CM Nitish Kumar reviewed Patna’s historic Kumhrar Park and urged the Centre to upgrade conservation and visitor facilities at the ancient Pataliputra site.

Patna: During his Friday tour of Kumhrar Park, one of Patna’s most important archeological sites, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked for better visitor amenities and conservation measures for the complex that houses the relics of the old Pataliputra.

CM Nitish explored information panels on the Bulandibagh and Kumhrar digs, including the renowned Mauryan assembly hall, which is thought to have had 80 pillars, and looked at preserved pillar remnants from the Magadha and Mauryan periods while strolling through the park. He also went to the Krishnadeva Smriti Auditorium’s Pataliputra Gallery, which features displays that trace the site’s architectural, material, and creative heritage.

The chief minister was told by officials that the Archaeological Survey of India is responsible for maintaining Kumhrar Park, which is governed by the Indian government. CM Nitish instructed state representatives to write to the Union government requesting improved development and maintenance, emphasizing that the park’s size, foot traffic, and scholarly interest from around the world demanded better upkeep and presentation.

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Officials in attendance noted, “Kumhrar is essential to the history of the Magadha empire and ancient Pataliputra.” This location is visited by academics and students from both India and other countries. Its preservation and aesthetic appeal have to be commensurate with its worldwide significance.

An enormous Mauryan-era assembly hall with a grid layout—ten rows of pillars east to west and eight rows north to south, spaced about 15 feet apart and facing south—was discovered during archaeological excavations at Kumhrar, which were carried out in stages between 1912–15 and 1951–55. In order to ensure long-term preservation, authorities re-covered portions of the site with soil and sand in 2005 after receiving expert information that the remains were in danger due to subsequent urban development and rising groundwater levels.

Ancient Pataliputra, which gained notoriety after King Udayin moved the Magadha capital from Rajagriha in the middle of the fifth century BCE, is historically equivalent to the present-day city of Patna. Chinese pilgrims Fa-Hien and Xuanzang later documented the city’s prosperity and subsequent decline, while Greek ambassador Megasthenes, writing in Indica, described the city, then known as Palibothra, as a huge, walled metropolis along the Ganges. These stories have been supported by excavations conducted across Patna, which have revealed polished pillars, drains, palisades, and fortifications connected to the Mauryan capital.