Come for Takht Sri Harimandir Ji, the white marble shrine marking where Guru Gobind Singh was born. It works best as a stop between Varanasi and Bodh Gaya, and a night or two is enough. Patna isn't an easy city: hotels can be overpriced, a guide reports foreigners being turned away, and Bihar is a dry state. Skip it unless Sikh history is why you're here, and we wouldn't bring young kids.
Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.
One of the five takhts, a white marble shrine on the spot where Guru Gobind Singh was born. Entry is free. Cover your head and dress modestly. Listed hours range widely, so go in the morning.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
On the premises you can see handwritten orders by the Gurus, a sacred sword, ivory sandals, four iron arrows and a gilded cradle. Go slowly: these matter a lot to the people around you.
A langar is a free community meal, served to everyone. Sit in the row, take only what you'll eat, and return your plate afterwards.
Two smaller gurdwaras on the Bihar Sikh circuit, both free. Guru Ka Bagh is listed as open 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Handi Sahib round the clock.
Its site lists galleries from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed Mondays. Foreign visitors are reported to pay ₹500 plus ₹100 for a camera, while state tourism lists ₹100, so check.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
A Sufi shrine outside the city, for a second, quieter faith stop. Bihar Tourism lists it as free, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Dress modestly and cover your head.
Bihar's cooking is plain, smoky and underrated, and you'll struggle to find it done this well elsewhere. Bihar is dry: alcohol is illegal for everyone, foreigners included, even in hotels, so don't bring any. Start with langar, the free meal at the gurdwara, then head across town for the rest.
Mutton with mustard oil, ghee and garlic, slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot over charcoal. Also called ahuna or handi mutton. Order it with rice.
A flaky layered pastry soaked in syrup, sold along Ashok Rajpath, the road that runs toward the old city. Buy a few to go.
Vegetarian
The free community meal at Takht Sri Harimandir Ji, vegetarian and served to everyone. Sit in the row, cover your head and take only what you'll eat.
Vegetarian
Wheat balls stuffed with spiced roasted gram, cooked over charcoal, with a smoky mash of aubergine and potato called chokha. Bihar's dish, and the one to try.
Vegetarian
Flatbread stuffed with sattu, spiced roasted gram flour, and pan-fried. A filling breakfast with potato on the side.
Vegetarian
A crisp, sweet disc of flour, ghee and sugar, offered in temples at the Chhath festival. It keeps well, so it's a good one for the train.
Vegetarian
Ahuna handi mutton, the sealed clay pot dish. Branches of similar names vary, so check it's this one.
Mid-rangeLitti with mustard oil and ghee, handy near the station. One older report, so ask locally first.
Cheap eats, vegetarian
From Varanasi, the 15125 Jan Shatabdi runs 6:35 to 11:20 daily by a third-party listing. From Delhi, fly in about 1 hour 40 minutes, or take the overnight 12310 Rajdhani, 17:10 to 4:38. From Kolkata, the 22347 Vande Bharat runs 15:50 to 22:40, not Wednesdays. Patna Junction is the main station.
Around Patna Junction Cheapest and handy for trains. It's a long way from calm. Gurdwara rooms aren't confirmed for foreigners, so book a hotel.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Frazer Road and Exhibition Road Mid-range and pricier hotels in the centre, and the safer choice for a first visit. Hotels are often overpriced and full, so book ahead.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Bring no alcohol into Bihar, not even in your luggage. It's a dry state, and you can be arrested and held without bail. A foreign visitor was detained at Bodh Gaya in 2023.
Stay alert in Patna and walk away from arguments. One guide reports high murder and abduction rates, mostly involving local residents, so travel by booked car after dark.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Book your hotel before you arrive, and keep the confirmation. One guide reports British passport holders being refused with claims of no vacancy and steered to pricier rooms.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Cover your head with a scarf, not a cap, and remove your shoes. Wear long sleeves and trousers or a long skirt, and leave tobacco and alcohol outside.
Don't plan Bihar Museum on a Monday. It's closed, and it also shuts on selected holidays.
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