Historic Gole Ghar of Patna

The Golghar or Gol Ghar (गोलघर), ("Round house"), located to the west of Gandhi Maidan in Patna, capital of Bihar state, India is a granary built by Captain John Garstin, in 1786.

After the devastating famine of 1770, which killed nearly 10 million people in regions of Bengal, Bihar and modern day Bangladesh, Warren Hastings, then Governor-General of India, ordered the construction of this beehive shaped structure for the purpose of storing grains for the British Army . It was conceived and built by Captain John Garstin, an engineer with the East India Company , and has a storage capacity of 140000 tons, it construction was completed on 20 July 1786. A beautification drive of the structure was set in 2002.The building has a foundation of 125m, and a height of 29 m. It is pillarless with a wall of thickness of 3.6 m at the base. One can climb atop the Golghar through the 145 steps of its spiral stairway around the monument. The spiral staircase was designed so as to facilitate the passage of the coolies, who had to carry grain-bags up one flight, deliver their load through a hole at the top, and descend the other stairs.

Historic Gurdwaras of Patna

Patna, formerly known as Patliputra, is the capital of the state of Bihar, in the region of Eastern India. It is home to five historic gurdwaras built on ancient sites significant to Sikhism which commemorate important events involving the gurus of Sikh history. The shrines are dedicated to the memory of:

• First guru, Nanak Dev.
• Ninth guru, Teg Bahadur.
• Tenth guru, Gobind Singh, Teg Bahdur's son and successor, who began life as Gobind Rai.

Annual gurpurab festivities are held in Patna to celebrate the birth of Guru Gobind Singh.

Gurdwara Pahila Bari aka Gurdwara Gae Ghat

Gurdwara Pahila Bari commemorates the worship site of early followers of Sikhism. While on his travels during the early 1500's, Guru Nanak stayed with a confectioner named Jaita, who opened his home to people who congregated to hear the Guru's message. The gathering became known as Gae Ghat Sangat. In the 1980's a new building was constructed. The gurdwara houses two relics:

• A rebeck supposed to have belonged to Mardana, Guru Nanaks' traveling companion.
• A grinding stone thought to have been used by Mata Gujri, Guru Gobind Singh's mother, during her stay in Patna.

 To Know More About Patna, Click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patna