Names of Patna

Paṭnā  pronunciation (help·info) (Hindi: पटना) is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar.

The history and tradition of Patna go back to the earliest dawn of civilization. The history of Patna can be traced to at least 600 B.C. and the place has had many names.

Pataligram

One legend ascribes the origin of city to a mythological king, Putraka, who created Patna by a magic stroke for his queen Patali, literally trumpet flower, which gives it its ancient name Pataligram. Gram is the Sanskrit word for a village.^[1]

Patalipattan

It comes from Pattan (Devanagari: पत्तन) (meaning port in Sanskrit), since the city, located near the confluence of four rivers, has been a thriving river port.

Patliputra

Main article: Patliputra

The name Patliputra (Devanagari: पाटलिपुत्र ) is composed (sandhi) of two words, Patali and Putraka (king).^[2] The name Patliputra was given by a king of ancient Indian state of Magadh, Ajatashatru, who created a fort in Pataligrama near the River Ganges in 490 BC and later king Ajatashatru shifted his capital to Patliputra.^[3]

Pa-lin-fou

The Chinese called the place as Pa-lin-fou. This name appears in books of Chinese travellers, Fa Hien & Hsüan-tsang who visited Patliputra.^[4][5]

Palibothra

This name was mentioned by Megasthenes (350 BCE-290 BCE), the Greek historian, (calling it 'Palibothra'(Devanagari: पलिबोथरा) or 'Palimbotra' (Devanagari: पलिम्बोत्र) , in his writings during the 4th century.^[6][7]

Kusumpur

Pushpapura

Azimabad

Main article: Azimabad

Prince Azim-us-Shan, the grandson of Aurangzeb came as the Governor of Patliputra in 1703. Earlier than that Sher Shah Suri had moved his capital from Bihar Sharif to Patliputra. It was prince Azim-us-Shan who gave it the name Azimabad.

Patna

Main article: Patna

See also

• Patliputra
• Patna
• Azimabad
• Magadh

References

1. ^ "History of Patna". Patna: Agriculture Technology Management Agency. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20071010065333/http://patna.bih.nic.in/html/Patna/PATNA+A+HISTORICAL+PLACE.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-26. "Adapted from an article in The Hindu by Shahid Akhter Makfi" 
2. ^ http://www.biharandjharkhand.com/bihar/town/patna/pataliputra.htm
3. ^ *Kulke, Hermann; Rothermund, Dietmar (2004), A History of India, 4th edition. Routledge, Pp. xii, 448, ISBN 0415329205, http://www.amazon.com/History-India-Hermann-Kulke/dp/0415329205/ 
4. ^ Fa-Hien (2010). A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms Being an Account by the Chinese Monk Fa-Hien of his Travels in India and Ceylon (A.d. 399-414) in Search of the Buddhist Books of Discipline. eBooks. http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/f/fa-hien/f15l/. Retrieved 2011-02-26. 
5. ^ Chaoudhoury, P. C. Roy. "Patan Devi". Hindu Books. Dharma Universe. http://www.hindubooks.org/temples/bihar/patandevi/index.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-26. 
6. ^ Of the city Pataliputra Indika, Book II, Frag. XXV, Strab. XV. i. 35-36,--p. 702. Frag XXVI.Arr. Ind. 10. Of Pataliputra..." the greatest city in India is that which is called Palimbothra, in the dominions of the Prasians, where the streams of the Erannoboas and the Ganges unite,--the Ganges being the greatest of all rivers, and the Erannoboas being perhaps the third largest of Indian rivers, though greater than the greatest rivers elsewhere; but it is smaller than the Ganges where it falls into it. Megasthenes informs us that this city stretched in the inhabited quarters to an extreme length on each side of eighty stadia, and that its breadth was fifteen stadia, and that a ditch encompassed it all round, which was six hundred feet in breadth and thirty cubits in depth, and that the wall was crowned with 570 towers and had four-and-sixty gates...."
7. ^ Ancient Library

Further reading

• Bernstein, Richard (2001). Ultimate Journey: Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk (Xuanzang) who crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40009-5. 
• Watters, Thomas (1996). On Yuan Chwang’s Travels in India (Reprinted ed.). Hesperides Press. ISBN 978-1406713879. 
• Legge, James 1886. A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms: Being an account by the Chinese Monk Fa-Hien of his travels in India and Ceylon (A.D. 399-414) in search of the Buddhist Books of Discipline. Oxford, Clarendon Press. Reprint: New York, Paragon Book Reprint Corp. 1965. ISBN 0-486-21344-7