Patna Bihar India

City, is a major trading centre. The modern city of Patna is situated on the southern bank of the Ganga. The city also straddles the rivers Sone, Gandak and Punpun. The city is approximately 35 km long and 16 km to 18 km wide. In June 2009, the World Bank ranked Patna in second place in India, after Delhi, in terms of the ease of starting a business. As at 2004-2005, Patna had the highest per capita gross district domestic product in Bihar, at Rs31,441. On the basis of,assumed average annual growth,Patna has been ranked as 21st fastest growing city in the world and 5th fastest growing city in India by City Mayors Foundation.Patna registered average annual growth of 3.72%,for the period of 2006-2020. The Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri are nearby and Patna is also a sacred city for Sikhs as the last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here. History :

Origin of name -

There are several theories regarding the source of the name Patna (Devanagari:पटना ):

1.It is etymologically derived from Patan (Devanagari: पतन), the name of the Hindu goddess, Patan Devi.

2.It comes from Pattan (Devanagari: पत्तन) (meaning "port" in Sanskrit), since the city, located near the confluence of four rivers, has been a thriving river port.

3.It may be a short form of Pataliputra (Devanagari: पाटलिपुत्र), one of the most ancient names of this city.

4.The Greeks called it Palibothra. Megasthenes (350-290 BCE), the Greek historian, referred to it in Greek as Palibothra or Palimbotra.

5.The place appears in the records of the Chinese traveller, Fa Hien, as Pa-lin-fou.

6.The city has been known by various names during its more than 2,000 years of existence – Patligram, Patliputra, Kusumpur, Pushpapura, Azimabad, and the present-day Patna.

7.Patna received its current name during the reign of Sher Shah Suri, whose tomb is at Sasaram, near Patna. Legend ascribes the origin of Patna to a mythological King Putraka who created Patna by magic for his queen Patali, literally "trumpet flower", which gives it its ancient name Pataligrama. It is said that in honour of the queen's first-born, the city was named Pataliputra. Gram is Sanskrit for village and Putra means son. Legend also says that the Emerald Buddha was created in Patna (then Pataliputra) by Nagasena in 43 BC. Vedic era -

The history of Patna spans at least three millennia. The city is referred to in ancient Indian texts such as the Vedas, the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The first references to the ancient region of Patna are found about 2,500 years ago in Jain and Buddhist scriptures. Medieval era -

Patna became significant around the year 490 BCE when Ajatashatru, the king of Magadha, wanted to shift his capital from the hilly Rajagaha to a more strategically located place to combat the Licchavis of Vaishali. He chose the site on the bank of the Ganga and fortified the area. Gautama Buddha passed through this place in the last year of his life. He prophesied a great future for this place, but at the same time, he predicted its ruin from flood, fire, and feud. It is said that Buddha made a halt here when he was on the last journey to his native land of Kapilavastu. Mauryan empire -

With the rise of the Mauryan empire, the place became the seat of power for the sub-continent. The emperor Chandragupta Maurya (a contemporary of Alexander) ruled a vast empire, stretching from the Bay of Bengal to Afghanistan. The early Mauryan city mostly consisted of wooden structures. Emperor Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, transformed the wooden capital into a stone construction around 273 BCE. Megasthenes, the Greek historian and ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya, gives the first written account of the city. He wrote that the city was situated on the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Arennovoas (Sonabhadra - Hiranyawah) and was 9 miles (14 km) long and 1.75 miles (2.82 km) wide. Michael Wood, in The Story of India (2007), describes this city as the greatest city on earth during its heyday. The Sungas ultimately retained control of Pataliputra and ruled for almost 100 years. The Sungas were then followed by the Kanvas and eventually the Guptas. There has been academic controversy regarding whether or not the Indo-Greeks occupied the area around 185 BCE. A number of Chinese travellers came to India in pursuit of knowledge and recorded their observations about Pataliputra in their travelogues, including those of a Chinese Buddhist Fa Hien, who visited India between 399 and 414 CE, and stayed here for many months translating Buddhist texts. Gupta and Mughal empires -

In the years that followed, many dynasties ruled the Indian subcontinent from the city, including those of the Gupta empire and the Pala kings. With the disintegration of the Gupta empire, Patna passed through uncertain times. Bakhtiar Khilji captured Bihar in the 12th century AD and destroyed many ancient seats of learning, and Patna lost its prestige as the political and cultural center of India. Guru Gobind Singh (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ) (22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, was born as Gobind Rai in Patna to Teg Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs, and his wife Gujri. His birthplace, Patna Sahib, is one of the most sacred pilgrimages for Sikhs. The Mughal period was a period of unremarkable provincial administration from Delhi. The most remarkable period during these times was under Sher Shah Suri, who revived Patna in the middle of the 16th century. He built a fort and founded a town on the banks of the Ganga. Sher Shah's fort in Patna does not survive, although the Sher Shah Suri Masjid mosque, built in Afghan architectural style, does. Mughal emperor Akbar came to Patna in 1574 to crush the Afgha Chief Daud Khan. Akbar's navratna and state's official historian and author of "Ain-i-Akbari" Abul Fazl refers to Patna as a flourishing centre for paper, stone and glass industries. He also refers to the high quality of numerous strains of rice grown in Patna, famous as Patna rice in Europe. By 1620 the city of Patna was the great entrepot of northern India, "the largest town in Bengal and the most famous for trade". This was before the founding of the city of Calcutta. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb acceded to the request of his favourite grandson, Prince Muhammad Azim, to rename Patna as Azimabad, in 1704 while Azim was in Patna as the subedar. However, very little changed during this period other than the name.With the decline of the Mughal empire, Patna moved into the hands of the Nawabs of Bengal, who levied a heavy tax on the populace but allowed it to flourish as a commercial centre. British empire -

During the 17th century, Patna became a centre of international trade. The British started with a factory in Patna in 1620 for trading in calico and silk. Soon it became a trading centre for saltpetre,Bernier, Franois (A.D. 1656-1668),in Travels in the Mogul Empire, has written that,a prodigious quantity of saltpetre was imported from Patna. It was carried down the Ganges with great facility, and the Dutch and English send large cargoes to many parts of the Indies,and to Europe. urging other Europeans—French, Danes, Dutch and Portuguese—to compete in the lucrative business. Peter Mundy, writing in 1632, described Patna as "the greatest mart of the eastern region". After the decisive Battle of Buxar (1764), Patna fell into the hands of the East India Company, which installed a government. It was ruled during the Raj by a series of Viceroys, including Rahul Gunderjaharagand. In 1912, Patna became the capital of the provinces of Orissa and Bihar when the Bengal Presidency was partitioned, although in 1935 Orissa became a completely separate entity with its own capital. It soon emerged as an important and strategic centre. Orissa was created as a separate province in 1935. Some buildings constructed during the period of British control remain, many designed by I. Most of these buildings reflect either Indo-Saracenic influences - for example, the Patna Museum and the State Assembly - or overt Renaissance influences, as seen with the Raj Bhawan and the High Court. Some buildings, like the General Post Office and the Old Secretariat bear pseudo-Renaissance influence. Some say the experience gained in building the new capital area of Patna proved very useful in building the imperial capital, New Delhi. Indian independence movement -

People from Patna were involved in the Indian independence movement. Most notable were the Champaran movement against the Indigo plantation and the 1942 Quit India Movement. National leaders who have come from the city include Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, the first President of the Constituent Assembly of India; Dr. Sachidanand Sinha; Dr. Rajendra Prasad; Bihar Vibhuti (Anugrah Narayan Sinha); Basawon Singh (Sinha); Loknayak (Jayaprakash Narayan); Sri Krishna Sinha; Sheel Bhadra Yajee; Sarangdhar Sinha (Singh);Amar Shahid Phulena Prasad; and Yogendra Shukla. Patna continued to be the capital of the state of Bihar after independence in 1947, though Bihar itself was partitioned again in 2000 when Jharkhand became a separate state of the Indian union. Geography :

Topography -

Patna is located on the south bank of the Ganga River. A characteristic of the geography of Patna is its confluence of rivers. The Ganga River is the largest. It is joined by four other rivers: Ghaghara, Gandak, Punpun and Sone. Patna is unique in having four large rivers in its vicinity. It is the largest riverine city in the world. The bridge over the river Ganga named Mahatma Gandhi Setu is 5575m long and is the longest river bridge in the India. Climate -

Patna has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers from late March to early June, the monsoon season from late June to late September and a mild winter from November to February.Highest temperature ever recorded is 46.6 °C(In,1966), lowest ever is 2.3 °C(In,2003) and highest rainfall was 204.5 mm(In,1997).The table below details historical monthly averages for climate variables. Economy :

Patna has long been a major agricultural center of trade, its most active exports being grain, sugarcane, sesame, and medium-grained Patna rice. It is also an important business center of eastern India. As of 2011, the economy of Patna has seen sustained economic growth. In particular, the economy has been spurred by growth in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry, the service sector, along with Green revolution businesses. Demographics :

The population of the district of Patna is 5.77 million, with a density of 1803 per km2, as of the 2011 census of India. The s*x ratio (females per 1000 male) is 892. The overall literacy rate is 72.47%, with the male literacy rate being 80.28% and the female literacy rate being 63.72%. Hindi and Urdu are the official languages but many others are spoken.. The native dialect is Magadhi or Magahi, named after Magadha, the ancient name of Bihar. Other widely spoken dialects and languages include Angika, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Bengali and English. Culture :

Although geographically located in the Magadh region of Bihar, many residents of Patna are natives of one of the four other constituent regions: Bhojpur, Mithila, Vajj, and Anga. Intermarriages and cultural mixing among the people of the five regions has been common. People are religious and family-oriented, and they are deeply rooted in tradition. Families are generally large, though the government is actively encouraging family planning to curb rapid population growth. Extended families often live together in one home because of economic necessity. Cuisine -

"Khichdi", the broth of rice and lentils, seasoned with spices, and served with several accompanying items like curd, chutney, pickles, papads, ghee (clarified butter) and chokha (boiled mashed potatoes, seasoned with finely cut onions, green chillies) is a common meal. Patnaites on Saturdays and is a staple food. Afternoon meals mostly consist of rice and vegetables while the dinner will consist of rotis (flatbread) and lentils. Patna is also known for the dry sweet delicacies of central Bihar, which owe their origins to various towns. For example, Khaja from Silao, Ladoo from Maner, Kala Jamun from Vikram, Khubi ka Lai from Barh, Kesaria Peda from Gaya and Chena Murki from Koelwar and Poori from Behea. Unlike Bengali sweets, which are soaked in syrup of sugar and are therefore wet, the sweets of Bihar are mostly dry. Transportation and connectivity :

Patna was one of the first places in India to use horse-drawn trams for public transport. Public transportation today is provided for by buses, auto rickshaws and local trains,auto rickshaws are said to be the lifeline of the city, BSRTC has started City Service in all major routes of Patna with 70 low floor buses,and 8 AC buses will start plying from early august. Rail -

Patna lies in between New Delhi and Kolkata which is one of the busiest rail route in India.The city is a major railway hub and has five major stations: Patna Junction, Rajendranagar Terminal, Gulzarbag, Danapur Junction and Patna Sahib. The construction of India's longest road-cum-rail bridge is underway on the banks on the Ganges nearby and will connect Patna to Pahleja Ghat. When completed it will be the second longest rail-cum-road bridge in the world at 4.55 kilometres (2.83 mi). There has recently been plans for a metro rail system as Nitish Kumar has hired engineers and civil planners to look into the most ideal location. Furthermore, a layout for a more feasible monorail (See: Patna Monorail) has been submitted and is awaiting approval. It will be less costly and less time consuming. By the year 2021, Patna is expected to be a very modern metropolitan city.Patna is well connected with gaya,jehanabad biharsharif,rajgir, islampur through daily passenger and express train services. Air -

There is an airport, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, which is classified as a restricted international airport . The arrival of several low-cost carriers and a number of new destinations have caused a growth in air traffic in recent years, as has an improvement in the situation with regard to law and order. For the period April to December 2009 the airport ranked first in a survey of 46 airports in the country in terms of percentage growth of domestic passengers as well as domestic aircraft movement. Road -

The city is served by several major road highways and state highways, including National Highways 19, 30, 31,and 83. It is 1,015 kilometres (631 mi) from Delhi, 1,802 kilometres (1,120 mi) from Mumbai and 556 kilometres (345 mi) from Kolkata. Water -

Patna has a fixed terminal on National Waterway No. 1 which was established in October 1986. This 1,620 kilometres (1,010 mi) route of navigable water runs from Haldia on the Bay of Bengal, across the extremity of Jharkhand province, across the centre of Bihar and then to Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. Places of interest :

Patna is home to many tourist attractions and it saw about 2.4 million tourists (including day visitors) in 2005. Tourists visiting the city accounted for 41% of the total for Bihar province, although Bodhgaya was the most popular destination for foreign visitors. The cultural heritage of Bihar is reflected in its many ancient monuments. 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. There are five other Gurdwaras in Patna which are related to different Sikh Gurus; these are Gurdwara Pahila Bara, Gurdwara Gobind Ghat, Gurdwara Guru ka Bagh, Gurdwara Bal Leela and Gurdwara Handi Sahib. Padri Ki Haveli, High Court, Golghar and Secretariat Building are examples of British architecture. Education :

Patna is one of the oldest major centres of learning in East India. Patna University, the first university in Bihar, was established in 1917 and is the seventh oldest university in South Asia Sub-continent. Patna Medical College, established in 1925 as the Prince of Wales Medical College, was ranked sixth in undivided India. Now Patna has got its Central university- Central University of Bihar (CUB). Patna is home to Aryabhatt Knowledge University to which all the technical and Medical institutes in the state are affiliated. Patna also houses one of India's most richly endowed libraries, the Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, which has rare manuscripts dating back several thousand years. Higher education -

In the past few years, many other educational institutions have opened, such as the Indian Institute of Technology, the National Institute of Technology, and the Birla Institute of Technology. National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chanakya National Law University. and medical schools such as the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. Schools -

In post-independent India, schools for young children are mainly based on the kindergarten form of education.Primary and secondary education in Patna is offered by various schools which are affiliated to one of the boards of education, such as the Bihar Board, ICSE, CBSE,and NIOS.Schools in Patna are either government run or are private (both aided and un-aided by the government). Sports :

There are several cricket grounds located across the city, including the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, which is second largest in eastern India, next only to 'Eden Gardens' of Kolkata. The stadium features a swimming pool and a cricket academy. This stadium has served as venue for two one-day international cricket matches and several national sport events. Patna Golf Club has a 165 acres (67 ha) course. Patna Indoor Stadium, also known as Rainbow Field, is an indoor and outdoor sporting complex and will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra, the Olympic gold medalist. The Queen's Baton relay passed through the city on 14 July 2010 in the build up for the Commonwealth games.