Patna – The Hub of Buddhist Tourism in India
Patna, also known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. Patna is the second-largest city in Eastern India after Kolkata. Patna was founded in 490 BCE by the king of Magadha. Pataliputra was a seat of learning and fine arts. Patliputra was home to many astronomers and scholars including Aryabhata, Vatsyayana and Chanakya. Megasthenes, the Indo-Greek historian and ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya, gave one of the earliest accounts of the city. He described the city as the greatest city on earth during its heyday. A number of Chinese travelers came to India in pursuit of knowledge and recorded their observations about Pataliputra in their travelogues. One such famous account was recorded by a Chinese Buddhist traveler Fa Hien, who visited India between 399 and 414 CE, and stayed here for many months translating Buddhist texts. The ancient city of Pataliputra was founded in the 5th century BCE by Ajatashatru, king of Magadha. His