One of the oldest continuously inhabited places ( city ) in the
world .
Patna was founded in 490 BCE by
the king of Magadha.
Ancient Patna, known as Pataliputra, was the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Shunga, Gupta and Pala empires.
Pataliputra was a seat of learning and fine arts.
Patliputra ( present
day Patna) is home to many astronomers and scholars including Aryabhata, Vātsyāyana and Chanakya .
Its population during the Maurya period (around
300 BCE) was about 400,000.
Patna
served as the seat of power, political and cultural centre of Indian subcontinent during the Maurya and Gupta empires.
With the fall of Gupta Empire, Patna lost its glory. It was revived again in the 17th century by the
British as a centre of international
trade. Following the partition of Bengal presidency in 1912, Patna became the capital of Bihar and Orissa Province.
The modern city of Patna is situated on the southern bank of
river Ganges. The city also straddles the rivers Sone, Gandak and Punpun.
Patna is developing very
fast and very soon going tobe considered a metro city .
The Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain pilgrimage centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, and Pawapuri are nearby and Patna City is also a sacred city for Sikhs as the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here.