patna

Located to the west of the Gandhi Maidan in Patna on the bank of Ganges River, this beehive shaped granary was built for storing grains. The purpose behind the erection of the building was to use it during the times of famine. On the base, it is 125 meters wide and walls of the erection are 3.6 meters thick. A wonderful and picturesque look of Patna is available from the top of the building. It was built by Captain John Garstin, an engineer working with the British East India Company. Its dual spiralling staircases were designed so that workers could climb up one side and down the other. Another interesting trivia about Golghar is that it has never been able to fill to its optimum capacity. While designing the structure, the doors were constructed to open on the inside and hence in the scenario of being fully filled the doors then would not open.
 

Martyr's Memorial or Shaheed Smarak at Patna is life size bronze statue of seven brave men carrying the Congress flag to hoist on the top of Old Secretariat building during the 1942 Quit India movement. The architectural marvel, by the sculptor Debi Prasad Roy Chaudhary, shows the brave men, one carrying the flag and other six falling to bullets or about to fall, to the bullets of the British police, but still marching ahead with pride and determination and holding the flag in the front. This masterpiece with the historical and national background makes this a special landmark of the city.
 

Behind a grand gate and sheltered from the mayhem of Patna’s Chowk area lies this important Sikh shrine. Its miniature marble domes, sweeping staircases and fine latticework mark the spot where Guru Gobind Singh, last of the 10 Sikh gurus, was born in 1666. It’s 11 Kms. east of Gandhi Maidan. Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb is one of the most revered Gurdwaras in India. The great Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh built this Gurudwara. The Gurudwara was built in commemoration of Guru Govind Singh. Guru Govind Singh had sacrificed his life serving humanity. The Gurudwara is also called ‘Takht Shri Patna Sahib.’ 
 

Patna Museum is a major attraction for tourists. Patna museum has a large collection of items found in excavation at Patna and nearby places. The museum houses a wide collection of stone and bronze sculptures and terracotta figures of Hindu and Buddhist artists. These artefacts belong to the ancient and medieval phase of Indian history. The famous terracotta figurine, Didarganj Yakshi, is housed in the Patna museum. Housed in a majestic heritage building, this museum contains a splendid collection of Mauryan and Gupta stone sculptures, some beautiful bronze Buddhist statuary, 2000-year-old terracotta figurines and a gallery of wonderful Rajasthani miniatures. The fabulous collection of Tibetan thangkas (scroll paintings) brought to India by the scholar and traveller Rahul Sankrityayan in the early 20th century is also housed here at Patna museum. Upstairs in a locked gallery you can glimpse a tiny casket believed to contain some of Buddha’s ashes that were retrieved from Vaishali.
 

Patthar Ki Masjid, commonly known as Saif Khan's Mosque, is located on the banks of river Ganga in Patna. This mosque is locally known by various names like Chimmi Ghat Mosque and Sangi Masjid. The son of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Parvez Shah constructed this mosque during the year 1621, while he was governor. The name Patthar Ki Masjid is derived by the architecture of the mosque, which is made up of stone. Constructed adjacent to Har Mandir Sahib, this mosque is considered as a religious landmark of the city.
 

Sher Shah Suri was a celebrated Afghan ruler and a good administrator. He erected this mosque at Patna to commemorate his victory over the Mughal emperor Humanyun. The mosque, built in Afghan architectural style, has a tomb inside the compound which is topped by an octagonal stone slab. The Sher Shah Masjid is considered among best looking mosques in India. This impressive landmark of Patna built in Afghan style of architecture is the biggest mosque in Patna. Inside the mosque is a big dome built specifically to cater huge gathering of masses. Other than the huge dome, the mosque has four small gathering rooms. The mosque was made according to the need of huge gathering to accommodate collective prayer. The specialty of the plan of the mosque is that the domes are so placed that only three of them can be seen at a time from whichever angle one sees.