Patna is the state capital of Bihar, which falls under the Patna district and serves as headquarters to the administrative department of the district. Spread over an area of 3202 square kilometers, the city is proud to be the second largest city in Eastern India, subsequent to Kolkata in Bengal. Patna is situated at 53 m above the sea level and thus, experiences a subtropical humid climate with hot summers and moderate winters. Most of the land of Patna is fertile, as it’s surrounded by numerous rivers, such as the River Sone, Gandak, Punpun and the holy Ganges. Apart from its agricultural significance, Patna is rapidly growing as an industrial city.The city of Patna has a great historical significance in the Indian as well as world history. It is implicitly said to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world that has been in existence since 490 B.C. Primarily known as Pataliputra, it was the capital of Magadha Empire (from the time of Chandragupta Maurya to The Great Ashok). The city has witnessed many vital empires of ancient times like the Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Sunga, Gupta, Pala and Suri dynasties. This city has a big historical scenario in its name as well - whilst its subsistence of more than 2000 years, it has been named differently at different times, like Patligram, Pataliputra, Kusumpur, Pushpapura, Azimabad, and then lastly as present-day Patna. Since the ancient times, this city had been a major cultural and educational center for international students and travelers.
Apart from being historically important, Patna is also religiously significant. This city has been a major pilgrimage centre for Budhhist devotees, as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bodh Gaya, where Gautam Buddha attained Enlightment is located here. Besides this, there are many sacred sites of Jain and Budhhist beliefs like Vaishali, Rajgir, Pawapuri (the place where Jain Guru Mahavir Ji attained Nirvana) and Nalanda (One of the most significant ancient International Universities which attracted scholars from China, Greece, and Persia) nearby too. This city is consecrated for Sikhs, as the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji was born here. His birthplace, Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Takht Sri Patna Sahib, one of the Five Takhts of Sikhism is a pilgrimage centre for Sikh devotees.
Patna city has a major role in the historic, religious and agricultural evolution of India. But apart from that, it has been a chief centre for the struggle of Indian Independence. This can be said from the initiation of the ‘Champaran’ movement against the Indigo plantation and the Quit India Movement started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942. This historic city is visited by thousand of visitors daily which include devotees, businessmen, tourists and other visitors. The city has many tourist attractions like nearby World Heritage Site Bodhgaya, Kumhrar, Hanuman Mandir, Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Padri ki Haveli and many more. Whether a person is interested in history, religion, leisure or business, this city has something for every one to cherish and enjoy. Do mark it in your holidaying destinations and relish the rich heritage of India in the vibrant city of Patna!