Bal Manohar Jalan

Bal Manohar Jalan, grandson of Dewan Bahadur Radha Krishna Jalan, is a key figure whose lifelong passion for preservation laid the groundwork for the Planet Patna Foundation. Raised in the historic Quila House of Patna City, he grew up surrounded by antiques, artworks, and historical objects that shaped his early intellectual curiosity.

His collecting journey began modestly with colonial-era postal stamps and markings, later expanding to include Pala period sculptures—specially the Kalyan-Sundar sculpture. He has also collected terracottas, glass, silver objects and a few Bidri ware.

A defining moment came when he discovered a record detailing coins from his grandfather's collection that had entered the National Museum, an encounter that sparked a dedicated pursuit to collect rare coins. Over time, he made the decisive choice to exchange his East India Company stamp collection for an extraordinary variety of Company School Paintings on paper and mica, particularly from the eighteenth and nineteenth century.

The extraordinary art of Patna Qalam and other regional styles from his collection can be witnessed in our museum at Planet Patna.