Recently, I was having a conversation with a colleague who mentioned he was from Patna, Bihar. That instantly brought back memories of my own time in Patna. As I began sharing my experiences with him, he was surprised by how much I remembered. It made me realize that before age catches up with me and these memories begin to fade, I should document them—and hence, this blog.
It was the year 1997—I can’t quite recall the exact month. We were living in a little town in Karnataka. My father worked at a bank, my mother was a homemaker, my brother was in 7th standard, and I was just a 3rd standard kid. One evening, my father came home with a proud smile and announced that he had been promoted. He had worked so hard for it, and our hearts swelled with joy. The happiness in our home was infectious—we celebrated that moment for what felt like an entire month.
About a month later, my father received his transfer orders following the promotion. I suppose my parents knew this was coming, but they hadn’t expected the new posting to be in Patna. I could sense the tension in the house, but as a child, it was hard to fully understand what was happening—let alone have a say in it. My parents decided to leave my brother at our aunt’s house (a story for another blog altogether), as they didn’t want his education to be disrupted. Since I was still very young, they chose to take me along with them.
We dropped my brother off at our aunt’s house. I remember that day vividly—it felt like a nightmare. We were all very emotional. We had to travel by train—it was a three-day journey. Our journey began from Bangalore, and I was especially excited because it was my first time traveling by train. We were in a 2-tier AC coach, which felt fancy to me with its curtains and cozy setup. My mother had packed enough lunch and snacks to last us for two days, and for the third day, we relied on meals from the railway catering service.
I remember the day we arrived—the temperatures were soaring. Coming from South India, we weren’t used to that kind of scorching heat. My parents were anxious, especially given all the stories we’d heard about Bihar back then. My mother held my hand tightly and didn’t let go the entire time. The moment we stepped out of the railway station, we were struck by the state of the city—it wasn’t the most welcoming first impression. We took a ride in a cycle rickshaw, pulled by an elderly, frail man. Watching him struggle in the heat left us feeling even more unsettled and disheartened. On the other hand, I was in awe of the tall buildings and broad main roads—something I had never seen before, having never lived in a capital city until then.
My father had visited Patna a month earlier to finalize a house for us, so we went straight there upon arrival. It was a semi-apartment setup with around six homes in total. The owners lived on the ground floor, and our house was on the first floor, along with three other units. The owner's family gave us a warm welcome—they offered us a whole box of sweets and some buttermilk. Meanwhile, the neighbours looked at us rather curiously.
The first few days were not easy for any of us. Each of us faced our own set of challenges. My father had to understand and adapt to the work culture in Bihar, which was quite different from what he was used to. My mother, who didn’t speak Hindi, struggled a lot with everyday tasks like buying groceries, vegetables, and managing other household needs.
My struggles at school are something I can never forget. Until then, I had been studying in a Kannada medium school in Karnataka, so I didn’t know English or Hindi. I had to learn both languages just to understand the other subjects. On top of that, the school in Patna followed the CBSE curriculum, whereas I had studied under the Karnataka State Board until 3rd grade which is considerably easier. When we went for my admission, the school principal was initially unwilling to admit me into 4th grade due to these gaps. My father, however, pleaded with her and assured her that his daughter was bright and would catch up quickly. She agreed and I got admissions. The actual problems started after that.
On my first day at the new school, I didn’t know a single person. The environment was completely unfamiliar. In every class, the teachers tried to speak to me, but I couldn’t understand a word they said. They tried both English and Hindi, and when that didn’t work, they even resorted to gestures. I was too scared and overwhelmed to respond to that as well.
I still remember the mathematics class clearly. We had a male teacher who asked me to write down the multiplication tables. I had no idea what 'tables' meant—it was referred to by a different word in Kannada. Thankfully, there was another boy in the class who spoke Kannada—(his father had also been transferred to Patna, just like mine). He understood English and translated for me. I quickly wrote the tables up to 20, while most of the class only knew them up to 15. The teacher was impressed and asked the whole class to clap for me. That moment remains the highlight of my entire school journey in Patna.
My first test results were terrible—single-digit scores in every subject except for Math. I could barely read, understand, or write the answers in the other subjects because of the language barrier. That evening, my mother lost hope that I would be able to cope. She felt helpless and was almost certain we should pack our bags and return to Karnataka—though I’m sure part of it was also because she missed my brother terribly.
My father, on the other hand, remained resilient. He comforted both of us and reassured us that everything would be fine. He promised that three years would pass in the blink of an eye and that we’d be back in our homeland before we knew it.
Gradually, I began making friends both at school and in the neighborhood. They weren’t very welcoming at first, but once I started learning the language and getting along with them, they began including me in their games and conversations. I also started doing well in my studies at school. Bit by bit, I grew more comfortable and slowly began to enjoy my time in Patna.
A South Indian Cultural Association was formed by South Indians living in Patna. We held quarterly events where we showcased our talents through singing, dancing, and drama performances. For us kids, it was mostly an excuse to gather and play around. I also made a lot of friends there. There was also a separate Kannada Sangha that organized similar programs on a monthly basis. I had a wonderful opportunity to participate in these events, which taught me a lot and helped me build the confidence to perform on stage.
We traveled quite a bit during our time in Patna. One of the highlights was visiting Nepal—I went twice, once with my family and once with other South Indian families (I like to think of that second trip as my first solo international adventure 😄). We also explored many famous places in Bihar, including Gaya, Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, and of course, local spots around Patna. Additionally, we visited neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, creating memories that I still cherish.
Talking about the food in Patna brings back some of my fondest memories—it’s truly one of my favourite topics. Even as I write this, my mouth is watering. My all-time favourite was the samosa from a little eatery called Santhusthi. That sweet and tangy chutney served alongside would completely melt my heart—every bite felt like pure joy. A close second was the sattu paratha made by the kind aunty who owned the house we lived in. Whenever she prepared it, she’d tell my mother not to pack lunch for me, insisting on sending it herself—and those moments felt nothing short of bliss.
Three years flew by and it was time for us to get back to where we belonged. We left the city with heavy hearts—I remember crying. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a place that had been home for three years. The initial months after leaving were tough, but the memories we took with us made it all worthwhile. Patna influenced me deeply, shaping my perspective and giving me a unique edge. Looking back, the time I spent there remains one of the golden chapters of my life, forever etched in my heart 💖
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