Patnaपटना — पाटलिपुत्र की विरासत, बिहार की राजधानी
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Patna in one minute
Patna — live weather, population, hidden places and cost of living, auto-updated.
Patna stands on the south bank of the Ganga where it meets the Son and Gandak — the same bend that carried Pataliputra, capital of the Mauryas and the Gupta age. Kumhrar’s excavated pillared hall, Agam Kuan’s ancient well and the Ashokan-era remains under the modern grid keep that record visible; Golghar (1786), built after a famine to hold grain, still has no companion building around it.
Modern Patna is Bihar’s capital and administration spine — the state secretariat, Patna University (1917), PMCH and AIIMS draw a steady flow of workers and students. The economy runs on government, education and the city’s huge coaching industry, with rice, makhana and litchi trade passing through its mandis. Patna Junction (PNBE) sits on the Delhi–Howrah main line, Jay Prakash airport (PAT) handles the metros, and the Gandhi Setu and Digha bridges stitch the north bank in.
Fast facts
| Status | Municipal corporation (patna nagar nigam) |
| District | Patna (HQ) |
| Division | Patna |
| District population (2011) | 58,38,262 |
| City population (2011) | 16,84,222 |
| Urban agglomeration | 20,49,156 |
| Density | ≈12,500 / km² |
| Languages | Hindi · Urdu · English |
| Main stations | Patna Jn (PNBE), Patna Saheb (PNC) |
| Nearest airport | Jay Prakash Narayan (PAT) — ~12 km |
| Rivers | Ganga · Son · Gandak confluence |
| Sub-divisions | Patna · Danapur · Barh · Paliganj |
| District literacy | 81.74% (2011) |
| Famous for | Pataliputra legacy · Chhath · Sahib |
City map
Demographics CENSUS 2011
Last official census — 2021 census deferred, estimates update on release.
16,84,222 residents
per 1,000 males
municipal area (2011)
≈1,85,264 children (est.)
🌟 Hidden & heritage places
Patna beyond the postcards — quiet places and lanes most guides skip.
Kumhrar
The Mauryan pillared hall excavated under a park — 80 column bases of Ashoka’s era, quietly guarded.
Directions ↗Agam Kuan
The “inaccessible well” of legend — eight-sided, ashoka-linked, still worshipped with lamps at the rim.
Directions ↗Golghar
The 1786 grain stupa with a spiral staircase to the top — Ganga view, and nobody selling tickets to hurry you.
Directions ↗Patna Museum (Old)
Colonial-era house of the Didarganj Yakshi and Mughal miniatures — the new museum took the footfall, not the objects.
Directions ↗Harmandir Patna Sahib
Birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh — white marble, the Takht seat, and the lanes of Kuchaichi Ghat outside.
Directions ↗Patna Riverfront
The promenade stretch along the Ganga — evening walkers, boat lights and the Expressway hum behind.
Directions ↗Padri ki Haveli
A 1770s church and shaded courtyard — one of the oldest Christian buildings in Bihar, almost off every itinerary.
Directions ↗Weekend getaways
Approximate road distances from Patna.
Cost of living
Indicative monthly estimates for a single person — verify locally before deciding.
| 1 BHK rent (city) | ₹5,000 – 9,000 / mo |
| 2 BHK rent (city) | ₹9,000 – 16,000 / mo |
| Meal at a local eatery | ₹100 – 200 |
| Groceries (single, month) | ₹4,500 – 6,500 |
| Utilities (basic) | ₹1,500 – 3,000 |
| Monthly total (est.) | ₹14,000 – 23,000 |
Estimates only · tier-2 capital market · updated with market data over time
Top industries
What actually runs Patna.
Rice, Makhana & Litchi
Bihar’s food grain and foxnut trade routes through Patna’s mandis — the wholesale heart of the Gangetic belt.
Market yards ↗Patna University & Coaching
1917’s university plus a coaching economy that runs on BPSC, railway and school aspirants by the lakh.
Campus ↗State Secretariat & Offices
Bihar’s capital runs on government — secretariat, courts, bank zonal offices and the service economy around them.
Centre ↗PMCH & Hospital Cluster
Patna Medical College (1925), AIIMS and private hospitals pull patients from across north Bihar.
Hospital belt ↗Junction & River Ports
Patna Junction on the Delhi–Howrah line plus Ganga river ports — grain, vehicles and passengers all day.
Station ↗Danapur–Khagaul Units
Small engineering, food processing and the cantonment belt’s workshops — the manufacturing edge of the district.
Industrial belt ↗Newsrooms & Bihari Media
Newspaper bureaus, TV offices and digital media — Patna consumes and produces news at capital scale.
Media lane ↗Katra & Wholesale Belts
Cloth, sweet and electronics wholesale that stocks half of north Bihar’s retail shelves.
Market lanes ↗Top restaurants & food
Where locals actually eat — local counters, classics and street institutions.
Gandhi Maidan stalls
Litti-chokha on coal, chana-samosa and sattu sherbet as the light drops over the maidan.
Directions ↗Gulzarbagh mithai lanes
Thekua, khaja and ladoo counters that stock festival boxes across the city.
Directions ↗Kankarbagh lanes
Family restaurants and momo counters in the big colony — dinner territory, not tourist territory.
Directions ↗Boring Road cafés
Study-hour cafés between coaching centres — chai, sandwiches and laptop tables.
Directions ↗Verified from local guides · Sep 2026 · hours change — call ahead
Markets & shopping
Katra Market
Cloth, ready-made and festival goods in the densest trading lanes of Patna City.
Directions ↗Gulzarbagh belts
Grain, sweet and general wholesale that feeds the city’s kirana network.
Directions ↗Boring Road & Fraser arcades
Bookshops, clinics and branded retail along the south-side spine.
Directions ↗Festival & fair calendar
Chhath Puja
The Ganga and ponds at dawn — the state’s biggest festival, four mornings of arghya.
Makar Sankranti
Til-gur, kite fights and the mela grounds across the city.
Sama-Chakeva
Mithila’s brother-sister festival — clay figures, songs and processions in the old wards.
Holi
Rajendra Nagar and the old lanes — gulal from roof to roof.
Oct – Mar
Post-monsoon Ganga weather — fairs, weddings and riverfront evenings.
From the Bharat DN network
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FAQ
Why is Patna famous?
As ancient Pataliputra — Mauryan and Gupta capital — plus Harmandir Patna Sahib, Golghar and the Chhath ghats on the Ganga.
What is the population of Patna?
As per Census 2011, Patna city has 16,84,222 residents; the urban agglomeration is 20,49,156 and the district 58,38,262.
What are the places to visit there?
Golghar, Kumhrar, Patna Museum, the riverfront and Harmandir Sahib — with day trips to Vaishali, Nalanda and Rajgir.
How do I reach Patna?
Patna Junction (PNBE) on the Delhi–Howrah main line, Jay Prakash airport (PAT) ~12 km, and Ganga bridge road links.