The capital of Bihar, Patna is the second biggest city in eastern India. With a background marked by more than two centuries, Patna’s inception points back to the era of Magadha King, Ajatshatru, who assembled a little fortification in a place called Patligram on the banks of the Ganges in the sixth century BC. Aptly situated on the meeting point of three rivers, the Ganges, the Poonpun, and the Sone, the city is of significance to both the Hindus as well as the Sikhs. Even several centuries after its inception, the city keeps on giving couple of suggestions of its previous greatness and importance as the focal point of the Magadhan and Mauryan realms. A sprawling city embracing the south bank of the Ganges, Patna extends for around 15 km stretch that has changed little since Ajatasatru moved the Magadhan capital here in the city, which was previously in Rajgir.
Each March the city celebrates its distinguished history with a few days of music, open-air events, and dance during the widely popular Pataliputra Mahotsava festival. You might need to take a long vacation to appreciate the embodiment of Patna, which is one amongst the oldest and continuously inhabited places on earth.
Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, otherwise called Jaiprakash Narayan Airport, is around 5 kilometers southwest of Patna and counts amongst the significant airports in eastern India, with flights from all Indian urban areas. Bangalore Patna flights are quickly picking up ubiquity. There are regular flights between the two urban areas, making it simple to ferry between them.
From tourism point of view, Patna is popular as a religious and rich cultural centre. The city is world celebrated for the Patna Sahib Gurudwara, which is built as a homage to Guru Gobind Singh Ji, as he was born here. Different old landmarks, for example, the remains of Pataliputra at Kumhrar and Agam Kuan today exhibit the golden history of Patna. The Golghar and the Secretariat building are the ideal examples of British structural planning that are found all over India. About 5 kms from Patna, Kumrahar is yet another place that gives you an understanding into the rich history of Patna. The site now contains archaeological remains of Mauryan royal residence. Unearthings led at Kumrahar, somewhere around 1912 and 1915, brought to light the popular hall from Mauryan period. Further unearthings have uncovered more columns and now the site is referred to as ‘Eighty Pillared Hall’. You could see antiquated ornaments, terracotta dabs, copper coins, stone beads, utensils and some more.
Additionally, set right at city’s centre, Patna Museum is beyond any doubt to make you feel like you have somehow travelled back to old times. It was developed in the year 1917 and it is the most seasoned exhibition hall in the city. Impacts of Mughal and Rajput style of structural planning are apparent in the development of the gallery. Despite the fact that the exhibition hall has more than 45000 ancient rarities, because of the space restriction, only a small portion of the total possesion are put on display. Still, it is one of the most popular places to visit in Patna, and certainly worth a visit.