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Patna |
Gaya |
Bodh Gaya |
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Area : 107.08
sq. kms.
Location : 653 kms. From Kolkatta
Altitude : 53 mts. above sea level
A very fertile arched stretch of land along the bank of the Ganga,
the history and heritage of modern day Patna go back well over two
millennia. Like Delhi, Patna too had been the regal seat of
governance for successive kingdoms since ancient times. And to this
day, it is the capital city of the state. As each ruler ascended in
power and established dynastic glory, he gave his capital a new
name. Thus the ancient Kusumpura metamorphosed through Pushpapura,
Pataliputra, Azeemabad and now into Patna. A continuous history
ranging from 6th century BC to present times- a record claimed by
few cities in the world. It was Ajatshatru the Magadha king who
first built a small fort in Pataligram on the bank of the Ganga in
6th century BC, which later blossomed into the ancient glory still
to be seen in the neighbouring archaeological sites at Kumrahar,
Bhiknapahari, Agamkuan, Bulandi Bagh and Kankar Bagh.
Pataliputra dominated the political fortunes of the whole of north
India between 6th century BC and 5th century AD. A fact established
by archaeological excavations. After a temporary eclipse, in 16th
century Sher Shah Suri returned the city to its former glory and
established the present Patna. After the decline of the Mughals, the
British too found Patna a convenient regional capital and built a
modern extensions to this ancient city and called it Bankipore. It
was in Gandhi Maidan in this area that Mahatma Gandhi held his
prayer meetings.
Bihar’s capital is on the southern bank of the Ganges, which at this
point is very wide, having been joined by three major tributaries
between Varanasi and Patna. The Mahatma Gandhi Seti, one of the
longest bridges in the world at 7.5 kms, crosses the Ganges 5 kms
west of the city centre. Modern Patna stretches along the south bank
of the Ganga for about 15 kms. Divided in two by the maidan, a large
open park, it has some open suburbs but the central city is crowded,
dusty and with little of architectural interest or merit. It is one
of the poorest large cities in India.
Places of attraction :-
Kumrahar:
Archaeological findings in this area establish Patna’s claim to over
a thousand years of political glory-600 BC to 600 AD and then again
16th century onwards spanning the rule of several dynasties. Very
little of this grandeur remains though except the remnants of a huge
Museum Mauryan hall supported by 80 sandstone pillars dating back to
400-300 BC.
Excavations at the site of the ancient capital on the bypass between
Patna Sahib and Patna Junction stations have revealed ruins enclosed
within a high brick wall. The buildings mainly of wood were
devastated by a fire and lay hidden in the silt.
The remains of Pataliputra as well as the ancient capital of
Ajatsatru (491-59 BC) Chandragupta and Asoka have been uncovered in
Kumrahar south of Patna. A few large pillars from the assembly hall
dating back to the Mauryan period and the foundations of the brick
Buddhist monastery known as Anand Bihar are all that remain. There
is a small display of clay figures and wooden beams that were
discovered here.The Kumrahar excavations are fairly esoteric and are
likely to attract only those with a keen interest in archaeology and
India’s ancient history.
Golghar:
The Gola (round house) an extraordinary ovoid dome between the
Maidan and Ganga was built of stone slabs in 1786 by Capt John
Garstin of the Bengal engineers who planned this gain store for the
army in case of a repeat of the 1770 famine. The massive structure
is 29 mts. high and walls 3.6 mts. wide at base. The stairway
winding around this monument offers a magnificent panoramic view of
the city and the Ganga flowing by. Sometimes it is possible to go
inside and listen to the remarkable echo.
Har Mandir Takht:
At the eastern end of the city in the Chowk area of old Patna stands
one of the holiest Sikh shrines the Gurudwara which was in Patna far
from Punjab where Guru Gobind Singh the tenth Guru of the Sikhs who
consolidated the warrior sect was born in 1660.The Har Mandir Takht
one of the four sacred shrines of the Sikhs stands at this holy
site. The original temple was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and
contains belongings of the Guru and Sikh holy texts. As a sign of
reverence it is also called Patna Sahib by the Sikhs. It is the
second of the four great takhts (thrones) of the Sikhs and
consecrates the birthplace of the 10th Guru Gobind Singh. Built of
white marble by warrior Ranjit Singh the 10th and last of the Sikh
gurus was born in 1660.One must be barefoot within the temple
precincts and head must be covered. The temple lends cloth for this
purpose. The shrine of white marble with kiosks on the terrace above
has a museum on the 3rd floor; open 1500.
Martyr’s memorial:
This is a memorial to seven freedom fighters who sacrificed their
lives in ‘Quit India’ movement. This sculpture faces the Secretariat
where they were shot in their attempt to hoist the national flag.
Pathar ki Masjid:
Adjacent to Har Mandir Sahib this beautiful mosque was built by
Parwez Shah son of Jehangir when he was the governor of Bihar.
Situated on the bank of the Ganga it is also called Saif Khan’s
mosque Chimmi Ghat mosque and Sangi Masjid. It was built in 1621 by
Parwez Shah the son of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
Sher Shah Suri Masjid:
It is in eastern part of town is the oldest mosque in Patna. Sher
Shah Suri built this mosque in 1545 to commemorate his reign. Built
in Afghan architectural style it is one of the many beautiful
mosques in Bihar and a landmark in Patna.
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library:
This is a magnificent one man collection of rare Arabic and Persian
manuscripts Rajput and Mughal Paintings assortment of old books and
new books from the university of Cordoba Spain. It is one of the
national libraries has a renowned collection of very rare Arabic and
Persian manuscripts Mughal and Rajput paintings and oddities such as
the Quran inscribed in a book only 25 mm wide. Its open weekdays.
Patna Museum:
This excellent albeit somewhat dog-eared museum contains badly
labeled metal and stone sculptures dating back to the Maurya and
Gupta periods. It contains a First World War cannon metal and stone
sculptures from the Mauryan and Gupta periods Buddhist sculptures
and terracotta figures. The famous Didarganj Yakshi of 3rd century
BC and a 16 mts. long fossiled tree are some of its special
possessions. The museum also houses the stuffed wildlife includes
the usual (tiger deer) and unusual ( a young goat with three ears
and eight legs).
Jalan Museum:
Built at the old site of Sher Shah’s fort in the east of the city it
has an excellent collection of jade Chinese paintings Mughal glass
and silver filigree carvings. It also contains an impressive private
collection of antiques including Marie Antoinette’s Sevres
porcelain. Visitors need prior permission.
Sadaqat Ashram:
It is the headquarters of Bihar Vidyapeeth a National university.
India’s first President Dr.Rajendra Prasad lived here after his
retirement and there is a small museum here displaying his personal
belongings.
Maner:
About 29 kms from Patna is one of the earliest Islamic centres in
Bihar Maner 30 kms from Patna was named after the 13th century Sufi
saint Hazrat Makhdoom Yahiya Maneri. Bari Dargah is the cenotaph of
the Saint. The tomb of his disciple Shah Daulat is also here. It is
an important pilgrimage place for Muslims during the annual Urs. The
Chhoti Dargah a Mausoleum commemorating the Muslims saint’s disciple
Shah Daulat is famous for its architectural interest. |
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