Patna Secretariat
Patna Secretariat, also known as Patna Sachivalaya or Old Secretariat, is the administrative headquarters of the state Government of Bihar in India. It is located in Bihar's capital city of Patna. This building is situated between two iconic buildings of the city, Raj Bhavan in the west and Patna High Court in the far east.[1]
Patna Secretariat | |
---|---|
पटना सचिवालय | |
The Secretariat in the 1940s | |
General information | |
Type | Government building |
Location | Patna, Bihar, India |
Coordinates | 25.3619°N 85.659°E |
Construction started | 1913 |
Completed | 1917 |
Owner | Government of Bihar |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Joseph P. Munnings |
Developer | Martin Burn |
Location, architecture and design
Patna Secretariat is a mighty Victorian construction located to the east of the Raj Bhavan in Patna.[2] Built by the British in the Indo-Sarcenic style, it was completed in 1917.[3] It is 716 feet long 364 feet wide and remains one of the largest government buildings of the City. A huge clock tower stands tall amidst the beautiful and green lawn of the place.[4] Originally, it was 198 feet high, but a part of it fell down during the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. Currently, its height is 184 feet from the ground. A four-foot gap left between the concrete ceiling and the outer covering of tiles from Raniganj ensures a reasonable temperature in the interiors during the hot season.[5]
The campus has lawns and other remarkable things, such as bronze statue of the first Chief Minister of Bihar, Bihar Kesari Srikrishna Sinha to the west of Lawn and the Martyr's memorial to commemorate the sacrifice of seven students during 1942 August Kranti movement.
Patna Secretariat Building is one of the remarkable buildings of the city of Patna, known for its architectural splendor. It was designed by the famous architect of Sydney, Joseph Munnings and built by Martin Burn of Calcutta during 1913–17.[6] It stands distinct from any other historical building of the city by its tall clock tower. Today, this is the Secretariat of Bihar State Government. It is a bustling center with all types of government activities.[7] All the important government departments, such as Home, Finance, General Administration, Cabinet Secretariat etc. are situated here so do the office of the ministers and the bureaucrats.
References
- "Sachivalaya". PatnaPedia. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- Piyush Kumar Tripathi (23 October 2013). "Speed corridors on track". Telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- "Patna Secretariat in Patna India". India9.com. 7 June 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- Hindustan times – Sun 29 Aug 2010 (29 August 2010). "Airport Authority of India to downsize Patna 'Clock Tower' - Yahoo News India". In.news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- Abhay Singh, TNN & Agencies (14 June 2012). "Majestic seat of real power - Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- "Landmarks". Patna.bih.nic.in. 22 March 1912. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- "CM Inaugurates Work on 500 Panchayat Bhawans". PatnaDaily.Com. 13 February 2014. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.