The rich heritage of the region is well-documented in its many museums, spread across Patna city. To start with, the Bihar Museum is a swanky steel and granite building that has been created by a Japanese design firm in collaboration with an Indian company. Located on a 13.5-acre-plot, it has a gallery area of 9,500 sq m, with different sections like the Orientation gallery, the Children’s gallery, History galleries and one on the Bihari diaspora.

There is an intriguing Visible Storage gallery that showcases terracotta and coin artefacts, among others. The only prominent museum in the city before the Bihar Museum was built, is the grand Patna Museum. It sits in a calm, green garden and is an ideal place to reflect and also learn about the grand history of the city. Built during the British era, the museum houses a splendid collection of Mauryan and Gupta stone sculptures, some beautiful bronze Buddhist statues and early 19th century landscape paintings by Thomas and William Daniells. Jalan Museum, also called Qila House, is built on the foundations of the fort of Sher Shah Suri. It houses the private collection of the Jalan family and some of its famed exhibits include a dinner service set that belonged to George III, Napoleon’s four-poster bed, Marie Antoinette’s Sevres porcelain, and several fine examples of Chinese jade and Mughal silver filigree artwork. Prior permission is required to visit the museum.

The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, which is also known as the National Gandhi Museum, is located to the north of Gandhi Maidan on the Ashok Raj Path in Patna. In June 1965, a white statue of Mahatma Gandhi was inaugurated at this spot. The museum showcases a picture gallery depicting the life of Gandhiji, a library hall, a conference hall as well as a Gandhi Sahitya Kendra.