* [[Kesariya]] - Perhaps the oldest Shanti Stupa, it is situated in East Champaran District(Motihari), 170km from Patna.
* [[Kesariya]] - Perhaps the oldest Shanti Stupa, it is situated in East Champaran District(Motihari), 170km from Patna.
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* [[Maner]] - 28 kilometres from Patna on the NH-30 Highway to Arrah.
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* [[Maner]] - 28 kilometres from Patna on the NH-30 Highway to Arrah.Maner Sharif is a pilgrimage place. The location is beautiful with a beautiful lake and a Dargah,
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Maner Sharif is a pilgrimage place. The location is beautiful with a beautiful lake and a Dargah,
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* [[Deoghar]] - A town containing a famous Babadham temple. It is 200km from Patna By Railway (drop at Jasidih Junction on Patna Howarh Main Line)in Jharkhand State
* [[Deoghar]] - A town containing a famous Babadham temple. It is 200km from Patna By Railway (drop at Jasidih Junction on Patna Howarh Main Line)in Jharkhand State
Revision as of 08:45, 27 February 2013
Patna is the capital of Bihar, and the second largest metropolis in eastern India.
Fluxed by the three sacred rivers Ganga, Sone and the Poonpun, the journey of Patna through the ages can quite be an object of envy for any place brooding over its life-chronicle. The city tweets of a glorious past and perches on the briskness of a bustling and an up-and-coming metropolis. Legend has it that a sanctified Ganga had watched with reverence as a hallowed Buddha blessed this place to be a realm of great Kings and their Empires. Belonging to the blue family of cities with a royal heritage,it is the land where the greatest emperors of India walked, and where the greatest saints chose to preach. Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru was born here. For anyone with a taste for history and religion, this place flies high.
Today, it has become one of the fastest growing cities of India. With real estate booming at a dizzying pace, shopping malls, theaters, new businesses, food joints it carries all ingredients for a lively city life, and a tourist haven-to-be.
The ancient name of Patna was 'Pataliputra' and it was the capital of the Maurya and Gupta empires. Located at the site where Patna is today, the ancient city of Patliputra, with a glorious period of history spanning a thousand years (500BC-400AD), saw the rise and fall of India's first major kingdoms.
Ajastshatru, second in line of the Magadh Kings, built a fort at Pataligram on the banks of the Ganges river. This later became the famous Mauryan metropolis of Pataliputra and was ruled by Chandragupta Maurya and his grandson Asoka, acclaimed for the spread of Buddhism across India. Other emperors who ruled from Pataliputra were the Gupta and Pala Kings, Shershah Suri (16th Century) and Azimush-Shan (18th Century), the grandson of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who renamed it Azeemabad. Vestiges of this ancient city can be seen at Kumhrar, Bhikhnapahari, Agamkuan, Bulandi Bag etc.
Today Patna is an important business and education centre of eastern India. More significantly, it is a gateway to the Buddhist and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya, Keshariya and Pawapuri. The growing city of Patna is a great place to visit and a great place to live in.
Lying along the banks of the Ganges River, Patna is surrounded by important religious centers for the Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. This city has been home to two great religions, Buddhism and Jainism, and myriad dynasties from ancient to modern times.
Patna is on the New Delhi - Howrah (Kolkata) railway main line (Patna Junction Code:PNBE) [7]. Long-distance trains arrive from many other major cities including Lucknow, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Vadodara, Surat, Nagpur, Pune, Raipur, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Allahabad, Varanasi, Ranchi, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Hyderabad, Goa, Mangalore, Kozhikode and Kochi, Some of the important trains are:
From New Delhi
Patna Rajdhani Exp (12309/12310) via Kanpur, Allahabad
Samproon Kranti Exp(12393/12394) via Kanpur, Allahabad
Sharmajeevi Exp(12391/12392) via Lucknow, Varanasi
Magadh Exp. via Allahabad,Kanpur
Vikramshila Exp(12367/12368) via Kanpur, Allahabad
Garib Rath Exp(12353/12354) via Kanpur, Allahabad
Kolkata Rajdhani(12305/12306) via Kanpur, Allahabad. Ends at Kolkata.
Udyan Abha Toofan Exp(13007/13008) From Shri Ganganagar via Kanpur, Allahabad, Mugal Sarai, Patna, Durgapur. Ends at Kolkata.
Lal Quila Exp(13111/13112) via Kanpur, Allahabad, Mugal Sarai. Ends at Kolkata.
Mathura Patna Exp (13237/13238) via Kanpur, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mugal sarai. Ends in Patna.
From Ranchi
Patna Hatia Exp(8623/8624) via Gaya, Bokaro
Patna Ranchi Jan Shatabdi Exp(2365/2366) via Gaya, Bokaro
Railway Enquiry: 139, 138
By car
Patna is connected by road with all major cities of the country via (National Highway 30,31 & 19). Here is the list of destinations by distance from Patna: BodhGaya (130km) ,Muzaffarpur (80km) Rajgir (103km), Vaishali (40 km), Kolkata (535km), Varanasi (300km), Delhi (988km), Ranchi (350km), Jamshedpur (470km) , Kathmandu (373km), Siliguri (380km), Darjeeling (430km), Nalanda (90km).
BSTDC (Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation) [8] offers deluxe bus/car rental services for the following destinations: Bodhgaya, Ranchi, Rajgir , Pawapuri, Nalanda & Vaishali,
On the other hand, the Inter-State Bus Terminus at Bankipore (Near Gandhi Maidan) and Mithapur, Luxury buses are available to the Nepal border (Raxaul/Birganj), sitamarhi, Gaya, Siliguri, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Purnia etc.
There are a few car rental companies available in Patna.
See
Patna Museum has more than 50,000 rare art objects, with many related to India in the ancient, middle ages and the British colonial era. Don't forget to see the Holy Relic Casket with the sacred ashes of Lord Buddha, and the beautiful statue YakshaniEntry for Foreigners 250 Rs Indians 10 Rs additional 250 Rs to see Holy Relic Casket.
Har Mandir Saheb - The Birth place of 10th Guru of Sikhs, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Jee .
Golghar - Captain John Garstin built a Golghar for the storage of food for the British army with storing capacity of 140000 tons on 20th July 1786.
Kumhrar - Explore the ancient ruins of Pataliputra. Of the 80 pillars (Fa Hien, in 5th century AD, found the pillars shining as bright as glass) excavated at the site, only one remains unfortunately.
Patna Zoo Sanjay Gandhi Botanical and Zoological Garden, Patna.
Mahavir Mandir, near Patna Junction
Gandhi Maidan is the heart of this city today
Gandhi Museum near Gandhi Maidan
Padri Ki Haveli ("Mansion of Padre"), also known as St Mary's Church, it is the oldest church in Bihar. When Roman Catholics were arrived in Bihar, They built a small church in 1713 at a place now known as "Padri-ki-Haveli'.
Pathar ki Masjid is built by Pervez, the elder brother of Shah Jahan and the first Mughal prince who made Bihar his residence
Khuda Baksh Oriental Library Ashok Rajpath.
Mahatma Gandhi Setu, the bridge over the river Ganges connecting Patna and Hajipur.
Buddha Smriti Udyaan (Buddha Memorial Park), Near Railway Station. A large park with a stupa and meditation ground where ashes of Buddha are kept
Sonepur Mela, Sonepur. This is the largest cattle and animal fair in Asia. It is held in November in Sonepur which across the Ganges from Patna.
Vaishali Stupa. Buddhist site with one of the oldest stupa. This is also the site of world's oldest republic.
Do
Play golf at the Patna golf club[9] With some very tough holes, this well-maintained course situated downton will prove interesting to amateur and pros alike. The Patna Golf Club is set in beautiful surroundings.
Patna Planetarium
Take a boat-ride in the Ganges., near Gandhi ghat
Visit Kali Temple at Patna University Campus on the Bank of the Ganges
Visit Vaishali-Ashokan Pillar(48km north of Patna)
Maner-Sufi Saint Shrine(30km west of Patna)- you can buy famous Maner Ka Ladoo(Sweets). Maner Sweets is one of the popular shops that specializes in these. However, avoid going there in the late evening or night.
Revolving Restaurant
Patna can now boast of a revolving restaurant, biggest of its kind in the country, situated atop the tallest tower in the city on the 18th floor of Biscomaun Bhawan near Gandhi Maidan. Based on the German technique, the 5HP motor that revolves the restaurant can be fixed to take one revolution in 45, 60 or 90 minutes.
You must visit P&M Mall,Patliputra Kurji Road, Patliputra
You can go on excursions to the various religious and historical places in and around Patna. Do not miss a boat ride on the mighty Ganges river. When in Patna, try food typical to the region such as pua-pittha, tilkut, chiwra, makhana, the famed sattu or the farmer's staple, litti chokha, and the famous paan.
Floating Restaurant in River Ganga, Gandhi Ghat, Patna
Buy
Madhubani Paintings can be bought from emporiums at Mauyra Lok, a shopping center located on "Dak- Bunglow" road.
You can visit many malls around Frazer road/Dak Bunglow Crossing such as Vishal Mega Mart, Maurya Lok Complex and Patna Market on Ashok Rajpath, Hathwa Market, Bari Path & Alankar Palace and other shopping arcades near Boring Road Crossing
New Attraction of the City is P&M Mall Patliputra Kurji Road, Patliputra
Litti chokha is a local specialty. Litti is a primarily ball-shaped stuffed preparation, and the shape of the ball varies depending on the preparation. With a shell made of wheat flour, the taste of litti very much depends on the filling, which includes gram flour and a combination of condiments and spices. Chokha a preparation of smoked eggplant/brinjal or tomato, accompanies litti. The smoked tomato or eggplant is mashed and dressed with coriander leaves, shredded green chilies and mustard oil, which gives a distinct flavor to the chokha.
Chaat - Though chaat is a very popular snack item throughout India, the special thing about 'Patna Chaat' is its authentic tamarind flavor, as opposed to the sweet and salty Delhi Chaat. Take the opportunity to relish "samosa chaat" or "tikki chaat".
Sweets, especially Peda and Kalakand, which are preparations of condensed milk from Sudha Dairy Parlours. The sweets must be consumed within 7 days.
Anarsa is one of the finest sweet delicacies of Bihar. It has rice flour shell with khoya filling, with white til in the upper shell.
Dahi Chura Chini, which is a mixture of curd, beaten rice and sugar, is the favourite food in North Bihar, especially in the Mithila region!
Makhana is soft fruit grown in water. It is light fried and with little salt it serves the purpose of light snacks.
Tilkut,Khaja are other delicacies of Bihar
Maner Ka Laddoois one of the most popular sweets in Bihar. Made from Besan and sugar syrup and dry fruits - the taste and aroma is excellent. The Laddoo is surely going to melt once you have it. Maner Sweets is popularly known for Maner ka Laddoo.
Where
Restaurants
Basant Vihar, Mauryalok Complex
Domino's, Exhibition Road
Kapil's Eleven, Frazer Road
Kaveri, Mauryalok Complex
Mayfair, Dak Bunglow Crossing(Frazer Road)
Haldiram's, Jagdeo Path, Bailey Road, patna
Soda Fountain, East Gandhi Maidan
Moti Mahal, Frazer Road
Roti, Boring Road
Payal Restaurant, Ashok Rajpath
Yo! China, Maurya Lok Complex
Smokin Joes, Dak Bunglow Crossing
Club City, New Dak Bunglow Road
Bansi Vihar, Near Dak Bunglow Crossing
Cloud 9, Boring Road
Mirch Masala, Kadam Kuan
China Garden, Frazer Road
Cream Centre, P&M Mall
Subway, Boring Canal Road
Sweets Parlours
Sweet Home, Alankar Palace, Boring Road
Kwality Sweets, Boring Road
Lucknow Sweets, Dak Bunglow Crossing
Cake Palace, New Dak Bunglow Road
Cozy Confectioners, Keshav Palace, Bailey Road
Sweet Garden, Keshav Palace, Bailey Road
Maner Sweets, Maurya Lok Complex, New Dak Bungalow Road
There are three cheap and good Indian restaurants just as you come out of the north train station overpass. The one in the middle has English menu's.
Drink
Sattu-pani is among the popular drinks,
Lassi Made of Curd, Dry fruits & Sugar.
Restaurant & BAR
The Purple Lounge, SP Verma Road
Oasis, Boring Road
The Velocity, Near Dak Bunglow Crossing
Country Club International, Patliputra Colony
Mamta Anarkali, Near Dak Bunglow Crossing
Pind Balluchi (pind balluchi restaurant & Bar), Revolving Floor, Biscomaun Bhawan, Gandhi Maidan, Patna (Opposit Gandi Maidan). Pind Balluchi is a famous chain of restaurant in India with franchises in various cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Now in Patna
kfc, Regent theatre, South Gandhi Maidan, Patna.
Sleep
Patna is a growing business town, and as such hotels tend to be overpriced for the room provided. It also means that many hotels are full most nights, giving little incentive to improve facilities.
Budget
Hotel Nesh Inn, Nandini Apartment, 28- Kidwaipuri, Patna, Bihar (Near Income-tax Roundabout), ☎ 0612 2522269, [10]. Hotel Nesh Inn is a premier Budget hotel in the heart of city Patna. Just 2-3 Kms. near Patna airport & Railway station. Fully A.C Rooms, In House Room Service, Laundry, Foreign Exchanger, Wifi Internet etc services are available. A very good accomodation.1900-4700 INR.
Country Club International , Patliputra colony
Hotel Akash , Frazer Road
Hotel Anand Regency, Near Patna Junction(Railway Station)
Hotel Clark Inn, Jamal Road
Hotel Magadh, Bhatacharya Road-Naya Tola crossing
Hotel Marina , Frazer Road
Hotel Mayur , Frazer Road
Hotel Nand, Bhatacharya Road-Naya Tola crossing
Hotel New Akash , Frazer Road
Hotel President, Frazer Road
Hotel Vijay Shree Deluxe, Exhibition Road NOT a budget hotel very average looking rooms start from 2750 INR a night.
Maharaja Inn, Station Road, Rajendra Path
Mamta Regency , Frazer Road
Marwari Awas Grih, Dakbunglow Crossing
Hotel Adarsh,Near Patna Junction(Railway Station)
Heritage Regency, White House, Budh Marg, Near Bhumi Bikash Bank,Patna-800001. Just 0.5 km from Railway Station & 6 km from Airport.The “Heritage Regency” truly symbolizes the luxury and services; we continue to enhance our facilities and the level of our efficiency - as we believe in the great Indian adage "Atithi Devo Bhavah."
Hotel Shubh Sartha, (Ganesh Kutir) Frazer Rd (It's at the back of a lane completely full of hotels, aptly called hotel lane. Walk up Frazer Rd from the train station and it's about 100m on the right just after the big mall. About 600m from the train station). checkout: 24 hours from checkin. Rude staff and dirty rooms, this is truly a last resort. However because of this, it can sometimes be the only place in town with a room left.Rs 800 for a double.
Other budget accommodation can be found on the road leading from the train station down towards the Mithapur bus stand. Very basic rooms start at Rs400.
Mid Range
Hotel Kautilya Vihar, R Block
Hotel Samrat International Dak Bunglow Crossing
Hotel Satkar International, Frazer Road
Hotel Rajasthan, Frazer Road
Hotel Republic, Exhibition Road
Hotel Windsor, Exhibition Road Crossing
Splurge
Hotel Ashoka, Birchand Patel Path(Near IT Office)
Hotel Chanakya, R Block
Hotel Maurya, South Gandhi Maidan - Landmark of Patna
Bodh Gaya, the place where Buddha achieved enlightenment
Rajgir, the place Vishwa Shanti Shutpa you can joy on Areial Ropeway, You can enjoy Venuvana (Beautiful Garden)
Nalanda - location of an ancient university with a nearby musuem.
Pawapuri - The Place of Nirvana (Bhagwan Mahabir) - A holy site for the Jains.
Kesariya - Perhaps the oldest Shanti Stupa, it is situated in East Champaran District(Motihari), 170km from Patna.
Maner - 28 kilometres from Patna on the NH-30 Highway to Arrah.Maner Sharif is a pilgrimage place. The location is beautiful with a beautiful lake and a Dargah,
Deoghar - A town containing a famous Babadham temple. It is 200km from Patna By Railway (drop at Jasidih Junction on Patna Howarh Main Line)in Jharkhand State
Munger - A small town on the bank of Ganga famous for Yoga.
Nepal and Raxaul - Buses are available to Raxaul and Jogbani at the Nepali border, where you can hop on a bus to Kathmandu and Pokhra. These buses leave at about 7am from the Mithapur bus stop 3km south of the train station. They don't leave at night during summer (tourist off season). The roads going north out of town are particularly bad - sit as far forward in the bus as you can!
Buddhist sector:Bodhgaya-Nalanda-Rajgir-Patna-Vaishali-Kesaria.
This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
