Patna, Patna: A Guide to PIN Code 800001
Everything you need to know about Patna in Patna - from local landmarks and street food to the stories behind the pincode.
Three thousand years ago, this was Pataliputra - the greatest city in the world. Today it is Patna - a city that carries the weight of its history while building something new. The Ganges flows past its northern edge, the Ashoka pillars still stand, and the food is as extraordinary as the past. This is PIN code 800001.
Pataliputra - the ancient capital
Patna was once Pataliputra, the capital of the Maurya Empire under Ashoka and the Gupta Empire during its golden age. These were among the largest and most sophisticated empires in the ancient world, and their capital was a city of a million people when most of the world's cities had a few thousand. The Patna Museum, with its collection of Mauryan and Gupta artefacts, including the famous Didarganj Yakshi, tells this story.
Bihar's past is so grand that its present sometimes gets overshadowed. But Patna is changing - building new institutions, growing new industries, and proving that ancient cities can reinvent themselves.
Patna Sahib - a Sikh holy site
The Patna Sahib Gurdwara, built on the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, is one of the holiest Sikh shrines. The gurdwara, with its white marble and gold dome, is a place of deep devotion. Pilgrims come from across India and the world to pay their respects.
Litti Chokha and Bihari food
Litti Chokha is Bihar's gift to Indian cuisine. Wheat balls stuffed with spiced gram flour, roasted over coal, and served with mashed brinjal and tomato - it is simple, flavourful, and deeply satisfying. The city also has excellent street food: dahi chura (flattened rice with yogurt), tilkut, and the famous Khaja. Patna's food is honest, hearty, and unpretentious.
Modern Patna
Patna is one of the fastest growing cities in Eastern India. The Patna Metro is under construction, new highways connect it to major cities, and the airport has been upgraded. The Mahavir Mandir, one of the most important Hanuman temples in India, and the Buddha Smriti Park, built to commemorate the 2,550th birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, are modern landmarks that show the city's evolving identity.
800001 is where empires began, where a wheat ball roasted over coal tells the story of a culture, and where a city with a 3,000-year history is writing its next chapter.