The Golghar or Gol Ghar (गोलघर), ("Round house"), located to the west of the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, capital of Bihar state, India. It is a granary built by Captain John Garstin, in 1786.
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 Ganges 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 . 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.It has a storage capacity of 140000 tons. Gandhi Maidan is a large park around which are a couple of sights. Its dual spiralling staircases (250 steps each side), designed so that workers could climb up one side and down the other, lead to an unparalleled view of the city and Ganges.
Loading contexts...
