Patna- A Monumental History

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Patna, the present-day capital of Bihar, has historically been the centre-stage of many a great dynasties. Endowed with fertile land, inhabited by some of the greatest minds, and blessed by the waters of ageless Ganga, it has withstood the rigours of time, to retain its identity as a vibrant, organic city. The architectural landscape of Patna is a colourful mosaic of its stratified heritage. It has remains of the Mauryan empire, structures set up by Shershah, monuments built by the Mughals and an array of buildings constructed by the Europeans. Encapsulating Patna's monumental diversity in pictures, in a book of this limited size, must surely have been a daunting task. I am happy and proud that the Department of Art, Culture and Youth undertook this challenge, entirely on its own, so that people could conveniently have glimpse of this city. I congratulate the Department of Art, Culture and Youth for making this wonderfu beginning. I am sure this book will be interesting and informative for the many, who are fascinatec by the charms of Patna.

Patna, though not as old as many other historical cities of India, emerged as one of the most important cities of ancient India. It has enjoyed the honour of being the capital of great empires for a much longer period. It was only from here that the imperial sway of Mauryan Empire had stretched to as far as Herat in Western Afganistan.

Though the city went out of the limelight for sometime, Shershah Suri resurrected it during the lEith century. Thereafter, Patna again emerged and has remained the capital of the province.

The Department of Art, Culture and Youth had to make an industrious effort to shortlist and identify the important monuments, buildings and heritage sites dotting various parts of the town, so that it could be systematically presented in this book, aptly named, 'Patna-A Monumental History'.

I feel, this book will enamour young and old alike, and through it, they will come to know about many forgotten and lesser-known stories of our beloved Patna.