Looking for a unique and memorable experience? Visit Indira Gandhi planetarium in the city. Since its inception in the year 1993 Indira Gandhi Planetarium or simply Patna planetarium has been one of the most enthralling destinations for the visitors in the city.

Equipped with the ‘state-of-the-art’ technology, Indira Gandhi Planetarium is one of the largest planetariums in the Asian continent attracting a large number of visitors. The annual number of its visitors makes up approximately 1 million people.
The planetarium has a dome of 16 meters with a capacity of 270 seats.

The projection of sky teeming with stars, exploring celestial mysteries, taking a tour of the universe – all these gives a spectacular mesmerizing experience to the audience.

The planetarium runs regular shows on various subjects of astronomy which are constantly updated with the latest events in astronomy and space science. Overall a very entertaining and educational experience. Indira Gandhi planetarium is located in the Indira Gandhi science complex on Bailey road near Income tax roundabout in the heart of Patna.
It was Shree Satyandra Narayan Sinha the former chief minister of Bihar who first conceived the idea of Indira Gandhi planetarium in the city in 1989. It took a concrete form in 1993 when Sri Laloo Prasad Yadav the then chief minister of Bihar inaugurated it on March 21, 1993.

Located in the eastern part of the city on the Kankarbagh road, Kumhrar is the site where archaeological remains of ancient Patliputra were excavated.
The archaeological findings ascribed to 600B.C. – 600A.D. belonging to four continuous periods.

The most important archaeological find is the remains of a hypostyle 80-pillared hall of Mauryan period. This 80-pillared hall at Kumhrar was discovered during excavations conducted by Archaeological Survey of India in the years 1912-15 under D. B. Spooner with the funds donated by Sir Ratan Tata. In this excavation traces of 72 pillars were found. Eight more pillars of the hall and four additional one belonging to the entrance or porch were exposed during further excavation in 1951-55 by K. P. Jayaswal research institute, Patna. Since then it is popularly referred as the ‘assembly hall of 80-pillars’. All the pillars were made of black spotted buff sandstone monoliths with a lustrous shine typical of the Mauryan period.

Regarding the nature of the hall, it has been variously assigned as the palace of King Asoka, audience hall, a pleasure hall or the conference hall for the third Buddhist council held at Patliputra in 250 B.C. during the reign of Mauryan emperor Asoka.

Arogya Vihara:
Besides 80-pillared assembly hall, the discovery of a monastery-cum-sanitarium or Arogya Vihara identified by a terracotta seal with the legend reading ‘Sri-Arogya-Vihare Bhikshusanghasya’ is an important find.

About 32 kms west of Patna, Maner Sharif in Patna district is the most important and oldest center of Sufism in Bihar. Bihar has been one of the earliest places in the Indian sub-continent where mystic Sufis had settled.

The most important of all the Sufi order of Bihar, however, was the Firdausia Silsila- a subsection of Suharwardia order of Sufism. One of its most celebrated saints was Hazrat Sharfuddin Ahmad who was born in Maner in 1262 A.D. and died in Bihar Sharif in 1377 A.D. Tombs of several well known Sufis saints are located in Maner Sharif. Hazrat Makhdoom Yahya Maneri was a famous Indian Sufi saint of 13th century. His tomb lies in courtyard of a mosque here. The sacred shrine is locally known as ‘Bari Dargah’. Like several other shrines of Sufi saints, shrine of Hazrat Makhdoom Yahya Maneri is revered both by Muslims as well as Hindus. This shrine has remained as a place of pilgrimage for a long time. Mausoleum of Makhdoom Shah Daulat, a disciple of Hazrat Makhdoom Yahya Maneri, is known as ‘Choti Dargah’. Makhdoom Shah Daulat, a contemporary of Mughal emperor Akbar died in 1608. His mausoleum was built by Ibrahim Khan Kankar, Governor of Bihar in 1616. This mausoleum is a magnificent example of Mughal architecture. Mughal emperor Babar and Sikandar Lodi were among the notable visitors to Maner. Maner is also famous for ‘Laddoos’ a popular sweet delicacy in every household of India.