Shopping in Patna

Shopping in Patna, Patna Overview

Patna is primarily known for its Madhubani paintings, wall hangings, bead jewelry and leather items. The city is also full of pilgrimage sites and temples that offer a wide variety of statues and pictures of Gods and Goddesses, Prashad, religious books, etc. It is famous among the female tourists for its applique work on silk and cotton fabrics. The shopping scene in Patna is contained in its markets, art and handicraft emporiums, local bazaars and modern malls.

Patna is home to some extremely skilled craftsmen and painters. Art houses have preserved the Madhubani form of art for over centuries. The markets in Patna host wide variety of artifacts which have their origin in native art forms of the state.

These places are bustling with crowd especially in the evenings. One the other main attraction is miniatures in the form of paper and leaves. Shopping in Patna is a must if you love bargaining as large purchases can be made by striking value deals.

About Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani translates into "forests of honey" and was originally a rural art form started by women from the Mithila region of Bihar. These beautiful paintings can be distinctly spotted from a distance owing to the vibrancy of their colors and the presence of geometrical patterns. A must for several occasions and festivals, their creators use fingers, nib-pens, twigs, and matchsticks in their making.

Traditionally, rice ground into a fine paste was used for these paintings. In modern days, paper, cloth and other mediums are used, and it is practiced by male painters too. The themes of the paintings usually tend to be religious because they were developed primarily as decorations for religious festivals and social ceremonies.

Places To Shop At

A trip to Patna would be called incomplete without a visit to the Patna Market on Ashok Rajpath. One of the oldest shopping centers of the city, this bazaar is flooded with handicrafts and souvenirs to take back home. Other places of interest would be: Hathwa Market in Bakerganj which is perfect for footwear and garment shopping, Khaitan Market near Gandhi Maidan which has over 500 shops selling bulk goods at wholesale prices, Maurya Lok Shopping Complex on Dak Bungalow Road, Vishal Mega Mart and Maharaja Kameshwar Complex on Frazer Road, P&M Mall in Patliputra Industrial Area.

One can also visit the Lhasa Market which sets up shop for winter goods by Tibetan refugees. Gandhi Maidan Book Fair is one of its kind and Nala Road Market is famous for its wooden furniture. Tourists may also check out the Bihar Handloom & Handicrafts Emporium and Khadi Gramudyog.