Photo: Shivam Setu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
📍 Patna, South Bihar, Bihar
Bihar's flagship state-of-the-art museum, spread across a sprawling low-rise campus designed by Japanese and Indian architects. Its galleries trace the region's history from prehistory through the Mauryan and Gupta ages, and its star exhibit is the exquisite Didarganj Yakshi, one of the finest examples of Mauryan polished sandstone sculpture.
The Bihar Museum is a modern history and cultural museum in Patna, opened in stages from 2015. Designed to showcase Bihar's rich heritage, it combines contemporary architecture with world-class curation and interactive displays.
Highlights include:
October to March, when Patna's weather is pleasant. Allow 2–3 hours for a full visit.
Museums One of India's oldest museums, established in 1917, and affectionately called 'Jadu Ghar' (House of Magic) by locals. Built in a graceful IndoSaracenic style, it holds tens of thousands of artefacts spanning Bihar's ancient, medieval and modern past, including a Buddha relic casket and rare stone and bronze sculptures.
Buddhist Circuit A serene urban park built to mark 2,554 years since the Buddha's birth, located right beside Patna Junction. Its centrepiece is the tall Karuna Stupa (Stupa of Compassion), which enshrines sacred Buddha relics, surrounded by landscaped gardens, a meditation centre and a museum — an oasis of calm in the busy city.
Hindu Temples One of the most visited Hanuman temples in North India, standing right beside Patna Junction. It is among the busiest and richest temples in Bihar, famous for its Naivedyam (Tirupatistyle laddoo prasad). The temple trust funds hospitals and social causes, and set an example by appointing a Dalit priest alongside the traditional one.
Memorials A moving memorial to seven young students who were shot dead by British police on 11 August 1942 while trying to hoist the national flag over the Secretariat during the Quit India Movement. The bronze statues, sculpted by Devi Prasad Roychoudhury, stand outside the Bihar Secretariat as an enduring tribute to their sacrifice.
