Patna

caption = "Average Per Capital Income in various Indian Cities"From the very ancient time patna has rich socio economic background. Patna has long been a major agricultural center of trade, its most active exports being grain, sugarcane, sesame, and medium-grained Patna rice. It is also an important business centre of eastern India.

The hinterland of Patna is endowed with excellent agro-climatic resources and the gains of the green revolution have enabled the older eastern part of Patna (locally called as Patna City) to develop as a leading grain market of the state of Bihar, and one of the biggest in eastern India. Patna, being the state capital, with a growing middle income group households, has also emerged as a big and rapidly expanding consumer market, both for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), as also for other consumer durable items. A large and growing population, and expanding boundaries of the city, is also spurring growth of service sector. The old and established educational institutions of the city have always been contributing to the national pool of excellent human resources.

Financial Express reported on 7th April 2008 that even as Bihar has the lowest per capita income in the country at Rs 5,772 against the national average of Rs 22,946, some of its southern districts are much better off compared with those in the north. This disparity within the state is clearly reflected in Bihar’s latest Economic Survey for 2007-08. The survey shows that Patna, Munger and Begusarai in south Bihar were the three best-off districts out of a total of 38 districts, recording the highest per capita gross district domestic product of Rs 31,441, Rs 10,087 and Rs 9,312, respectively in 2004-05. In contrast, right at the bottom of the rung, with the lowest per capita GDP, were the northern districts of Araria at Rs 4,578, Sitamarhi at Rs 4,352 and Sheohar at Rs 3,636.

Climate

climate chart
Patna
10|22|10
13|25|0
17|31|10
23|36|0
26|36|40
27|35|120
26|31|220
27|32|260
26|31|170
22|30|70
16|27|10
11|23|0
source= [http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=76624&refer=&units=metric Weather Underground]
float=right Patna, as most of Bihar, has a subtropical climate with hot summers from late March to early June, the monsoon season from late June to late September and a mild winter from November to February. The table below details historical monthly averages for climate variables. Highest ever recorded is 47°C,lowest ever is 1°C and annual rainfall is 1000 mm.

Demographics

The population of Patna is over 1,885,470. The population density is 1132 persons per square kilometre. There are 839 females to every 1,000 males. The overall literacy rate is 62.9%, and the female literacy rate is 50.8%. [ Source – District Elementary Education Report Card 2004 of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi.]

Many languages are spoken in Patna. Hindi is the official language. The native dialect is Magadhi or Magahi, named after Magadha, the ancient name of Bihar. Dialects from other regions of Bihar spoken widely in Patna are Angika, Bhojpuri, and Maithili. Other languages widely spoken in Patna include Bengali, Odiya and English.

People and culture

Though geographically located in the Magadh region of Bihar, many residents of Patna are natives of one of the four other regions of Bihar -Bhojpur, Mithila, Vajj and Ang, which differ only slightly from each other. Intermarriages and cultural intermixing among the people of the five regions has been so common that it may be difficult for an outsider to discern the differences. Intermixing of people is also common at the village level (e.g. resident of Gulni include people from Gaya, Ganga-par and other villages).

Family orientation

People are religious and family-oriented, and their lives are deeply rooted in tradition. The interests of the family take precedence over that of an individual. Families are generally large, though the government is actively encouraging family planning to curb rapid population growth. Extended families often live together in one home because of economic necessity.Although the culture is same among the regions, the dialects spoken are quite different. Many talented people of Bihar have emigrated for better opportunities.

Marriage

Most marriages are arranged; the degree to which the children are consulted depends on the family. Marriage is sacred and is considered to endure beyond death. Weddings are times of great celebration, expense, and feasting. Ceremonies are often elaborate. In many ceremonies, the bride and groom exchange garlands and promises before they circle around a fire seven times to solemnize the marriage. Bright clothing, jewellery, and flowers are part of almost every type of ceremony. The bride's parents may still give a dowry, such as money or land, to the groom, even though the practice is illegal. This practice is called "Tilak". Mostly marriages (arranged ones) are caste-based.

Marriage practices are changing as the culture is becoming more progressive. Now People are marrying people from different cultures and castes as more & more women are becoming professionals.

Cuisine

Staple food ""Khichdi", the broth of rice and lentils, seasoned with spices, and served with several accompanying items like curd, chutney, pickles, papads, ghee (clarified butter) and chokha (boiled mashed potatoes, seasoned with finely cut onions, green chilies) constitutes the lunch for most Patnaites on Saturdays.

Patna is also known for the sweet delicacies of central Bihar including Khaja, Motichoor ka Ladoo, Kala Jamun, Kesaria Peda, Parwal ki Mithai, Khubi ka Lai and Chena Murki. These owe their origin to towns in the vicinity of Patna: Khaja from Silao, Ladoo from Maner, Kala Jamun from Vikram, Khubi ka Lai from Barh, Kesaria Peda from Gaya and Chena Murki from Koelwar, Poori from Behea. Descendants of the original family members of the cooks, called halwais in the local language, have migrated to urban Patna and authentic sweet delicacies are now available in the city itself. Unlike the Bengali sweets which are soaked in syrup of sugar and are therefore wet, sweets of Patna and Bihar are mostly dry. The mangoes of Digha, Patna are very delicious & famous.

There are several other traditional snacks and savouries:

*"Pua", prepared from a mixture of refined wheat flour(maida), milk, ghee (clarified butter), sugar, dry fruits and honey
*"Pittha", steam cooked, made by powdered rice with sttufed ground gram(chana)OR khoya etc.
*"Tilkut", referred to as 'Palala' in Buddhist literature, is made of pounded 'tila' or sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) and jaggery or sugar
*"Chiwra", beaten rice, served with a coat of creamy curd and sugar or jaggery
*"Makhana", (a kind of water fruit) is prepared from lotus seeds and is taken puffed or as kheer, prepared with milk and sugar
*"Sattu", powdered baked gram, is a high energy giving food. It is taken mixed with water or with milk. Sometimes, sattu mixed with spices are used to prepare stuffed 'chapattis', locally called as 'makuni roti'.
*"Litti Chokha", A baked round shape, made by wheat flour with stuffed sattu(litti), the combination of smashed boiled potatoes, bringals & tomatoes(chokha).
*"Makuni",a stuffed paratha with sattu (ingredients:sattu, onion,chilli, pickles,mustard oil, salt)
*"Paan", a dessert made out of betel nuts, spices, tobacco, and certain other ingredients, wrapped in a betel leaf and had after a meal.

A variety of non-vegetarian items are also prepared by a section of the population. Fish curries are widely used by a cross section of non-vegetarian population of all social groups. Mughal cuisine is well known and widely relished in Patna. Of late, continental dishes are also catching up fancy. Various types of rolls which are also available in New York owe their origin to Patna. Some Muslim families moved from here to Karachi, Pakistan during partition, and then to the U.S., taking with them their culture and cuisine. They sell various vegetarian and non-vegetarian rolls and are rather popular by the generic name "Roll Bihari" in and around Lexington Avenue (South) in New York.

There are also numerous restaurants: Bansi Vihar, Basant Vihar, Dosa Plaza and Chennai cafe provide excellent South Indian cuisine. Yo China at bander bagicha is an excellent Chinese Restaurant. Kapil dev's "Elevens" is also a famous restaurant, it was established by Kapil Dev himself. The Bollywood Treats at Hotel Maurya is also one of quality restaurants. The Mayfair at Frazer road is one of the oldest restaurants.

hopping

Shivpuri, Rai Complex, High tech cyber cafe in Patna & All type of high tech electronics goods are available hear. Shopping is one of the favourite recreational activities of Patnaites. Numerous shopping complexes exist in Patna, including: N.P.Centre, Maharaja Kameshwar Complex, Verma Centre, Kulharia complex and Khaitan market. Maurya lok is one of the oldest and largest shopping areas of Patna. Patna market and Hathwa market are also famous shopping points of the city. A number of shopping malls have also been opened in the city, including :Vishal Mega Mart at Frazer Road, Patliputra Shoppers' Plaza, Aditya's 9 to 9 Supermarket, Daily Needs Supermarket, Madhav SuperMart,Sudha Supermarket and Low Price Super Store at old Jakkanpur.

Transport

Patna was among pioneer selected towns of India having horse-drawn trams as urban transport. [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/First-ever_book_on_Patna_soon/articleshow/3515588.cms First-ever book on Patna soon] "Trams in Patna" by TOI] Now days, Public transport in Patna is provided by buses, auto rickshaws and a Local trains.Auto rickshaws are the most popular means of public transportation in Patna, as they charge a lower . Most run on diesel and are Yellow and Black in colour.Buses are also one of the popular means of public transportation in Patna.
Railways also served as means of public transportation in Patna. However Patna is a major junction in the rail map of India. The four main railway stations are Patna Junction, Rajendranagar Terminal , Gulzarbag Station and Patna Shahib Station.Among them Patna Shahib Station is oldest one.

Places of interest

main|Tourism in Patna
*Agam Kuan, literally the unfathomable well which is said to date back to the Ashokan period.

*Hanuman Mandir The favourite Deity of the Patnaite. It is situated right in front of the Patna Junction, the central railway station of the City. Long winding queues can be seen at the temple on Saturdays and Tuesdays, the traditional worshipping days of the deity.

*Kumhrar, the site of the ruins of the Ashokan Patliputra.

*Mahatma Gandhi Setu is one of the longest(single river bridge in the world.

*Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb, constructed by Punjab ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, consecrates the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh Jee also known as 'Takht Shri Patna Sahib'

*State Secretariat Building and its Clock Tower, including the Martyrs Memorial commemorating the seven school and college students who were brutally killed by the armed forces under the command of the British Raj in front of the Patna Secretariat during the Quit India movement of 1942.

* Maner Sharif, shrine of Makhdoom Yahya Maneri, and his disciple, Shah Daulat, at Maner, 29 km from Patna.

*Phulwari Sharif is a place of great Religious & Historical importance for Muslims [http://discoverbihar.bih.nic.in/pages/sufi_circuit.htm Islamic shrines in Bihar] Bihar Tourism Official website.] .

*Imarat-E-Shariya or the "Shariyat" of Patna looks after whole of Bihar, Jharkhand,Orrisa, WestBengal and all North-Eastern states.

* High Court Building and a famous Dargah beside it.

*Patna Planetarium on Dak Bungalow Road. One of the largest Planetarium in Asia, the Patna Planetarium attracts large number of domestic as well as foreign tourists. The planetarium has regular film shows on subjects related to astronomy. It also holds exhibitions which attracts lots of visitors.
*Patna Golf Club,Estd 1916, includes some very tough holes, this well-maintained course will prove interesting to amateur and pros alike.

*Moin-Ul-Haque Stadium boasts of its Cricket Ground which is 2nd largest in India, next only to "The Eden Gardens".It holds 25,000 spectators. The first ODI was played here between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka on 15 November 1993(Hero Cup,1993/94).Another ODI was between Kenya and Zimbabwe on 27 February 1996(Wills World Cup 1996)

*Golghar ( a beehive shaped granary) - One of the oldest British buildings in Patna.

*Patna Museum called the Jadu Ghar: The well-known museum has a fine collection of stone and bronze sculptures and terracotta figures of Hindu and Buddhist artists. Didarganj Yakshi is the most prized collection of this museum.
* "Sri krishna Science Centre"' is a Science Museum.Sri krishna Science Centrewas established in Patna in the year 1978 which was named after the first Chief Minister of Bihar (Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha).

*Begu Hajjam's mosque, built in 1489 by the Bengal ruler Alauddin Hussani Shah

*Pathar ki Masjid built by Pervez, the elder brother of Shah Jahan and the first Mughal prince who made Bihar his residence

*Qila House (Jalan House) houses an interesting museum famous for its jade collection, Chinese paintings and other far eastern work of art, Collected by Diwan Bahadur Radhakrishan Jalan.

*Sadaqat Ashram on the banks of the river Ganga " [The land was donated by Mulana Mazharul Haque to the then congress party] " which later became the retreat of Dr. Rajendra Prasad

* A N Sinha Institute of Social Sciences It was established in the year 1964 and was inaugrated by the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad,named after the first deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister of Bihar (Dr.Anugrah Narayan Sinha).It is a prominent social research institute with vast literary collection and rare historical documentation.

*Zoological and Botanical garden called Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan, Patna.

*Bissleboron, birthplace of Rahul Gunderjaharagand.

*Padri Ki Haveli, deemed to be the oldest church in Bihar dating back to 1772.

*Bankipore Club on the banks of the river Ganges. The dance hall of this club is said to be one of the original buildings built by the Dutch in the 17th century.

* Congress Maidan A historic ground that symbolises the Indian independence movement in Bihar.It was used to hold meetings by great illumanaries like Rajendra Prasad,Nehru,Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sri Babu, Jayaprakash Narayan and others.

*Darbhanga House, also called Nav Lakha building. This was built by Maharaja Sir Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga. This beautiful building on the banks of Ganges now houses the post graduate departments of Patna University. It houses the Kali Mandir, which has been a place of worship of the goddess, the Maharaja himself was a great devotee and the students of the Patna University rarely take an exam without offering a prayer.

*Patna College administrative block building was initially part of a Dutch Opium factory established on the banks of the Ganga as a part of the flourishing Opium Trade from the northern China and Nepal region.
*Gandhi Maidan called the Patna Lawns during the British Raj.

* Anugrah Seva Sadan It was established by Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan to serve the underprivileged masses and to serve as a care home for the poor.It bears the pious name of reverend leader Bihar Bibhuti Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha.
*Very old Church Known as Christ Church which also has a school with same name near Gandhi Maidan.

*Kargil Chowk near gandhi maidan built in the memory of our brave soldier who get shaheed in kargil war "SALUTE TO THEM"

*Saheed smarak, situated near Bihar Vidhan Sabha. is a memory of seven extra ordinary students who attempted to hoist the Indian flag on the top of Bihar Vidhan Sabha in 1942 during English rule. The six were shot dead by the forces under the command of the-then colonial government of India, while the last and the seventh one was able to hoist the flag.

*Nagholkothi Located in Old city of Patna. Built by Nawabs of Patna, it is an example of unique architecture of midlive time with beautiful garden of Mughal style.

*Danapur Cantonment , 12 km from Patna. Its centre for Bihar Regiment.

Education

main|Education in Patna | Literacy in Patna Patna emerged as a center of learning in modern India during the later part of British Raj. The Patna University, the first university in Bihar, was established in 1917, and is the 7th oldest University of the Indian subcontinent. Most of the prominent colleges in Patna are affiliated to the Patna University, while the rest many are affiliated to Magadh University, Bodh Gaya.

*Indian Institute of Technology Patna is 8th IIT in India.
*BIT Mesra Extension Centre, Patna
*National Institute of Fashion Technology,Patna is 9th NIFT in India.
*National Institute of Technology, Patna(Estd. 1900) is 6th oldest engineering college of the country.
*Maulana Azad College of Engineering and Technology, Patna
*Chandragupt Institute of Management,Patna, (Estd.-2008)
*Chanakya National Law University,Patna,(Estd. 2006)
* [http://www.ansiss.org/ A N Sinha Institute of Social Sciences] ,Patna,(Estd.-1964),is a prominent social research institute.
*Patna University,(Estd. 1917), Seventh Oldest University of the Indian Subcontinent.
*Patna Science College,(Estd. 1927), boasts of its numerous great Alumnus & research facilities."
*Patna College(Estd. 1863) one of oldest graduate college in India.Patna College has been hailed as the Oxford of Bihar with no Cambridge to compete with the students of Patna College have earned fame and respect not only in India but even abroad.
*Patna Medical College and Hospital"' (Estd. 1925) earlier known as Prince of Wales Medical College.
*Patna Women's College,(Estd. 1940) is the first college for women in Bihar. It was founded by Bishop B. J. Sulivan.
*College of Arts and Crafts,Patna, (Estd. 25 January 1939)
*Magadha Mahila College,Patna,
*Patna Law College,Patna,
*Bihar National College ,Patna,
*Magadha Mahila College,Patna,
*Vanijya Mahavidyala ,Patna,

*Magadh University
*L N Mishra Institute of Economic Development & Social Change] ,(Estd. 1973)
* [http://www.ancollege.org/ A. N. College, Patna] (established in the year 1956) is one of the premier co-educational institutions of the state of Bihar imparting teachings to almost nine thousand students and is a constituent unit of Magadh University Bodh Gaya.It is situated on 13 acres of land in the posh locality of Patna on the main Boring-Patliputra road. There are 13 separate blocks for housing 19 post graduate and 22 under graduate departments.The college is registered under 2(f) and 12 (b) of the UGC Act and is receiving grants from the UGC Since fifth plan period. It has been accredited Grade 'A' by NAAC and also accorded "CPE"(Colleges with Potential for Excellence) by UGC.
*College of commerce,Patna

*Patna Institute of Technology

*Dr. Zakir Hussain Institute of Non Formal & Continuous Education

Most government-run schools in Patna are affiliated with the Bihar School Examination Board, whereas most private schools are affiliated with the ICSE and CBSE boards. Some of the prominent old schools in the city were established by missionaries during the British Raj.

Patna also houses one of India's world-renowned libraries, the Khuda Baksh Oriental Library and the Sinha Library, which is one of the largest in the region.

Bold text=See Also=

International Institute Of Management Studies (iims)

Gallery

Mahatma Gandhi Setu on Ganga, Patna
Vishkomann Tower
Patna High Court
Kargil Chowk
Golghar
Patna Museum
Kumhrar's "80 pillar Hall"
Takht Shri Patna Sahib
Ganga from Collectorate Ghat
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Statue
Patna Zoo
Moin Ul Haque Stadium
Shri Krishna Memorial Hall

Notes

References

External links

* [http://patna.nic.in Official portal of Patna]
* [http://www.patnanagarnigam.org Official site of the Municipal Corporation of Patna]
* [http://patna.bih.nic.in Official portal of Patna district]
* [http://bihar.nic.in Official portal of Bihar]
* [http://bihar.nic.in Official portal of India]