My Visual Travel Experience: Patna and Surroundings (Bodh Gaya, Rajgir)

I visited Patna in early 2015. I had a total of 4 days for my visit, but I lost a full day because of heavy fog that delayed my train from Delhi. During my 3 remaining days, I covered Patna and the nearby towns of Bodh Gaya and Rajgir. My cousin, Kapil, made my stay very comfortable. He put me up in his company guesthouse and put a chauffeur driven car at my disposal. Even my daily breakfast and dinner were taken care of at the guesthouse. What luxury! I hadn't been sure what to expect from Patna because it is not on the tourist map for many visitors, but I enjoyed my visit, largely because of the region's very rich historical legacy, but also because of my extremely comfortable stay.

Patna is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and has a population of over 1.6 million. It is the second most populated city in eastern India after Kolkata. Patna was founded in 490 BC by the king of Magadh. Ancient Patna was called Pataliputra and was the capital of the Magadh Empire. It was a great centre of learning and education. During the Maurya and Gupta empires, Patna was the centre of the Indian subcontinent, but it lost its prominence after the Gupta empire fell. In the 12th century, Bakhtiar Khilji captured Patna and there was a lot of destruction that followed. Patna saw some revival in the 16th century under the Mughals.

In the 17th century, under the British, Patna became an important trading town. In 1912, the Bengal Presidency was partitioned and Patna became the capital of Bihar and Orissa Province, though in 1935 Orissa went on to become a separate state. The Quit India Movement against the British had its origins in Patna, and Patna played an important role in India’s freedom movement. After India became independent in 1947, Patna continued as the capital of Bihar. In 2000, Jharkhand was carved out of the state of Bihar, but Patna continued its status as Bihar’s capital.

Golghar is a large granary in the heart of Patna. The beehive shaped structure was completed in 1786, and it was part of the plan by Warren Hastings, Governor General of India, to try and tackle the famine prevailing in the region. The structure stands at a height of 29 meters.

Golghar

Gandhi Maidan is a large park covering 60 acres of land in the centre of Patna. The park features what is the world’s tallest statue of Mahatma Gandhi, standing at a height of over 20 meters. Many leaders from the freedom struggle addressed rallies from the maidan. On Independence Day and Republic Day, the flag hoisting ceremony are held at this maidan.  Gandhi Museum lies at one end of Gandhi Maidan. Christ Church is Patna’s most prominent church and it also lies adjacent to Gandhi Maidan. 

Mahatma Gandhi Statue, Gandhi Maidan

Sculpture of Secularism, Gandhi Museum

Christ Church

Harmandir Sahib is a Gurudwara built to commemorate the birth of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, who was born in 1666. The Gurudwara was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Harmandir Sahib

Mahavir Mandir was reputedly built around 1730. It is a very popular temple, situated next to Patna Railway Station, and it is dedicated to Lord Hanuman.

Mahavir Mandir

Linga, Mahavir Mandir

Patna Museum was built in 1917 during the British era. It is constructed in a Mughal and Rajput architectural style. It was built to display historical artifacts from the region. The museum’s collections include ancient stone and bronze sculptures, terracotta figures, paintings and thankas. It also has the fossil of a 200 million year old tree, and a relic of the Buddha.

Patna Museum

Courtyard, Patna Museum

Yakshi (3rd Century BC), Patna Museum

Shalbhanjika (2nd Century BC), Patna Museum

Buddha from Afghanistan (1st Century AD),
Patna Museum

Lord Harding Statue, Patna Museum

Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park opened as a biological park in 1969. In 1973, it became a biological park and a zoo. The zoo has a vast collection of animals, including lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes and zebras.

Lion, Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park

Saurus Crane, Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park

Bodh Gaya is a town situated  110 km south of Patna. It has a population of almost 50,000. It is famous among Buddhist pilgrims the world over for the Mahabodhi Temple.

Mahabodhi Temple has a bodhi tree which is a sapling of the original bodhi tree under which Gautam Buddha attained his enlightenment. In 250 BC, Emperor Ashoka built a shrine at the holy spot, but it subsequently vanished. The current temple was constructed in the 6th century AD and has a tower that is 55 meters in height.

Mahabodhi Temple

Main Idol, Mahabodhi Temple

Cloister Walk, Mahabodhi Temple

Bodhi Tree, Mahabodhi Temple

Buddhist temples have been constructed in Bodh Gaya by various countries, including Japan, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Myanmar and Nepal. These temples reflect the architectural style of their respective countries. There is also a 25 meter tall Great Buddha Statue.

Great Buddha Statue

Japanese Temple

Thai Temple

Interior, Thai Temple

Rajgir is a town situated 105 km south east of Patna. It has a population of over 40,000. It was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, which went on to become the Mauryan Empire. The town is famous for the Vishwashanti Stupa, the Sulphur Springs and the nearby Nalanda University. 

Vishwashanti Stupa was built in 1969. The Peace Pagoda was one of 80 such structures built across the world to promote peace. A rope way leads to the stupa, which lies perched on a hill.

Shanti Stupa

Detail, Shanti Stupa

Cable Car, Shanti Stupa

The Hot Water Springs in Rajgir are where water from seven different springs merge. They ostensibly have healing powers, and the site is a famous Hindu pilgrimage site. Locally, the Hot Water Springs are called Brahmakund.

Laxmi Narayan Mandir, Hot Water Springs

Interior of Laxmi Narayan Mandir, Hot Water Springs

Bathers, Hot Water Springs

Nalanda University is located barely 30 km from Rajgir. It was founded in the 4th century AD, and functioned as a university for 800 years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university flourished under the Gupta Dynasty in the 5th and 6th centuries. In the 12th century, the university was ostensibly attacked and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate. The site was excavated in 1915. The complex has multiple monasteries and brick temples.

Nalanda University

So all in all, it turned out to be a very interesting visit for a history buff like me. Before my visit, I was a little ignorant about the historical legacy of the region and it was quite a learning experience for me. Like I always say, there's no better way of learning about history than by visiting the places where it unfolded!