900 shops, 35 bank branches: inside Bihar’s oldest wholesale trading hub

Marufganj, one of eastern India’s oldest and largest wholesale grocery markets, has more than 900 wholesale shops spread across over three sq km in the heart of Old Patna City, according to Sant Golwara, owner of a 150-year-old kirana shop and patron of the Marufganj Kirana Traders Association. Its commercial importance is reflected in the presence of 35 bank branches serving the trading community.

For nearly four centuries, the market has remained the commercial heartbeat of Bihar’s food trade, connecting farmers, traders and retailers through a network dealing in foodgrain, pulses, spices, dry fruits and edible oils. Although there are no official estimates of turnover, traders believe daily transactions exceed Rs 200 crore, rising sharply during festivals and the marriage season.

Patna’s commercial prominence gathered momentum when Mughal governor Azim-us-Shah developed the city into the provincial capital of Azimabad. Situated along the Ganga, Marufganj emerged as a thriving trading settlement, its riverfront location allowing merchants to transport grain, oilseeds, sugar and other agricultural produce from the fertile hinterland with ease.

Trader Naresh Agrawal said Marufganj has diversified beyond groceries into textiles, yarn and packaging materials, with wholesalers embracing digital inventory systems and sourcing directly from large producers to remain competitive, even as newer wholesale centres such as Daldali and Chitkohra have emerged in the city.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Sita Ram