Citizendia

For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation).
  ?Bihar
India
Map indicating the location of Bihar
Thumbnail map of India with Bihar highlighted
Location of Bihar
 Patna 
Coordinates: 25°21′N 85°07′E / 25.35, 85.12
Time zoneIST (UTC+5:30)
Area94,164 km² (36,357 sq mi)
CapitalPatna
Largest cityPatna
District(s)38
Population
• Density		82,878,796 (3rd)
• 880 /km² (2,279 /sq mi)
Language(s)Hindi, Urdu, Angika, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili
GovernorR.S. Gavai
Chief MinisterNitish Kumar
Established1912
Legislature (seats)Bicameral (243 + 96)
ISO abbreviationIN-BR
Website: gov.bih.nic.in
Seal of Bihar
Seal of Bihar

Coordinates: 25°21′N 85°07′E / 25.35, 85.12

Bihar (Hindi: बिहार, Urdu: بہار, IPA: [bɪhaːr], pronunciation (help·info)) is a state in the Republic of India situated in the eastern most part of the north Indian politico-geographical zone. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Indian Standard Time ( IST) is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a Time offset of UTC+530. UTC+530 is the Timezone for Indian Standard Time Sri Lanka Time The geography of India is diverse with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts plains rainforests hills and plateaus To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Indian state Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited A district is an administrative division of a state in India India is divided into twenty-eight states and seven Union territories (UT In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume This is a list of the States of India in order of population The Constitution of India envisages Hindi as the primary official language to be used by the Union Government, with English as the subsidiary official language Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Angika (Dev अङ्गिका or अंगिका is a language of the Anga region of India, a 58000 km² area that falls within the states of Bhojpuri ( is a regional language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India. The Magadhi language (also known as मगही Magahi is a language spoken by 17449446 people in India. Maithili (मैथिली Maithilī) is a language spoken in the eastern part of India, mainly in the Indian state of Bihar The Governor of Bihar is a Nominal head and representative of the President Ramkrishnan Suryabhan Gavai (born October 30 1929) is an Indian politician and current Governor of Kerala from 26 June 2008 Chief Ministers of Bihar See also Bihar Nitish Kumār (नितीश कुमार (born 1 March 1951, Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, India) is the Chief Minister of The States Reorganization Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India 's states and territories. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO ISO 3166-2IN is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to India. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised India is a union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Its capital has been Patna for almost 2500 years. Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Bihar is the 12th largest Indian state in terms of geographical size, ranked 14 out of 28 in terms of state GDP (Rs 94251, Crores), and the 3rd largest by population. Agriculture is the biggest industry in the state today, but the government has recently embarked on a large industrialization and inward investment program. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Bihar has significant food and dairy producing industries, a strong rail & developing road network, two international airports (Patna, Gaya), and is the centre of the dynamic Bhojpuri language film industry. Patna remains the richest city in Bihar, with per capita income greater than the Indian average. The fast changing macro-environment has made the state one of the fastest growing economies in 2006-2007.

Bihar is surrounded by the Indian States of Uttar Pradesh to the west, Jharkhand to the south, West Bengal to the east, and has an international border with Nepal to the north. Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U Jharkhand ( Hindi: झारखंड Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ডdʒʰaːɽkʰəɳɖ is a state in eastern India. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Bihar lies in the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain. Fertility is the natural capability of giving life As a measure "Fertility Rate" is the number of children born per couple person or population The Indo-Gangetic Plain also known as the Northern plains and the North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, Culturally, with Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal), it is a part of the 150 million people strong Bhojpuri speaking heartland of northern India. Purvanchal (est - mountain is a geographic region of north-central India, which comprises the eastern end of Uttar Pradesh state Bhojpuri ( is a regional language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country In addition, many other languages are spoken in Bihar, including Hindi, Urdu, English, Maithili, Angika, Pashto, Magahi and Bengali. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Maithili (मैथिली Maithilī) is a language spoken in the eastern part of India, mainly in the Indian state of Bihar Angika (Dev अङ्गिका or अंगिका is a language of the Anga region of India, a 58000 km² area that falls within the states of Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as The Magadhi language (also known as मगही Magahi is a language spoken by 17449446 people in India. Since ancient times Bihar has attracted migrants and settlers including Bengalis, Chinese, Turks from Central Asia, Afghans and Punjabi Hindu Refugees during Partition. The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between Bangladesh and India) on the Indian subcontinent with a history dating Punjabi may refer to The Punjabi language of Pakistan and India Punjabi grammar List of Punjabi Bihar is most famous for its status as the birthplace of iconic global and Indian symbols like Buddhism, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs-Guru Gobind Singh, the Indian Rupee, and ancient Bihari Imperial symbols like the Maurya Lions and Ashok Chakra. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Guru Gobind Singh (ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ gʊɾu gobɪn̪d̪ sɪ́ŋg ( December 22, 1666 &ndash 7 October, 1708) was The rupee (रुपया ( code: INR) is the Currency of India. The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military Symbolically, the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, was a Bihari. Dr Rajendra Prasad (डा॰ राजेन्द्र प्रसाद ( December 3, 1884 &ndash February 28, 1963) was the Other key Bihari leaders include legendary freedom fighters like Babu Kunwar Singh, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, Basawon Singh (Sinha), Dr. Babu Veer Kunwar Singh (1777 – 1858 belonged to a Rajput royal house of Jagdhishpur currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar state, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati (1889-1950 was born in a Jijhoutia Bhumihar Brahmin family of Gazipur of Uttar Pradesh state of India Basawon Singh (Sinha was born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family in Jamalpur (Subhai Hajipur on March 23, 1909. Anugrah Narayan Sinha,[1]Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha (Singh ( June 18 1887 &ndash 1957 known as Bihar Bibhuti, was thefirst Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known Sri Krishna Sinha and Maulana Mazharul Haque. Sri Krishna Sinha (Singh (1887&ndash1961 known as Bihar Kesari, was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar (1946&ndash1961

Contents

Etymology of the name

Image:Example.of.complex.text.rendering.svgThis article contains Indic text. The Brahmic family is a family of syllabaries (writing systems used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central Asia and East Asia,
Without rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Indic characters; or irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts. Mojibake is the happenstance of incorrect unreadable characters (garbage characters shown when Computer software fails to render a text correctly according to its associated

The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit vihāra (Dev. िवहार), means "abode". The region roughly encompassing the present state was dotted with Buddhist vihara, which were the abodes of Buddhist monks in the ancient and medieval period. Vihara (विहार is Sanskrit or Pali for ( Buddhist) Monastery.

History

Main article: History of Bihar

Ancient

Bihar was called Magadha in ancient times. The History of Bihar is very rich and eventful This is due to the fact that Bihar was a center of power learning and culture Magadha (मगध formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas ( Sanskrit, "great countries" or regions in ancient India. Its capital Patna, then known as Pataliputra, was the center of the first empire built in India, that was by Nanda Dynasty, followed by Mauryan empire, which dominated the Indian subcontinent from 325 BC to 185 BC. Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited The Nanda dynasty ruled Magadha during the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. Events By place Macedonian Empire Alexander the Great leaves India and nominates his officer Peithon son of Agenor Events By place Roman Republic The Roman general Scipio Africanus and his brother Lucius are accused by Cato Emperor Ashoka was the most famous ruler of this dynasty. Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations Bihar remained an important place of power, culture and education during the next one thousand years. The Vikramshila and Nalanda Universities, were among the oldest and best centres of education in ancient India. University was one of the two most important centers of Buddhist learning in India along with University during the Pala dynasty. Nālandā is the name of an ancient University in Bihar, India. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects It must be mentioned here that the boundaries of ancient Mauryan empire extended up to the present day Afghanistan which was unparelled in Indian history.

Medieval

Muhammad Bin Bakhtiar Khilji, a Pashtun and general of Muhammad Ghori, captured Bihar in 12th century. Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji ( Bengali ইখতিয়ার উদ্দিন মুহম্মদ বখতিয়ার খলজী Persian Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called Muhammad Shahab-ud-Din Ghori ( Persian, Pashto, Urdu: محمد شہاب الدین غوری also spelled Mohammad Ghauri, originally named Mu'izzuddin Many of the viharas and the famed universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila were destroyed in this period. Vihara (विहार is Sanskrit or Pali for ( Buddhist) Monastery. Nālandā is the name of an ancient University in Bihar, India. University was one of the two most important centers of Buddhist learning in India along with University during the Pala dynasty.

Bihar saw a brief period of glory for six years during the rule of another Pashtun Sher Shah Suri, who was from Sasaram and built the longest road of the Indian subcontinent, the Grand Trunk Road, which starts from Sonargaon in Bangladesh and ends at Peshawar in Pakistan. Sher Shah Suri (1486 Sasaram &ndash May 22, 1545 Kalinjar) ( - Šīr Šāh Sūrī) also known as Farid Khan or WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sasaram (sometimes also spelled as Sahsaram is the administrative headquarters of Rohtas district in the This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. The Grand Trunk Road (commonly abbreviated to GT Road is one of South Asia 's oldest and longest major roads Sonargaon ( Bangla: সোনারগাঁও is the ancient capital of Isa Khan 's kingdom in Bengal. ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and This road is now known as National Highway 2 (NH-2)in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkand, and West Bengal. Sher Shah was an economic reformer, some of which continue to this day. The introduction of a new currency called the Rupee and Custom Duties are still used in the Republic of India.

During 1557-1576, Akbar, the Mughal emperor, annexed Bihar and Bengal to his empire. Akbar redirects here For other uses see Akbar (disambiguation Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar ( Jalāl ud-Dīn Muhammad Akbar With the decline of the Mughals, Bihar passed under the control of the Nawabs of Bengal. The Nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary nazim s or Subadars (provincial governors of the Subah (province of Bengal during Thus, the medieval period was mostly one of anonymous provincial existence.

The 10th and the last Guru of Sikhism Guru Gobind Singh was born in Patna. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Guru Gobind Singh (ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ gʊɾu gobɪn̪d̪ sɪ́ŋg ( December 22, 1666 &ndash 7 October, 1708) was The location of his birthplace known as Patna Sahib has become one of the 5 Takhts, thus becoming an important pilgrimage site for Sikhs. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism.

Modern

After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the British East India Company obtained the diwani rights (rights to administer and collect revenue, or tax administration / collection) for Bihar, Bengal and Orissa. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. From this point onwards, Bihar remained a part the Bengal Presidency of the British Raj until 1912, when Bihar was carved out as a separate province. The Bengal Presidency originally comprising east and west Bengal was a colonial region of British India, which comprised undivided Bengal which is present day Bangladesh For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. In 1935, certain portions of Bihar were reorganised into the separate province of Orissa. Again, in 2000, 18 administrative districts of Bihar were separated to form the state of Jharkhand.

Babu Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur and his army, as well as countless other persons from Bihar, contributed to the India's First War of Independence (1857), also called the Sepoy Mutiny by some historians. Babu Veer Kunwar Singh (1777 – 1858 belonged to a Rajput royal house of Jagdhishpur currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar state, The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of Sepoys of British East India Company 's army on the 10th of May 1857 in the town of Meerut,

Bihar's contribution in the freedom struggle has been immense with outstanding leaders like Swami Sahajanand Saraswati,[2]Bihar BibhutiAnugrah Narayan Sinha ,Mulana Mazharul Haque,, Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan,Satyendra Narayan Sinha(Singh) Basawon Singh (Sinha), Yogendra Shukla, Sheel Bhadra Yajee, Pandit Yamuna Karjee and many others who worked for India's freedom relentlessly and helped in the upliftment of the underprivileged masses. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati (1889-1950 was born in a Jijhoutia Bhumihar Brahmin family of Gazipur of Uttar Pradesh state of India Anugrah Narayan Sinha (Singh ( June 18 1887 &ndash 1957 known as Bihar Bibhuti, was thefirst Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister Mulana Mazharul Haque was born to a rich landlord Sheikh Ahmedullah in Bihar in December 1866 Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known Satyendra Narayan Sinha (also transliterated as Satyendra Narayan Singh (born July 12 1917) was an Indian politician participant in the Indian independence Basawon Singh (Sinha was born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family in Jamalpur (Subhai Hajipur on March 23, 1909. Yogendra Shukla (1896-1966 was an Indian nationalist born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family in Bihar Pandit Sheel Bhadra Yagee (Yajee (1906-1996 was a freedom fighter from Bihar who was associated with the non-violent and the violent form of freedom struggle India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Khudiram Bose, Upendra Narayan Jha "Azad" and Prafulla Chaki were also active in revolutionary movement in Bihar. Khudiram Bose (ক্ষুদিরাম বসু Khudiram Boshu) (3 December 1889 - 11 August 1908 was a Bengali Indian freedom fighter, one of the Prafulla Chaki (প্রফুল্ল চাকী Profullo Chaki) (1888-1908 was a Bengali & Indian Freedom fighter and revolutionary associated More than hundred of cases were registered in different jails of Bihar like Madhepura, Darbhanga, Saharsa etc. against the great son soil Late Shri Upendra Narayan Jha "Azad"

Baikuntha Shukla, another great nationalist from Bihar who was hanged for murdering Phanindrananth Ghosh who had become a government approver which led to hanging of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. Bhagat Singh ( Punjabi: ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ بھگت سنگھ pə̀gət̪ sɪ́ŋg ( September 27, 1907 &ndash March 23, 1931 Sukhdev Thapar (ਸੁਖਦੇਵ ਥਾਪਰ سُکھدیو تھاپر Hindi: सुखदेव थापर was an Indian Revolutionary who lived Shivaram Hari Rajguru ( Hindi / Marathi:शिवराम हरि राजगुरु ( August 24, 1908 - March 23, 1931 Phanindra Nath Ghosh hitherto a key member of the Revolutionary Party had treacherously betrayed the cause by turning an approver, giving evidence, which led to the execution. Baikunth was commissioned to plan the execution of Ghosh as an act of ideological vendetta which he carried out successfully on 9 November 1932. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. He was arrested and tried for the killing. Baikunth was convicted and hanged in Gaya Central Jail on May 14, 1934. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was only 28 years old.

In North and Central Bihar, peasants movement was an important side effect of the freedom movement. This movement aimed at overthrowing the fedual zamindari system instituted by Britishers It was being led by Swami Shajanand Saraswati and his followers Pandit Yamuna Karjee, Rahul Sankritayan and others. Pandit Yamuna Karjee along with Rahul Sankritayan and other Hindi literaries started publishing a Hindi weekly Hunkar from Bihar, in 1940. Hunkar later became the mouthpiece of the peasant movement and the agrarian movement in Bihar and was instrumental in spreading the movement. The peasant movement later spread to other parts of the country and helped in digging out the British roots in the Indian society by overthrowing the zamindari system.

After his return from South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi started the freedom movement in India by his satyagraha in the Champaran District of Bihar at the request of Raj Kumar Shukla-- against the British, who were forcing the local farmers to plant indigo which was very harmful to the local soil. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Satyagraha ( Sanskrit: सत्याग्रह satyāgraha) is a philosophy and practice of Nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Champaran is a historic region around, which now forms the East Champaran district, and the West Champaran district in Bihar. A farmer is a person who raises living organisms for food or raw materials Indigofera is a large genus of about 700 species of Flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae.

In India’s struggle for Independence the "Champaran Satyagraha", marks a very important stage. Raj Kumar Shukla drew the attention of Mahatma Gandhi, who had just returned from South Africa, to the plight of the peasants suffering under an oppressive system established by European indigo planters. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Besides other excesses they were forced to cultivate indigo on 3/20 part of their holding and sell it to the planters at prices fixed by the planters. This marked Gandhiji’s entry into the India’s Struggle for Freedom. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January On his arrival at Motihari, the district headquarters,Gandhiji along with his team of eminent lawyers comprising of Dr. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Motihari is the headquarters of Poorvi Champaran ( East Champaran) district in the Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Dr Rajendra Prasad (डा॰ राजेन्द्र प्रसाद ( December 3, 1884 &ndash February 28, 1963) was the Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Brajkishore Prasad and Ram Navami Prasad which he handpicked tp participate in the satyagraha were ordered to leave by the next available train which they refused to do and Gandhiji was arrested. Anugrah Narayan Sinha (Singh ( June 18 1887 &ndash 1957 known as Bihar Bibhuti, was thefirst Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister Brajkishore Prasad was born in 1877 in Shrinagar to Ramjivan Lal a zamindar now in Siwan district in Bihar. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January He was released and the ban order was withdrawn in the face of a, "Satyagraha" threat. Gandhiji conducted an open enquiry into the peasant’s grievances. The Government had to appoint an enquiry committee with Gandhiji as a member. This led to the abolition of the system.

Raj Kumar Shukla has been described by Gandhiji in his "Atmakatha", as a man whose suffering gave him the strength to rise against the odds. In his letter to Gandhiji he wrote "Respected Mahatma, You hear the stories of others everyday. Today please listen to my story…. . I want to draw your attention to the promise made by you in the Lucknow Congress that you would come to Champaran. The time has come for you to fulfil your promise. 19 lakhs suffering people of Champaran are waiting to see you. "

Gandhiji reached Patna on 10 April 1917 and on 16 April he reached Motihari accompanied by Raj Kumar Shukla. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Motihari is the headquarters of Poorvi Champaran ( East Champaran) district in the Under Gandhiji’s leadership the historic "Champaran Satyagraha" began. The contribution of Raj Kumar Shukla is reflected in the writings of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first President of India, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Acharya Kriplani and of course, Mahatma Gandhi himself. Dr Rajendra Prasad (डा॰ राजेन्द्र प्रसाद ( December 3, 1884 &ndash February 28, 1963) was the Acharya (scholar Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani ( 1888 - 1982) was an Indian politician noted particularly for holding the presidency of the Indian National Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Raj Kumar Shukla maintained a diary in which he has given an account of struggle against the atrocities of the indigo planters, atrocities so movingly depicted by Dinabandhu Mitra in Nil Darpan, a play that was translated by Michael Madhusudan Dutt. Dinabandhu Mitra (দীনবন্ধু মিত্র (1830-1873 the Bengali dramatist was born in 1830 at Chouberia in Nadia, and was the son of Kalachand Nil Darpan (Bengali নীল দর্পন। translated as "The Mirror of Indigo" is a Bengali play written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1858-1859 Michael Madhusudan Dutt (Datta (মাইকেল মধুসূদন দত্ত Maikel Modhushudôn Dôtto) (1824-1873 born Madhusudan Dutt is a famous 19th This movement by Mahatma Gandhi received the spontaneous support of a cross section of people, including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who ultimately became the first President of India, Bihar Kesari Sri Krishna Sinha who became the first Chief Minister of Bihar, Dr. Dr Rajendra Prasad (डा॰ राजेन्द्र प्रसाद ( December 3, 1884 &ndash February 28, 1963) was the The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit Sri Krishna Sinha (Singh (1887&ndash1961 known as Bihar Kesari, was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar (1946&ndash1961 Anugrah Narayan Sinha, who ultimately became the first finance minister of Bihar and Brajkishore Prasad. Anugrah Narayan Sinha (Singh ( June 18 1887 &ndash 1957 known as Bihar Bibhuti, was thefirst Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister Brajkishore Prasad was born in 1877 in Shrinagar to Ramjivan Lal a zamindar now in Siwan district in Bihar.

Timeline for Bihar

Geography & climate

Geography Bihar is mainly a vast stretch of very fertile flat land. It has several major rivers: Ganga, Son, Bagmati, Kosi, Budhi Gandak, Chandan, Orhani and Falgu. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent SON DNA binding protein, also known as SON, is a human Gene. Bagmati ( Nepal Bhasa:बागमती खुसी बागमती नदी is a river of Nepal. Budhi Gandak is an important river but the other river named the Gandak is a much bigger river originating from the Himalayas in Nepal. Falgu River is one of the tributaries of the river Ganges. Gaya and Bodh Gaya are the most famous and important locations on the banks of the Falgu River Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills. Rajgir hills, lying in central regions of the Indian state of Bihar, are two parallel Ridges extending around 65 km The Himalayan mountains are to the north, in Nepal. To the south is the Chota Nagpur plateau, which was part of Bihar until 2000 but now is part of a separate state called jharkhand.

Climate: Bihar is mildly cold in the winter (the lowest temperatures being around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius; 41 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Winter months are December and January. It is hot in the summer(with average highs around 35-40 Celsius; 95-105 Fahrenheit). April to mid June are the hot months. The monsoon months of June, July, August, and September see good rainfall. October & November and February & March have pleasant climate.

Economy

The State of Bihar is now part of the economically emerging states of the Hindi speaking northern India. Despite recent economic gains it still has a per capita income of $148 a year against India's average of $997 and 30. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country 6% of the population live below the poverty line against India's average of 22. 15%. The blame for this stems from many factors: the freight equalisation scheme, poor political vision, under-investments in the key sectors of agriculture, infrastructure and education.

Cultural and political factors have also been blamed for the economic deline in the 1980s and 1990's. Many observers believe that a lethal combination of poor governance, caste based politics, caste based society, and rampant corruption by politicians & bureaucrats(and also, an conducive atmosphere of social tolerance and acceptance for corruption) were the main causes for the lack of development. However, Saibal Gupta of Asian Development Research Institute, has also blamed the complete absence of a sub-national identity which allowed the Union Government to ignore the state's interests. This has changed since the attacks on Bihari migrant workers.

The new NDA Government has made 'development with justice' an aim of the state. The Bihari Finance Ministry has given top priority to create investment opportunities for big industrial houses. The current economy is based on agricultural (90% of the current GSDP). Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Despite this, investment in irrigation and other agriculture facilities has been grossly inadequate in the past. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops There have been attempts to industrialize the state between 1950 and 1980: an oil refinery in Barauni, a motor scooter plant at Fatuha, and a power plant at Muzaffarpur. An oil refinery is an industrial Process plant where Crude oil is processed and refined into more useful Petroleum products, such as Gasoline Barauni is an Industrial town in Begusarai district Bihar. After the partition of the Jharkhand from Bihar It became the industrial capital of Bihar A scooter is a style of two-wheeled motor vehicle traditionally defined by characteristics such as a step-through frame wheels less than 16" in diameter and an engine located WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Muzaffarpur is a town in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar However, no sustained effort had been made in this direction. Historically, sugar and vegetable oil were flourishing industries of Bihar. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Until the mid fifties, 25% of India's sugar output was from Bihar. Dalmianagar was a large agro - industrial town. However, these were forced to shut down due to faulty central government policy which neutralized the strategic advantages of Bihar. Hajipur, near Patna, remains a major industrial town in the state, linked to the capital city through the Ganga bridge and good road insfrastructure.

Since 2005, the Dairy Industry has has become a high performing sector. Likewise, the Sugar Industry is another sector which has grown; 25 new sugar factories committed in Bihar between 2006 and 2007. Since 2005, the NDA state government has created business friendly environment for investment opportunities and leverage the resources there for all big and small industrial houses.

The division of Bihar in 2000, when the industrially advanced and mineral-rich southern-half of the state was carved out to form the separate state of Jharkhand, had a strong impact on development in the north mainly through a loss of revenue. Jharkhand ( Hindi: झारखंड Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ডdʒʰaːɽkʰəɳɖ is a state in eastern India. The new State of Bihar produces 60% of the output of the Undivied Bihar. The GSDP of the new Bihar has grown by 18% in the year 2006-2007 according to the government of India's statistics making it one of the key growing states of Hindi speaking northern India. Bihar's gross state domestic product for 2004 was estimated at $19 billion in current prices. Further developments have taken place in the growth of small industries, improvements in IT infrastructure, the new software park in Patna, and the completion of the expressway from the Purvanchal border through Bihar to Jharkhand. The government has also decided to expand the state highway from Patna to Muzaffarpur from its current poor one lane to a four lane expressway. The central government funded north-east corridor expressway will run through the northern part of the state making the north better connected with the rest of India.

In addition, the Financial Express newspsper reported on April 7th 2008 that Patna, Munger and Begusarai in Bihar were the three best-off districts out of a total of 38 districts in the state, recording the highest per capita gross district domestic product of Rs 31,441, Rs 10,087 and Rs 9,312, respectively in 2004-05.

Average Per Capita Income for all India Rs 22,946

Average Per Capita Income for Patna Rs 31,441

GSDP at Current Prices 2000-2007 from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (Feb 2008 Data)

Rupee value in Crores

1999-2000 GSDP 50200

2000-2001 GSDP 57279 Growth 14. 10%

2001-2002 GSDP 57804, Growth 0. 92%

2002-2003 GSDP 65117 Growth 12. 65%

2003-2004, GSDP 66961 Growth 2. 83%

2004-2005 GSDP 73791 Growth 10. 20%

2005-2006, GSDP 79682, Growth 7. 98%

2006-2007, GSDP 94251 Growth 18. 28%

(Not including Jharkhand)

The average economic growth rate under the RJD government (2000-2004) was 7. 03%, whilst under Presidents rule (Feb to Nov 2005)and the current NDA government (Nov 2005 till date) the state is growing on average by 12%. Even more significant is that the state's GSDP grew by 22% between 2004 and 2007. The growth has resulted in visits by Indian business leaders to Patna making commitments to invest in the state's fast growing economy. The Indian governments data for 1980 to 1990 (below) also show that the GSDP of the undivided Bihar grew by 72%. The below data also shows that the state GSDP grew by 49% between 1980-1985, which means that the economy was one of the fastest growing in the country during the early 1980s.

However, the data also shows that the GSDP shrank between 1990-1995 resulting in an employment-development-crime crisis between 1995-2004. Furthermore, the breakup of the state in 2000 compounded the dismal economic activity during this period and created the mass migration of Bihari's seeking work in other states.

Macro-economic trend

This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Bihar at market prices[3] by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

YearGross State Domestic Product
198073,530[1]
1985142,950[2]
1990264,290[3]
1995244,830
2000469,430

2008 || 568,450

^  includes Jharkhand

Politics

Main article: Politics of Bihar

Bihar was an important part of India's struggle for independence. Bihar was an important part of India's struggle for independence Gandhi became the mass leader only after the Champaran Satyagraha that he launched on the repeated request of a local leader, Rajkumar Shukla, he was supported by great illumanaries like Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Brajkishore Prasad. After independence also, when India was falling into an autocratic rule during the regime of Indira Gandhi, the main thrust to the movement to hold elections came from Bihar under the leadership of Jaya Prakash Narayan. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi ( Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī) ( Née: Nehru (19 November 1917 - 31 October 1984 was the Prime Minister of the Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known

This did result in two things:

1. The famous identity of Bihar (From the word Vihar meaning monasteries) representing a glorious past was lost. Its voice often used to get lost in the din of regional clamor of other states, specially the linguistic states like Uttarpradesh, Madhyapradesh etc.

2. Bihar gained an anti establishment image. The establishment oriented press often projected the state as indiscipline and anarchy.

Since the regional identity was slowly getting sidelined , its place was taken up by caste based politics, power initially being in the hands of the Brahmins, Bhumihars and Rajputs. After Independence the power was shared by the two great gandhians Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha who later became the first chief minister of Bihar and Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha (Singh (1887&ndash1961 known as Bihar Kesari, was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar (1946&ndash1961 Anugrah Narayan Sinha who undecidly was next to him in the cabinet and served as the first finance minister. Anugrah Narayan Sinha (Singh ( June 18 1887 &ndash 1957 known as Bihar Bibhuti, was thefirst Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister In late 60's death of late Mr. Lalit Narayan Mishra (who was killed by a hand grenade attack for which central leadership is blamed most of the time) pronounced the end of indigenous work oriented mass leaders. For two decades congress ruled the state with the help of puppet chief ministries hand in glove with the central government (Mrs. Indira Gandhi) ignoring the welfare of the people of the state. It was the time when a prominent leader like Satyendra Narayan Sinha took sides with the Janata Party and deserted congress from where his political roots originated, following the ideological differences with the congress. The Janata Party (जनता पार्टी People's Party in Hindi) was an Indian Political party that contested the Indian Emergency Idealism did assert itself in the politics from time to time, viz, 1977 when a wave defeated the entrenched Congress Party and then again in 1989 when Janata Dal came to power on an anti corruption wave. In between, the socialist movement tried to break the stranglehold of the status quoits under the leadership of Mahamaya Prasad Sinha and Karpoori Thakur. Karpoori Thakur ( 24 January 1924 - 18 February 1988) was an Indian politician from the Bihar state Unfortunately, this could not flourish, partly due to the impractical idealism of these leaders and partly due to the machinations of the central leaders of the Congress Party who felt threatened by a large politically aware state.

Janata Dal came to power in the state in 1990 on the back of its victory at the national stage in 1989. Janata Dal is an Indian political party which was formed through the merger of one of the major Janata Party factions the Lok Dal and a group of Congressmen Lalu Prasad Yadav became Chief Minister after winning the race of legislative party leadership by a slender margin against Ram Sundar Das, a former chief minister from the Janata Party and close to eminent Janata Party leaders like Chandrashekhar and S N Sinha. Lalu Prasad Yadav, sometimes spelt as Laloo Prasad or Lalloo Prasad ( Devanāgarī: लालू प्रसाद यादव Lālu Prasād (born June A Chief Minister is the elected Head of government of a sub-national (e Later, Lalu gained popularity with the masses through a series of popular and populist measures. The principled socialists, Nitish Kumar included, gradually left him and Lalu was the uncrowned king by 1995 as both Chief Minister as well as the President of his party, Rashtriya Janata Dal. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD- "National People's Party" is a Political party in India. He was a charismatic leader who had people's support and Bihar had got such a person as the chief minister after a long time. But he couldn't bring the derailed wagon of development of the state on to the track. When corruption charges got serious, he quit the post of CM but anointed his wife as the CM and ruled through proxy. In this period, the administration deteriorated fast.

In 2005, as disaffection reached a crescendo among the masses, middle classes included, the RJD was voted out of power and Laloo Prasad lost an election to a coalition headed by his previous ally and now rival Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumār (नितीश कुमार (born 1 March 1951, Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, India) is the Chief Minister of Nitish Kumar has regained Bihar's true identity which is the place from where people who changed the world come like Gautam Buddha or Asoka or the Sikh Gurus. People love him and he is desperate to put Bihar in the mainstream development path. Despite the separation of financially richer Jharkhand, Bihar has actually seen more positive growth in recent years.

Currentlly, there are two main political formations: the NDA which comprises Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal led coalition which also has the Indian National Congress. Janata Dal is an Indian political party which was formed through the merger of one of the major Janata Party factions the Lok Dal and a group of Congressmen The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD- "National People's Party" is a Political party in India. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. There are myriad other political formations. Ram Vilas Paswan led Lok Janshakti Party is a constituent of the UPA at the centre, but does not see eye to eye with Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD in Bihar. Ram Vilas Paswan (born 5 July, 1946) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. The Lok Jan Shakti Party is a Political party in India. It is led by Ram Vilas Paswan. Lalu Prasad Yadav, sometimes spelt as Laloo Prasad or Lalloo Prasad ( Devanāgarī: लालू प्रसाद यादव Lālu Prasād (born June Bihar People's Party is a small political formation in north Bihar. The Communist Party of India had a strong presence in Bihar at one time, but has got weakened now. The Communist Party of India (CPI is a Political party in India. CPM and Forward Bloc have minor presence. Ultra left parties like CPML, Party Unity etc have presence in pockets and are at war with the state.

See Political parties in Bihar

Government and administration

A View of Central Patna (Biskoman Bhavan View)
A View of Central Patna (Biskoman Bhavan View)

The constitutional head of the Government of Bihar is the Governor, who is appointed by the President of India. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit The real executive power rests with the Chief Minister and the cabinet. A Chief Minister is the elected Head of government of a sub-national (e The political party or the coalition of political parties having a majority in the Legislative Assembly forms the Government. Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a Legislature, or to one of its chambers.

The current incumbent, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, succeeded Rabri Devi, wife of the Former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav (also known as Laloo Prasad) (currently Cabinet Minister for Railways) in 2005. Nitish Kumār (नितीश कुमार (born 1 March 1951, Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, India) is the Chief Minister of Rabri Devi (born 1959 has served three terms as the Chief Minister, of Bihar, India, as a member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal political party Lalu Prasad Yadav, sometimes spelt as Laloo Prasad or Lalloo Prasad ( Devanāgarī: लालू प्रसाद यादव Lālu Prasād (born June

The head of the bureaucracy of the State is called the Chief Secretary. Under him is a hierarchy of officials drawn from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and different wings of the State Civil Services. The Indian Administrative Service ( IAS) is the administrative Civil service of the Indian government. Indian police redirects here For other uses see Indian police (disambiguation. See also Bureaucrat The term civil service has two distinct meanings Branch of governmental service in which individuals are hired on the basis The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State Bihar has a High Court which has been functioning since 1916. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year All the branches of the government are located in the state capital, Patna.

The state is divided into 9 divisions and 38 districts, for administrative purposes.

See also: Divisions of Bihar
See also: Districts of Bihar

Transport & travel

Bihar has three airports: Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Patna, Bhagalpur Airport and Gaya. The state of Bihar in India is divided into 9 divisions as follows 1 Bihar, a state of India, has currently ( As of 2005) thirty-eight administrative districts. Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport or Patna Airport is situated in the city of Patna in the state of Bihar, India. Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bhagalpur is a city and Municipal corporation in the Bihar state of Eastern Gaya[[http //gayabihnicin/]] is a city in Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District. Patna airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Ranchi. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Lucknow is also a mansion in New Hampshire Lucknow ( लखनऊ لکھنؤ Lakhnaū) is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh It is categorized as a restricted international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. Gaya airport is a small international airport connected to Colombo, Singapore, Bangkok and more. Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Singapore Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest

Bihar is well-connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns are interconnected among themselves, and they also are directly connected to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. Patna, Muzaffarpur Darbhanga, Kathihar, Baruani, Chapra, Bhagalpur and Gaya are Bihar's best-connected railway stations. Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Muzaffarpur is a town in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar

The state has a vast network of National and State highways. For Buddhist pilgrims, the best option for travel to Bihar is to reach Patna or Gaya, either by air or train, and then travel to Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir and Vaishali. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya (Hindi बोधगया is a city in Gaya district in the Nālandā is the name of an ancient University in Bihar, India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Rajgir is a city and a notified area in Nalanda district in the Indian state of Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh also is not very far. This article is about a place in India For H P Lovecraft 's fictitious city see The Doom That Came to Sarnath. Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U

Places to see

Culture

Demographics

Hinduism is practiced by 83. 2% of the population and forms the majority religion in the state. [4] Islam is practiced by 16. 5% of the population, and other religions less than 0. 5%. [5] Also there are 20,780 followers of Sikhism. [6]

Festivals

Chhath is celebrated around a week after the festival of Diwali. However, the two festivals are not connected, mythologically speaking. While Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Rama after the battle with the demon king Ravana, Chhath is an ancient festival supposedly started by the King of Anga Desh (modern Bhagalpur region in Bihar) named Karna. Karna is a powerful character in the epic Mahabharata.

Chhath is also celebrated by a great number of people in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Teej and Chitragupta Puja are other local festivals celebrated with fervour in Bihar. Teej (Nepali तीज is a fasting festival for Hindu women of some parts of India and Nepal. Chitragupta (Sanskrit चित्रगुप्त rich in secrets is a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth This article is about Hinduism. Puja or "pooja" may also refer to certain devotional practices performed by Balmikis Buddhists (see

Bihula-Bishari Puja of Anga region also is a great festival of Bihar.

The Sonepur cattle fair is a month long event starting approximately half a month after Deepawali and is considered the largest cattle fair in Asia. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sonepur, also known as Sonapur or Subarnapur, is a city in Orissa state in eastern It is held on the banks of the Sone River in the town of Sonepur. The sone was proposed as a unit of perceived Loudness by S Smith Stevens in 1936 The constraints of the changing times and new laws governing the sale of animals and prohibiting the trafficking in exotic birds and beasts have eroded the once-upon -a-time magic of the fair.

Folksongs & music

Main article: Music of Bihar

Apart from a strong contribution to the Indian (Hindustani) classical music (for example, Bihar has produced musicians like Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan and dhrupad singers like the Malliks (Darbhanga Gharana) and the Mishras (Bettiah Gharana)) , Bihar has a very old tradition of beautiful folk songs, sung during important family occasions, such as marriage, birth ceremonies, festivals, etc. Bihar is a state of India. The classical form of the Indian music is already quite well known (for example Bihar has produced musicians like Bharat Ratna Bharat Ratna (translates to Jewel of India or Gem of India in English) is India 's highest Civilian award, awarded for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib ( March 21, 1916 – August 21, 2006) was a Shehnai Maestro from India. This article is about Dhrupad the genre of Indian classical singing WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Darbhangā is a city and a Municipal corporation in and headquarters of Darbhanga district and WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bettiah is the headquarters of West Champaran district in the state of Bihar, near Indo-Nepal They are sung mainly in group settings without the help of many musical instruments, though Dholak,Bansuri , and occasionally Tabla and Harmonium are used. The Dholak ( Devnagari: ढोलक sometimes dholaki or in Suriname & Holland dhool) is a classical North Indian Pakistani This article is about the Indian drum For the drum with the same name in Arabic, see Goblet drum. A harmonium is a free-standing musical keyboard instrument similar to a Reed Organ or Pipe Organ

Bihar also has a tradition of lively Holi songs known as 'Phagua', filled with fun rhythms.

During the 19th century, when the condition of Bihar worsened under the British misrule, many Biharis had to migrate as indentured labourers to West Indian islands, Fiji, and Mauritius. During this time many sad plays and songs called biraha became very popular, in the Bhojpur area. Dramas on that theme continue to be popular in the theaters of Patna.

Dances of Bihar

Dance forms of Bihar are another expression of rich traditions and ethnic identity. There are several folk dance forms that can keep one enthralled, such as dhobi nach, jhumarnach, manjhi, gondnach, jitiyanach, more morni, dom-domin, bhuiababa, rah baba, kathghorwa nach, jat jatin, launda nach, bamar nach, jharni, jhijhia, natua nach, bidapad nach, sohrai nach, and gond nach.

Religion

Dariya Sahib, was a saint (that was born in Shahabad in the 1700s) influenced by Kabirdas and Dharamdas, united by the Hindu and Muslim communities. Al-Kabir "the Great" is also one of the 99 names of God in Islam Dariya Sahib, like many other Bhakti saints, is known as Dariyadas. He was listed by Brahm Sankar Misra as one of India's greatest saints. [7] Many of his followers believe that he is the reincarnation of Kabir. [8]

The battle cries of the Bihar Regiment, consisting of 17 battalions, are "Jai Bajrang Bali" (Victory to Lord Hanuman). The Bihar Regiment is a regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment can trace its origins back to the British Indian Army. Hanuman (हनुमत् sa-Latn '''Hanumat''' nominative singular sa हनुमान् sa-Latn ''Hanumān'' known also as ' Anjaneya' (son of Anjana is one of the Hanuman (हनुमत् sa-Latn '''Hanumat''' nominative singular sa हनुमान् sa-Latn ''Hanumān'' known also as ' Anjaneya' (son of Anjana is one of the

Bihar is the birthplace of Buddha, a Buddha of Buddhism, which is also known as "Brahmayana". Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Buddha attained Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, a town located in the modern day district of Gaya. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Bodhi (बोधि is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya (Hindi बोधगया is a city in Gaya district in the Gaya is a district of Bihar detailed information on History Geography Transportation Lifestyle and other details visit [[Gaya India]] Headquarters: Gaya Lord Buddha is said to be a descendant of Sage Angirasa in many Buddhist texts. [9] Buddhists and scholars like Dr. Eitel connects linear to the Gautama Maharishi. For other uses see Gotama Gautama Maharishi ( Hindi: गौतम महर्षि is one of the Saptarishis (Seven [10]There too were Kshatiryas of other clans to whom members descend from Angirasa, to fulfill a childless king's wish. [11]

Mahavira, the 24th and the last Tirthankara of Jainism, was born in Vaishali. Mahavira (महावीर lit Great Hero) (599 – 527 BCE is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana ( Sanskrit: वर्धमान In Jainism, a Tirthankar (" Fordmaker " (also Tirthankara or Jina) is a Human being who achieves enlightenment (perfect Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Indeed Jain monks & nuns wandered in the towns and forests of then-Magadha. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. They called it vihara and thus Bihar got its name from the vihara of Jain. Vihara (विहार is Sanskrit or Pali for ( Buddhist) Monastery. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Jainism claims to be a "Brahma-patha" (path to Brahman). Brahman ( bráhman-, Nominative bráhma sa ब्रह्म is a concept of Hinduism. [12]

Language & literature

Hindi (Official language of State), Urdu- (2nd official language of State government), Maithili, Angika , Bhojpuri, Bajjika, Bangla and Magadhi (Magahi) are the major languages spoken in Bihar. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Maithili (मैथिली Maithilī) is a language spoken in the eastern part of India, mainly in the Indian state of Bihar Angika (Dev अङ्गिका or अंगिका is a language of the Anga region of India, a 58000 km² area that falls within the states of Bhojpuri ( is a regional language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India. The Magadhi language (also known as मगही Magahi is a language spoken by 17449446 people in India. Angika is the only one of the languages which can be used in the Google Search Engine; Google-Angika has been available since 2004. Angika (Dev अङ्गिका or अंगिका is a language of the Anga region of India, a 58000 km² area that falls within the states of "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The oldest poetry of the Hindi language (e. g. , poetries written by Saraha, also known by the name Sarahapa, were written in the Angika language during the 8th century. Saraha or Sarahapa or Sarahapāda (c 8th century CE originally known as Rāhula or Rāhulbhadra, is considered to be the first poet of The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

Bihar has produced a number of writers of Hindi, including Raja Radhika Raman Singh, Shiva Pujan Sahay, Divakar Prasad Vidyarthy, Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', Ram Briksh Benipuri, Phanishwar Nath 'Renu', Gopal Singh "Nepali" and Baba Nagarjun. Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' (रामधारी सिंह 'दिनकर' ( September 23, 1908 April 24, 1974) was an Indian Ramavriksha Benipuri (1902-1968 was a Hindi writer He was born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family in a small village named Benipur in the Indian state Phanishwar Nath 'Renu' (फणीश्‍वर नाथ रेणु ( March 4, 1921 April 11, 1977) was one of the greatest writers Gopal Singh Nepali (1911 - 1963 was an eminent poet of Hindi literature and a famous lyricist of Bollywood. for the town in Nepal see Nagarjun Nepal Nagarjun ( Hindi: नागार्जुन, Baba Nagarjun, Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, the great writer and Buddhist scholar, was born in U.P. but spent his life in the land of Lord Buddha, i. Rahul Sānkrityāyana (राहुल संकृत्यायन ( 1893 1963) was one of the most widely-traveled scholars of India, spening forty-five Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder e. , Bihar. Hrishikesh Sulabh is the prominent writer of the new generation. Hrishikesh Sulabh (born February 15, 1955) is a noted Hindi writer, famous for short stories and writing plays in Bideshiya shaili. He is short story writer, playwright and theatre critic. Arun Kamal and Aalok Dhanwa are the well-known poets. Different regional languages also have produced some prominent poets and authors.

Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, who is among the greatest writers in Bangla, resided for some time in Bihar. Sharat Chandra Chatterji ( Bangla: শরৎচন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় Shôrotchôndro Chôţţopaddhae) also known Of late, the latest Indian writer in English, Upamanyu Chatterjee also hails from Patna in Bihar. Upamanyu Chatterjee (born 1959 is an Indian author and administrator notable for his work set in the milieu of the Indian Administrative Service, especially his novel

Devaki Nandan Khatri, who rose to fame at the beginning of the 20th century on account of his novels such as Chandrakanta and Chandrakanta Santati, was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Devaki Nandan Khatri (1861-1913 was the first author of Mystery novels in Hindi. Chandrakanta is a popular Hindi novel by Devaki Nandan Khatri. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Muzaffarpur is a town in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar Vidyapati Thakur is the most renowned poet of Maithili (c. Vidyapati Thakur (1352? - 1448? also known by the sobriquet Maithil Kavi Kokil (the poet Cuckoo of Maithili) was a Maithili poet and a 14-15th century).

Urdu is one of the important languages of Bihar. It became the second official language in the undivided State of Bihar since 16 August 1989 for the following purposes:
1. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Acceptance of representations and replies thereto.
2. Acceptance of documents by the Registration Offices.
3. Publication of important rules, regulations, etc.
4. Issue of orders and notifications of public interest.
5. Publication of important Government documents.
6. Publication of district Gazettes, and
7. Display of signboards.
The State Government identified several areas in which there are 15 per cent or more of the local population speaking one of the minority languages of the state. Urdu speakers constitute at least 15 percent of the total population in the largest part in the state:

1. District of Darbhanga (19. 36)
2. Purnea (35. 01)
3. Sitamarhi (15. 28) and Katihar(77. 60).

Folk theatre

Theatre is another form in which the Bihari culture expresses itself. Some forms of theater with rich traditions are Bidesia, Reshma-Chuharmal, Bihula-Bisahari, Bahura-Gorin, Raja Salhesh, Sama Chakeva, and Dom Kach. All of these theatre forms originate in the Anga or Ang area of Bihar. The earliest reference to Angas (अंग occurs in the Atharava Veda (V

Cinema

Bihar has a robust cinema industry for the Bhojpuri language. There is also a small Maithili and Angika film industry. First Bhojpuri Film was Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadaibo. "Lagi nahin chute ram" was the alltime superhit Bhojpuri film which was released against "Mugle Azam" but was a superhit in all the eastern and northern sector. Nadiya Ke Par is the most famous Bhojpuri movie till date. Bhojpuri ( is a regional language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India.

Ramayan Tiwari, popularly known as Tiwari, was the first major Bihari film actor. He played the villain and various mythological characters in more than 200 films. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" He was followed by his son Bhushan Tiwari, also a renowned actor, who played the villain in more than 100 movies.

The first Maithili movie was Kanyadan (released in 1965 & Directed by Phani Majumdar), of which a significant portion was made in the Maithili language. Maithili (मैथिली Maithilī) is a language spoken in the eastern part of India, mainly in the Indian state of Bihar

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Bihar

The cuisine of Bihar for the Hindu upper and middle classes is predominantly vegetarian, although some of the Hindu classes do eat meat. Bihari cuisine (बिहारी खाना is predominantly Vegetarian. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea The Muslims in Bihar however do generally eat meat as well as vegetables.

Islamic culture and food with Bihari flavor are also part of Bihar unique existence of mixed culture. Famous food items include (Biharee Kabab) (Shami Kabab) (Nargisi Kufte)(Shabdeg)(Yakhnee Biryanee) (Motton Biryani) (Shaljum Gosht) (Baqer Khani) (Kuleecha) (Naan Rootee) (Sawee ka Zarda) (Qemamee Sawee) (Gajar ka Halwa) (Ande ka ZfraniHalwa)

The staple food is bhat, dal, roti, tarkari and achar. Bhat ( Marathi: भट is a common surname in the states of Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka, India. Dal (also spelled dahl, dhal or daal) ( Devanagari दाल Telugu పప్పు Bangla দ্দাল is a preparation Roti ( Hindi: रोटी; Dhivehi: ރޮށި; Punjabi: ਰੋਟੀ; Urdu: روٹی; Gujarati: રોટલી; roʈi It is prepared from rice, lentils, wheat flour, vegetables, and pickle. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many The lentil or daal or pulse ( Lens culinaris) is a bushy Annual plant of the legume family grown for its lens-shaped Seeds Flour is a powder made of Cereal grains It is the key ingredient of Bread, which is a staple food in many countries and therefore the availability The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Indian pickles ( Urdu: اچار)are a variety of spicy Pickled side dishes or condiments popular in the Indian Subcontinent in Southeast Asia and in many The traditional cooking medium is mustard oil. The term mustard oil is used for two different oils that are made from Mustard seeds a fatty Vegetable oil resulting from pressing the seeds Khichdi, a broth of rice and lentils seasoned with spices and served with several accompanying items, constitutes lthe mid-day meal for most Hindu Biharis on Saturdays. Khichdi (also khichri, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari and many other variants ( Urdu: کھچڑی) is a South

The favourite dish among Biharis is litti-chokha. Litti is made up of sattu and chokha is of smashed potato, tomato, and brinjal.

Chitba and Pitthow which are prepared basically from rice, are special foods of the Anga region. Tilba and Chewda of Katarni rice also are special preparations of Anga. Tilba Tilba is a town in Eurobodalla Shire, New South Wales, Australia. The earliest reference to Angas (अंग occurs in the Atharava Veda (V

Kadhi bari is a popular favorite and consists of fried soft dumplings made of besan (gram flour) that are cooked in a spicy gravy of yogurt and besan. Gram flour is a Flour made from ground Chana dal, a lentil similar to chickpeas Yoghurt, yogurt, yoghourt, youghurt or yogourt (see spelling below is a This dish goes very well over plain rice.

Bihar offers a large variety of sweet delicacies which, unlike those from Bengal, are mostly dry. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang These include Anarasa, Belgrami, Chena Murki, Motichoor ka Ladoo, Kala Jamun, Kesaria Peda, Khaja, Khurma, Khubi ka Lai, Laktho, Parwal ka Mithai, Pua & Mal Pua, Thekua, Murabba and Tilkut. Indian sweets or Mithai, are known throughout the entire World Laddu or Laddoo ( Hindi: लड्डू Urdu: لڈو is an Indian sweet that is often prepared to celebrate festivals or household events such Khaja is a sweet delicacy of Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal states in eastern India Indian sweets or Mithai, are known throughout the entire World Thekua is a dry sweet from India. It is very popular in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh ( Purvanchal) Murraba or murrabo is a savoury Pickle or Achar originating in the Gujarat region of India. A sweet savoury made in the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Many of these originate in towns in the vicinity of Patna. Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited

Several other traditional salted snacks and savouries popular in Bihar are Chiwra, Dhuska, Litti, Makhana and Sattu. Euryale ferox (also known as fox nut, foxnut, makhana, or gorgon plant) is the only species in the genus Euryale

There is a distinctive Bihari flavor to the non-vegetarian cooking, as well, although some of the names of the dishes may be the same as those found in other parts of North India. Roll is a typical Bihar non-vegetarian dish. These are popular and go by the generic name Roll Bihari in and around Lexington Avenue (South) in New York City.

Art

Manjusha Kala or Angika Art of Anga Region, Madhubani Art of Mithila Region, Patna Kalam of Magadha Region. The earliest reference to Angas (अंग occurs in the Atharava Veda (V

Education

Main article: Education in Bihar

Historically, Bihar has been a major centre of learning, home to the universities of Nalanda (one of the earliest universities of India dating back to the fifth century) and Vikramshila. Historically Bihar has been a major centre of learning home to the universities of Nalanda (one of the earliest universities of India dating back to the fifth century and Nālandā is the name of an ancient University in Bihar, India. University was one of the two most important centers of Buddhist learning in India along with University during the Pala dynasty. Unfortunately, that tradition of learning which had its origin from the time of Buddha or perhaps earlier, was lost during the medieval period when it is believed that marauding armies of the invaders destroyed these centres of learning.

Bihar saw a revival of sorts during the later part of the British rule when they established a University at Patna along with a few other centres of high learning, viz. The Patna University, Hindi: पटना विश्वविद्यालय the first University in Bihar, was established in 1917 during the Science College, Patna, Prince of Wales Medical College (now Patna Medical College and Hospital), and Bihar Engineering College now (National Institute of Technology, Patna). However, this early lead got lost in the post independence period when the politicians from Bihar lost out in the race of getting centres of education established in Bihar.

Modern Bihar has a grossly inadequate educational infrastructure creating a huge mismatch between demand and supply. This problem is further compounded by increases in population. The craving for higher education among the general population of Bihar has led to a massive migration of the student community from the state. This has led to a "flooding" of students to seek educational opportunities in other states, such as New Delhi and Karnataka, even for graduation level college education. New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India

In spite of the meager investment on education in Bihar, compared to other poorer Indian states, owing to class based reservation (of which Bihar's Pupils have been the main beneficiaries) the students have as a result done very well. Famed national institutes of learning such as IIT, IIM, NITs and AIIMS have always had a good representation from Bihar. There is also thought to be growing discontentment among students of other classes who claim however that pure merit has taken a back seat in the nation's education system as a result of giving reservation to people of backward classes. . Other institutions of higher learning, and coveted positions in the government also show a greater share than the percentage of their population. A recent survey by Pratham[13] rated the absorption of their teaching by the Bihar children better than those in other states.

References

  1. ^ Kamat. Biography: Anugrah Narayan Sinha. Kamat's archive. Retrieved on 2006-06-25. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians
  2. ^ Kamat. [www. kamat. com/kalranga/freedom/congress/c127. htm Great freedom Fighters]. Kamat's archive. Retrieved on 2006-02-25. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor
  3. ^ estimated
  4. ^ http://www.censusindia.net/religiondata/ 2001 Indian Census Data
  5. ^ http://www.censusindia.net/religiondata/ 2001 Indian Census Data
  6. ^ Census GIS HouseHold
  7. ^ Juergensmeyer, P. 29 Radhasoami Reality:
  8. ^ Atreya, P. 66 Darshana International
  9. ^ The Life of Buddha as Legend and History, by Edward Joseph Thomas
  10. ^ P. 95 A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms By James Legge
  11. ^ P. 17 Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature By John Dowson
  12. ^ Jaini, P. 55 Collected Papers on Jaina Studies
  13. ^ Pratham .org | Pratham - A Network of Societal Missions to Achieve Universal Primary Education in India

See also

External links

Bihari cuisine (बिहारी खाना is predominantly Vegetarian. Bihar is a state of India. The classical form of the Indian music is already quite well known (for example Bihar has produced musicians like Bharat Ratna Bihar Movement was a movement initiated by students in the Indian state of Bihar in 1974 and led by the veteran Gandhian Socialist Jayaprakash Narayan against misrule This is a list of notable personalities from Bihar, India. This list is not based on the extent of their popularity Historically Bihar has been a major centre of learning home to the universities of Nalanda (one of the earliest universities of India dating back to the fifth century and The state of Bihar in India is divided into 9 divisions as follows 1 Bihar, a state of India, has currently ( As of 2005) thirty-eight administrative districts. Patna (पटना the capital of Bihar state, India, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world and the History Following is the list of villages which fall in Bihar state of India Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

Dictionary

Bihar

-proper noun

  1. State in eastern India which has Patna as its capital.
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