Kumhrar

Kumhrar, also spelled Kumrahar, is an archaeological site in Patna, Bihar, India. It lies in the Kumhrar locality of Patna city and preserves parts of the ancient city of Pataliputra, the capital of several empires in ancient Magadha, most notably during the Maurya and Gupta periods.

Excavations at Kumhrar, conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India in the 20th century and later, uncovered a long brick platform and a series of column bases arranged in rows that once supported wooden or composite columns. The most prominent feature is the remains of a large hypostyle hall, commonly described in scholarship as the eighty-pillared hall, dating to the Mauryan period. The surviving evidence suggests sophisticated urban planning and monumental public architecture in ancient Pataliputra.

Dating and significance: The site spans roughly from the 4th to 2nd centuries BCE, with later occupation continuing into the early centuries CE. Kumhrar provides tangible material testimony to the early urban administration and ceremonial spaces of Pataliputra, the capital of the Mauryan Empire and later regimes, and is tied to the broader narrative of urban development in ancient eastern India.

Current status: Kumhrar is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and is open to visitors. It forms part of Patna’s broader archaeological and historical landscape and is often visited in conjunction with nearby heritage sites. The site helps illustrate the scale and organization of early Indian urban centers and their royal and public architectures.