Tourism in Patna is refers to tourism in capital city of Bihar state in India. Patna is known for its tourist destinations and people across the state and abroad visits Patna. This article deals with major tourist attractions in Patna.
The documented history of tourism in the Patna region dates back to the 4th century BC. Greek geographer Megasthenes (c. 350–290 BC) visited the region during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya. His observations were recorded in Indika . [1] Dionysius was the son of Megasthenes, who visited Pataliputra in the reign of Ashoka the Great. [2]
Fa-Hien (ca. 337 - c. 422) was a Chinese tourist who traveled to acquire Buddhist scriptures and take back to China between 399 and 412. [3] Hieun-Tsang visited the sacred Buddhist sites in Magadha and spent much time studying at the great Nalanda University between 629 and 645. [4]
In the earliest days tourism in the region was purely for educational purposes. [3] As Patna is one of the most sacred cities of religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam, many people travel to Patna as part of religious tourism.
Today, tourism in Patna is mainly either religious-based or moderated educational tourism. The Bihar government is also promoting adventure tourism. [5]
The history and tradition of Patna starts from the earliest dawn of civilization. The original name of Patna was Pataliputra. Its documented history starts around 600 BC. [6] As Patna has 2600 years of history and has seen a number of empires, there are numerous archaeological sites in the area.
The Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) has recently started operating an air-conditioned floating restaurant MV Ganga Vihar from Gandhi Ghat offering dinner cruises twice a day. [13]
The Tourism Department focuses on the Ganges Ghats in Patna as a major attraction. Motor boats are available to rent at a moderate price and are fitted with Yamaha 25 HP air-cooled two-stroke engines. Lucky tourists can spot Ganges dolphins. [14] There are a number of forts (like Raja Ghat, at Rani Ghat, collectarate Ghat) and pilgrimages (like Kali Mandir at Kali Ghat, Gurdwara Pahila Bara at Gai Ghat, and Gurdwara Gobind Ghat at Gaobind Ghat) situated on the bank of the Ganges in Patna. Tourists can visit Mahatma Gandhi Setu which is one of the longest bridges in the world and situated at Gaighat.
Patna is a popular destination for people who are on pilgrimage.
Patna is one of the holiest cities in Sikhism, as the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here in 1666 and spent his early years before moving to Anandpur. [17] Patna was also honoured by visits from Guru Nanak in 1509 as well as Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1666.
Patna houses such prominent clubs as the Bankipore Club, Golf Club, New Patna Club, Lions Club, and Rotary Club. [48] The Bankipore Club, on the banks of the river Ganges, came into existence in 1913. [49] It is affiliated with various organizations. [50] [51] The dance hall of this club is said to be one of the original buildings built by the Dutch in the 17th century.
Shopping is one of the favourite recreational activities of the locals. Numerous shopping complexes exist in Patna, including P &M Mall, City Centre, N.P. Centre, Maharaja Kameshwar Complex, Verma Centre, Kulharia complex, Khaitan market and Harihar Chamber being amongst the prominent shopping destinations. Maurya lok is one of the oldest and largest shopping areas of Patna. Patna market and Hathwa market are also famous shopping points of the city. There are also malls featuring branded outlets and entertainment.
Haridwar is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.
Nanded is a city in Maharashtra state, India. It is the tenth largest city in the state and the seventy-ninth most populous city in India. It is the second largest city in Marathwada region. It is the district headquarters of Nanded district.
Nawada is a city and a municipality in Bihar, India. It is also the headquarters of the Nawada district. It is the headquarters of the subdivision of the same name, lying on both sides of the Khuri River( also known as Sakri river in some parts) at 24º 53’ N and 85º 33’ E. The name evolved from Nau-wada, meaning the new town. On 26 January 1973, Nawada was formed as a separate district from Gaya.
Danapur is a Indian satellite town and one of the 6 sub-divisions (Tehsil) in Patna district of Bihar state. The population was 182,241 at the 2011 India Census. It is part of the Patna Metropolitan Region. It was constituted as a municipality in 1887. Danapur is also a shelter and hatchery for the migrating Siberian cranes, locally called Janhgil. They visit every year during the monsoon season for breeding and leave this place before the start of the winter season. The Sub-Area Headquarters of Bihar and Jharkhand is situated in the army cantonment here. Nagar Parishad Danapur Nizamat looks after municipal works of Danapur area.
Bassi Pathana is a historical city and a municipal council in Fatehgarh Sahib district in the state of Punjab, India. Bassi Pathana is the founder of First Sewing Machine and its hole sole parts Manufacture. In the year 1920, this city created a historical invention.
Patna, historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. Covering 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi) and over 2.5 million people, its urban agglomeration is the 18th largest in India. Patna serves as the seat of Patna High Court. The Buddhist, Hindu and Jain pilgrimage centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodh Gaya and Pawapuri are nearby and Patna City is a sacred city for Sikhs as the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh was born here. The modern city of Patna is mainly on the southern bank of the river Ganges. The city also straddles the rivers Sone, Gandak and Punpun. The city is approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) in length and 16 to 18 kilometres wide.
Gurdwara Pahila Bara, commonly known as Gurdwara Gai Ghat, is a holy Gurdwara of Sikh religion. It is located in the city of Patna, Bihar, India and dedicated to Guru Nanak Dev. The Gurdwara is part of "Guru Circuit" - A Government of Bihar initiative connecting important Sikh religious destinations in Bihar to attract more pilgrims.
The Pathar Ki Mosque stands on the bank of river Ganges near the Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb in the city of Patna. Parviz Mirza, son of Jahangir, established Pathar Ki Masjid in 1621. The structure is built of stone, and so it got its name as Pathar Ki Masjid. It is located on Ashok Rajpath between Sultanganj and Alamganj.
Gurdwara Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ghat, also known as Gurudwara Kangan Ghat, is a Sikh place of worship on the banks of the Ganges River approximately 650 m (710 yd) from Takht Sri Patna Sahib. In sikh historical sources, this is the place where Guru Gobind Singh threw his gold bangle (kangan) and passed on the knowledge of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to Pandit Shiv Dutt, a devotee of Sri Ram Chandra.
Bihar in eastern India is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world with a history going back 3000 years. The rich culture and heritage of Bihar is evident from the innumerable ancient monuments that are dotted all over the state. Bihar is home to many tourist attractions and is visited by large numbers of tourists from all over the world. Around total 6 million tourists visit Bihar every year.
Hinduism is the most followed religion in Bihar, followed by nearly 82.7% of total population as per 2011 Census. Islam is the second-most followed religion which is followed by nearly 16.8% of population. There is also a significant population of Jains and Christians in the state.
A takht, or taḵẖata literally means a throne or seat of authority and is a spiritual and temporal centre of Sikhism. There are five Takhts, which are five gurudwaras that have a very special significance for the Sikh community. The first and the most important was established by Guru Hargobind in 1609, 'Akal Takht' and is just opposite the gate of Harmandir Sahib – The Golden Temple, Amritsar. While the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple, represents Sikh spiritual guidance, the Akal Takht symbolizes the dispensing of justice and temporal activity. It is the highest seat of temporal authority of the Khalsa and the seat of the Sikh religion's earthly authority. There, the Guru held his court and decided matters of military strategy and political policy. Later on, the Sikh Nation took decisions here on matters of peace and war and settled disputes between the various Sikh groups. The Sarangi singers sung the ballads of the Sikh Gurus and warriors at the place and robes of honour (saropas) were awarded to persons who rendered distinguished services of the community of men in general. In December 2010, the Deccan Odyssey train, taken on charter from Government of Maharashtra, started with the aim to have a journey across four Sikh takhts, with a flight by devout and sightseers to the fifth takht. A special train named Panj Takht Special train for the pilgrimage of five Sikh takhts, was flagged off on 16 February 2014.
Ashok Rajpath is a road in Patna, the capital of Bihar. It is named after Ashoka, an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BCE to 232 BCE. It connects Patna with Patna city or Patna Sahib. Starting roughly from Golghar, it run parallel to the river Ganges, and terminates at the Didarganj. It is a busy road owing to the presence of markets on one side and educational institute of Patna University on the other side.
Patna City, popularly known as Patna Saheb or Patna Sahib, is a city and one of the 6 Sub-divisions (Tehsil) in Patna district, Bihar, India. Patna City is an old area of Patna. Patna City history belongs to Patliputra. It is regarded as very sacred by the Sikhs in India. The tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh was born there. The Patna Saheb Gurudwara is considered to be one of the holiest of the five "Takhts" or seat of authority of the Sikhs. The place is named Harminder Takht though the Sikhs respectfully call it Patna Sahib. The famous Guru Gobind Sahib Gurudwara is an important shrine for Sikhs from all over the world. Ashok Rajpath (road) connects Patna City to Patna.
Tourism in Marathwada refers to tourism in Marathwada region of Maharashtra state of India. Aurangabad city is a regional headquarter of Marathwada and tourism capital of Maharashtra state. Out of 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra, 2 of them are in Marathwada. Also there are 110 monuments in Marathwada which are protected by Government of Maharashtra and recognized by Archaeological Survey of India. Marathwada is also important region for Religious tourism, out of 12 Jyotirlingas of Hindu God Shiva, 3 are in Marathwada. Hazur Sahib Nanded is the second holiest place in Sikhism after Harminder Sahib of Amritsir. There are also sufi shrines in Marathwada, most famous among them is Turabul Haq Dargah at Parbhani where thousands of people of all religion visits dargah annually. Pathri in Parbhani district is birthplace of Sai Baba of Shirdi and Sai Baba Birth Temple in Pathri is one of major religious tourism place in Marathwada.
The 350th Prakash Parv or birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh ji was celebrated in January 2017 in Patna, India. 2017 is the year of the 350th anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. At the date of this anniversary, a number of events was organized on the occasion in Patna marking a grand celebration in their history.
Tourism in India is economically important and ever growing. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹14.02 lakh crore (US$180 billion) or 9.6% of the nation's GDP in 2016 and supported 40.343 million jobs, 9.3% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.8% to ₹28.49 lakh crore (US$360 billion) by 2027. Various states and union territories of India attract tourists from all over the world, mainly due to the cultural diversity.
Gaighat is a neighbourhood of Patna in the eastern state of Bihar in India. It is located on the southern bank of river Ganges in Patna. The southern flank of Mahatma Gandhi Setu bridge connecting Patna and Hajipur rises from Gaighat in Patna. One end of Pontoon Bridge (Peepapul) connecting Patna and Hajipur over the river Ganges is also located in the area. Gaighat is part of the wider Alamganj area in Patna.