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Pop: 1.2 million
Phone Code: 0612
Patna, situated on the bank of the Ganges, is the capital of Bihar.
There is little to do in this town. Travelers might come here on their
way to and from Nepal, or to visit some of the Buddhist sites in the
area.
History
Emperor Ajatasatru moved the capital of the Magadha Empire from Rajgir
to Patna in the 5th century BC, at which time the city was called Pataliputra.
Some of the remains of this city can be seen at Kumrahar. Under Emperors
Chandragupta and Ashoka (274–237
BC), Pataliputra was the capital of an empire that ruled a major portion
of India and was the largest city in the world. The Mauryas built a
road that went from Taxila in Pakistan to the Bay of Bengal. After the
Maurya Empire fell, Pataliputra lost its importance, but in the 16th
century after Sher Shah defeated Humayun, Patna again became the capital
of Northern India.
The British took control of the city after the Battle of Buxar in
1764.
Orientation
Patna extends along the southern bank of the Ganges for about 14km.
The old city is in the east section of the city. The main railway and
bus stations, along with most of the hotels are in the western part
of the city. Fraser Rd (renamed Muzharul Haque Raj Path), near the railway
station, is where the state tourist office and many of the hotels and
restaurants are located.
Tourist Offices
The useful Government of India Tourist Office (234-5776;
Email: goitapat@hih.nic.in), Sudama Palace Complex, 5th fl., Kankarbagh
Rd, near the Jaisarmil Hotel, is a helpful place and organizes a weekend
tour that goes to sites in Patna, Nalanda, Pawapuri, and Rajgir. The
only sign from the outside of the building is on the balcony of the
5th floor. Open Mon to Fri 10am to 6 pm & Sat 9 am to 1 pm. They
also have a tourist counter at the train station.
The Bihar State Government Tourist Office (222-5411,
222-2622; Email: bstdc@sancharnet.in)) is in the tourist bungalow on
on Fraser Rd. There are also counters at the airport and railway station.
Open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm. They run a tour of Patna, Nalanda, Rajgir,
and Pawapuri for Rs 175. 'They don't go everyday so you can call them
to find out the schedule.
Information
You can change money at the State Bank of India
(222-1527on West Gandhi Maidan, the large park near the river. Trade
Wings (221-3207), behind the Maurya Patna Hotel, changes cash,
travelers cheques, and gives advances on some credit cards. They are
efficient. Some five-star hotels such as the Maurya Patna
also change money.
There are ATM machines in several places includes
one near the Hotel Magadh. ICIC Bank, Fraser Road and Idbi Bank, Dak
Bungalow Road have ATM machines that for Visa, MasterCard, Maetro and
Cirrus)
Ashok Travel & Tours, in the Hotel Pataliputra
Ashok, and Travel Corporation of India, Maurya Patna
Complex, are reliable travel agents.
The British Library (224-198) is on Bank Rd, near Gandhi
Maidan. There are some decent bookshops on Fraser Rd.
The swimming pool in the Hotel Maurya Patna
can be used by non-guests for Rs 150.
Raj Lakshmi Nursing home (235-2225), Kankarbagh Rd,
is a possible hospital. As is Dr Ruben Memorial Hospital
(226-6244
Internet at Yahoo Internet, 1st floor
of Lok Nayak Bhavan, (Dak Bungalow & Fraser Rs
35 per hour and Cyber City (Station Rd (Rs 25 per hours),
Open 10 am to 9 pm).Rendezvious Cafe, Windso Hotel, Exhibition Rd for
Rs 30
Patna Museum
The Patna Museum is an interesting place with an excellent collection
of ancient stone and metal sculptures. The Mauryan yakshi female (3rd
century BC) in the middle of the first floor hall is considered an important
sculpture. There is a good collection of Tibetan artifacts and thangkas.
This museum is worth seeing. Open daily except Monday 10.30 am to 4.30
pm.
Located on Old Bypass Road between Patna Junction station and Patna
Sahib station. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm.
Other Places
The Ganges, when it reaches Patna, is extremely wide.
The Mahatma Gandhi Bridge, built in 1983, is 7km long
and is one of the longest bridges in the world.
The Golghar is an egg-shaped grain storage bin built
in 1786 by the British as a reserve in case of famine. It was never
used. You can climb to the top of it (29m) and get a view of the city
and the Ganges. It is near Gandhi Maiden.
Qila House (Jalan Museum) has a great selection of
antiques that include Marie Antoinette's Sevres Porcelain. In the east
part of the city. You should call before going at 264-2354, 222-5070.
Where to Stay—Lower
There are Retiring Rooms in the railway station for
Rs 150 and Rs 225 with A/C. A dorm bed is Rs 60.
Ruby Hotel, SP Verma Rd, has basic rooms for Rs 85/125.
It is quiet. 24-hour checkout.
Hotel Shyama (655-539), Exhibition Rd, is one of the
best budget places. It has rooms with bath for Rs 90/125.
Rajkumar (655-011) has rooms for Rs 100/150.
Indrasen (226-872), Fraser Rd. by the railway station, is a good value.
Hotel Amar (222-4157), just off Fraser Rd, near the
Hotel Samrat, has good budget rooms for Rs 200/250. This is one of the
better budget places.
Hotel Yash (227-210) has clean rooms for Rs 300/350
and Rs 650 with A/C. It is a good place.
The new Hotel Swayam Sidhi (655-312) has clean, good-sized
rooms with bath for Rs 225/400. It is a good place.
Where to Stay—Middle
Most of the high-end place add on a 10% service charge and a 10% luxury
tax on air conditioned roosm.
Hotel Mayur (222-4149), on Fraser Rd, not far from
the railway station, is a good place that has clean spacious rooms with
bath and hot water for Rs 300/375.
Hotel Sheodar (222-7210) has good clean rooms for Rs
2325 and Rs 600 with A/C.
Hotel Anand Lok (222-3960), Station Rd, next to the
railway station, has rooms with bath for Rs 350/450.
Hotel Republic (265-5021), Exhibition Rd, has room
for Rs 650/900 and Rs 1100/1250 for an A/C room. It has a good vegetarian
restaurant.
Rajasthan Hotel (222-5102; Email: hotelrajasthan@hotmail.com),
Fraser Rd, has rooms for Rs 650 and Rs 950 with A/C. A bit run-down
place with character.Has a good vegetarian recommendedrestaurant.
Hotel President (222-0600; fax 262-4998), on a side
street off Fraser Rd, has rooms with hot water for Rs 600/650 and Rs
900/1000 with A/C.
Kautilya Vihar Tourist Bungalow (222-5411; fax 221-0242;
fax 221-0242; Email: bstdc@sancharnet.in)), R-Block on Beer Chand Patel
Path, has rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 400/00 and dorm beds
for Rs 100.
Hotel Samrat International (222-0560; fax 222-6386)
is a good place with comfortable rooms with hot water for Rs 1250/1450
and Rs 1400/1600 with A/C.
Satkar International Hotel (222-0551; fax 222-0556),
Fraser Rd, has rooms for Rs 800/1000 and Rs 1100/1400 with A/C.
Where to Stay—High
The three-star Hotel Chanakya (222-0590; fax 222-0598),
by the Tourist Bungalow, has comfortable rooms for Rs 1900/2400. It
is popular with businessmen. Centrally air-conditioned.
The luxury Welcomgroup Maurya Patna (222-061; fax 220-3040;
fax 220-3060; Eamil: maurya@sanchamet.in), well located near Gandhi
Maiden, is the best hotel in town. It has a pool, and the rooms are
Rs 2600/3200.
The friendly Pataliputra Ashok (222-6270; fax 222-3467;
Email: pataliputra@sancharnet.in), Bir Chand Patel Path, has rooms for
Rs 2200/3200. It has a pool and a good restaurant. Half-day rates available.
Where to Eat
Rajasthan Hotel, Fraser Rd, near the Bihar Tourist
Office, has a good, recommended veg restaurant with good ice cream.
Bansi Vihar, Fraser Rd, serves good South Indian food
and has A/C.
Hasty Tasty, Fraser Rd, near the railway station, is
a popular, inexpensive place.
Sri Krishna Sandwich Bar, on Dak Bungalow Rd, serves
pizzas,sandwiches and baked goods.
Gaurav’s Restaurant, in the Hotel Swayam Siddhi,
is a good vegetarian place.
Amrali, same building as Hotel Kautilya Vihara, BC
Patel Path, has very good vegetarian food and good service. Recommended.
Mayfair Ice Cream Parlour (2202740), Fraser Rd, serves
dosas and other snacks, and an assortment of ice cream.
Local Travel
Shared auto-rickshaws go between the railway station and Gulzarbagh
(Rs 5 per person). They also go from the railway station to Gandhi Maiden
bus stand (Rs 4 per person).
Travel
Air There are flights to Kolkata (Calcutta) ($125),
Delhi (3 daily, $170), Lucknow (2 daily, $90), Ranchi ($100) and Mumbai
($215).
The Indian Airlines office (222-6433; fax 222-7310;
Airport: 223-8939) is on South Gandhi Maidan next to the Maurya Patna..
Sahara Air (266-1109; fax 673-084; Airport: 222-8307)
may have a daily flight to Varanasi.
Necon Air has four flights a week to and from Kathmandu
($90).
The airport is 7km west of the city. There is an Indian Airlines bus
that goes to the airport departing from near Gandhi Maidan. A taxi to
the airport is Rs 150; an auto-rickshaw Rs 75.
Train
There are three railway stations in Patna. The main one is Patna Junction,
which is on the Kolkata (Calcutta)-Delhi line. There are trains to Kolkata
(Calcutta) (9 hr), Delhi (13 hr), Varanasi (5 hr), Puri, Guwahati, New
Jalpaiguri, and Mumbai. To get to Darjeeling there is a train to New
Jalpaiguri (10 pm, 12 hr), and from there you take the “toy train”
or a bus.
Kolkata (Calcutta) Rajdhani Exp #2306 (5.33 am, 7 hr, Mon, Fri), Poova
Exp #2304 (7.45 am, 10½ hr, Wed, Th, Sat, Sun), Danapur-Howrah
Exp (7.25 pm, 11 hr); Chennai Patna-Chennai Exp #6044 (2.45 pm, 30 hr);
Delhi Rajdhani Exp #2305 (9.05 pm, Wed, Sun, 13 hr), Brahmaputra Mail
#4055 (1.20 pm, 15 hr); Gaya Patna-Hatia Exp (9.50 am, 92km, 2½
hr); Guwahati NE Exp #5622 (10.15 pm, 21 hr); Mumbai Patna-Kurla Exp
#3201 (11.20 pm, 13 hr); Varanasi Amritsar Mail #3005 (5.10 am, 5½
hr), several other trains daily.
Bus
The main bus station is at Harding Park, half a km west of the Patna
Junction railway station. Buses to Gaya (3 hr), Varanasi, Siliguri (12
hr), and Ranchi (10 hr) leave from there. Buses depart to Raxaul (6
hr) via Muzaffarpur from Gate 6.
Many government buses depart for places all over Bihar from the Gandhi
Maidan Bus Stand. From this station there are buses to Siliguri (3 pm)
and Raxaul (6 hr).
To and From Nepal
The border crossing near Patna is a 5 to 6 hour drive north at Raxaul/Birganj.
It is better to take a bus to the border than a train, as there are
no direct trains. There are some direct buses to Raxaul from the main
bus stand, and others depart from the government bus stand. You can
also catch a bus to Muzaffarpur and from there catch another bus to
Raxaul. If you are coming from Delhi or Varanasi, it is better to cross
the border at Gorakhpur/Sunauli.
You can buy a through ticket to Kathmandu from a travel agent in Patna
that includes a bus to the border, a rickshaw for the border crossing,
basic accommodation in Raxaul, and a bus from the Nepal border to Kathmandu.
It is just as easy, much cheaper, and much more reliable, to do it yourself.
When you come out of the train station, if you ask a rickshaw driver
to take you to the bus to xe "Nepal:Travel to" Nepal, there
is a good chance you will be taken to one of these private operators,
since the rickshaw drivers receive a commission on your ticket. There
is really no reason to deal with these characters. More than likely
they will charge you two to three times the price of what you could
have arranged yourself.
If you know of a
informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our
listings, please e-mail us at:
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Children
Srimad
Bhagvatam
Spiritual
Biography
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Coloring Books
SPIRITUAL
MUCIC
Bhajans
S.
Prabhupada Bhajans
Kirtana
New
Age
Musical
Instruments
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Audio
Vedic Books
VEGETARIAN
VIDEO
Vegetarian
Cooking
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SPIRTUAL VIDEO
Devotional
Movies
Interactive
CDs
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Puppet Shows
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Art & Culture
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Music Lessons
Bhativedanta
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Help Support This Site Buy USA Vegetarian Restaurants Book
Please check out
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to selling vegetarian, spiritual and alternative products. We sell only
animal-friendly and cruelty-free clothing, gifts, health foods, books
and beauty products.
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