In evening, after
sunset, devotees do worship after which
they eat Puri-Kheer and after that it is
distributed to the family members and
others. Day three is called 'Sanjhiya
Arghya' (offering at sunset). The
devotees prepares offering during the
day. By evening, all the family members
accompany the devotee to the river bank
or pond. Whole society gathers there and
it reflect an awesome view at the bank.
The devotees take bath in the river and
stand in the water to worship the
Sun god
at
Sunset.
After
the
worship, the devotees spend the night at
the bank only. Proper arrangements are
made for the night stay and during night
the whole community remains awake.
On the fourth day, called 'Paaran', the
devotees offer prayers to the rising Sun,
again standing in water. The festivals
ends with devotees breaking their fast at
the bank. The Prasads are distributed
among the family and relatives Chhath is
a great festival which brings the entire
society, barring the castes on the
river bank together. Patna is blessed with
the river Ganges flowing by. The ghats
are decorated beautifully, roads are
cleaned and during offering, it gives an
awesome view, with the ghats full of
people and devotees doing offering from
the water, while Sun sets or arises. The
fear of this festival is such that the
criminal activity during 4 these days
drops to almost zero - such is power of
this festival.
Dusshera (Dura Puja): This festival is
celebrated with great devotion during the
month
of
September-October.
It stretches for 10 days. This festival is
dedicated to Goddess Dura. The nine
day of festival is devoted to each of the
nine form of Goddess Dura. For the
first six days, the Goddess is covered
and from seventh day onward the cover
is removed and people starts flocking to
worship. The tenth days is the last day
when the Goddess is immersed in the
river.
Patna is famous for this festival.
Beautiful idols of Goddess Dura in huge
pandas are placed all over the city. On
the Eighth and Ninth day during night,
almost all people are on street,
resembling a wave of human beings,
making quiet difficult even to have a
look at the idols. On the tenth day, in
Gandhi Maidan, huge statues of Ram,
Layman and Raven is erected, and the
Raven is burnt. It’s a must seeing event,
however the rush can become too much
to handle.
Diwali: This festival of light, dedicated
to the Goddess Lama, who is the
goddess of Wealth, is celebrated in the
month of October-November. The day
just before the actual Diwali is known as
Chute Diwali (Small Diwali). On the day
of Diwali, the whole city is decorated
with beautiful lights and Diya’s are burnt
in the house. Each house is cleaned
thoroughly. Massive fire crackers are put
for cracking, so much so that it becomes
difficult to hear the voices and sky
becomes dusty with smokes.
Ramnavami: It is another important
festival in Patna. The people celebrate
this festival by observing fasts and
observing prayers in the honour of Lord
Rama. This auspicious day is observed to
mark the birth of Lord Rama. All the
temples see huge rush of devotees on
this day.
Holi: This festival of color is celebrated
during March in memory of Palade, a
devotee of Lord Vishnu. The people put
color on each other during the day. By
evening, the collared powders, called
105
'Air' take place of wet colours. The
people visit each other houses and takes
the blessings of the seniors.
Eid: Eid is big festival for the Muslim
community which falls at the end of the
holy month of Raman, during AugustSeptember. This joyous day is celebrated
to give thanks for the blessings of
Raman.
Muslims
attend
the
congregational Eid prayer service which
is held in the morning. They wear new
clothing, cook delicious foods and
invites
friends
and neighbours to celebrate with them.
The whole of Patna city area is
beautifully decorated and there is good
environment in the markets.
Christmas: This festival is celebrated by
the Christian community on the 25th
December
every
year
to commemorate the birth of Lord Jesus.
The famous church of Patna - Padre Ki
Haveli
and
Christ
Church
are beautiful decorated on the occasion.
People exchange gifts, decorate the
Christmas trees, attend the church and
go for meal together. People from other
religion also participate in the festival.
The other festivals which are celebrated
in the city are:
Makar Sankranti
Janmastmi
Maha Shivratri
Teej
Jitiya
Saraswati Puja
Raksha Bandhan
Chitra Gupta Puja
Muharram
Bakrid
Patna is characterized by the presence of
three distinct seasons - summer season,
Rainy season and winter season. It has a
humid subtropical climate with hot
summer, moderate rainfall and mild
winter.
Summer: Summer marks its beginning
in the month of March and stretches till
June early, till the arrival of the
monsoon. The summer is hot and
humid. The temperature in Patna can
go up to 43 °C during day at the peak
season,
whereas
the
minimum
temperature stays around 21 °C. The
Sun rises early in the morning and stays
till late evening. As the Sun rises, the
temperature rises. At around 2 PM,
maximum heat is felt. Due to humidity,
sweating is common. A striking feature
of the summer season is the 'Loo'. These
are strong, gusty, hot, dry winds blowing
during the day. Sometime they even
continue until late in the evening.
Generally by evening, heat goes but
humid condition remains, though it
becomes cool outside. Dust storm is
common during the month of May.
They provide temporary relief as they
lower the temperature and bring light
rain and cool breeze. The city also
experiences localized thunder-storms
and dust raising winds. The highest ever
recorded temperature is 46.6 °C during
1996.
Monsoon: The monsoon generally
arrives in Patna around 10th June. Its
arrival gives relief to the scorched-land
and people burning with heat. Within
hours, the black clouds covers the entire
sky and suddenly the bright day starts
looking as dark evening. The dusty
storm rises and fill the sky with dust.
The first rain cools down the
temperature and brings cheer to the
people. The monsoon season stays till
September, however Patna receives most
106
of the rainfall during the month of July
and August. The arrival of monsoon
gives relief from heat, but not from
humidity. As the humidity increases, it
make harder for the people to bear
it. The rainy season heat is also very
strong, but it does not remains for
longer time. The city receives
approximately 100-120 cm of rain during
a normal monsoon. The highest rainfall
ever recorded was 204.5 cm during 1997.
Winter: By the time monsoon retreats,
the city gets a pleasant weather, waiting
for winter to arrive. The season roughly
extend from October to February,
however December to January are the
coldest months. The winter season is
also the best time for visitors to explore
the city and to witness the series of
festivals. The temperature of Patna
varies around 20 °C during the day. At
night, it becomes colder. During January,
heavy fog can be experienced, dense
enough to disrupt the normal life. Most
of the flights gets either cancelled or
diverted during such conditions. Most of
the trains runs late due to heavy fog in
the Gangetic plain. A light rain brought
about by the westerly disturbances in
such conditions makes the temperature
even lower. The Sun rises late and sets
early. The days are short and nights are
long during the period. The lowest ever
temperature recorded is 1.1 °C on
January 2013.
Patna is situated on the Southern bank
of river Ganges in the Eastern part of
the Indo-Gangetic plain which is
characterized with the presence of highly
fertile alluvial soil. It is situated on the
converge of three rivers- the Ganges,
Sone and Punpun, each coming from the
East, South and North direction
respectively. Not far away is the
converge of Ghaghra and Gandak river
into the Ganga, making the area as one
of the largest riverine of the world. The
width of river Ganges stretches from 4-6
km at Patna.
Patna is situated on Latitude 25.35° N
and Longitude 85.12º E. The average
altitude of the area is 53 meter at MSL
(Mean Sea Level) and land is plain with
no hills around it. The length of the city
is approximately 25 km from East to
West and 10-12 km from North to
South. The city receives good rainfall
every year, approximately 120 cm,
mostly in the rainy season when
monsoon strike the plain. Situated deep
in the mainland and far away from the
moderating effect of the ocean, Patna
experiences extreme of temperature. The
summer temperature reaches up to 4243º C occasionally, whereas the winter
temperature may fall to 6º C. The
highest temperature recorded is 46.6º C
in 1966 and lowest recorded temperature
is 1.1º C on January 09, 2013.
The land is very fertile owing to the
alluvial soil and the proximity to the
rivers. A number of crops, including
cash crops are gown here. However the
area is devoid of any forest
cover. The vast stretches of land in the
river Ganges, which grows due to the
deposition of soil year by year, called
'Diara' in local language is highly fertile
piece of land.
Facts at a Glance
Location co-ordinates: 25.35° N 85.12°
E
Average altitude: 53 m (174 ft.) at MSL
Average rainfall: 120 cm
Patna is an emerging destination for
education, having numerous schools and
colleges scattered throughout the city.
There are many professional colleges in
the City also, with many new colleges
opening. Patna shines in Xth and XIIth
107
result of the various board’s exams in the
Eastern India. A good number of
student qualifies tough exams like JEE,
AIPMT, UPSC and other such exams.
Colleges like Patna College, Women's
college, Science College etc. have a
glorious past, and they gives one of the
best results in the State. The existence of
professional colleges like IIT, NIT,
NIFT, PMCH etc. gives boost to the
professional education of the City.
Thousands of student comes to Patna
from different part of the State as well as
neighbouring state for studying. Patna
also has one of the best private coaching
institutes in the Eastern India which
provides quality preparation for the
various exams. The presence of
internationally acclaimed 'Super - 30'
batch has given a new dimension to the
City's pride.
The eternal land of Patna has been a
thriving place for the various dynasties
and religions during more than 2000
years of history. There are numerous
place nearby Patna which are very
famous owing to their religious and
historical connection, one being a World
Heritage Site (Bodh Gaya). From
Rajgriha (modern Rajgir), the first capital
of Magadha Empire to Bodh Gaya, the
place of enlightenment of Lord Buddha
to the historical ruined university at
Vikramshila, the land is dotted with the
places which can suit to anyone's idea of
tourism.
Bodhgaya
Bodh Gaya is the holiest place of
Buddhism. It is situated 96 km South of
Patna. It is here where Lord Buddha
attained enlightenment under a Pipal
tree. Mahabodhi temple is a world
heritage site, declared by UNESCO in
2002.
Rajgir
Rajgir is a famous Buddhist and Hindus
sacred place. It was the seat of the
ancient capital of Magadha Empire,
before it moved to Pataliputra. The place
is associated with the great epic of
Mahabharata. It is situated 100 km
South-East of Patna.
Nalanda
Nalanda is the place where the ruins of
one of the world's first university named
Nalanda Mahavihar has been excavated.
Its history goes back to the days of Lord
Mahavir and Lord Buddha. Currently, it
is aspiring for World Heritage tag.
Vaishali
It is the place, situated 56 km from
Patna, where it is believed that world's
earliest republic prospered way back in
6th Cent BC. Buddha preached his last
sermon at Kolhua in Vaishali.
Pavapuri
Pavapuri is a famous Jain pilgrim, where
Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana. It was
called 'Apawapuri' menaning ' City of No
sins' at that time. Jal Mandir is the most
sacred temple here.
Maner Sharif
It is oldest and most important Sufism
destination in the State. Here stands the
grand mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdoom
Shgah Yahyah Maneri, built in Mughal
architecture.
Sasaram
Here stands the grand mausoleum of
Sher Shah Suri, the short lived emperor
of India during the 16th century AD.
The fort of Sher Shah at Rohtashgarh is
near to Sasaram.
Sonepur
During the pious month of Karthik
(November), one of the world's largest
cattle fair is held here every year. The
place is also associated with Hinduism.
The fair is held bedside the river
Gandak.
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Kesaria Stupa
Kawar
Lake
Bird
Sactuary
This Lake of national importance ids
situated in Begusarai district, some 120
km east of Patna. The lake is spread in
an area of 7400 hectare, containing a
variety of birds and other wildlife.
It is place situated 110 km from Patna,
where the World's largest Stupa has been
excavated. It is believed that the Stupa
was built by Lichhivis to commemorate
the end-life of Lord Buddha.
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