The Ganges runs along the entire northern edge of Patna, with named ghats every few hundred metres -- Gandhi Ghat, Patna Ghat, Mahendrugh Ghat, and many more. The river is at its broadest here, almost a kilometre across, with the silhouette of Hajipur visible on the far bank. The ghats are at their best at dawn, when fishermen are out, pilgrims bathe, and the city is briefly quiet.
A motor-boat ride along the ghats gives the best sense of how the city relates to its river -- you can hire one at Gandhi Ghat. At Chhath Puja (October or November), the festival devoted to the sun god Surya, the entire riverbank fills with devotees and improvised bamboo platforms.