Patna: Patna Sahib has emerged as a major centre of religious tourism in the post-Covid period, with a sharp rise in the number of devotees visiting the historic Sikh shrine complex from across India and overseas.
According to officials of the Takht Sri Harmandir Ji Management Committee and data from the Bihar tourism department, more than 1.7 million devotees paid their respects at Patna Sahib’s gurudwaras in the first 11 months of this year. On average, over 25,000 devotees now visit the area daily, a figure that climbs beyond 50,000 on weekends and public holidays. During Prakash Parv, the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the numbers multiply several times.
Sardar Jagjot Singh Sohi, president of the Takht Sri Harmandir Ji Management Committee, said the surge has been particularly visible since the 350th Prakash Parv celebrations. “The development of Patna Sahib has accelerated, and the number of Sikh devotees visiting the city has increased nearly tenfold compared with earlier years,” he said.
Mukesh Kumar, president of the management committee and in charge of the Patna Sahib tourism information centre, said that devotees from multiple states have visited the shrine complex this year alone. “In the last 11 months, more than one million devotees from different parts of the country have come here to seek blessings,” he said.
- 📊 Tourism data highlights: January saw the highest footfall with 3,84,922 devotees, while May recorded the lowest at 77,626.
- 📈 Strong early-year turnout: February welcomed 1,77,604 pilgrims and March saw 1,75,589 visitors.
- 🛕 Major Sikh shrines covered: Devotees visited Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib, Bal Leela Gurudwara, Kangan Ghat Gurudwara and Guru Ka Bagh Gurudwara.
- ⭐ Top attraction: Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib Patna Sahib accounted for the largest share of pilgrims.
- 🏨 City transforming: Rising pilgrim numbers are reshaping Patna Sahib, with new hotels, lodges and food facilities opening rapidly.
- 🚧 Infrastructure push: Multiple development projects are under way, improving connectivity and visitor facilities.
- 🏛️ Government support: Officials credit the transformation to development initiatives under Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.
- 🙏 Decade-long faith: Over the past 10 years, more than 15 million devotees have visited Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib.
- 🌍 Nationwide footfall: Pilgrims have arrived from Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, UP, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, MP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Bhopal and Chandigarh.
