Pataliputra — Kumhrar Mauryan Site
Pāṭaliputra · Kumhrar Park · Ashoka's Palace at Pataliputra
Magadhan to Mauryan to Gupta 490 BCE–550 CE·Magadhan / Mauryan / Shunga / Gupta·🇮🇳 Bihar, Patna District, Kumhrar quarter on southern fringe of ancient Pataliputra (present Patna), India
About
About Pataliputra — Kumhrar Mauryan Site
Capital of Magadha, Maurya and Gupta empires (c.490 BCE–550 CE) sprawling 14 km along Ganga at present Patna; Kumhrar quarter preserves famed 80-pillared Mauryan audience hall (3rd c. BCE) excavated by D.B. Spooner (1912–15) with Persepolitan polish and ten stone pillars surviving, plus 7 wooden palisades traced by Waddell. Greek Megasthenes described 9.5 km wooden walls with 570 towers and 64 gates; Ashoka's palace allegedly inspiration for legend.
Why it mattersLargest Indian city of early historic period; only archaeological correlate for Megasthenes' description; origin of Mauryan polished stone art.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Exact layout of 9.5 km wall and 64 gates — still largely unmapped under Patna?
- 02Did hall directly copy Persepolis Apadana?
Theories
- 01Achaemenid craftsmen hypothesis; Ganga trade control as capital rationale
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Founded c.490 BCE as Piṭaligrama fort by Ajatashatru; Maurya capital 320–185 BCE
- Period
- Magadhan to Mauryan to Gupta 490 BCE–550 CE
- Culture
- Magadhan / Mauryan / Shunga / Gupta
- Builders
- Ajatashatru; Chandragupta Maurya; Ashoka
- Purpose
- Imperial capital of India's first pan-subcontinent empire
- Abandoned
- c.550 CE after Gupta decline; buried under Patna alluvium
- Rediscovered
- 1892 Waddell wooden palisade; 1912 Spooner hall
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.490 BCE
Ajatashatru builds frontier fort at Ganga-Son confluence
320 BCE
Chandragupta Maurya makes it imperial capital; Megasthenes visits
1912–15
D.B. Spooner excavates hall; 80 pillar pits mapped
On the ground
Structures & features
25.5929° N · 85.1845° E · 53 m · 2 mapped features
80-pillared Hall (Kumhrar Park)
hallMauryan audience hall with 10 pillar pits visible
25.5929° N · 85.1845° EAgam Kuan (Ashoka's well)
wellMasonry well linked to Ashoka and hell legend
25.5922° N · 85.1913° E
Gallery