India Travel

Leaving Patna

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Travel details to Bihar and Jharkhand

Trains Gaya to: Allahabad (4 daily; 4hr 20min-6hr 30min); Calcutta (6 daily 6-9hr); Dehra Dun (1 daily; 26hr); Delhi (9 daily; 12-15hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 23hr|; Kalka (1 daily; 27hr); Lucknow (3 daily; 10-13hr); Mughal Sarai (13 daily; 3-5hr); Mumbai (1 daily: 31 hr); Patna (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Puri (3 weekly; 17-40hr); Ranchi (3 daily; 8hr 20min); Sasaram (10 daily; 1-3hr); Varanasi (3 daily; 4hr-5hr 30min). Patna to: Agra (1 daily; 17hr 35min); Allahabad (8 daily; 6-8hr); Calcutta (6 daily; 7hr 30min-12hr); Chennai (2 weekly; 44hr); Delhi (8 daily; 12-24hr); Gaya (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Guwahati (3 daily: 21-26hr); Lucknow (3

Hotels at Patna

Patna has plenty of accommodation, although curiously most of it is fully booked most of the time. The cheaper hotels can be found on "Hotel Lane" at the station end of Fraser Road opposite the Sainrat. The top end of Exhibition Road also has a cluster of cheap to mid-range hotels, while Patna's number-one hotel the Mattrya is at the top of Fraser Road near the maidatt. The railway station retiring rooms are good value at Rs 100.

Vaishali

Set amid paddy fields 55 km north of Patna, the quiet h amlet of VAISHALI is significant to both Buddhists and Jains. Archeological excavations are still in progress and only a fraction of this ancient city, buried in the silt of the River Gandak and dating from the sixth century BC, has yet been unearthed. This was where the Buddha preached his last sermon before he died in Kushinagar around 483 BC. N amed after King Visala, who is mentioned in the R amayana, Vaishali is believed by some historians to have been the first city state in the world

Patna Excursion

Patna makes a popular base for exploring Nalanda and Rajgir, as well as Vaishali to the north, but there are also places of interest closer at hand. The fabulous dargah - Sufi mausoleum - at Muner, on the road to Varanasi, is the prime attraction, but if you're in the area between early November and early December, don't miss the Sonepur Mela, an enormous month-long cattle fair held across the huge Gandhi Bridge, 25km north of Patna at the confluence of the Gandak and Ganges. Cattle, elephants, camels, parakeets and other animals are brought for sale, pilgrims combine business with

Patna and around

The capital of Bihar, PATNA. dates back to the sixth century BC, which makes it one of the oldest cities in India. Today, it's a nice enough place, but one which holds only the barest of indications of its former glory as the centre of the Magadhan and Mauryan empires.The sprawling metropolis hugs the south bank of the Ganges, stretching for around 15km in a shape that has changed little since Ajatasatru (491-459 BC) shifted the Magadhan capital here from Rajgir. The first Mauryan emperor, Chandragupta, established himself in what was then Pataliputra, in 321 BC, and pushed the limits of

Reaching Patna

Patna has three stations but all main-line train services arrive at Patna Junction, in the west of the city. Fraser Road (now Mazharul-Raq Path), immediately north of the station, is the main drag, with as much glamour as the state can muster - though even here you'll see rag pickers living on the pavement. Patna's airport lies 5km to the west, linked to town by taxis and indian Airlines buses. A few hundred meters west of the station, the chaotic Harding Park bus stand runs services to and from Gaya, Varanasi, and the Nepal border at Raxaul (gate 6). North

Jasidih and Deogarh

JASIDIH, a small industrial town 220km southeast of Patna on the main line to Calcutta, has started to attract travellers due to the international popularity of the ascetic Swarni Satyananda and his Rikhya Yoga Ashram, 12km from the centre. Note, however, that the ashram is open to the public only a few select days every year; visitors are expected to donate clothing and medicine. Yoga courses are run b his disciple Niranjan within the walls of the old fort at Monghyr, 60km to the north (nearest train station, Jamalpur) and 180km east of Patna. For information, write to Bihar Yoga

Moving on from Varanasi to the Eastern UP

Indian Airlines' daily flight to Kathmandu gets very heavily booked in winter; there are two daily flights to Delhi, one via Khajuraho and Agra and two to Mumbai. Sahara India Airlines fly daily from Varanasi to Delhi, and Patna, and from Patna to Lucknow and Mumbai. Allow at least ninety minutes from the Old City to the airport due to gridlock. Most of the super-fast trains on the main east-west line between Delhi and Calcutta such as the Rajdhani, bypass Varanasi but stop at Mughal Sarai, an arduous 45 minutes away by road or a short train ride. Varanasi station has

Moving on from Varanasi in Eastern UP

Indian Airlines' daily flight to Kathmandu gets very heavily booked in winter; there are two daily flights to Delhi, one via Khajuraho and Agra and two to Mumbai. Sahara India Airlines fly daily from Varanasi to Delhi, and Patna, and from Patna to Lucknow and Mumbai. Allow at least ninety minutes from the Old City to the airport due to gridlock. Most of the super-fast trains on the main east-west line between Delhi and Calcutta such as the Rajdhani, bypass Varanasi but stop at Mughal Sarai, an arduous 45 minutes away by road or a short train ride. Varanasi station has

Ranchi and around

RANCHI, at the heart of the Chotanagpur plateau, is ugly and poor and it's hard to believe that it was once the summer capital of Bihar, full of tea-gardens. The only reason to come here is to visit one of its ashrams such as the extensive Yogoda Math Ashram. Several major trains - connecting with, among other places, Calcutta. Delhi Patna, Daltonganj, Dhanbad.Jasidih and Jamshedpur - either call at Ranchi station, near the southern end of the Main Road, or terminate at Hatia, 7km away. Indian Airlines has daily flights between Ranchi and Delhi, while there are twice-weekly flights (Tues &

Travel details for Uttar Pradesh

Trains Note that most important trains to Varanasi stop at Moghul Sarai, requiring a change of trains or a connecting bus or taxi. Agra to: Ahmedabad (1 weekly; 27hr 30min); Alwar (1 dally; 4hr); Btiopal (16-19 daily; 5hr 30min-9hr): Bhubaneshwar (1 daily; 39hr); Chennai (1-2 daily; 34hr-42hr); Delhi (15 daily; 2hr-4hr 15min); Gwalior (15-19 daily; 1hr 15min-2hr); Indore (1 daily; 14hr 25min); Jaipur (3 daily; 7hr); Jalgaon (3-4 daily; 14hr 20min-19hr); Jhansi (15-19 daily; 2hr 25min-5hr); Jodhpur (3 daily; 13hr); Kanpur (4 daily; 7hr): Kolkota (Calcutta) (1 daily; 30hr); Lucknow (3 daily: 7hr-8hr 30min); Mathura (12 daily; 1hr 30min-2hr); Mumbai (2 daily;

North of Cuttack in Orissa

As you head north from Cuttack and the Mahanandi, the profile of the Eastern Ghats recedes temporarily into the haze on the horizon leaving a flat expanse of paddy fields, palm trees and mud-walled villages. This area was particularly affected by the cyclone, leaving houses and livelihoods destroyed. The main railway line and NH5 twisting alongside it follow the path of the famous pilgrim trail, the Jagannath Sadak that once led from Calcutta to Puri. Until the end of the nineteenth century this now hectic route was no more than a mud track. Then, following the 1865 famine that wiped

Travel details in North Bengal

Trains Calcutta to: Agra (1 daily; 30hr); Ahmedabad (1 daily; 44hr); Bhubaneshwar (10 daily; 8-12 fir); Chennai (5 daily; 27-35hr); Delhi (7 daily; 18-34hr); Guwahati (3 daily; 20-25hr); Gwalior (2 weekly; 26hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 30hr); Jabalpur (1 daily; 21 hr); Jaipur (1 daily; 30hr); Jalgaon (3 daily; 28-34hr); Lucknow (3 daily; 18hr); Mumbai (3 daily; 33-42hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 19-25hr]; Patna (5 daily; 7-10hr); Puri (2 nightly; 11-12hr); Ranchi (1 daily; 10hr); Shantiniketan (6-7 daily; 2hr 30min-4hr); Siliguri NJP (6-7 daily; 12-14hr); Thiruvananthapuram (1 weekly; 49hr); Ujjain (2 weekly; 33hr 40min|; Varanasi (5-8 daily; 8hr 30min-20hr], Shantiniketan (Bolpur) to: Calcutta (6-7

Mandir Sahib

In the most interesting area of Patna - the older part of town, 10km east of Gandhi Maidan - filthy congested lanes crammed with vehicles of all kinds lead to Har Mandir Sahib, the second holiest of the four great Sikh shrines known as takhts (thrones), and dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh, born in Patna in 1660. The dazzling white onion-domed marble temple is set in an expansive courtyard off the main road. Visitors are welcome to roam around the courtyard and even venture inside where more than likely there will be some devotional music playing. A free shoe locker

Gaya

The flyblown and densely packed town of GAYA, 100 km south of Patna serves as an essential transit point for visitors to Bodhgaya, 13 km away. Far from appealing in itself, it is however of great significance to Hindus, who come here to honour their parents a year after death by offering pind - a gift of funeral cakes - at the massive Vishnupad temple, where non-Hindus ; are forbidden. After the monsoon, when the river is in spate, pilgrims bathe in the river and present offerings. During the dry season, they have to content themselves with holes dug into

Rajgir in Bodhgaya

Eighty kilometres northeast of Bodhgaya, the small market town of RAJGIR nestles in the rocky hills that witnessed the meditations and teachings of both the Buddha and Mahavira. The capital of the Magadha kingdom before Pataliputra, this was where King Bimbisara converted to Buddhism.Today the picturesque and quiet environs, visited by international pilgrims, are also enjoyed as a health resort because of the local hot springs. The pools are always open, but can get unpleasantly crowded. Several sites bear witness to the Buddha's many visits. A Japanese shrine at Venuvana Vihara marks the spot where a monastery was built for the

Moving on from Siliguri in North Bengal

Both Indian Airlines and Jet Airways fly to Calcutta, Delhi and Guwahati. The Indian Airlines' office is in the Hotel Mainak Complex, Hill Cart Road; Jet Airways is in the Hotel Vinayak, Hill Cart Road. At the time of going to press, flights to and from Bagdogra had been suspended due to runway repairs. All major trains, most terminating or starting at Guwahati, use NJP station, not Siliguri. Reservations can be made at NJP Railway Station or the Central Railway Booking Office (daily 8am-4pm), Bidhan Road, near Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri. The main trains to Calcutta include the Darjeeling Mail #3143/3144,

Food and Dining at Patna

Fraser Road features several good restaurants, such as the Bansi Vihar, a good-value south Indian veg place - though wrap up warm as the air-conditioning is fierce - and the excellent Anarkali in Hotel Mamta. Reasonable Palji at Krishna Chowk near the railway station is popular with locals, and the Mayjair at the end of Hotel Lane is cheap, cheerful and always busy. The Madras does good south Indian food and the Rajasthan hotel nearby has a quality vegetarian restaurant. Many of the a/c restaurants along this stretch double as bars and have two shifts - families are served earlier

Muner

The imposing but neglected red-sandstone mausoleum of the Sufi saint Yahia Muneri overlooks a lake 27 km west of Patna on the busy Varanasi road, 1 km west of MUNER - an easy bus ride from the city. The shrine itself, built in 1605 by Ibrahim Khan, the governor of Gujarat under Jahangir, stands atop a hillock; the beautifully maintained gardens below are the responsibility of the devout and traditionalist Sufi caretakers. Every year, around February, a three-day urs or festival in the saint's honour attracts pilgrims from far and wide, including qawwals, the renowned Sufi minstrels of the Chistia

About Patna

Patna's most remarkable monument dates from the British era. This huge grain storage house known as Golghar, the "round house" - now a symbol of the city, was built in 1786 by John Garstin at the behest of the then administrator, Warren Hastings, in the hope of avoiding a repetition of the terrible famine of 1770. Mercifully it never needed to be used. Overlooking the river and the maidan, it looks like the upper half of a giant off-white Easter egg, decorated with two sets of stairs that spiral their way to the summit, 29m above the road. These were