By: Admin
Patna is the capital city of the state of Bihar. After Kolkata, it is the second important city in Eastern India. Patna is located along the banks of the Ganga and is an important commercial, political and industrial town in Bihar. In the ancient times, Patna was the seat of the Magadha Empire and during such times, it emerged as a seat of learning and fine arts. Patna, the birth place of Aryabhatta, the noted mathematician is credited to have discovered ‘Zero’. It is one of the most ancient continuously inhabited cities of the world. Located on the confluence of two major rivers Ganga and Sone, it has several picturesque sites, which are abound with historical importance.
With a long standing history, Patna has several tourist attractions. The cultural heritage of Bihar is reflected in its many ancient monuments. The museum is housed in an extremely beautiful building and has a very good collection of artifacts related to ancient India. Kumhrar and Agam Kuan are the sites of the ruins of the Ashokan Pataliputra. Didarganj Yakshi remains as an example of Mauryan art. Takht Sri Patna Sahib is one of the Five Takhts of Sikhism and consecrates the birthplace of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Gobind Singh. Padri Ki Haveli, High Court, Golghar and Secretariat Buildings are examples of British architecture. Recently developed Buddha Smriti Park contains the mortal remains of Gautam Buddha.
Bihar attracts global tourists to the Budhhist and the Jain circuit, which includes Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Nalanda and Rajgir, where Gautam Buddha spent the most glorious years of his life, preaching peace and spirituality.
Bodhgaya, where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, is about 120 kms from Patna. The tree that had sheltered him came to be known as the Bodhi tree and the place Bodhgaya. Today Bodhgaya, an important place of pilgrimage, has a number of monasteries, some of them established by Buddhists of Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka etc.
Vaishali was one of the earliest republics in the world (6th century BC). It was here that Buddha preached his last sermon. Vaishali, birthplace of Mahavira is also Sacred to Jains.
As one of the first great universities in recorded history, Nalanda came into prominence around the 5th century BC and was a flourishing university town with over ten thousand scholars and an extensive library. The complex was built with red bricks and its ruins occupy an area of 14 hectares. At its peak, the university attracted scholars and students from as far away as China, Greece and Persia. In 2006, Singapore, China, India, Japan and other nations, announced a proposed plan to restore and revive the ancient site as Nalanda International University.
Rajgir, 19 kms from Nalanda, was the ancient capital of Magadha Empire. Gautam Buddha often visited the monastery here to meditate and to preach. Rajgir is also sacred to the Jains, since Mahavira spent many years here.
Patna has an International airport and is well connected by air/ train from major cities of India.
