Golghar

Golghar is a huge beehive-shaped granary in the heart of Patna, built by the British to store grain against future famine, its distinctive domed form and twin external staircases spiralling up to a viewing platform at the top offering panoramic views over the city and the Ganges below. Though it was never actually used for its intended storage purpose, the structure has endured as one of Patna's most recognisable landmarks.

Today Golghar functions less as a historical curiosity than as a genuinely popular local vantage point, particularly at sunset, when residents climb the stairs for the view rather than any specific historical interest — a rare case of a colonial-era structure being embraced primarily for its practical present-day use.

Built in 1786 under the orders of Captain John Garstin following the devastating Bengal famine of 1770, Golghar was designed to hold enough grain to feed Bihar's population through any future crop failure, though a design flaw in the internal staircase meant it was never put to practical use as intended.

In central Patna, near Gandhi Maidan, easily reached by road.