This 400-year-old Patna market still does Rs 200 crore in trade every single day

Located in the heart of Old Patna City, Marufganj is one of eastern India’s oldest and largest wholesale grocery markets. For nearly four centuries, it has remained the commercial heartbeat of Bihar’s food trade, connecting farmers, traders and retailers through a vast network dealing in foodgrain, pulses, spices, dry fruits and edible oils.

Sant Golwara, owner of a 150-year-old kirana shop and patron of the Marufganj Kirana Traders Association, said Marufganj has more than 900 wholesale shops spread across over three sq km, with 35 bank branches serving the trading community. Although there are no official estimates of the market’s turnover, traders believe daily transactions exceed Rs 200 crore, rising sharply during festivals and the marriage season.

Golwara said most businesses in the locality have remained within the same families for four or five generations, with Marufganj functioning as a central mandi for rice, wheat, maize, pulses, spices, dry fruits and edible oils.

Trader Naresh Agrawal said Marufganj has diversified beyond groceries into textiles, yarn and packaging materials, with wholesalers now embracing digital inventory systems and sourcing directly from large producers to remain competitive. Despite the rise of newer wholesale centres in areas such as Daldali and Chitkohra, Marufganj continues to set benchmark prices for several grain and spice commodities.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Sita Ram