Spice Route June-2017

COVER STORY
CITIES
Top to bottom: The Patna Museum; Undhiyu is
one of Surat's famous specialities
SpiceJet flies to Patna. Log on to
www.spicejet.com for details.
the old and the new, best showcased in
the revival of the Nalanda University.
Where monks once pored over
manuscripts, today’s millenials do,
and a trip to the relics of the old seat of
learning is an absolute must-do.
Another peaceful space in Patna is
the Jalan Museum, the result of a
passion project of an ardent art collector.
In the 1930s, Diwan Bahadur Radha
Krishna Jalan, a rich merchant,
frequented the auction houses of the
world. The result is that his collection
comprises priceless Chinese jade and
porcelain pieces; Louis XV and Louis
XVI furniture; Mughal and European
silver; French tapestries; ivory pieces;
fine clocks and chandeliers; Persian and
Indian carpets; a four-poster bed
belonging to Napoleon III; and Tipu
Sultan’s ivory palanquin. As it also
serves as residence to the descendants of
Jalan, you can visit the museum by
appointment. Another fantastic museum
is the Patna Museum. Housed in a
majestic colonial-era building, this
museum contains a splendid collection
of Mauryan and Gupta stone sculptures;
some beautiful bronze Buddhist
statuary; and a gallery of early
19th-century landscape paintings by
Thomas Daniell and his nephew William
Daniell. These wonderful spaces will
make you forget the city you’re in, and
yet, remind you of the history it has
been through.
Patna’s signature snack is litti
chokha, which can be found every five
minutes in roadside stalls. Though, one
stall that is particularly famous
is Raj Sweets near Sanjay Gandhi
Biological Garden, where actor Aamir
Khan had stopped by for a snack a few
years ago. To satiate your sweet tooth,
drink a glass of sattu sherbet at Bholaji’s
Sattu Drink Stall in Biscomaun Bhawan
and try the puri-jalebi in Pal Sweets.
If you are in the mood to venture out
of Patna, Vaishali (62 km), Rajgir (104
km), Bodh Gaya (110 km), and Pawapuri
(93 km) are all important centres of
pilgrimage, and only a few hours away
from the city. As centuries of sages
and saints have known, Patna is an
important gateway for those seeking
comfort and silence in their soul.
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JUNE 2017