Module 2: Tourism trends and the heritage of Patna

📖 Chapter 2 of 7 🧩 Module 2 of 7 ⏱️ ~2 min read 💡 18 MCQs

Topic Part 1 of 2

Concept

Subtopic 2.1: Footfalls and the capital

Tourism needs branding and publicity, better physical infrastructure and connectivity, and civic amenities at destinations.
In 2019 Bihar recorded 350.5 lakh tourist visits. From 2011 to 2018 the compound annual growth was 7.8%. Foreign arrivals grew 1.1% between 2018 and 2019. In 2013 Bihar was 6th among states for foreign tourists. Indian Tourism Statistics 2019 placed it 14th for domestic tourists and 9th for foreign tourists in 2018.
The Tourism Department was sanctioned Rs 275.0 crore in 2018-19 and spent Rs 82.8 crore, 30.1% of the allocation.
Patna's names include Pataligram, Pataliputra, Kusumpur, Pushpapur and Azimabad, given by Prince Azim-us-Shan in 1704. It was never Kanishkapur.
Kumhrar preserves the 80-pillared Mauryan hall. Agam Kuan is linked with the legend of Ashoka and his 99 brothers. Takht Sri Harimandir Ji marks the birth of Guru Gobind Singh. The Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library was established in 1891. Patna Museum (1917) holds the Didarganj Yakshi, Patna Kalam and Mughal paintings, and a fossilised tree trunk of about 200 million years; the question paper also lists a 20-lakh-year fossil among the things worth seeing. The Akshayavat is in Gaya, not Patna.
Golghar was built in 1786 by Captain John Garstin under Lord Cornwallis after the famine of 1770. The Shahid Smarak outside the Secretariat recalls the seven student martyrs of 1942. Pathar ki Masjid was built in 1621 by Prince Parwez. Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, the Indira Gandhi Planetarium and the Birla Mandir of G.D. Birla are in Patna. The ropeway is at Rajgir, not Patna. Chirand in Saran is a premier Neolithic site.

Pilgrimage circuits of Bihar — Figure: Patna, the Buddhist-Jain circuit, and Hindu sacred sites

⭐ Key Points

Tourist visits in 2019 were 350.5 lakh. Growth from 2011 to 2018 was 7.8% a year.
The 2018-19 tourism budget was Rs 275.0 crore; expenditure was Rs 82.8 crore.
Patna was never called Kanishkapur. Azimabad dates from 1704.
Golghar is of 1786. Pathar ki Masjid is of 1621. The ropeway is at Rajgir.

📌 One-line Q&A

Question: How many tourists visited Bihar in 2019? Answer: 350.5 lakh.
Question: Which name was never used for Patna? Answer: Kanishkapur.

Topic

Questions

MCQs

Answer this question, then use Next.

Question 8: What works are required for the development of tourism in Bihar?

Branding, publicity, physical infrastructure, connectivity and civic amenities at destinations are all required.

Question 9: What was the number of tourists who visited Bihar in 2019?

Total tourist footfalls in 2019 were 350.5 lakh (35.05 million).

Question 22: At what annual growth rate did tourist arrivals in Bihar grow between 2011 and 2018?

Between 2011 and 2018 tourist footfalls grew at a compound annual rate of 7.8%.

Question 23: What was the growth rate of foreign tourist arrivals in Bihar between 2018 and 2019?

Foreign tourist arrivals grew by 1.1% between 2018 and 2019.

Question 24: What was the sanctioned budget of the Tourism Department in 2018-19?

The sanctioned allocation was Rs 275.0 crore. Expenditure was Rs 82.8 crore, 30.1% of the allocation.

Question 25: What was Bihar's rank among the 10 states attracting the most foreign tourists in 2013?

In 2013 Bihar ranked 6th for foreign tourists. Indian Tourism Statistics 2019 placed it 14th for domestic and 9th for foreign tourists in 2018.

Question 43: Which of the following names has never been a name of Patna?

Patna has been Pataliputra, Pataligram, Kusumpur, Pushpapur and Azimabad, named by Prince Azim-us-Shan in 1704. It was never Kanishkapur.

Question 44: When was the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna established?

Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh established it in 1891. It holds Arabic, Persian and Urdu manuscripts and Mughal miniatures.

Question 45: Which tourist places are situated in Patna?

Agam Kuan, Saif Khan's mosque and Takht Sri Harimandir Ji are all in Patna.

Question 46: Which tourist spot among the following is not located in Patna city?

The Akshayavat is in Gaya. Patna Museum, Kumhrar and the Shahid Smarak outside the Secretariat are in Patna.

Question 47: What is worth seeing for tourists in the Patna Museum?

The museum was set up in 1917. It has the Didarganj Yakshi, Patna Kalam and Mughal paintings, metal sculptures and a fossilised tree trunk described in the lesson as about 200 million years old. This question's key marks all the listed items, including the 20-lakh-year option, as correct.

Question 48: What is not located in Patna?

The historical ropeway is at Rajgir, not in Patna. The biological park and the Indira Gandhi Planetarium are in Patna.

Question 86: Where is the Birla Mandir built by industrialist G.D. Birla situated?

The Birla Mandir built by G.D. Birla is in Patna.

Question 94: Who constructed the Pathar ki Masjid in Patna?

Mughal prince Parwez Shah built this stone mosque on the bank of the Ganga in 1621.

Question 100: With which site is the legend of Mauryan emperor Ashoka killing his brothers associated?

Agam Kuan is a circular Mauryan brick well. Legend says Ashoka cast his 99 brothers into it before his accession.

Question 102: At which place in Patna have the remains of the Mauryan capital been obtained?

Excavations at Kumhrar uncovered the 80-pillared Mauryan assembly hall and palace.

Question 104: When was the Golghar in Patna built?

Captain John Garstin built this pillarless granary in 1786, under Governor-General Lord Cornwallis, after the famine of 1770.

Question 108: Consider the statements: 1. Chirand is situated in Chhapra district. 2. Jarasandha ka Akhara is situated in Rajgir. 3. Birla Mandir is located in Patna. Which are correct?

All three are correct. Chirand is a Neolithic site in Saran (Chhapra), Jarasandha ka Akhara is in Rajgir and the Birla Mandir is in Patna.

Question 1 of 18

One-liners

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How many tourists visited Bihar in 2019?

350.5 lakh.

Which name was never used for Patna?

Kanishkapur.

Question 1 of 2