Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi (98,940 km2) and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.
Bihar lies mid-way between West Bengal in the east and Uttar Pradesh in the west. It is bounded by the country of Nepal to the north and by Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two parts by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east.
Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state, while the majority of the people speak Angika,Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili and Bajjika.
Ancient Bihar (which consisted of Anga,Videha/Mithila, Magadha and Vajji/Vrijji) was a centre of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India.Out of five "The Greats" from India, four greats belonged to this region of India, Magadh: Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Samudragupta and Vikramaditya. From Magadha arose India's first and greatest empire, the Maurya empire as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism.
Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important centre of Indian civilization. Nalanda and Vikramshila were centres of learning established in the 5th and 8th century respectively in Bihar, and are counted amongst the oldest and truly international universities, where people all over the world came to study.
The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word Vihara, which means "abode".Gautama Buddha undertook extreme ascetic practices before he realised it was not necessary and his enlightenment on the bank of river Falgu in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Bihar made an immense contribution to the Freedom Struggle.
On 15 January 1934, Bihar was devastated by an earthquake of magnitude 8.4. Some 30,000 people were said to have died in the quake.
The state of Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in the year 2000.
Bihar has a diverse climate.It's temperature is extreme{too hot during summers and too cool during winters}. Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills.
The economy of Bihar is largely service oriented, but it has a significant agricultural base. The state also has a small industrial sector. Bihar accounts for 65% of India's annual litchi production. Bihar has significant levels of production of mango, guava, litchi, pineapple, brinjal, cauliflower, bhindi, and cabbage. Despite the state's leading role in food production, investment in irrigation and other agriculture facilities has been inadequate. Historically, the sugar and vegetable oil industries were flourishing sectors of Bihar. Until the mid-1950s, 25% of India's sugar output was from Bihar.
Historically, Bihar has been a major centre of learning, home to the ancient universities of Nalanda (established in 450 CE) and Vikramshila(established in 783 AD).
Madhubani painting is a style of Indian painting practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar,where powdered rice is colored and is stuck. Tradition states that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas. Madhubani painting mostly depict nature and Hindu religious motifs, and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga,Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted. The artisans of Bihar have been very skillful in creating articles using local materials. Baskets, cups and saucers made from bamboo-strips or cane reed are painted in vivid colors are commonly found in Bihari homes. A special container woven out of Sikki Grass in the north, the "pauti", is a sentimental gift that accompanies a bride when she leaves her home after her wedding. The weavers of Bihar have been practicing their trade for centuries. Among their products in common use are the cotton dhurries and curtains. They are produced by artisans in central Bihar, particularly in the Patna and Biharsharif areas. These colourful sheets, with motifs of Buddhist artifacts, pictures of birds, animals, and/or flowers, gently wafting in the air through doors and windows, blown by a cool summer breeze, used to be one of the most soothing sights as one approached a home or an office. Bhagalpur is well known for its seri-culture, manufacture of silk yarn and weaving them into lovely products. It is known as the tussah or tusser silk. Chhath, also called Dala Chhath – is an ancient and major festival in Bihar, and is celebrated twice a year: once in the summers, called the Chaiti Chhath, and once around a week after Deepawali, called the Kartik Chhath. The latter is more popular because winters are the usual festive season in North India.
Bihar lies mid-way between West Bengal in the east and Uttar Pradesh in the west. It is bounded by the country of Nepal to the north and by Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two parts by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east.
Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state, while the majority of the people speak Angika,Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili and Bajjika.
Ancient Bihar (which consisted of Anga,Videha/Mithila, Magadha and Vajji/Vrijji) was a centre of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India.Out of five "The Greats" from India, four greats belonged to this region of India, Magadh: Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Samudragupta and Vikramaditya. From Magadha arose India's first and greatest empire, the Maurya empire as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism.
Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important centre of Indian civilization. Nalanda and Vikramshila were centres of learning established in the 5th and 8th century respectively in Bihar, and are counted amongst the oldest and truly international universities, where people all over the world came to study.
The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word Vihara, which means "abode".Gautama Buddha undertook extreme ascetic practices before he realised it was not necessary and his enlightenment on the bank of river Falgu in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Bihar made an immense contribution to the Freedom Struggle.
On 15 January 1934, Bihar was devastated by an earthquake of magnitude 8.4. Some 30,000 people were said to have died in the quake.
The state of Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in the year 2000.
Bihar has a diverse climate.It's temperature is extreme{too hot during summers and too cool during winters}. Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills.
The economy of Bihar is largely service oriented, but it has a significant agricultural base. The state also has a small industrial sector. Bihar accounts for 65% of India's annual litchi production. Bihar has significant levels of production of mango, guava, litchi, pineapple, brinjal, cauliflower, bhindi, and cabbage. Despite the state's leading role in food production, investment in irrigation and other agriculture facilities has been inadequate. Historically, the sugar and vegetable oil industries were flourishing sectors of Bihar. Until the mid-1950s, 25% of India's sugar output was from Bihar.
Historically, Bihar has been a major centre of learning, home to the ancient universities of Nalanda (established in 450 CE) and Vikramshila(established in 783 AD).
Madhubani painting is a style of Indian painting practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar,where powdered rice is colored and is stuck. Tradition states that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas. Madhubani painting mostly depict nature and Hindu religious motifs, and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga,Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted. The artisans of Bihar have been very skillful in creating articles using local materials. Baskets, cups and saucers made from bamboo-strips or cane reed are painted in vivid colors are commonly found in Bihari homes. A special container woven out of Sikki Grass in the north, the "pauti", is a sentimental gift that accompanies a bride when she leaves her home after her wedding. The weavers of Bihar have been practicing their trade for centuries. Among their products in common use are the cotton dhurries and curtains. They are produced by artisans in central Bihar, particularly in the Patna and Biharsharif areas. These colourful sheets, with motifs of Buddhist artifacts, pictures of birds, animals, and/or flowers, gently wafting in the air through doors and windows, blown by a cool summer breeze, used to be one of the most soothing sights as one approached a home or an office. Bhagalpur is well known for its seri-culture, manufacture of silk yarn and weaving them into lovely products. It is known as the tussah or tusser silk. Chhath, also called Dala Chhath – is an ancient and major festival in Bihar, and is celebrated twice a year: once in the summers, called the Chaiti Chhath, and once around a week after Deepawali, called the Kartik Chhath. The latter is more popular because winters are the usual festive season in North India.