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Patna, Situated
on the banks of the river Ganges, the city of Patna is the
capital of the state of Bihar and has a history which spans
three millennia. The city is mentioned in accounts of the
Greek scholar Megasthenes and in later accounts by Fa-Hien
and Hieun-Tsang. Also known as Patliputra, the city has been
associated with the mighty empires of the Mauryas and the
Guptas.
Home to the earliest democracy in Vaishali, the city of
Patna has been associated with various religions, like
Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. It has been graced by Lord
Buddha, Lord Mahavira and also by the birth of tenth guru of
the Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh at Takht Shri Patna Sahib.
Close to the city of Patna is the ruins of the famous
Nalanda University which was considered to be the
fountainhead of the spring of knowledge and wisdom in the
ancient times and attracted pupils and scholars from Korea,
Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. Another
university which was a centre of Buddhist learning was
developed at Vikramshila. |
