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Nederlands (nl-NL) Embark on a historic journey to Patna, a city of faith and splendour. Discover in less than eight minutes the Golghar, monumental granary, symbol of British heritage. Marvel at the gurdwara Patna Sahib, the sacred seat of Sikhism, nestled on the calming banks of the Ganges. Our video guides you through these wonders, evoking ancient tales, spirit beings and fascinating landscapes. Echoes of the past resonate at every street corner, each stone tells a story. In Patna, the splendor of India is revealed. Let yourself be enchanted, let the magic of Patna invade you. The secrets of this ancient and sacred city await you. Watch, listen, learn and be moved. Patna is waiting for you, and history is just a click away.
This film was made on the basis of photos and videos taken during the trip Buddhist India • Sikkim • Bihar • West Bengal (EN)
A click on this icon above displays the list of chapters of this film about Bihar • northeastern state of India in India. A click on a dot goes directly to a chapter.
Reading the text below will help you better understand the cultural context of the images in this video.
Chapters:
00:31 • The banks of the Ganges
03:23 • Buddha Smriti Park
04:11 • Golghar, historic granary
05:02 • Gurudwara Patna Sahib or Har Mandir
Patna
Patna, located on the banks of the Ganges is the 18th largest city in India in terms of the number of inhabitants. The Ganges is the holiest river in Hinduism, and Patna is a holy city for Sikhism, since the 10th guru, Gobind Singh was born here. In addition, the city is close to places of pilgrimage of the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religions, the cities of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya and Pawapuri.
Patna, formerly known as Pataliputra then Azimabad, is one of the oldest permanently inhabited cities in the world. It was founded in 490 BC and was the capital of the Magadh Empire and an important place of learning and fine arts.
Patna declined with the end of the Gupta Empire around the 6th century CE.
The British restored it to some of its former glory by making it a center of international trade. It experienced a further decline after independence when Jarkhand was separated from Bihar and is busy going up the slope and experiencing one of the most important growths in India.
Patna and Sihkism
Patna, the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, plays an important role in Sikhism, as it is closely linked to the life of the tenth and last human guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Guru Gobind Singh was born in Patna on December 22, 1666, and he is the founder of the Khalsa order, which is central to the Sikh faith.
Takht Sri Patna Sahib, also known as Harmandir Sahib, is a historic gurdwara (Sikh temple) located in Patna. It is one of the five Takhts (seats of authority) of Sikhism and is considered one of the holiest places for Sikhs. Takht Sri Patna Sahib was built in honor of Guru Gobind Singh and marks the place where he was born.
The gurdwara is an important place of pilgrimage for Sikhs around the world, and many religious events and celebrations are held there. Among these events, the most important is the Prakash Utsav, which celebrates the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh. Celebrations include prayers, singing of hymns, processions and the distribution of free food (langar) to visitors and pilgrims.
Gurdwara Patna Sahib
Gurdwara Patna Sahib (or Har Mandir) and actually a Takht, a main seat of Sikh authority or a major temple. The Takht are 5 in number: the most important is the Golden Temple of Amritsar. Then come that of Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Patna and that of Nanded. All of these Takhts were founded by the last guru, Gobind Singh.
The Patna Sahib gurdwara is magnificent and relatively recent since the works were completed in 1957. The original gurdwara was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1934.
Buddha smriti park
Buddha Smriti Park, or Buddha Memorial Park is an urban park developed to commemorate the Buddha's 2554th birthday and was inaugurated in 2010 by the Dalai Lama. Several bodhi trees (pagoda ficus, trees under which Buddha used to meditate) have been planted in this park, one from Bodhgaya, where Buddha experienced enlightenment. The other is from Sri Lanka. Legend has it that a branch of the Bodhgaya tree was taken there by the Buddhist emperor Ashoka.
A large modern stupa, housing an urn containing Buddha's ashes, is built in the middle of the park.
Golghar
Another iconic place in the city of Patna is Golghar. It is a huge grain silo built in 1784 by the British to prevent recurrent famines in the state of Bihar. This first silo was to be followed by several others. But alas, he is the only one to have emerged from the earth.
This monument was recently restored.
about the place, Patna:
Patna is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar.
Very old town, Patna has historically been of capital importance. As early as the 3rd century BC, Patna already had nearly 400,000 inhabitants. It was a cultural center of prime importance and many intellectuals including many astronomers had settled there.
The city currently has more than 2.5 million inhabitants.
Music:
- YouTube video library - A Fallen Cowboy
- YouTube video library - Butterflies in Love
- YouTube video library - Island Coconuts
- Bhai Sarabjeet Singh (Inde) - Hazoori Ragi - Sa Rasna Dhan Dhan Hai
Disclaimer: Despite its appropriateness, copyright issues prevent the use of indian traditional music in "Patna, sacred city of Sikhism • Bihar, India ", hence the use of royalty-free music. Despite our careful selection, some might regret this decision, which is necessary to avoid potential lawsuits. Although difficult, this decision is the only viable solution.
What's the weather like in Patna?
Links to related pages
• Main dynasties that ruled the region •
• Monuments •
Patna • Buddha Smriti Park - Spiritual and Cultural Haven
Patna • Golghar - Ingenuity and History in One Structure
Patna • Gurdwara Patna Sahib - Beacon of Sikh Faith and History
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Spoken comments in the film:
On the banks of the Ganges, in the North of India, in the state of Bihar, extends one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world since it was founded in 490 before our era by the king of Magadha.
Less ancient and less known than Varanasi (Benares) Patna is the 18th most important city in India by its population. It has nearly 2 million inhabitants.
Patna is also one of the holy places of Sikkhism because it saw the birth of the 10th and last Guru Gobind Singh on December 22, 1666.
Patna is the capital of the state of Bihar, one of the poorest in the Indian confederation.
The Golghar in Patna is an granary 29 meters high built at the end of the 18th century to store grain to alleviate the perpetual famines that the region was experiencing.
It was to be the first in a long series but unfortunately in the end it was the only one to see the light of day.
It was the subject of a restoration plan at the beginning of the 21st century
The Patna gurudwara is one of the 5 Takht (seat of Sikh authority) and therefore one of the 5 most important temples of Sikhism.
The founding guru (Guru Nanak) is said to have spent 3 months in the city of Patna and the last guru (Guru Gobind Singh) was born there in 1666.
