Tourist Places To Visit In Patna

Patna is among the oldest continuously lived-in cities in the world. Patna’s population was about 4 lakhs at the time of the Mauryan period in 300BC. Then Patna was the focal point of power in India. Patna lost its glory with the fall of the Gupta Empire. The capital of Bihar, it is home to one of the best museums in the country, Bihar Museum, which boasts of old coins and some amazing bronze sculptures. There is a casket too which is said to contain the ashes of Buddha. There are several tourist places to visit in Patna. Let us see some of these now.

Patna Museum, built during British rule in 1917, is just around a kilometre from the heart of the city. Known as Jadu Ghar, the museum has been constructed in typical Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture. The museum displays different types of stone and metal sculptures going back to the times of the Guptas and Mauryas. There is also a cannon from WWII as well as a tree fossil which is 16m long and 200 million years old which is said to be the world’s longest tree fossil. There are paintings that relate to the life of our first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, besides some regarding the British Empire. There are excellent Jain images and Buddhist sculptures besides Chinese art as well.

Gurudwara Patna Sahib or Takht Sri Patna Sahib is the gurudwara which was built in memory of Guru Govind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, who was born here in this very location on 22 December 1666. The majestic Gurudwara is located right on the banks of the River Ganges and it was constructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire’s first Maharaja. Gurudwara Patna Sahib is also known as the very epicentre of Sikhism in the eastern part of India. Here you will find several belongings of Guru Govind Singh including his cradle, his sacred sword and a pair of his sandals.

One of the best known temples of Bihar, the Mahavir Mandir, has Lord Hanuman as the patron deity of the temple. It is said that Swami Balanand, disciple of the Ramanandi Sect in 1730AD established this temple, which was discovered during the time of the British rule. Showcasing other idols such as those of Krishna Arjun, Shiva family and Lord Ganesh as well as Lord Buddha and goddess Durga; the temple contains kalas or brass shrines that are visible on the roof top.

Kumhrar is the historic city of the ancient Pataliputra and it depicts the ancient remains of the powerful Mauryan Empire from the period between 600BC and 600AD. The remains of Pataliputra are located only 5km from the railway station and several excavations have discovered many structures that hark back to the golden Mauryan era. An Assembly Hall consisting of eighty pillars was unearthed during 1912-1915 and these can be seen. Also seen are the Buddhist brick monastery called Anand Vihar, the temple of Durakhi Devi and Arogya Vihar which was said to have been run by Dhanvantri, a famed physician credited for being a pioneer in Ayurveda.

Gandhi Maidan was earlier known as Patna Lawns. It is as popular a place today as it always was as a site which was witness to many freedom movements that included the Quit India movement held in 1942. The hallowed grounds of the Maidan has seen the footfalls of luminaries that include Mahatma Gandhi and Rajendra Prasad besides Sardar Patel, Nehru and Maulana Azad who have all made speeches that have excited lakhs of people. Today, this place is being used for diverse commercial uses such as mass prayers and private parties besides trade fairs.

Buddha Smriti Park is a park that was developed by the State Government of Bihar as a commemoration of the 2554^th Birth Anniversary of Lord Buddha. Inaugurated by the Dalai Lama, the park is constructed at the same place where the Bankipur Central Jail was once located. Inaugurated on 27 May 2010, two saplings of the sacred Bodhi Tree have been planted on these grounds. At the centre of the park is the Pataliputra Karuna Stupa, 200’ in height, inside which is a pot that contains the ashes of Buddha. The park also has a museum which contains relics of Buddha from other countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Myanmar and Japan. There is a meditation hall in the park as well. It has a large statue of Buddha. 

Sri Krishna Science Centre, constructed in 1978 is located near the Gandhi Maidan. This is a science gallery which has been named after Dr Sri Krishna Singh who was the first Chief Minister of Bihar. It is a centre which has been formed as one of the various Science Museums in the country. The Fun Science Gallery is among the prime attractions of the science centre. This gallery occasionally holds exhibitions on the different theories related to mathematics and physics. The centre is an amazing place which stresses on different concepts of physics such as 3D images and illusive images besides virtual imaging. 

One of the largest zoos in the country, the Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan was set up in 1973. Popularly known as Patna Zoo, it is spread across a huge area that covers almost 620,000 sq. m. There are about 800 animals here among more than 100 species. The animals are all segregated depending upon their species and one can spot leopards and tigers besides black bears and zebras among scores of others. There is a botanical garden here as well and this houses hundreds of species of trees, herbs and shrubs. You can also visit the nursery here besides a rose garden and an orchid house. There are 35 different fish species here as well as snakes.