India Guide
Bihar and Jharkhand
The Golghar
Patna's most notable monument is the Golghar, a huge colonial-era grain storage house. Also known as "the round house", it was built in 1786 in the hope of avoiding a repetition of the terrible famine of 1770. Mercifully, it never needed to be used. Overlooking the river and Gandhi Maidan, the Golghar has two sets of stairs which spiral their way up to its summit; these were designed so coolies could carry grain up one side, deliver their load through a hole at the top, and descend down the other. Sightseers now clamber up for views of the mighty river and the city.