Patna, city, northeastern India, capital of Bihar State, on the Ganges River. Pataliputra was founded in the 5th century BC by Ajatasatru, king of Magadha (South Bihar). His son Udaya (Udayin) made it the capital of Magadha, which it remained until the 1st century BC.

Patna also houses a Sikh temple and is a sacred city for Sikhs; their last guru, Gobind Singh, was born here.Patna is a riverside city that extends along the south bank of the Ganges River for about 12 miles (19 km).

Patna was made capital of Bihar and Orissa Province in 1912, and it became capital of Bihar State in 1935. Population (1991) 917,243.

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