Patna for beginners

alouise · Jul 1st, 2009, 17:43

Hi IM-ers who might get to view this thread. I've never been to Bihar before, so in a sense I'm a beginner when it comes to this particular state in India. Thinking "beginner" for this reason, I tried to start this thread in the India for Beginners forum. But I couldn't, for apparently I'm too well travelled in India to be able to call myself a "beginner" in a place I've not visited.

So now I'm having to post this thread in the Bihar forum, like I'm an expert on the place even though I'm totally clueless. That means few IM-ers will probably ever read it, and none will get the chance to see it on the Home page. I don't know why travel queries on Bihar aren't automatically uploaded to the Home page. But I can guess the possible reason - the less said about Bihar the better, not a place IM wants to promote due to dangerous situations for foreign travelers in this state in the past.

However, Indian tourism websites present a different image of Bihar. These websites acknowledge that there were safety risks for foreign visitors in the past. but now emphasise that the capital of Bihar, Patna, has undergone a dramatic change and is now much more tourist-friendly. So my question is: Just who do I believe?

Is Patna safe nowadays, as the Bihar tourism websites say?

I'm so creeped out by the apparent IM ban on publicising Bihar as a tourist destination that I'm even willing to pay for 1A train travel to get to Patna from Delhi!

I'm willing, because anyone interested in the early history of India will want to go to Patna (ancient Pataliputra)as a base for visiting the world famous Buddhist sites of Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and Barabar caves.

I know all about Naxalbari in Darjeeling , and the subsequent Naxallite rebellion in Bihar, and I know that Bihari share=croppers are still waiting for the justice promised by the central government. But to what extent does this social justice movement make Patna a dangerous place for foreigners to visit these days?

Can anyone tell me what the real situation is in Bihar, and especially Patna, nowadays?

Many thanks in advance to the few IM=ers who might ever get to read this and offer some helpful advice,

katie_h · Jul 2nd, 2009, 16:50

Hey,

I've been in Patna for almost three weeks now as part of a 6 month internship (probably one of the few foreigners in this place, sadly). Prior to my arrival, practically no one I spoke to had anything good to say about Bihar and Patna! However, my three weeks here so far have been rather uneventful and quite pleasant.

I think the Indian tourism websites are probably right about Patna undergoing a drastic change. My colleagues said that it is indeed much safer, but I do have a slightly different experience because I spend most of my time in a residential area working which is 7km from the city centre.

I think some precautions for travellers, especially women on their own, do apply and I've been sticking to them myself just to be safe - such as not venturing too far out after 8pm and taking as few valuables as possible if I do. And the whole thing of not travelling outside of the city after dark, which I'm sure you know. However, I have been advised by work colleagues not to take a auto-rickshaw but I figure I'll have to if I want to get around cheaply at some point.

The problem with Patna probably less to do with safety than it is to do with the fact that it really isn't that much of a tourist destination. It isn't very cosmopolitan, it's quite polluted and dirty but I kinda like it nonetheless. As far as Naxalite activity in Bihar goes, there have been a few incidents reported in the local press recently but they seem to be fairly small-scale and are unlikely to affect you as long as you stay in the more well-known places.

I travelled in 3AC on the Rajdhani from Delhi to Patna and I had encountered no problems whatsoever, and it is also meant to be safest train to get because there are only 5 or so stops throughout the entire 12-hour journey. One of my friends went to Bodhgaya recently, and she reported no security problems on the way there, during her stay or on her way back.

I hope the above rambling is kinda useful. You can also drop me a line on katie_hau@hotmail.co.uk if you want more info (I'm still slowly exploring Patna myself so I guess my knowledge is fairly limited!)

alouise · Jul 2nd, 2009, 21:37

Thank you so much katie for your very helpful advice.

I had a feeling Patna might have "improved" even though as you mention it's not a major tourist destination. Good to learn the security situation on the trains and around Bodhgaya is better than expected. The only thing is the autorickshaws. Difficult to imagine avoiding them, for example, getting from the railway station to the hotel, and I can't imagine city walks being all that salubrious. Do you know about the taxis, whether or not they're safer and more reliable, and plentiful?

capt_mahajan · Jul 2nd, 2009, 22:23

Quote:

But to what extent does this social justice movement make Patna a dangerous place for foreigners to visit these days?

Not to a great extent at all.

By all accounts, governance in Bihar has improved considerably in the last couple of years- a much touted world bank report yesterday puts Patna as a better place to do business today than Mumbai, the alleged financial capital of India.

That may be incorrect, but still, I don't think Patna is especially unsafe for a foreigner because of the 'troubles' you mention. (Regardless, I happen to think that the general law and order situation in Bihar is nothing much to shout about.)

Agree with Katie_h on special precautions for women, and that is true for parts of UP in that region too.

KABAARY · Jul 3rd, 2009, 02:21

Four odd years since I last went...the place is chaotic ! On a seperate note, you get good food and the helpings are humungous...intriguingly, chilly chicken and chicken manchurian in some places are surprisingly good...Takshila restaurant in Hotel Chanakya is strongly recommended unless it has gone downhill in the intervening years.

alouise · Jul 3rd, 2009, 19:27

Kabaary, have you stayed at Hotel Chanakya? If the restaurant is good that could be very convenient.

alouise · Jul 3rd, 2009, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by capt_mahajan

Not to a great extent at all.

By all accounts, governance in Bihar has improved considerably in the last couple of years- a much touted world bank report yesterday puts Patna as a better place to do business today than Mumbai, the alleged financial capital of India.

That may be incorrect, but still, I don't think Patna is especially unsafe for a foreigner because of the 'troubles' you mention. (Regardless, I happen to think that the general law and order situation in Bihar is nothing much to shout about.)

That's reassuring Capt. But what about the recent Lalgarh backlash a week or so ago? Are they more concentrated near west Bengal? I read in one newspaper that police were concerned about land mines being placed on railway tracks. True?

capt_mahajan · Jul 3rd, 2009, 20:34

Yes, they are/were concerned, and yes the trouble is/was greater in West Bengal, because political parties are involved with the maoists to a much greater extent. (although that political involvement is spreading across India now)

alouise · Jul 3rd, 2009, 20:36

Ah I see, thanks for that Capt.

KABAARY · Jul 4th, 2009, 02:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by alouise

Kabaary, have you stayed at Hotel Chanakya? If the restaurant is good that could be very convenient.

Yes I have...on more than one occasion. Rooms were not bad....service staff were pretty rustic but then we can't exactly expect the moon in Patna can we ? Hotel Chanakya and Hotel Maurya are the so called original posh (!) hotels of Patna. I note from their website (wow ! they have a website now !) that tariffs have increased quite considerably...
http://www.hotelchanakyapatna.in/

alouise · Jul 4th, 2009, 17:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by KABAARY

Yes I have...on more than one occasion. Rooms were not bad....service staff were pretty rustic but then we can't exactly expect the moon in Patna can we ? Hotel Chanakya and Hotel Maurya are the so called original posh (!) hotels of Patna. I note from their website (wow ! they have a website now !) that tariffs have increased quite considerably...
http://www.hotelchanakyapatna.in/

Thanks for that link Kabaary. Yes,you're right, it is very pricey! May be even too pricey to be good value, if compared with lower priced options such as Windsor hotel?

machadinha · Jul 8th, 2009, 11:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by alouise

Thinking "beginner" for this reason, I tried to start this thread in the India for Beginners forum. But I couldn't, for apparently I'm too well travelled in India to be able to call myself a "beginner" in a place I've not visited.

The "India For Beginners" forum isn't open to start new threads, to keep it limited to threads that are thought to be handy for beginners.

Quote:

So now I'm having to post this thread in the Bihar forum, like I'm an expert on the place even though I'm totally clueless. That means few IM-ers will probably ever read it, and none will get the chance to see it on the Home page. I don't know why travel queries on Bihar aren't automatically uploaded to the Home page. But I can guess the possible reason - the less said about Bihar the better, not a place IM wants to promote due to dangerous situations for foreign travelers in this state in the past.

No, that must be a mistake; the Bihar forum was started just recently, there should be no reason why threads in it wouldn't appear on the front page. So that must be inadvertent, or you may have posted at a very busy time where it quickly disappeared due to new or newly revived threads?

In any case, I'm dropping the mods a line about this, so they can have a look at it. It could be some glitch.

alouise · Jul 8th, 2009, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by machadinha

The "India For Beginners" forum isn't open to start new threads, to keep it limited to threads that are thought to be handy for beginners.

No, that must be a mistake; the Bihar forum was started just recently, there should be no reason why threads in it wouldn't appear on the front page. So that must be inadvertent, or you may have posted at a very busy time where it quickly disappeared due to new or newly revived threads?

In any case, I'm dropping the mods a line about this, so they can have a look at it. It could be some glitch.

Thank you for taking the time to explain Beginner's forum to me mach. About my Bihar posts not uploading to Home page, I think you could be right about a glitch, If I recall correctly this happened might have happened around the time of that repeating advert (every minute)that the mods had to delete.

alouise · Jul 8th, 2009, 16:13

Strange, that last post didn't go to Home page either. Also, the Bihar forum has only three thread, the two I started and an older thread.

alouise · Jul 8th, 2009, 16:19

That didn't upload to Home page either. Correction re. "older thread", Indizen posted only a few days earlier. Mach, is that what you meant by a new forum opened recently?.... ie. only three threads so far?? Also, stupid question to ask: What does the blue, as opposed to yellow, colour of the folders for Bihar and Jarkhand signify?

Jul 1st, 2009, 17:43	#1
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 814	Patna for beginners Hi IM-ers who might get to view this thread. I've never been to Bihar before, so in a sense I'm a beginner when it comes to this particular state in India. Thinking "beginner" for this reason, I tried to start this thread in the India for Beginners forum. But I couldn't, for apparently I'm too well travelled in India to be able to call myself a "beginner" in a place I've not visited. So now I'm having to post this thread in the Bihar forum, like I'm an expert on the place even though I'm totally clueless. That means few IM-ers will probably ever read it, and none will get the chance to see it on the Home page. I don't know why travel queries on Bihar aren't automatically uploaded to the Home page. But I can guess the possible reason - the less said about Bihar the better, not a place IM wants to promote due to dangerous situations for foreign travelers in this state in the past. However, Indian tourism websites present a different image of Bihar. These websites acknowledge that there were safety risks for foreign visitors in the past. but now emphasise that the capital of Bihar, Patna, has undergone a dramatic change and is now much more tourist-friendly. So my question is: Just who do I believe? Is Patna safe nowadays, as the Bihar tourism websites say? I'm so creeped out by the apparent IM ban on publicising Bihar as a tourist destination that I'm even willing to pay for 1A train travel to get to Patna from Delhi! I'm willing, because anyone interested in the early history of India will want to go to Patna (ancient Pataliputra)as a base for visiting the world famous Buddhist sites of Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and Barabar caves. I know all about Naxalbari in Darjeeling , and the subsequent Naxallite rebellion in Bihar, and I know that Bihari share=croppers are still waiting for the justice promised by the central government. But to what extent does this social justice movement make Patna a dangerous place for foreigners to visit these days? Can anyone tell me what the real situation is in Bihar, and especially Patna, nowadays? Many thanks in advance to the few IM=ers who might ever get to read this and offer some helpful advice,

Jul 2nd, 2009, 21:37	#3
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 814	Thank you so much katie for your very helpful advice. I had a feeling Patna might have "improved" even though as you mention it's not a major tourist destination. Good to learn the security situation on the trains and around Bodhgaya is better than expected. The only thing is the autorickshaws. Difficult to imagine avoiding them, for example, getting from the railway station to the hotel, and I can't imagine city walks being all that salubrious. Do you know about the taxis, whether or not they're safer and more reliable, and plentiful? Last edited by alouise : Jul 2nd, 2009 at 21:37. Reason: typo

Jul 3rd, 2009, 19:27	#6
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 814	Kabaary, have you stayed at Hotel Chanakya? If the restaurant is good that could be very convenient. Last edited by alouise : Jul 3rd, 2009 at 19:28. Reason: typo

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Jul 2nd, 2009, 16:50	#2
katie_h Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Patna, India Posts: 1	Hey, I've been in Patna for almost three weeks now as part of a 6 month internship (probably one of the few foreigners in this place, sadly). Prior to my arrival, practically no one I spoke to had anything good to say about Bihar and Patna! However, my three weeks here so far have been rather uneventful and quite pleasant. I think the Indian tourism websites are probably right about Patna undergoing a drastic change. My colleagues said that it is indeed much safer, but I do have a slightly different experience because I spend most of my time in a residential area working which is 7km from the city centre. I think some precautions for travellers, especially women on their own, do apply and I've been sticking to them myself just to be safe - such as not venturing too far out after 8pm and taking as few valuables as possible if I do. And the whole thing of not travelling outside of the city after dark, which I'm sure you know. However, I have been advised by work colleagues not to take a auto-rickshaw but I figure I'll have to if I want to get around cheaply at some point. The problem with Patna probably less to do with safety than it is to do with the fact that it really isn't that much of a tourist destination. It isn't very cosmopolitan, it's quite polluted and dirty but I kinda like it nonetheless. As far as Naxalite activity in Bihar goes, there have been a few incidents reported in the local press recently but they seem to be fairly small-scale and are unlikely to affect you as long as you stay in the more well-known places. I travelled in 3AC on the Rajdhani from Delhi to Patna and I had encountered no problems whatsoever, and it is also meant to be safest train to get because there are only 5 or so stops throughout the entire 12-hour journey. One of my friends went to Bodhgaya recently, and she reported no security problems on the way there, during her stay or on her way back. I hope the above rambling is kinda useful. You can also drop me a line on katie_hau@hotmail.co.uk if you want more info (I'm still slowly exploring Patna myself so I guess my knowledge is fairly limited!)

Jul 3rd, 2009, 02:21	#5
KABAARY Maha Guru Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: INDIA Posts: 1,262	Four odd years since I last went...the place is chaotic ! On a seperate note, you get good food and the helpings are humungous...intriguingly, chilly chicken and chicken manchurian in some places are surprisingly good...Takshila restaurant in Hotel Chanakya is strongly recommended unless it has gone downhill in the intervening years.

Jul 3rd, 2009, 20:34	#8
capt_mahajan Infidel Sufi Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: styx Posts: 13,601	Yes, they are/were concerned, and yes the trouble is/was greater in West Bengal, because political parties are involved with the maoists to a much greater extent. (although that political involvement is spreading across India now)

Jul 3rd, 2009, 20:36	#9
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 814	Ah I see, thanks for that Capt.

Jul 8th, 2009, 16:13	#14
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 814	Strange, that last post didn't go to Home page either. Also, the Bihar forum has only three thread, the two I started and an older thread.

Jul 8th, 2009, 16:19	#15
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 814	That didn't upload to Home page either. Correction re. "older thread", Indizen posted only a few days earlier. Mach, is that what you meant by a new forum opened recently?.... ie. only three threads so far?? Also, stupid question to ask: What does the blue, as opposed to yellow, colour of the folders for Bihar and Jarkhand signify?