Sunday, 13 December 2015

Day 13: Travelling from Varanasi, the City of Lights to the capital of Bihar: Patna

Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true. 
Swami Vivekananda 



Mentor On Road left Varanasi, Lord Shiva’s city with long-lasting memories towards the capital of Bihar, Patna passing through Mughal Sarai, Chandauli, Mohania, Malyabag, Sasaram, Aarah, Bihta and Danapur.


Among the many cities which we passed by, the first major city was Mohania which is the hub of transport routes in Kaimur district. The famous temple of Mundeshawari Devi is situated in Kaimur district. Agriculture is the main component of the economy in the district. Rice, wheat, telhan, dalhan and maize are the main crops. Industries located in the district include Vanaspati Oil Ltd., ACC Limited and the Power Grid Corporation of India's high voltage direct current (HVDC) grid station at Pusauli.

The second major city that we passed by was Sasaram, which is both birthplace and the resting place (The tomb is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Centre’s list) of the Afghan king Sher Shah Suri, who ruled over Delhi, much of northern India, what is now Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan for five years, after defeating the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Sher Shah Suri was also responsible for extending and building the Grand Trunk Road.


Sasaram's economy is mainly driven by agriculture and related industries like rice polishing. Canal irrigation system is also very prominent in this area. Because of the fertile land around the town it is a local trading center for food grains, agricultural products, and agricultural equipment. The region is also known as Dhan Ka Katora, meaning "a bowl of food grains". The rice grown near Sasaram is sold in the markets of Kolkata and New Delhi. The only significant industry is rock quarrying.

Glimpses of Bihar between Sasaram and Patna







Mentor On Road had a self made tea break at the banks of Ganga on the way to Patna.






The last major city which we passed by was Bihta, an upcoming satellite town of Patna. The land price in this small town — 40 kms west of Patna — has skyrocketed in the past few years because of the construction of a number of projects in the area like, including Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), National Institute of Technology (NIT), Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital and others. In a few years, Bihta would be to Patna what Gurgaon is to New Delhi.

Bihar is completely devoid of an essential logistics infrastructure and reliable service network. In order to fill this gap Pristine Logistics & Infraprojects Pvt. Ltd. acquired a closed sugar factory from the government of Bihar through open auction at Bihta to set up a Logistics cum Industrial Park. The project contains a Rail Linked Multi modal Logistics Park (Under Private Freight Terminal Policy of Ministry of Railway) along with Industrial Park housing medium and small scale industrial establishments.


This Logistic and Industrial Park in Bihta is a highly ambitious project of Bihar’s government. Major companies such Raymond and Hero Cycles have started their units in the Logistic and Industrial Park (LIP). The cost of this entire project is around Rs 200 crores and is spread on 50 acres of land.

The Logistic and Industrial Park in Bihta plans to have a cluster of small-scale industries, marketing of agriculture produce, transportation of produce, establishment of cold chain and utilization of the freight corridor of the railways for the transportation and supply of perishable items for marketing in keeping with their demand in other states and metros.

The existing airport of Patna is also scheduled to be shifted to Bihta for expansion and security reasons. Bihta is also home to a $35-million production facility of Cobra Beer, a premium beer brand promoted by Lord Karan Bilimoria set up in 2010.

Mentor On Road thus finally entered Bihar and reached Patna. This is the eighth state on this mentoring road trip, with two more states to go - Jharkhand and West Bengal. A total of 10 states will be covered in this leg 2.

The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed. 
Swami Vivekananda 

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