Patna: Ganga Ghats, Litti Chokha and Ancient Pataliputra

Dry State, Wet Rumours: Bihar has had total alcohol prohibition since April 2016, and it applies to foreigners too. No bars, no wine shops, no hotel minibars, and police do run checks and arrests (tens of thousands of arrests in the first five months of 2026 alone). Don't bring bottles in and don't ask your auto driver "where can I get a drink" - that question is how tourists end up in trouble. Locals drink sattu sharbat and chai instead, and talk about the ban constantly.

A City Stretched Along a River: Patna is a long, thin ribbon about 15 km along the south bank of the Ganga, from Digha in the west to Patna City in the east. The old city (the ancient Pataliputra) sits at the east end, the British-era and government districts in the middle, and the new middle-class sprawl to the west. Everything is "10 minutes away" in a local's mouth, which means 40 in traffic.

Chai Is Not a Drink, It Is a Schedule: Tea comes in small kulhads or glass cups for ₹7-10, strong, milky and heavily sweetened. Turning down tea when offered in someone's home or shop reads as cold. Say "thoda kam cheeni" (less sugar) if you must.

The Horn Is a Language: Honking in Patna is not aggression, it is information - "I'm here", "I'm overtaking", "I exist". Don't take it personally and don't honk back at everything.

The Coaching Capital: Boring Road, Kankarbagh and Mussallahpur are packed with coaching institutes for UPSC, engineering and medical exams. Thousands of students from across Bihar rent single rooms here, which is why there are so many cheap tiffin services, bookshops and photocopy stalls. When a Patnaite says "tayyari kar raha hai" (he's preparing), everyone knows exactly what for.

"Pranam" and Respect Titles: Greeting elders with "Pranam" and adding "ji" or "sir" to almost everyone is standard. Bihar's politeness is formal even when the traffic isn't.

Chhath Puja (October-November, 4 days): The defining event of Bihar. Families fast for about 36 hours without water and stand waist-deep in the Ganga at sunset and then sunrise offering arghya (offerings) to the Sun and Chhathi Maiya. In Patna, over 100 temporary ghats are set up between Danapur and Patna City, with NDRF and SDRF divers on standby. Visitors are welcome to watch quietly; ask before photographing women, never touch the offering baskets (they are treated as pure), and expect roads near the river closed. Also expect the haunting folk songs of the late Sharda Sinha playing from every speaker.

Makar Sankranti Dahi-Chura (14-15 January): Locals eat flattened rice with thick curd, jaggery and tilkut (sesame sweet), and fly kites from rooftops across Patna City and Kankarbagh. The skies fill with paper kites by 8 AM.

Ganga Snan and Evening Aarti: On full-moon days (Purnima) and during Kartik month, locals take a dawn dip in the Ganga at Gai Ghat and Kangan Ghat. Small evening aartis happen at several ghats; join at the back and stay quiet.

Shaadi Season Processions (November-February, April-June): Bihar weddings are loud, nighttime baraat processions with brass bands, generator-lit chandeliers and dancing in the street. Traffic stops; watching from the side is fine and sometimes you're pulled into the dance.

Makar Sankranti - 14-15 January: Dahi-chura feasts and kite-flying; also Sakraat in some homes.

Basant Panchami / Saraswati Puja - late January-February: Students install clay Saraswati idols everywhere; yellow clothes, pandals in every neighbourhood and street processions.

Holi - March: Bihar's Holi (including "Phagua" songs) is boisterous; colours, bhang-spiked thandai and loud folk songs. Women travellers may want to stay indoors or with a host family.

Ram Navami - March/April: Long processions with saffron flags and swords/lathis demonstrations from Mahavir Mandir area.

Durga Puja and Dussehra - September/October: Pandals with elaborate themes; Kali Bari and Boring Road lanes are busy. Lights peak at night.

Diwali - October/November: Candles, firecrackers and heavy air pollution afterwards.

Chhath Puja - October/November, six days after Diwali (mid-November in 2026): Bihar's biggest festival; the whole city shuts down and ghat roads close.

Sonepur Mela - November/December (starts at Kartik Purnima, runs about a month): Across the Ganga at Sonepur, ~25 km from Patna - Asia's largest cattle fair with elephants historically, horses, birds, handicrafts, theatre shows and circus tents.

Patna Book Fair - typically November-December at Gandhi Maidan: Bihar's biggest book event; check dates locally.

Litti Chokha - the Soul of Bihar: Wheat-flour balls stuffed with spiced roasted gram flour (sattu), baked over coal or cow-dung embers and dunked in ghee, served with chokha (mashed roasted aubergine, tomato and potato with raw mustard oil, green chilli and garlic). A plate costs ₹40-80 at street stalls near Maurya Lok, and the Incredible India tourism portal has a good overview of Patna's flavours. Eat it hot, break it with your hands, and ask for "extra ghee".

Breakfast Near Mahavir Mandir: Locals start the day with hot puri, aloo-chana sabzi, jalebi and dahi vada. At small stalls near Mahavir Mandir a breakfast thali runs about ₹30-50. Go before 9 AM; it sells out.

Champaran Mutton (Ahuna): Mutton slow-cooked in a sealed clay handi with onion, garlic and whole spices, traditionally on Sundays. It's the one dish every Bihari will argue about: ₹300-500 for a plate at good dhabas, ₹800+ for a full handi.

Chana Ghugni, Samosa and Chaat: Evening street food near Patna Junction and Boring Road: fried samosas ₹10-15, ghugni (spiced chickpeas) ₹20-30, batata puri ₹30-50. Afghani momos in Kankarbagh are surprisingly beloved by students.

Sweets Worth the Detour: Khaja (layered flaky fried sweet, famous from Silao), anarsa (rice-flour sesame cake), malpua, tilkut (sesame-jaggery) and thekua (the wheat-jaggery cookie baked for Chhath). Buy fresh, from shops with turnover.

Fish and Rice: Rohu fish in mustard gravy with rice is Sunday lunch in many Patna homes; Maithili and Bengali influence is strong.

Eating Etiquette: Wash hands before and after, eat with the right hand, and don't be shy about fingers. Many households avoid onion, garlic and meat during festivals like Chhath, and meat is not welcome near temples.

Hospitality That Borders on Insistence: If a family invites you for a meal, they will keep serving until you physically stop them. Say "bas, bas" (enough) and cover your plate - a clean plate gets refilled. This is warmth, not pressure. As the country overview for India explains for much of the north, refusing the first offer is polite, accepting the second is expected.

Right Hand Rule: Eat, pass money and hand over items with the right hand. Shoes come off before entering homes, temples and gurdwaras.

Pride in a Great Past, Impatience With the Present: Locals are quietly proud that Pataliputra was the capital of the Mauryan empire under Chandragupta and Ashoka, that Aryabhata worked nearby, and that Gandhi's Champaran movement began in Bihar. They also joke dryly about roads, power cuts of the old days and the way outsiders talk about Bihar. Showing real curiosity about the history wins instant friends.

Dress Conservatively: Patna is more conservative than Delhi or Mumbai. Women generally wear salwar-kameez, kurta with jeans or long skirts; shoulders and knees covered is the safe baseline. Men in shorts will get looks outside the more modern malls.

Politics Is the Second Religion: Everyone has a view on Lalu, Nitish and caste arithmetic. You can listen all day, but don't offer opinions on caste or party politics unless you want a two-hour debate. Ask about food instead.

Language Layers: Hindi works everywhere, but at home people speak Magahi, Bhojpuri or Maithili depending on family origin. Speaking even a few words of the local dialect is received with delight.

Greetings (Hindi/Bhojpuri/Magahi):

• "Pranam" (praa-NAAM) = respectful hello to elders; hands together
• "Ka haal ba?" (kaa haal baa) = How are you? (Bhojpuri) - guaranteed smile
• "Sab badhiya ba" (sab bad-HI-yaa baa) = All good
• "Ka ho?" (kaa ho) = What's up? (friendly)
• "Dhanyavad" (dhun-yuh-VAAD) = Thank you

Local Slang and Terms:

• "Bhaiya" (BHAI-yaa) = older brother; how you address any male shopkeeper, driver or waiter
• "Didi" (DEE-dee) = older sister; for women vendors
• "Babua" (BAH-boo-aa) = affectionate term for a young person
• "Bahut nik" (ba-HOOT neek) = very good (Bhojpuri)
• "Ee kitna ke ba?" (ee KIT-naa kay baa) = How much is this? (Bhojpuri)
• "Chalo" (CHAH-lo) = let's go / fine

Cultural Words:

• "Sattu" (SUT-too) = roasted gram flour, Bihar's staple
• "Ghat" (gaat) = riverside steps
• "Arghya" (AR-ghyaa) = Chhath water offering
• "Mela" (MAY-laa) = fair
• "Baraat" (bah-RAAT) = wedding procession

Patna Metro:

• The first stretch (Priority Corridor) began service in October 2025 with stations at ISBT (Patliputra), Zero Mile and Bhootnath, about 3.6 km elevated
• Fares at launch: ₹15 for one station, ₹30 for the full stretch; services about 8 AM-10 PM
• Frequency at launch was around 20 minutes; more stations are being added, so check for updates
• Useful mostly as a novelty and for the bus terminal; the rest of the network is still under construction

E-Rickshaws and Auto-Rickshaws:

• Shared e-rickshaws cost ₹10-15 per person on fixed routes; reserved trips ₹30-80 depending on distance
• Autos charge about ₹20 for Gandhi Maidan to Patna Junction on shared routes, ₹100-250 for reserved cross-city trips
• Agree the fare before getting in or use an app; avoid peak hours 9-11 AM and 5-8 PM

Ola, Uber and Rapido:

• Cabs from the airport to Gandhi Maidan: ₹250-450
• Bike taxis (Rapido) ₹30-100 for most trips; helmets are not always provided

Trains:

• Patna Junction is the main station; Danapur, Rajendra Nagar Terminal and Patliputra Junction handle other trains
• Rajdhani and other express trains to Delhi take about 12-13 hours (₹1,500-3,500 depending on class); read about the capital in the New Delhi guide
• Book on IRCTC well ahead; tatkal quotas are competitive

Buses and Bridges:

• City buses cost ₹10-30; state buses run to Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda for ₹100-200
• The Mahatma Gandhi Setu (about 5.5 km) and JP Setu cross the Ganga to the north; expect long delays at rush hour

Airport: Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport is about 5 km from Gandhi Maidan; flights link to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and others.

Food and Drinks:

• Tea: ₹7-10; sattu sharbat ₹10-20
• Street breakfast (puri-sabzi-jalebi): ₹30-60
• Litti chokha plate: ₹40-80
• Basic thali at a local restaurant: ₹100-200
• Champaran mutton plate: ₹300-500
• Mid-range restaurant meal: ₹400-800 per person
• Note: no alcohol is available legally

Accommodation:

• Hostels/dorms/basic lodges near Patna Junction: ₹400-800
• Budget hotels: ₹800-1,500 per night (typical average about ₹1,000-1,500)
• Mid-range 3-star: ₹2,500-5,000
• Upscale 4-5 star: ₹6,000-12,000
• Prices spike during Chhath, big exam weeks and wedding season

Transport:

• E-rickshaw ₹10-15, auto ₹20-250, metro ₹15-30
• Day taxi for city sightseeing: ₹1,500-2,500
• Nalanda-Rajgir day trip by taxi: ₹3,000-4,500

Activities:

• Patna Museum ₹30; Golghar low or free; Mahavir Mandir, Patna Sahib and Khuda Bakhsh Library free
• Bihar Museum: modest ticket (check at the gate)
• Ganga boat ride ₹100-200 per person

Groceries:

• 1 litre milk ₹55-60; 1 kg rice ₹40-60; 1 kg seasonal fruit ₹60-150

Daily Budget: Backpacker ₹1,500-2,500 per day; comfortable mid-range ₹4,000-7,000. Patna is one of the cheapest big cities in India.

Year-Round Basics:

• Patna has a humid subtropical, monsoon-influenced climate; summers are brutal, winters are foggy and cool, and the monsoon is humid
• Bring sunscreen, a hat, a refillable bottle, and sandals or shoes that are easy to take off
• Locals wear cotton in summer and woollens plus shawls in winter

Seasonal Guide:

Summer (April-June): 30-44°C

• Very hot and dry with loo winds; daytime highs regularly pass 40°C
• Wear light cotton full-sleeve shirts, scarves and hats; locals stay indoors from noon to 4 PM
• Do sightseeing before 10 AM

Monsoon (July-September): 26-34°C

• Humid with heavy downpours; the river rises and some riverside roads flood
• Carry a compact umbrella and quick-dry clothing; mosquito repellent is essential

Autumn (October-November): 18-32°C

• Pleasant, with festivals (Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath); afternoons still warm
• Light layers; air pollution begins to rise in November

Winter (December-February): 6-22°C

• Cold mornings with thick fog that delays flights and trains; average minimums of about 8-11°C in January
• Wear a jacket, scarf and socks; locals use sweaters, blankets and a topi (cap)
• Best time to visit overall is late October to early March

Morning Walkers' Clubs: Eco Park, Gandhi Maidan and the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (Patna Zoo) fill with walkers, laughter clubs and yoga groups from 5-7 AM. Visitors are welcome - nod, smile and join.

Evening Cricket on Gandhi Maidan: Groups play pick-up games from about 4:30 PM; ask politely and you'll probably be given a bat.

Gurdwara Seva: Volunteer in the langar kitchen at Patna Sahib - chopping, serving or washing plates. Go in the morning and ask at the office.

Literary and Theatre Events: Patna's theatre scene, Hindi poetry gatherings (kavi sammelan) and book fairs run from November to February; check local listings.

Language Exchange and Cafés: Boring Road cafés host student meetups and informal English-Hindi exchanges, especially on weekends.

Ganga Cleanliness Drives: Local groups organise ghat clean-ups; contact them through social media pages.

Climb Golghar at Sunset: A giant beehive-shaped granary built in 1786 after the great 1770 famine. 145 steps wind up the outside; the top gives panoramic views of the Ganga and the city. Open about 9:30 AM-6 PM, no/low entry fee. Go around 4:30-5 PM for golden light - the staircase gets crowded on weekends with teenagers on dates.

Langar at Patna Sahib: Join thousands of pilgrims eating free vegetarian food on the floor of the gurdwara, then wander the Takht's museum. Early morning for the calm; afternoons are heaviest.

Sunrise Boat on the Ganga at Gandhi Ghat: Local boatmen run trips on the river for ₹100-200 per person or ₹800-1,500 for a whole boat (bargain; avoid overpaying at the weekend). On calm mornings you may spot Gangetic dolphins surfacing.

Bihar Museum (Bailey Road): A modern museum that opened in 2017 with excellent exhibitions on Bihar's history and art, including the famed Didarganj Yakshi, moved here from Patna Museum. Closed Mondays; allow 2-3 hours.

Patna Museum: Colonial-era building (opening about 9 AM-6 PM, ₹30) with Mauryan-era terracottas, coins and sculpture, and a long history around the Buddha relic casket (now displayed at Buddha Smriti Park). Ask at the desk what is currently on show.

Kumhrar Ruins: The remains of the pillared hall of Ashoka's Pataliputra are a quiet corner where local students study under trees. Go in the morning.

Day Trip to Nalanda and Rajgir: ~90-100 km away, 2-3 hours by car. Book a taxi for ₹3,000-4,500 round trip or take the train from Patna Junction to Rajgir/Bakhtiyarpur.

Hathwa Market: Wholesale-style clothing and fabric market near Patna Junction; busy and crowded. Go on weekday mornings and bargain hard.

Exhibition Road: Famous for wedding shopping (lehengas, sarees, jewellery) and electronics; heavy traffic. Evening is the peak.

Maurya Lok Complex: A multi-level shopping complex with fashion, books and a lively street-food scene outside after dark.

Khadi Mall and Bihar Emporium: Government-backed outlets with fixed prices for handloom, silk, Madhubani and Sikki items; reliable for authentic products.

Kankarbagh / Mithapur Sabzi Mandis: Morning vegetable, fruit and fish markets where locals buy daily groceries; best between 6 and 9 AM.

Gandhi Maidan Book Stalls and Patna Book Fair: Browsing for second-hand textbooks and affordable Hindi literature.

Gandhi Ghat at Dawn: Locals walk, do yoga and bathe at the river between 5 and 7 AM; the Ganga mist and boatmen make it the most beautiful time. Come early; by 9 AM it's hot and busy.

Ganga Path / Marine Drive Riverfront: The riverside road being built from Digha toward Didarganj (about 20 km planned) is already a favourite for evening walks, bike rides and ice cream stalls. Weekend evenings are crowded with families.

Buddha Smriti Park: A landscaped stupa park near Patna Junction with a Pagoda-style monument; locals come in the evening for photographs and walking. Small entry fee.

Eco Park: Large green park with walking tracks and a lake, popular with joggers early morning and families in the evening.

Gandhi Maidan in the Evening: Patna's giant central ground is where kids play cricket, couples sit and snack-sellers set up; the outer paths are lit and busy until about 9 PM.

Golghar Steps at Sunset: See Unique Experiences above - a hangout for teenagers and photographers.

Chai Tapri (chai tah-PREE): Small roadside tea stalls with plastic stools. Locals gather at all hours; sit, chat and pay when you leave (₹7-10 per cup).

Dhaba (DAH-baa): Open-air roadside restaurants that serve litti, dal, sabzi and champaran mutton. Look for ones with local truck drivers and families, not tourist buses.

Mithai Ki Dukaan (MIH-tai kee doo-KAAN): Sweet shops that double as breakfast places for puri, jalebi and kachori; open from 6 AM.

Coaching Library and Mess: Quiet study libraries with desks for rent and student "mess" canteens with ₹60-100 thali meals. A fascinating glimpse of Patna's aspirations.

Pandal (PUN-dal): Temporary festival structures for Durga, Saraswati and Vishwakarma pujas, often built to elaborate themes. Free to enter.

Bihari Jokes, Told by Biharis: Patnaites know the stereotypes that other Indians have of them (backwardness, politics, migrant labour) and use self-deprecating humour to disarm it. Joking back with "arre bhaiya, Bihari hain, sab kuch kar lete hain" (we're Biharis, we can do anything) is popular.

Politics as Comedy: Lalu Prasad Yadav's rustic one-liners are folk legend; people mimic his accent.

Traffic Philosophy: "If there's a gap, it's a lane." Locals laugh about the idea of lane discipline and cheerfully drive whichever direction they like.

Chai-Stall Parliament: Debates over cricket, politics and Bollywood at tea stalls end with a mock "ruling". Don't take sides in public.

Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya (rulers/strategist): Founders of the Mauryan empire whose capital was Pataliputra; locals still name colleges, hotels and buses for them. Chanakya's Arthashastra is cited in Patna's coaching centres as career advice.

Ashoka (emperor): The emperor who embraced Buddhism after Kalinga; his Pataliputra court is the reason Patna is on the world heritage map.

Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh Guru): Born in Patna Sahib in 1666; the city is a pilgrimage site for Sikhs from around the world.

Jayaprakash Narayan - "JP" (freedom fighter/politician): Led the 1974 "Total Revolution" movement from Patna's Gandhi Maidan; the airport and several bridges bear his name.

Dr Rajendra Prasad (first President of India): Bihari lawyer and freedom fighter; his house museum is a quiet stop for history lovers.

Bhikhari Thakur (folk playwright): The "Shakespeare of Bhojpuri" whose Bidesiya theatre about migration still defines Bhojpuri folk drama.

Sharda Sinha (folk singer): The "Bihar Kokila" whose Chhath songs are inseparable from the festival; she died in November 2024, during Chhath itself, and the city mourned openly.

Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar (politicians): Two politicians who dominate Bihar's modern story; every taxi ride includes a monologue about them.

Cricket: Everyone plays it - on Gandhi Maidan, in lanes, on rooftops. The Moin-ul-Haq Stadium is being rebuilt as an international-scale venue after Bihar signed a 30-year lease to the Bihar Cricket Association in late 2024, with a target capacity around 40,000. Bihar's best-known recent youngster, Vaibhav Suryavanshi (from Samastipur), made IPL news as a teenager, and locals talk about him constantly.

Kabaddi - Patna Pirates: The city's franchise in the Pro Kabaddi League, a three-time champion (seasons 3, 4 and 5), plays home games at the Patliputra Sports Complex when the league visits. Local fans are loud and knowledgeable, and tickets are very cheap relative to cricket.

Football and Gully Sports: Evening football and volleyball happen on any open ground; Gandhi Maidan has teams that play daily at dusk.

Wrestling (Kushti): Akharas (traditional wrestling gyms) still exist in Patna City and across the river, with morning practice at dawn and a heavy ghee-and-milk diet.

Sattu Sharbat with Salt and Green Chilli: Roasted gram flour mixed in cold water with roasted cumin, black salt, lemon and chopped green chilli. It's the summer cooler and stomach-cleanser at ₹10-20 a glass - "poor man's protein shake".

Litti with Mutton Curry: Bihar's rural breakfast food meets a heavy mutton gravy. Locals eat it for Sunday lunch; the combination surprises outsiders who expect litti only with chokha.

Jalebi with Dahi or Milk: Hot jalebi dunked in cold curd or milk for breakfast - sugary, sour and cold at once.

Dahi-Chura-Gud-Tilkut: Sankranti's heavy combination of flattened rice, curd, jaggery and sesame sweet.

Chokha with Raw Mustard Oil: Raw, pungent mustard oil poured over mashed roasted vegetables and eaten straight. Foreigners sniff once and cough; locals add more.

Kachri / Pitha with Chutney: Rice-flour dumplings filled with chana dal or coconut, steamed and eaten in winter with tomato-chilli chutney.

Hindu Majority, Many Faiths: Most Patnaites are Hindu, but Patna is one of the great multi-religious cities of India: Sikh, Muslim, Jain, Buddhist and Christian sites sit within a few kilometres.

Mahavir Mandir (near Patna Junction): One of North India's busiest Hanuman temples, open roughly 5:30 AM-10:30 PM daily with no entry fee. Its Naivedyam laddu prasad is famous, made in a style brought from Tirupati. Tuesdays and Saturdays are the busiest. Remove shoes at the stalls outside, carry nothing leather inside, and expect queues and pushing - stay patient.

Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib (Patna Sahib): The birthplace of the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, and one of the five Takhts of Sikhism. Entry is free. Cover your head (scarves are provided), remove shoes, wash feet, and don't bring tobacco. The langar (free communal meal) is open to everyone - eat everything you take and wash your own plate if invited.

Padri ki Haveli and Khuda Bakhsh: Padri ki Haveli is an 18th-century Catholic church. The Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library is a quiet Islamic-scholarship treasury with rare manuscripts, open about 9:30 AM-5 PM (closed Fridays) and free.

Buddhist and Jain Circuit: Buddha Smriti Park holds a relic of the Buddha, and Nalanda, Rajgir, Bodh Gaya and Pawapuri are day trips (Pawapuri is where Mahavira is believed to have attained nirvana). Dress modestly at all of them.

River as Goddess: Ganga is mother to locals. Don't litter in or near the river and don't step over offerings on the ghats.

Payment Methods:

• UPI (PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm) is used everywhere - even tea stalls display QR codes
• Cards work in malls, large hotels and chain stores; carry ₹500 in small cash for e-rickshaws, temples and street food
• ATMs are common, but carry cash for villages and day trips

Bargaining Culture:

• Expected in street markets, with autos and with souvenir sellers; start at about 50-60% of the quoted price
• Fixed prices in malls and sweet shops; don't bargain over food

Shopping Hours:

• Most shops 10 AM-9 PM; many markets close one day a week (often Sunday for some wholesale markets)
• Evening is the prime shopping time, especially during festival weeks

Tax and Receipts:

• GST applies (typically 5-18% depending on item); prices are usually tax-inclusive
• There is no tourist tax refund for most purchases; keep receipts for electronics and large purchases

Absolute Essentials:

• "Haan / Nahin" (haan / na-HEEN) = Yes / No
• "Kripya" (KRIP-yaa) = please
• "Dhanyavad / Shukriya" (dhun-yuh-VAAD / SHOOK-ree-yaa) = Thank you
• "Maaf kijiye" (maaf KEE-jee-yay) = Excuse me / sorry
• "Madad chahiye" (MUH-dud cha-HEE-yay) = I need help

Daily Greetings:

• "Namaste / Pranam" (nuh-muh-STAY / praa-NAAM) = hello
• "Aap kaise hain?" (aap KAI-say hain) = How are you? (polite)
• "Subah/Shubh ratri" (soo-BAH / shoobh RAA-tree) = good morning / good night

Numbers and Practical:

• 1-10: "ek, do, teen, chaar, paanch, chhe, saat, aath, nau, das" (ake, doh, teen, chaar, paanch, cheh, saat, aath, now, dus)
• "Kitna hua?" (KIT-naa hoo-aa) = How much is it?
• "Bahut mehnga hai" (ba-HOOT MAIN-gaa hai) = That's very expensive
• "Meter se chalo" (MEE-ter say CHA-lo) = go by meter
• "Station kahaan hai?" (STAY-shun kuh-HAAN hai) = Where is the station?

Food and Dining:

• "Ek litti chokha dena" (ake LIT-ti CHO-khaa DAY-naa) = One litti chokha, please
• "Kam teekha" (kum TEE-khaa) = less spicy
• "Pani" (PAA-nee) = water
• "Bill dena" (bill DAY-naa) = The bill, please
• "Bahut swadisht!" (ba-HOOT swaa-DISHT) = Delicious!

Authentic Local Products:

• Madhubani (Mithila) paintings: hand-painted on paper or cloth - ₹300 for small pieces to ₹5,000+ for large ones; buy at Bihar Emporium or directly from artists
• Sikki grass crafts (baskets, small boxes): ₹100-800
• Makhana (fox nuts): the superfood that Bihar grows - roughly ₹800-1,500 per kg
• Sattu: roasted gram flour - ₹80-150 per kg

Handcrafted Items:

• Bhagalpuri silk and tussar sarees/stoles: ₹800 for scarves up to ₹10,000+ for sarees
• Tikuli art (painted wall pieces) and Manjusha art from Bhagalpur
• Sujni embroidery quilts

Edible Souvenirs:

• Silao khaja: ₹300-500 per kg; best within two weeks
• Tilkut from Gaya (winter): ₹300-600 per kg
• Anarsa and thekua: keep for a week or two; Patna's famous litchi (June) is seasonal

Where Locals Actually Shop:

• Bihar Emporium and Khadi Mall for fixed prices
• Mithai shops near Mahavir Mandir and Patna City for sweets
• Hathwa and Exhibition Road for textiles
• Avoid street sellers near tourist sites who claim "antique" Buddhist items - real antiquities cannot be exported

Local Family Cultural Context:

• Joint families are still common; three generations often live together and children grow up surrounded by cousins and grandparents
• Education is the central family project; exam preparation dominates teenage life
• Children are welcomed everywhere and strangers will happily chat with them or pinch cheeks

City-Specific Family Traditions:

• Chhath, Sankranti kite-flying and Saraswati Puja are family events where children carry offerings and help prepare food
• Thekua baking, rangoli (alpana) and kite-making are skills passed down

Local Family Values:

• Respect for elders (touching feet in greeting), hospitality and shared meals matter most
• Modern nuclear families are growing in Boring Road and Kankarbagh, but festivals bring everyone home

Practical Family Travel Info:

• Family-friendliness rating: 4/10 - warm people, but the infrastructure is challenging
• Pavements are uneven or non-existent; strollers are hard to use. A baby carrier works better
• Good spots: Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (Patna Zoo), Eco Park, Buddha Smriti Park, Bihar Museum, Patna Planetarium (Indira Gandhi Science Complex)
• Changing facilities are limited outside malls and upscale hotels; carry your own supplies
• Pharmacies (24-hour ones around Boring Road) and packaged baby food are available, but bring familiar brands
• Drink only bottled or filtered water; avoid raw street salads for small children
• Winter fog and summer heat can be hard on kids - October-March is the best time