Known as Patliputra in the ancient times, Patna, the capital city of Bihar is set on the banks of holy River Ganga. This greatly fertile, arched stretch of land of Buddha, Chanakya and Chandra Gupta Maurya has been the regal seat of governance for successive kingdoms, since ancient times. The city has also changed its names to keep up its pace with the change in political scenario. It was named as Kusumpura to Pushpapura, Pataliputra, Azeemabad and finally into the present day Patna.


Places to see:

Patna has many tourist destinations of historical and tourism importance. A few to name are Gol Ghar, Patna Museum, Jalan Museum, Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, Patna Cemetery, Padri-ki-Haveli, Har Mandir, Agam Kuan and Mahendru Ghat. The remains of Pataliputra at Kumhrar and a few large pillars and the foundations of a Buddhist monastery, known as Anand, are exciting to see. Patna also acts as a gateway to the historic sites of Nalanda, Rajgir, Pawapuri, Maner, Gaya-Bodhgaya and Vaishali. All over the city, you can feel the royal air flowing, as it has been an important place ruled by many dynasties.

How to reach:

• By Air: The Loknayak Jaiprakash International Airport, Patna is 10 km from the city center. Patna is well connected to Delhi, Calcutta, Varanasi, Ranchi and Lucknow by regular flights. There are also some flights connecting Patna to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
• By Rail: Patna Junction is 4 km from the city centre. Patna is conveniently linked to all the major cities of India through trains. It takes 15 hours at an average to reach Delhi from here by train. Patna is also situated on the main line of the Eastern Railway making it a major railway junction. The other cities, which are connected to Patna by rail are Calcutta, Chennai, Varanasi, Amritsar, Mumbai and Lucknow.
• By Road: The excellent road network links Patna with other major tourist places of Bihar.