Nomad Saikat
The city of Patna holds a lot of memories from days gone long back. You can find many historical monuments in Patna that will tell you interesting stories from the past. One such interesting monument is Patna ka Golghar. Golghar Patna is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Patna that is visited by a lot of tourists. Even though Golghar was closed for some time in between for renovation purposes, nothing could decrease the uniqueness of this place for the visitors. It still remained one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Patna as well as in Bihar.
What attracts the visitors here is the history attached to it and also the unique structure of this monument. From the shape to the thought process behind the construction, to the uniqueness of this monument, everything makes it an intriguing spot to visit. If you are ever visiting Patna then Golghar should definitely be a part of your itinerary. In this article I will mention all the information that you will need to know about Patna Golghar. So keep on reading this article because this would be a helpful read for you if you are going to plan a successful trip to Golghar.
Golghar
Where is Golghar?
Golghar Patna, opposite of Government Girl’s High School, Ashok Rajpath, Patna, Bihar
Timings of Golghar: 9 am to 6 pm on all days from Tuesday to Sunday. Monday is closed.
Entry fee of Golghar: There is no entry fee
Overview of Golghar
Golghar in Patna is basically a massive granary which was originally made during the British rule for the purpose of storing grains. As the name suggests Gol means Round and Ghar means House the literal meaning of this structure is a Round House. Furthermore, the Golghar is a spherical shaped monument located in the west of Gandhi Maidan in Patna and is one of the places in Patna that offers an all encompassing view of the city with the River Ganga flowing by. Furthermore this beehive-like structure is also one of the oldest monuments that you can still find in Patna. It can ideally be called a location with a beautiful amalgamation of architecture mixed with natural beauty.
If you are visiting here you will be able to feel the beautiful view of the city along with the cool breeze. The atmosphere is tranquil and peaceful too. Other than that it is also a popular picnic spot that is flocked by the tourists during the winter season. The lawn or the garden just in front of the monument is ideal as a picnic spot. Also recently a light and sound show has also been launched at Golghar to attract a larger audience here. And this is yet another major tourist attraction in Golghar.
How to reach Golghar
By air
The Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna is the nearest Airport to reach Golghar. It is only 8.5 km away from Golghar and you can easily take a car or an auto rickshaw and reach there in about 18 minutes.
By train
The Patna Junction is the nearest railway station to reach Golghar which is just 2.6 km away. You can easily take an auto in front of the station to reach Golghar in about 12 minutes. Furthermore another nearby railway station is the Phulwari Sharif Railway Station which is about 11 km away from Golghar.
By road
You can also drive through from major nearby cities. Buses are also available frequently from nearby places to reach the Golghar bus stop which is located only at a 3 minutes distance from Golghar.
History of Golghar
Golghar Patna was constructed in response to the famine outbreak that was one of the huge issues during the days back in the times. The main purpose behind the creation of Golghar was that it was decided that a series of granaries would be constructed in Patna to fight with the famine in the province that might break out in the near future. However, this was the first and last of those granaries that were planned to be created. After the formation of Golghar no other granaries were created thereafter.
In the year 1770 a disastrous famine broke out in the provinces of Bihar, Bengal and the present location of Bangladesh. And almost 10 million people lost their lives due to shortage of food. It was at that time that the Governor General of that time Warren Hastings, ordered to make these granaries with the aim of storing food grains in huge quantities for the British army. Golghar has a capacity of storing 140000 tons of grain in total. Later John Garstin, an engineer of the East India Company’s Bengal Army designed this monument. The whole construction was finally completed in 1786, 20th July.
From that time Bihar Government had made continuous efforts in order to maintain this structure. Many times there have been constructions done here. In 2002 construction was started here for the restoration of the monument. Furthermore the Archeological Survey of India took the initiative to preserve the monument that cost Rs. 12 lakhs and the restoration work cost Rs. 96 lakhs.
Architecture of Golghar
The specialty of Golghar is that it is a pillar-less monument. No pillars are found in the construction of this unique construction in Patna. It is rather a dome shaped structure with a wall which is about 3.6 metres thick. Furthermore the height of the structure goes up to 29 metres. One can mistake this granary as a stupa as well because the structure is itself like that.
It is possible for a person to reach up to the top of the granary by climbing 145 steps in total. However another specialty of this beautiful architecture is the stairs here made in a spiral form on diametrically opposite sides. The main motive behind making the stairs in a spiral form was that it would somehow be useful for the workers here. At that time the worker used to carry heavy loads of grains and climbed the stairs to load them into the granary through a hole made on top of the granary. They used the ascending stairs to go up and then again used the descending ones to come down from the other side. Along with the unique beehive looking structure the set of stairs here makes the formation even more attractive and unique in its appearance.
However it is believed that there was a flaw in the construction of Golghar. The door of this Golghar is made in such a way that if the granary is filled to its maximum capacity then the doors could not be opened as the doors here open inward. Furthermore it was never filled to the fullest capacity for that reason.
Tourist attractions in Golghar
It is possible for the visitors to climb up the 145 steps and reach the top of Golghar and enjoy the beautiful view that it offers. It is certainly one of the most interesting activities that the visitors here indulge in.
Another major attraction in Golghar is the Laser Light Show at Golghar that has been initiated very recently to attract more audiences here. The show takes place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm. Furthermore the laser show depicts the history of Golghar along with the history of Patna using beautiful laser lights that look beautiful in this backdrop. 30 minutes before the show starts the tickets of this show are sold and it continues till the show starts. Cost of a ticket here is Rs. 30 per person and one must buy a ticket to attend the show here. With the beautiful use of laser light and sounds and music it is one of the unique experiences that you can enjoy at this spot.
Another major tourist attraction here is the garden or lawn which is a popular spot for picnics. So if you are visiting here with your family or even your friends you can spend some quality time here sitting in the garden.
Nearby places to visit from Golghar
- Gandhi Sangrahalaya (700 metres )
- Gandhi Maidan ( 700 metres )
- Patna Museum ( 1.4 km )
- Folk Art Museum ( 1.8 km)
- Srikrishna Science Centre ( 2.3 km )
- Patna Planetarium ( 2.6 km)
- Buddha Smriti Park (3.2 km)
- ISKCON Patna ( 3.2 km)
- Maurya Lok ( 5.7 km)
- Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (6 km )
Wrapping Up!
Finally now that you know Golghar is located in which state just pack your bags and visit Patna. You will be mesmerized by the beauty of this monument. Along with that the history that the place holds will also impact you. You will also get an idea about how the planning were done during the days back then. Furthermore the majestic view of the place, beautiful garden all just adds to the beauty of this place. You simply cannot miss out on visiting Golghar Patna if you are ever going to visit Patna. Do let me know if you are excited to witness this monument or not? Do let me know if this article on Patna Golghar is helpful for you in planning a trip to this amazing location.
