Patna Tourism

Situated on the Southern banks of the Ganges, Patna, the capital of Bihar, has a rich history behind it. There are other four rivers that join the Ganges in Patna. These are Ghaghara, Gandak, Punpun and Sone.

The city is located at an altitude of 53 metres. Patna has one of the world’s longest bridges in the world, the Mahatma Gandhi Setu on the River Ganga. In terms of population, Patna is the second largest city of eastern India.

The history of Patna can be traced back to 493 BC, when a king of the Magadha empire, Ajathashatru, fortified the then called Pataligrama. His son, Udayi continued the dynasty and developed the village into a town and thus, Pataliputra was formed.

Later, Pataliputra was ruled by many dynasties, the most important of which is the Mauryan empire, under which was developed. It was also the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka, Nanda, Gupta, Mauryan, Pala, Sunga and Suri dynasties.

Under the reign of the Mauryan dynasty, kings Chandragupta Maurya and Asoka were responsible for turning Patna into an educational and cultural hub. Many foreign travellers including Megasthenes and Fa Hien had visited Pataliputra and had expressed immense praise for the city.