From Patna, a gate risesto Pataliputra

Intach (Institute of Art and Cultural Heritage) Patna chapter recently organised a presentation on Restoring the Glory of Pataliputra and Patna on December 20, 2015. Ram Nath Kovind, the governor of Bihar, inaugurated the function. In 1986, it had organised Pataliputra Food Festival and showed a locally-produced documentary film on the history of the city from 487 B.C. to August 15, 1947. Covered food stalls of different cuisines associated with the city like Indian of Mauryan era, Greek, Chinese, Mughlai and European cuisines were organised. They had relevant decor, piped music and dressed waiters. In front of each stall stood cut outs of great personalities connected with the city at different times. Chanakya with his treatise Arthashastra at the Mauryan stall, Megasthenese, the Greek Ambassador, with his book Indica and Fahien the Chinese pilgrim with his script “Gods must have descended from Heaven to build Pataliputra.” In front of the Mughlai stall stood a cut out of Prince Azim Shah, the grandson of Aurangzeb and the Mughal Viceroy at Patna. The European stall had a cut out of Job Charnock, the East India Company agent at Patna for sixteen years who later founded the city of Calcutta.

Lord Buddha blessed the fort under construction at Pataligram in 487 BC, saying that it will grow into one of the greatest cities of the world but will later get destroyed by fire, feud and flood. The prophecy turned true. Pataliputra became the capital of the largest ever Empire on the Indian subcontinent, which included Afghanistan. After remaining capital of India for one thousand years, it got destroyed as predicted and the capital of Bihar shifted to Bihar Shareef. Sher Shah Suri built a fort at Patna like Ajatshatru had done and made Patna the capital of Bihar. Bihar was part of Bengal province during most of both medieval and British periods. For a few years when Prince Azim Shah was the viceroy, Patna became a capital. Soon thereafter, the capital moved back to Murshidabad. Prince Azim Shah was the Viceroy of East India.

Thereafter, the capital was shifted back to Murshidabad. The city became a centre of Islamic culture and was much beautified by Azim Shah. During Azim Shah’s viceroyalty, the city was named Azimabad and later it reverted to Patna.

During the first 150 years of British rule, Bihar remained an appendage of the Bengal Presidency. In 1911, Bihar became a separate province with Patna as its capital.

In 1956, Jawaharlal Nehru had commissioned Appleby, a US expert, to report on the state of administration in the states of India. He had adjudged Bihar as the best administered state in the country. In early eighties, Bihar had become the most underdeveloped state with breakdown of administration and law and order.

To revive Bihari self pride, we put up a life-size bronze statue of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan at a prime location in Patna with voluntary donation. President Zail Singh unveiled the statue on June 25, 1986. That was the date in 1975 when Emergency was clamped and JP was imprisoned. We got the signature of one lakh citizens of the city on our memorandum urging the government to restore the city’s ancient and glorious name of Pataliputra. The then Congress government in Bihar, Bindeshwari Dubey, strongly recommended the proposal. Rajiv Gandhi initially reacted favourably but some Left and communal historians argued that this would promote Hindu fundamentalism. Successive governments at Delhi and in Patna have not disturbed the status quo. As chief minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav had suggested that Patna should be named Azimabad.

Inaugurating the function at Patna, governor Ram Nath Kovind traced the history of Patna from earliest times when the kingdom of Magadh comprising Patna and Gaya districts over the centuries expanded and became the largest Empire in the history of the subcontinent which included the land mass of the subcontinent and also Afghanistan. He also mentioned the great world personalities associated with Patalipu-tra/Patna and Bihar. In 1915, Mahatma Gandhi started the freedom movement from Champaran in Bihar. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, came from Bihar and he conducted the freedom struggle from Patna.

Jayapraksh Narayan also started the movement for restoration of democracy from Patna in 1977. Bombay can become Mumbai and Calcutta Kolkata, why can’t Patna become Pataliputra.

The locally produced film, From Pataliputra to Patna, was also screened at the event. As NDA chief minister, Nitish Kumar had accepted many of our proposals submitted in our memorandum like having parks, a river front road and a Civilisation Gate. He on his own had a massive Pataliputra Karuna Stupa built at a prime location. Work on 500 crore project of Civilisation Gate has commenced and construction has reached the plinth level. On completion, the Civilisation Gate will be bigger in size than India Gate in Delhi, Gateway of India in Mumbai or Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is being built in Mauryan architecture, with a golden Ashoka Lion on top of a Mauryan Dome and Mauryan arches having a frontage on all sides. It will have a walkway approach lined by Ashoka trees on both sides with a narrow water channel and water fountains.

It will have a thousand capacity amphitheatre for sound and light shows on one side and steps leading down to the river on the other side. The Civilisation Gate will have the religious symbols of all the six major religions connected with Pataliputra/Patna and the secular philosophy of Ashoka the Great and Sher Shah inscribed on it. It is a coincidence that while in Patna the secular approach of Ashoka was being discussed, the Prime Minister addressing the Afghan Parliament in Kabul mentioned the Mauryan and Sher Shah connection. Pataliputra was a river port well-known for knowledge and learning. The Civilisation Gate is located close to the Mahendru Ghat, named after Prince Mahendra, the son of Ashoka who took the holy order and went from here to Colombo. Two years later, his sister Princess Sanghamitra travelled to Sri Lanka carrying a sapling from the Gaya Bodhi tree.

The Bodhi tree at Anuradhapur near Colombo has now become very massive. The dates on which Prince Mahendra and Princess Sanghamitra landed in Sri Lanka are national holidays in that country.

Nitish Kumar campaigned during the recent Assembly elections using the Bihari self pride card. He should now redeem that by getting Patna named Pataliputra. At the same time, the name of Gujzarbabagh in the city can be changed to Azimabad. Lalu Prasad Yadav used the OBC card during the recent election. The glorious Pataliputra name should inspire OBC pride too.

Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka, the greatest Indian rulers in history, were OBCs. Pataliputra has given us our national symbols of Ashoka Lions and the Dharma Chakra.

Not only Bihar, but the entire nation should welcome the name of Pataliputra being restored.

The writer, a retired lieutenant-general, was Vice-Chief of Army Staff and has served as governor of Assam and J&K