GOLGHAR Compound (Patna)

India / Bihar / Patna / West Gandhi Maidan Road
 storage, place with historical importance, godown
The Golghar or Gol Ghar (गोलघर), ("Round house"), located to the west of the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, capital of Bihar state, India is a granary built by Captain John Garstin, in 1786.After the devastating famine of 1770, which killed nearly 10 million people in regions of Bengal, Bihar and modern day Bangladesh, Warren Hastings, then Governor-General of India, ordered the construction of this beehive shaped structure for the purpose of storing grains for the British Army [2]. It was conceived and built by Captain John Garstin, an engineer with the East India Company [3], and has a storage capacity of 140000 tons, it construction was completed on 20 July 1786.

A beautification drive of the structure was set in 2002.Built in the native Stupa architecture, the building has a foundation of 125m, and a height of 29 m. It is pillarless with a wall of thickness of 3.6 m at the base. One can climb atop the Golghar through the 145 steps of its spiral stairway around the monument. The spiral staircase was designed so as to facilitate the passage of the coolies, who had to carry grain-bags up one flight, deliver their load through a hole at the top, and descend the other stairs.

The top of the Golghar presents a wonderful panoramic view of the city and the Ganga flowing nearby. At time of its construction, it was the tallest building in Patna.

One interesting fact about the Golghar is that never in its existence has it been filled to its maximum capacity and there are no plans in future as well. The reason for this is that due to oversight while designing and construction of the Golghar, the doors were designed to open inside. Thus, if it is filled to its maximum capacity, then the doors will not open.
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Coordinates:   25°37'11"N   85°8'20"E

Comments

  • golghar is a historic place fr patna.this round shaped figure was used as a granary.
This article was last modified 12 years ago