Is Patna getting a new name? Samrat Choudhary pushes Patliputra vision as Patna's future growth plan takes shape

CM Samrat Choudhary on Saturday asked the water resources department to prepare a special action plan aimed at reviving the historical identity of ancient Patliputra while placing the development of the Ganga riverfront at the center of Patna’s future growth.

Chairing a review meeting at Sankalp Sabhagar in Lok Sewak Awas, he asked officials to prepare a detailed plan for the development of the riverbank stretch from Kurji Ghat to Kali Ghat and to expand public amenities along the J P Ganga Path.

He also wanted the target of planting one lakh saplings along the corridor completed at the earliest.

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A grand promenade with a dash of history

Choudhary said the riverfront should be seen as more than an infrastructure project and described it as a potential hub for tourism, recreation, and cultural activity.

“The J P Ganga Path has the potential to become a new identity of Patna and attract tourists,” he said. He also asked officials to examine the feasibility of using public-private partnership and design-build-operate-maintain models for the upkeep of water resources department inspection bungalows, with a view to converting them into modern guest houses.

Eleven townships and a nod to antiquity

The latest pitch fits into a broader state plan announced in April, when the Bihar cabinet approved 11 satellite townships across the state.

In that itemization, the proposed township for Patna was named Patliputra, while the other projects were named Mithila, Magadh, Koshi, Purnia, Ang, Vikramshila, Tirhut, Saran, Sitapuram, and Hariharnathpuram.

NDTV outlined that the Patliputra satellite township in Punpun would cover 81,000 acres, with 275 revenue villages spread across nine blocks and a core area of 1,010 acres.

Patliputra's historical legacy

The push also draws on the city’s recorded heritage. The Bihar government’s own Patna district history page says the original name of Patna was Pataliputra, or Patalipattan, and traces the city’s history back to around 600 BC.

The page says the name later changed through different eras before settling into its present form.

Choudhary’s emphasis on Patliputra, then, appears to be an attempt to link the new urban development plan with that older identity rather than introducing an entirely new branding exercise.

Coordinated development strategy

During the meeting, Choudhary also called for a coordinated plan across departments so that Bihar’s historical legacy and the Ganga riverfront could be developed as assets for residents and visitors alike.

The water resources department secretary, Chandra Shekhar Singh, made a presentation on departmental assets, Ganga riverfront development, and tourism-related proposals.

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FAQs

Q1: Is Patna being officially renamed to Patliputra?

Ans: No, the current proposal focuses on giving the planned satellite township around Patna the name Patliputra and reviving the city's historical identity.

Q2: Why is Patliputra significant in Bihar's history?

Ans: Patliputra was the ancient name of present-day Patna and served as the capital of several major Indian empires.