Fast Fasts about Patna
Famous As: Capital city of Bihar, and historic town of Patliputra
Major Attractions: Gol Ghar, Gandhi Maidan, Patna Museum, Planetarium, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Biscoman Tower, Khuda Baksh Library, Mahatma Gandhi Setu
Best Time to Visit: October to March is the best time. The city of Patna boasts of a sub-tropical climate with hot summers (between April and June) and cool winters (between November and February). The monsoon season arrives in late June and ends by September.
Clothing for Patna: Light cotton in summer and heavy woolen in winter (especially during December to January).
Main languages: Hindi, Urdu, English along with regional languages like Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magadhi.
Recommended for: Singles / couples / friends / single woman / senior travellers and family with children
How to Commute in Local: You can hire a taxi or cab for exploring the city and its attractions including nearby destinations like Rajgir, Nalanda. Auto-rickshaws (shared) are mostly used for local transport across the city of Patna. You can also opt for cycle-rickshaws, but fares are a bit high in comparison to auto-rickshaws. City buses (government / private) also ply in some specific routes of the city.
Renowned as the capital city of Bihar, Patna is one of the biggest cities in the Eastern India and north-eastern India. Once known as ‘Patliputra’, ‘Azimabad’ or ‘Pushpapura’, Patna has been the seat of governance for many noted dynasties including the world famous Mauryans and Mughals. Patna is a historically rich city and even today provides a glimpse of glorious past through its historic monuments and ruined archaeological sites. The city of Patna encompasses religious significance and considered as an important place for the followers of Hindusim, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. You can see a number of religious shrines in and around Patna that belong to varied faith and thronged by devotees in large numbers round the year.
In addition to these, you can see modern shopping complexes, beautifully managed parks and gardens. The delectable local cuisines, colourful fairs and festivals, altogether provide an unparalleled charm to the historic city with modern fervour. Do get a once in a life-time chance to meet the locals of the city spending simple life but warm heartedly welcome the visitors. You can also make the city of Patna as a base to visit the tourist places like Rajgir, Nalanda, Gaya, Bodhgaya and Vaishali.
Sightseeing in Patna / Tourist Attractions in Patna
The historic city of Patna is home to a number of historic attractions including impressive monuments. Patna also houses modern attractions and religious shrines belonging to varied faiths. Golghar, a massive round shape monument built in the 18th century by the British is the major landmark of Patna. A climb of about hundred steeps take you atop Golghar. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Ganges River and the city of Patna from Golghar.
Biscoman Tower in Patna
Adjacent to Golghar is Gandhi Maidan, which is considered the heart of the city and serves as a venue for exhibitions, fairs and other events including political gathering like rallies. Close to Gandhi Maidan is Gandhi Museum, which houses objects linked with Mahatama Gandhi. Move ahead towards Patna Museum, and see rare art and crafts objects dating back to ancient and middle eras including British colonial era.
Har Mandir Saheb, Pathar Ki Masjid, Padri Ki Haveli or St. Mary’s Church and Mahavir Mandir are religious attractions of Patna. Book lovers should visit Khuda Baksh Oriental Library on Ashok Rajpath. The library has a fine collection of books on various topics, paintings and rare manuscripts. Just 5 km from Patna is Kumhrar, the site of ancient ruins of Mauryan capital Pataliputra. Agam Kuan is another must visit place, which has the remains of a deep well linked with Mauryan king Ashoka. Gandhi Setu, one of the longest road bridge of Asia is also popular among tourists visiting the city of Patna.
Activities to Do in Patna
Just like its tourist attractions, Patna offers wonderful leisure activities to do for tourists. You can go for a pleasant boat-cruise on the Ganges River and enjoy the view of Patna city. Visit Patna Golf Club to enjoy the game of golf amidst beautiful surroundings. Watch a celestial show in Patna Planetarium and know about the hidden-mysteries of the beautiful universe. The celestial shows are organised in Hindi and English alternatively. Explore the Sanjay Gandhi Botanical and Zoological Garden to see a variety of animals, reptiles, birds and fishes.
Patna Museum, Patna
Eating in Patna / What to Eat in Patna?
Unlike the whole state of Bihar, Patna is a hub of mouth-watering dishes. In fact, you will get a fine assortment of delectable dishes of Bihar and neighbouring states in the city of Patna. Rice is the staple food of Bihar and served with dal (lentils), pickles, papad, salad, and a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Chapattis (wheat made breads) are also taken as staple food by locals and served with additional vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Vegetarians like green vegetable made dishes, while non-vegetarian gorge on meat, fish and chicken.
A popular dish of North Bihar, ‘Dahi, Chuda and Chini’ (a combination of curd, beaten rice and sugar) is fondly taken as breakfast in Patna. Litti chokha and sweets like Peda, Kalakand, Tilkut and Khaja are some of famous local specialties of Bihar as well as Patna. Also try the ‘chaat’ and ‘samosas’ in Patna that are known for their exotic tastes and aroma. Visit the restaurant, roadside food stalls or vendors to savour the traditional delicacies of Bihar. In addition to local specialties of Bihar, you can also enjoy traditional Bengali and Oriya food in Patna.
Shopping in Patna / What to Buy in Patna?
Patna is an excellent place for all types of shoppers and offers almost everything from traditional handicrafts, branded items to daily use objects. Patna and its adjoining region have a rich tradition of arts and crafts. Even today, the skilled artisans follow the old tradition and manufacture exquisite handicrafts. Stone pottery, stone and bead jewellery, appliqué work on fabric, miniatures on paper and leaves and hand-painted wall hangings are some of the famous handicrafts. While shopping in Patna, don’t forget to buy the world-renowned Madhubani paintings that can be used to decorate the houses or keep as a souvenir. Also visit the outlets of Khadi Gramudyog and Bihar Handloom & Handicrafts Emporium to buy khadi clothes at cheap rates. Patna has a fine assortment of big and small markets. Most of the roads of the city are dotted with shops on both sides. For branded outlets and big shops, visit the major shopping centres like Maurya Lok Complex, Hathua Market and Patna Market.
Popular Events / Festivals of Patna
The city of Patna is inhabited by people of varied religions and different areas. Generally all the religious festivals are celebrated at a massive scale in Patna. Holi, Dusshera (Durga Puja), Diwali, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-ul-Fitr, Moharram and Christmas are some of the noted religious festivals celebrated in the state capital. Along with these festivals, the Hindus celebrate the festival of Chhath with great pomp and gaiety. During Chhath devotees visit the banks of the Ganges River and other water bodies, and offer prayers to Sun God by standing in the water for many hours in the morning as well as evening.
Department of Tourism, Government of Bihar too organizes a number of festival and events every year that showcase the rich culture and age-old traditions of the state. Trade shows and exhibitions are also held at various locations of the city at frequent intervals each year. The small town of Sonepur, about 22 km from Patna is famous for organizing one the biggest cattle fairs of India, which is attended by thousands of people from far and near. If you visit Patna during popular festival, must participate in the fun-filled festivities and personally experience the local culture.
Department of Tourism, Government of Bihar too organizes a number of festival and events every year that showcase the rich culture and age-old traditions of the state. Trade shows and exhibitions are also held at various locations of the city at frequent intervals each year. The small town of Sonepur, about 22 km from Patna is famous for organizing one the biggest cattle fairs of India, which is attended by thousands of people from far and near. If you visit Patna during popular festival, must participate in the fun-filled festivities and personally experience the local culture.
Nightlife in Patna
The capital city of Patna is far from the pub and disco culture. In fact, there are no specific locations or venues in Patna to enjoy the nightlife. Only On frequent intervals, various types of events are organised in Patna, where music and dance programmes are performed till late night. If you are in Patna during those events, you can spend a good time in the evening and also get a close look of Bihar’s unique culture and traditions. Some leading hotels also organise special entertaining programmes for guests in the evening.
Excursions from Patna / Nearby attraction from Patna
There are several historical and religious places close to Patna that can be visited by short excursions. A revered place for Buddhists, Bodhgaya is about 135 km away from Patna and known for its connection with Gautam Buddha. Bodhgaya is the place where Gautam Buddha achieved enlightenment and houses many structures of Buddhism significance.
Approximately 95 km from Patna, Nalanda is renowned worldwide for housing the ruins of an ancient university. Rajgir (110 km) is another must visit close to Patna and home to Vishwa Shanti Stupa. You can enjoy a bath in the spring and also a ride on aerial ropeway. Venuvana is another attraction of Rajgir.
Pawapuri (100 km) is a holy site for the followers of Jainism and it is the place where Bhagwan Mahavir attended Nirvana. Hajipur (10 km), Maner (30 km), Vaishali (55 km), Kesariya (170 km) and Deoghar (200 km) are other places that you can explore during Patna trip.
Pawapuri (100 km) is a holy site for the followers of Jainism and it is the place where Bhagwan Mahavir attended Nirvana. Hajipur (10 km), Maner (30 km), Vaishali (55 km), Kesariya (170 km) and Deoghar (200 km) are other places that you can explore during Patna trip.
How to Reach Patna
By Air: Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport / Patna Airport is well connected by flights to served Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ranchi and other major cities of India. After reaching to the airport, you can hire a taxi or cab to reach your desired destination in and around Patna.
By Rail: Patna Junction Railway Station is a major railhead on Delhi – Howrah as well Delhi – Guwahati routes. Besides Rajdhani Express, many superfast and mail trains connect Patna with major cities of India such as Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
By Road: NH 30, NH 31 and NH 19 along with state highways connect Patna with important places of Bihar and other parts of the country. BSRTC and private operators run buses between Patna and towns like Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Katihar, Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia and Hajipur.
Where to Stay in Patna
The city of Patna has hotels, guest houses and lodges for accommodation. You can choose an accommodation as per your requirement at suitable budget. To know more about the hotels in Patna
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Some hidden facets of Patna / Interesting facts to know about Patna
An Evening Stroll along the Ganges River: Visit the bank of River Ganga in the evening and enjoy a magnificent view of Gandhi Setu, and also the forest covered areas on the other side. The bank of Ganges adjacent to Mahendru Ghat, Patna Science College and Gandhi Maidan are some of the excellent spots for evening stroll. Most of the spots have small gardens, where you can pass a good time with chats, pakoris, bhelpuri, pop-corn, etc. usually sold by vendors on the river banks. During rainy season the flood waters increase the breadth of Ganges and it looks more massive. Quite interestingly, in the rain season you can spot dolphins in the Ganges. The mammal jumps out of the water at regular intervals and offer a thrilling view to spectators standing on river banks. Besides these, don’t miss a splendid view of the sunset from the river bank.
Savour extra-large Jalebas (Jalebis): Jalebi, a famous syrupy sweet of India that is shaped like a small, messy pretzel is very popular in Patna as well. But what makes Jalebis of Patna different from other parts of the country is its extra-large size and hence it is called Jalebas. In addition to size, the distinct yummy taste of Jaleba makes it a special dish. You can find the Jalebas at various parts of Patna including the famous Ashok Rajpath, Ramna Road and Sultanganj.
Sheer Chai (Tea): Of course, you have enjoyed almost every flavour of chai (tea) such as milk tea, black tea, lemon tea, ginger etc. However, Patna has its own distinct tea flavour locally known as Sheer Chai that will surely fascinate you. Literally meaning sweet tea, Sheer Chai is prepared with the use of many special ingredients in addition to tea, milk and sugar. The pinkish colour Sheer Chai is mainly offered by temporary tea stalls during the Islamic month Ramzaan.
Papa Biscuit: Patna is also famous all over Bihar and nearby states for its special snack Papa Biscuit. The crunchy biscuit is usually taken with tea as light snack. You can buy papa biscuit as a souvenir for near and dear ones.
