Patna AKA Patliputra, Capital Of Mauryan Empire

A few places tend to leave an everlasting impression on you when you visit them. It could be due to their scenic beauty, stunning architecture or history. Then there are places like Patna where it is the people and their hearts that enhance the beauty. Planning a trip to the so called lawless state of Bihar, we had our inhibitions and it would be completely wrong if we did not admit that we were concerned about our safety. But we were put to shame by the beautiful people of Patna and they taught us the most valuable lessons of all- It is a grave sin to have sweeping general perceptions and to not get into the cycle of typecasting based on a few incidents alone.

A chance discussion with fellow passengers in the train and they went out of the way to tell us about how safe and cheap it is to take shared autos, they found us a decent accommodation, dropped us there and even treated us to plates of piping hot momos. As if this was not enough, they got their bikes the next day so that we could roam the city of Patna and like true hosts they never expected anything in return. It was not just them but every other person we met in the city from auto drivers to people accompanying us in the shared auto to the caretakers and guard of the patna state museum. All of them treated us with so much kindness and went out of the way so that we have a great time in their city.

They proved the age old golden Indian tradition true "Atithi Devo Bhava"- "Guest Should Be Treated Like God." In general for the three days that we were in Patna we experienced a whole different world contrary to the views expressed by the media and mean jokes circulated on social media.

Apart from the warmth of these awesome people, the city offers a lot to keep travellers on their toes and we started off with the Patna Museum. It is definitely a must visit as it houses relics that are very precious. The museum is divided into different sections bronze and stone sculptures, terracotta gallery, textiles, weapons, artifacts, paintings and an entire section dedicated to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. The thankas displayed near the staircase on the first floor surely grab your attention.

Among all the sculptures, the one that stands out is the Didarganj Yakshi. This sandstone sculpture over 6 feet in height and made from a single stone with well polished surface is one of the finest examples of Mauryan art. It was excavated from banks of Ganga and is considered one of the most precious examples of ancient Indian sculptural art. Even the backyard of the museum has centuries old sculptures.

Another interesting aspect of the museum is a 200 million year fossil tree. It is 58 feet in length and was found near Asansol in 1927. You can also spot World War 1 canons that are on display here. The museum also houses Buddha relics, Buddha's ashes and manuscripts with Gold and Silver inscriptions. If you want to see these manuscripts and Buddha's ashes, the museum tickets are priced at Rs.100 per person. If you want to give it a miss, the tickets are Rs.15. Even though we felt the pricing is unfair we highly recommend you visit these exquisite or one of a kind relics. Camera charges are Rs,100.

Golghar, one of the iconic monuments of Patna, was constructed by an Englishman to store grains for the British Army after the tragic famine of 1770 which killed millions of Indians. This stupa shaped monument with a spiral staircase was designed in a manner for laborers to carry the load up, drop the load and descend from the other set of stairs. With a storage capacity of 140000 tonnes it could provide food for thousands of people. The panoramic view of Patna from the top of this 79 meter tall monument and the scintillating sunset over the ghats is a perfect site. However, this place tends to get a little crowded around sunset.

Kali Ghat/ Kali Mandir is a revered place of worship over looking one of the many ghats with the mighty Ganges flowing by her side. The main deity is Kali Maa. It is considered as one of the holiest sites of Patna and attracts hordes of people. People do not just come to the temple, they make sure that they visit the ghat after praying to Goddess Kali to offer their prayers to Ganga. Earlier the devotees used to let the diyas float in the Ganges but now thanks to PM Narendra Modi's 'Swachh Bharat' mission, this practice is highly discouraged and the diyas are now left on the steps of the ghat. The neighboring building is Patna University, one of the most prestigious university of Bihar.

Takht Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara is one of the holiest sites in India for Sikhs as Patna is the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh ji, the tenth Guru of Sikhism, This beautiful Gurudwara is a sight to behold and like every other Gurudwara, a sense of peace and calm prevails. Your trip to any Gurudwara is incomplete if you skip the Langar. The best part about the Sikh community is that they welcome people with a very generous heart and offer food irrespective of the faith they practice, their social status or any other discrimination. The rich or poor sit shoulder to shoulder and dine like one big family. A visit to this beautiful Gurudwara might be chaotic as it is set in a super busy market place and the roads are very narrow and congested.

Shaheed Samrak Park aka martyrs memorial is dedicated to seven martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives fighting colonists in a bid to hoist the National Flag on the Secretariat building during the Quit India Movement. The bronze statue of these young students portrays the determination and the love for their motherland not willing to give up on their mission even after facing bullets. It is very important and supreme duty of any Indian to remember and respect every man and woman who fight fiercely for the freedom and prosperity of India. This park is a couple of kilometers away from Patna High Court.

Haldiram's in Boring Road is one of the best veg restaurants to dine in. 'Boring road' contrary to the name is a happening lane in Patna. It is a street food lovers paradise with several thelas (food carts) that serve excellent street food. We were surprised to find a few carts selling delicious momos. A small shop, Blue Moon, sells a wide variety of 'Kathi Rolls' aka Frankie. This place is pretty easy to find as it is often mobbed and that would be your tell tell sign. If you are not a big fan of street food this lane is still a big hit as it also has several fine dining restaurants. To cater to your sweet tooth, head to Sweet Home, they have a huge range of sweets confectioneries and bakery items. The sandwiches at this place are a must try.

If you are in Patna on a Monday it would be a better idea to reschedule your entire trip as all attractions remain closed. Patna comes second only to Gwalior in terms of unnecessary honking that result in a headache if you spend long hours on the streets. Patna is very hot even in the month of September, the sun is pretty severe on you throughout the day so be sure to keep yourself hydrated and be well equipped with sunglasses, hat and sunscreen. The Bihari dialect is something we fell in love with. 

When we visited Patna, Bihar was gearing up for one of the most unpredictable elections and there was a lot of debate about who would win the State elections. During one of our evening strolls we saw technology being put to great use. PM was interacting with the locals through digital media and trying his level best to convince them to back his party. 

We stayed at Royal Executive Guesthouse at Boring Road residential colony. Their rooms are basic and clean and their service is good. During our entire stay in Patna shared autos ruled Patna city and we never had to hire a private auto or cab. One can reach any corner of the city by waving down one of the several autos and to reach far off parts one might have to take more than one shared auto. The charges are very nominal with the minimum charge being Rs.5 and the maximum we paid was Rs.13 per person. However if you are riding in one of these for the first time be careful and always have a tight grip.

Aurangabad City Of Gates

When we think of Aurangabad, the first thing that comes to our mind are the sister caves Ajanta & Ellora but this beautiful city has its own charming history that makes you fall in love with this place. It had close to 52 gates during medieval times though only a few of them have survived the test of times. This place offers a lot to explore from Temples, Caves, Monuments to Museums, Textiles and Local Cuisines. It is a very pleasant, clean and traveler friendly city, the infrastructure is top notch and it was very appeasing and nice to see quite a few trees occupy sides of the road. To our delight, the footpaths were broad and free of any kind of encroachments.

We commenced our Aurangabad trip by visiting Grineshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyothirlingas, believed to be the last shrine or 12th Linga and is considered sacred among Hindus. The temple tower is made of red stone and the architecture within the temple premises left us awestruck. The carvings, pillars, paintings and statues are the highlight of the temple. Since it is one of the 12 Jyothirlingas, it is highly commercialized and people try to sell you one thing or the other right from the parking lot. Camera and phones are prohibited inside the temple and have to be deposited at a nearby counter.

Bibi Ka Maqbara is a mausoleum built by Aurangzeb's son, Azam Shah, in memory of his mother. This monument is an imitation of  Taj Mahal but fails to ignite the charm, aura and a feel of being lost in time.

The lesser known Aurangabad Caves are only 2 km away from Bibi Ka Maqbara. These caves are on par with the magnificent Ajanta and Ellora caves but do not hog the limelight. It would be a good idea to hire an auto or cab to visit Aurangabad caves as it is in the outskirts of the city and there are no other means of transport. If you want to hire an auto we highly recommend Mr.Krishna (9130194847) a very honest and thorough gentleman who makes sure that the travelers have a good time. He is pretty flexible, patient and informative.

Chatrapati Shivaji Museum tucked away in a small corner of Aurangabad is a must visit not only for history buffs but for everybody to learn more about this fearless warrior. Shivaji is very well known and respected widely for being a fierce warrior, great patriot and true liberal. Under his able leadership, our country flourished and thrived. He never differentiated people based on their caste or creed giving them opportunities depending on their skill set. Under his rule, women enjoyed great rights and were respected and honored. This compact museum lays down the legacy and artifacts from Shivaji's period.

As you enter the museum you are greeted by massive cast iron canons and huge teak wood doors. The museum is classified into different galleries exhibiting exceptionally well preserved armory - swords, pistol, barrels, canons, guns, lead balls, knives, daggers, Madu (deer horn) body armor. Artifacts range from portraits, paintings, oil lamps, candle sticks, religious importance items, extensive mughal era coins from Shivaji's period. spice box, stone and ivory sculptures, jewelry boxes. The best part about the museum is the wide collection of beautiful silver nutcrackers and 1600 AD Paithani Saree and shawl still in mint condition. They have an extensive collection of great manuscripts. The museum is very well maintained and is sparkling clean with each artifact clearly visibly through glass. The museum is closed on Thursdays.

En-route we saw a lot of handloom shops selling the famous Paithani and Himroo sarees. Paithani sarees - A Golden heritage of 2000 years, these pure silk sarees are completely handwoven with great care and fabulous artistic work. Silk from Paithan was traded for gold and precious stones ages ago. Even today, the work is handwoven in pure silk and silver. Himroo is also another traditional weaving art which is a mix of silk and cotton. This art is slowly fading away and efforts are being made by the government and weaving industry to keep this art alive.

Be sure to stop by one of the stores and check out the work. Paithani  silk weaving centre in Lokmat Nagar is the perfect place to shop and also see the weavers in action handcrafting every single saree. Government Of India, Ministry Of Textiles run a training centre for weavers here. The centre has sarees, handwoven exquisite carpets with 900 knots per sq inch, shawls, artifacts and the likes. It would be safe to say you could buy genuine stuff from this outlet.

Ajanta Caves, a World Heritage Monument, is not just known for its magnificent architecture but also for the elaborate mural paintings highlighting the life events of Buddha. Our Exclusive post on Ajanta can be found here.

Ellora Caves stand as a testimony for secularism with 3 different religions coexisting in harmony in the same premises. Apart from that, the mystery surrounding the architecture of these caves and the possibility of receiving help from extra terrestrial beings to finish the mind boggling carvings makes these caves even more intriguing. Our exclusive post on Ellora.

Trip to Aurangabad is not complete if one fails to visit the "Only Crater Lake In India" Lonar.

CIDCO serves as the perfect locality to stay, there are several hotels that fit all budgets and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. To taste authentic Aurangabad biryani we recommend Karim's. Their Chicken biryani is simply amazing, it is a semi dry gravy mixed with rice and quite spicy. The chicken pieces are super tender and finger licking good. Apart from the most amazing biryani,  Karim's outlet comes highly recommended for its delicious Kathi Roll, mouth watering kababs and Kheema Pav. Another excellent biryani eat out would be this tiny place called Zaika, behind Naik college, Cannaught Place.

If you are a vegetarian we recommend 'Pakwan Thali Restaurant' at Jalna road CIDCO, specializing in Rajasthani cuisine. If you crave for Maharashtrian vada pav, Pet Puja outlets serve yummy vada pav.

To enjoy street food  and not count the calories, Cannaught place is an excellent hangout area. It serves best and clean street food. For the sheer variety that this area has to offer, it would for sure serve as a paradise for any foodie. The stalls range from Kebabs, Dum Biryani, Shawarma, Chinese, desi food and of course superb chaat. The best place to have chaat is 'Icy Spicy' behind LIC office. Their pani puri is a must try and of course you wont stop at one plate. They also serve pizzas, sandwiches and the likes. However, their stand out dish has to be their Ice Gola. They serve Ice Gola with 3 or more Golas, each topped with different flavors and is sinful. We also recommend Chatpata chicken kebabs at the Koyla Biryani joint. If you are a sweet pan freak, do try the different varieties of sweet pan at Sai Samart pan house.

While in Aurangabad do try out different varieties of 'Mastani' which is a blend of 3 fruit juices and topped with rich scoops of ice-cream. We ordered the one with extra dry fruits doused in colorful essences.

If you have a couple of hours to kill and wondering what to do, worry not the ProZone mall is a great place to hangout, it offers everything from High-end Jaguars to ice golas. The mall has a good food court with different cuisines to choose from. For adventure and sports enthusiasts there is Decathlon and for the movie buffs there is Satyam Cinemas.

We on the spur decided to watch a Marathi movie and were excited to read the synopsis of the movie Killa and immediately bought the tickets. This beautiful film captures the emotions of a young boy and is very well scripted. No wonder it won the National Award for the best Marathi film.

We stayed at Thrimurti Guesthouse, a budgeted place with clean rooms. The best part about the hotel was the helpful management. Their location is another plus as you have a whole lot of restaurants, shopping markets, CIDCO bus terminal and Mall all at a walk-able distance. To cover longer distances, there is easy access to autos at any point in time.

Thoonga Nagaram! A City That Never Sleeps- Madurai

This temple city is home to the iconic Meenakshi Amman Temple and several other grand temples and also the city where Silapathikaram one of the grand epics of Tamil literature came from. This city has lot of culture heritage and was considered a very important trade hub even in the ancient times. Legacy of Madurai the Meenakshi Amman temple was ransacked and demolished by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and restored to it's present day glory by Nayakkar family in the 16th century.

We fell in love with the beautiful age old monument Meenakshi Amman temple. This magnanimous temple has four entrances and at each entrance is a high raising Gopuram that is beautifully carved and brightly painted. There are intricate carvings of mythical creatures that took us back in time. The temple is dedicated to Meenakshi Amman and Lord Shiva. The temple walls are beautifully painted and how can one miss the brightly colored ceiling of the temple. The entire complex is supported by numerous pillars that are equidistant and placed with great precision.

Every pillar, wall and corner of this massive temple complex has elaborately carved monolithic mythical creatures and scenes from Hindu mythological epics. The sculptures in the temple depict the beauty of women by highlighting their features in an intricate manner. Big breasts, thin waist line and broad hip, all while staying in the realm of art. They were so precise in their carvings that they would create sculptures that were exactly how they saw women around them- voluptuous, highlighting their beauty and not creating a fake sculpture and expecting women to idolize it.

The other great attraction within the temple premises is the "One Thousand Pillar" mandapam aka "Aayiram Kaal Mandapam." this madapam has thousand pillars each again precisely placed with intricate carvings and paintings. The grandeur of this mandapam is enhanced by the sculptures with such minute details giving a feel that they might come to life any time. The mandapam has now been converted to an art museum with exhibits ranging from a 20 foot massive door that used to stand guard the temple to photographs to sculptures of various deities to antique coins. 

The main deity is Nataraja the cosmic dancer, however, the showstopper and the most puzzling aspect is a group of rock cut cylindrical pillars that greet you at the entrance. The puzzling aspect is if you places your ears on the pillar and knock the pillars you can hear unique musical notes, tunes from each pillar. These pillars seem to be hollow and each one creates a unique note.

The sacred pond within the temple premises is believed to be the testing ground for a new work of literature. Tirukkural by Tiruvalluvar was the piece that got the approval. Legend has is that no marine form of life exists in this pond and is considered very sacred. Walking around the pond offers a unique view point from where you have a view of the Golden Kalash or Gopuram above the main deities Shiva and Amman. To mark this spot the temple authorities have installed a copper plate.

The temple is open throughout the day however, the gates to the inner sanctum are open from 4 am to 12.30 pm and 4 pm to 9.30 pm. The age old structural engineering and water management are that effective that they still work flawlessly. Set aside at least a couple of hours to soak in the beauty of this ancient Indian monument. 

Digital cameras are prohibited inside the temple premises but mobile phones are allowed we failed to understand this logic. As you enter the lanes leading you to the temple shopkeepers pressurize you to leave your footwear and bags with them, free of any charges and in return would try to hard sell you their products. Please note that temple authorities have created safe deposit counters where devotees can leave their footwear and bags free of cost. 

Kudal Alazagar Perumal Temple, this extraordinary temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is a couple of kilometers away from Meenakshi Amman temple. The sculptures on the Goparum at the entrance depict scenes from the epics - Ramayana and Mahabarata at various tiers. The massive walls and pillars of this incredible temple exquisitely portray the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The long and broad walkways have elaborate paintings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. A chamber of the temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and the deity is beautifully carved.

As you enter the temple on the left do check out the elaborate carving on the wall behind a glass enclosure. This carving just blew our minds, it illustrates the Sun, Surya Bhagwan riding on a chariot pulled by 7 horses that depict 7 days of the week. Around the sun are 6 corners that depict different seasons and around them are the 12 sun signs. There are two serpents depicting Raghu and Kethu that stand guard on either side of the Sun. The serpent on the left has its tail curled outside denotes day and the one on the right with its tail curled inside denotes night. This carving was carved in ancient times before modern science, tool and gadgets, ultra powerful telescopes existed. This goes to prove the fact that our forefathers were extremely smart.

However, the sore part was concrete constructions within the temple premises eating up parts of this ancient wonder. Multiple AC vents have been drilled, ugly PVC pipes running around make the temple lose its charm. The temples is open all days from 4 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm.

Mariamman Thepakolam Temple is built around a pond and is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess of rain- Mariamman. During Thaipusam, float festival a floating chariot goes around this temple and lights up the entire area. This festival commemorates the birth of King Thirumalai Nayak. Sadly, when we visited the pond it was absolutely dry and was being used as a cricket ground. The temple would have been an absolute fantastic site to see had the pond been filled with water. It is a perfect place to take a stroll for a relaxing evening. There are plenty of food carts around to make your day end with good food. 

Near Thepakolam is the Sri Muktheeshwarar Temple which is as old as Meenakshi Amman temple. This temple is very calm and peaceful and has some great architecture. As there was no Goparum for this temple, the temple constructed at the Tepokkalam serves as the Goparum for this temple. 

Nayakkar Mahal - This palace was built with the help of an Italian architect by King Thirumalai Nayak in 1636. The architecture was a combination of Italian, Dravidian and Islamic style and was built to be the most significant palace of South India. Though the exteriors of the palace were plain and simple the splendor interiors are worth watching. Unfortunately, very little of this palace remains now as King's grandson destroyed most of the palace structure.

Like many other beautiful churches St. Mary's Cathedral is a magnificent and eye catchy cathedral standing as a fine example of secularism practiced by our beautiful Country. The beauty of this cathedral draws you to this place, the architecture providing a touch of Roman and European style is a treat for the eyes. This church is a couple of minutes walk from Nayakkar Mahal. The school around the church adds a nice charming factor.

The perfect place to satisfy your hunger pangs is to head to "Modern Restaurant," a star attraction within this star city. This age old restaurant is now successfully run by their third generation. The legacy of this restaurant has still been kept intact, they ace in serving traditional vegetarian food to their patrons. This is the ideal place to treat your taste buds for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We recommend you try all three. The elaborate meals for lunch include chapati and korma, 4 different types of vegetable curries, rice, dal, dal powder, good amount of desi ghee, sambar, rasam, puli kolambu/vata kolambu, curd, more or buttermilk, pickle, appalam and dessert. When we dined we were served mysore pak as dessert that was drenched in ghee. After this sumptuous meal they served us a banana and healthy pan for easy digestion. This huge spread of meal is priced at only Rs. 80 per person.  To ensure the authentic traditional taste, they do not use any ready made masalas or artificial food colors or flavors. All masalas are handmade to perfection in traditional style even today.

If you are there for breakfast or dinner treat yourself with different varieties of dosas or classic upma. The korma, chutney and sambar compliment the tiffin very well. Though we are not big fans of idiyappam we fell in love with their masala idiyappam.  Also, do try out their jangiri sweet which is pretty famous in Tamil Nadu and you wont be disappointed . This place has seen a wide range of eminent guests such as Sir CV. Raman, Dr. Rajendra prasad, Nehru, and the Father Of The Nation himself Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi.' This restaurant is on Netaji Road, walking distance from Meenakshi Amman temple.

We highly recommend "Jigardhanda Junction" outlet for their awesome Madurai special Jigardhanda. This sweet drink is a big hit and a specialty of Madurai city. This outlet is near 'Periyar Bus stand.' To beat Madurai heat keep yourself hydrated the Natural way and sip on tender coconuts that are available in abundance and your body will thank you a million times.

During our stay in Madurai we checked into Rani Mangamal Residency, this age old hotel now beautifully renovated with modern amenities is managed and run by a group of able people. This is a perfect budgeted hotel to stay in Madurai. The hotel offers spacious rooms with clean bath, 24 hour running water, satellite TV, free WiFi in the lobby and all of this at a super budgeted price. The Madurai Railway Station is right opposite the hotel. Despite the railway station being bang opposite the hotel, the thick walls managed to filter out all the chaos from the station or main road completely. The Periyar bus stand is just a few minutes walk, from where one can access most parts of Madurai. Meenakshi Amman temple is at walk-able distance from here. There are plenty of restaurants in the vicinity.

Madurai is a happening town and all parts of the city are easily accessible by public transport. Madurai is too hot a city even in the month of August so it would be a good idea to wear cotton clothes and carry a good pair of shades. Also, keep yourself hydrated to beat the heat as the heat is way too dry and more grilling than the heat you face when you travel up North.

Courtallam a perfect destination very close to Madurai.

Photo Tribute To Nalanda University