In Ancient and Classical India, the area that is now Bihar was considered the centre of political and cultural power and as a haven of learning.[16] From Magadha arose India's first empire, the Maurya empire, as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions: Buddhism.[17][failed verification] Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule.[18] Another region of Bihar, Mithila, was an early centre of learning and the centre of the Videha kingdom.[19][20]
However, since the late 1970s, Bihar has lagged far behind other Indian states in terms of social and economic development.[21] Many economists and social scientists claim that this is a direct result of the policies of the central government, such as the freight equalisation policy,[22][23] its apathy towards Bihar,[24] lack of Bihari sub-nationalism,[25] and the Permanent Settlement of 1793 by the British East India Company.[23] The state government has, however, made significant strides in developing the state.[26] Improved governance has led to an economic revival in the state through increased investment in infrastructure,[27] better healthcare facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a reduction in crime and corruption.[28]
Etymology
The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word vihāra (Devanagari: विहार), meaning "abode". The region roughly encompassing the present state had many Buddhist vihāras, the abodes of Buddhist monks in the ancient and medieval periods. Medieval writer Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani records in the Tabaqat-i Nasiri that in 1198 Bakhtiyar Khalji committed a massacre in a town identified with the word, later known as Bihar Sharif, about 70 km (43 mi) away from Bodh Gaya.[29][30]
Copy of the seal excavated from Kundpur, Vaishali. The Brahmi letters on the seal state: "Kundpur was in Vaishali. Prince Vardhaman (Mahavira) used this seal after the Judgement."
Mithila gained prominence after the establishment of the Videha Kingdom.[3][33] During the late Vedic period (c. 1100–500 BCE), Videha became one of the major political and cultural centers of South Asia, along with Kuru and Pañcāla. The kings of the Videha Kingdom were called Janakas.[34]Sita, a daughter of one of the Janaks of Mithila is mentioned as the consort of Lord Rama, in the Hindu epicRamayana, written by Valmiki.[3][35][page needed] The Videha Kingdom later became incorporated into the Vajjika League which had its capital in the city of Vaishali, which is also in Mithila.[36] Vajji had a republican form of government where the head of state was elected from the rajas. Based on the information found in texts pertaining to Jainism and Buddhism, Vajji was established as a republic by the sixth century BCE, before the birth of Gautama Buddha in 563 BCE, making it the first known republic in India.
The Haryanka dynasty, founded in 684 BCE, ruled Magadha from the city of Rajgriha (modern Rajgir). The two well-known kings from this dynasty were Bimbisara and his son Ajatashatru, who imprisoned his father to ascend the throne. Ajatashatru founded the city of Pataliputra which later became the capital of Magadha. He declared war and conquered the Vajjika League. The Haryanka dynasty was followed by the Shishunaga dynasty. Later, the Nanda Dynasty ruled a vast tract stretching from Bengal to Punjab.
The Nanda dynasty was replaced by the Maurya Empire, India's first empire. The Maurya Empire and the religion of Buddhism arose in the region that now makes up modern Bihar. The Mauryan Empire, which originated from Magadha in 325 BCE, was founded by Chandragupta Maurya, who was born in Magadha. It had its capital at Pataliputra (modern Patna). Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, who was born in Pataliputra (Patna), is often considered to be among the most accomplished rulers in world history.[37][38]
The Gupta Empire, which originated in Magadha in 240 CE, is referred to as the Golden Age of India in science, mathematics, astronomy, commerce, religion, and Indian philosophy.[39] Bihar and Bengal were invaded by Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty in the 11th century.[40][41]
Medieval period
Buddhism in Magadha declined due to the invasion of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji, during which many of the viharas were destroyed along with the universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila. Some historians believe that thousands of Buddhist monks were massacred during the 12th century.[42][43][44][45]D. N. Jha suggests, instead, that these incidents were the result of Buddhist–Brahmin skirmishes in a fight for supremacy.[46] After the fall of the Pala Empire, the Chero dynasty ruled some parts of Bihar from the 12th century until Mughal rule in the 16th century.[47] In 1540, the great Pathan chieftain, Sher Shah Suri, took northern India from the Mughals and declared Delhi his capital.
From the 11th century to the 20th century, Mithila was ruled by various indigenous dynasties. The first of these were the Karnatas, followed by the Oiniwar dynasty and Raj Darbhanga.[48]
It was during this period that the capital of Mithila was shifted to Darbhanga.[49][50]
After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the British East India Company obtained the diwani rights (rights to administer and collect tax revenue) for Bihar, Bengal, and Odisha. The rich resources of fertile land, water, and skilled labour had attracted the foreign imperialists, particularly the Dutch and British, in the 18th century. A number of agriculture-based industries had been started in Bihar by foreign entrepreneurs.[51] Bihar remained a part of the Bengal Presidency of British India until 1912, when Bihar and Orissa were carved out as separate provinces.
In the northern and central regions of Bihar, the Kisan Sabha (peasant movement) was an important consequence of the independence movement. It began in 1929 under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati who formed the Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha (BPKS), to mobilise peasant grievances against the zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights. The movement intensified and spread from Bihar across the rest of India, culminating in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April 1936, where Saraswati was elected as its first president.[54]
Following independence, Bihari migrant workers have faced violence and prejudice in many parts of India, such as Maharashtra, Punjab, and Assam.[55][56]
Bihar covers a total area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi), with an average elevation above sea level of 173 feet (53 m). It is land locked by Nepal in the north, Jharkhand in the south West Bengal in the east and Uttar Pradesh to the west.[58] It has three parts on the basis of physical and structural conditions: the Southern Plateau, the Shivalik Region, and Bihar's Gangetic Plain.[59] Furthermore, the vast stretch of the fertileBihar Plain is divided by the Ganges River into two unequal parts – North Bihar and South Bihar.[60] The Ganges flows west–east and, along with its tributaries, regularly floods parts of the Bihar plain. The main northern tributaries are the Gandak and Koshi, which originate in the Nepalese Himalayas, and the Bagmati, which originates in the Kathmandu Valley. Other tributaries are the Son, Budhi Gandak, Chandan, Orhani and Phalgu. Bihar has some small hills, such as the Rajgir hills in center, Kaimur Range in south-west and Shivalik Range in North. Bihar has a forest area of 6,764.14 km2, which is 7.1 per cent of its geographical area.[61] The sub-Himalayan foothills of Shivalik ranges, primary Someshwar and Dun mountain, in West Champaran district are clad in a belt of moist deciduous forest. As well as trees, this consists of brush, grasses and reeds.
Bihar lies completely in the Subtropical region of the Temperate Zone, and its climatic type is humid subtropical. Its temperature is subtropical in general, with hot summers and cold winters. Bihar has an average daily high temperature of only 26 °C with a yearly average of 26 °C. The climate is very warm, but has only a very few tropical and humid months. Several months of the year it is warm to hot at temperatures continuously above 25 °C, sometimes up to 29 °C. Due to less rain the best time for travelling is from October to April. The most rainy days occur from May to September.[62]
Bihar is the principal holder of the country's pyrite reserves and possesses 95% of all known resources.[67]
In May 2022, a gold mine was found in the district of Jamui.[68] It accounts for more than 44% of the country's gold reserve, approximately 223 million tons.[69]
At the 2011 Census, Bihar was the third most populous state of India with a total population of 104,099,452. It was also India's most densely populated state, with 1,106 persons per square kilometre. The sex ratio was 1090 females per 1000 males in the year 2020.[72] Almost 58% of Bihar's population was below 25 years age, which is the highest in India. In 2021, Bihar has had an urbanisation rate of 20%.[14][73] Bihar has an adult literacy rate of 68.15% (78.5% for males and 57.8% for females) in 2020.[72] Population increased to 130,725,310 as per the Bihar caste survey conducted in 2023.[71]
Hindi is the official language of the state and is spoken natively by 25.54% of the total population.[77] At 8.42%, Urdu is the second official language in 15 districts of the state.[78] However, the majority of the people speak one of the Bihari languages, most of which were classified as dialects of Hindi during the census. The major ones are Bhojpuri (24.86%), Maithili (12.55%) and Magahi (10.87%)[79][80]Angika and Bajjika, two other Bihari languages, are classified under other dialects of Hindi in the census. Maithili is a recognised regional language of India under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. Proponents have called for Bhojpuri, Magahi, Angika, and Bajjika to receive the same status.[81][82] Smaller communities of Bengali and Surjapuri speakers are found in some parts of the state, especially in the eastern districts and urban areas.[76]
Under the Constitution of India, the Governor is the head of the government of Bihar, and is appointed by the President of India. The Chief minister is the executive head of the government who, with its cabinet ministers, makes all important policy decisions. The political party or coalition of political parties having a majority in the Bihar Legislative Assembly forms the government.
The Chief Secretary is the head of the bureaucracy of the state, under whom a hierarchy of officials is drawn from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, and different wings of the state civil services. The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court. Bihar has a high court in Patna, which has been functioning since 1916. All the branches of the government are located in the state capital, Patna.
The politics of Bihar have been based on caste since the onset of Indian independence. The important castes with political presence and influence in Bihar includes: Yadav, Koeri, Kurmi, Rajput, Bhumihar, and Brahmin. Before 1990, politics was dominated by Forward Castes– Brahmin, Rajput, Bhumihar, and Kayastha. The numerous Other Backward Class group was only given a token representation in the government. This over representation of upper castes was due to their dominance in the Indian National Congress, which dominated the politics of the state for three decades after the independence of India. According to political scientist Sanjay Kumar: "Using their dominant role in state's government, in the period before 1990, the Forward Castes deliberately subverted the 'land reforms', which could have helped Backward Castes and the Scheduled Castes". The upper backwards relied on the political parties of Lok Dal and later Janata Dal for increasing their political representation. The year of 1989-90 saw the implementation of Mandal Commission's recommendation by Vishwanath Pratap Singh's government, which reserved 27% per cent seats in government jobs and educational institutions for the members of Other Backward Class. This event mobilised them against the "politics of religion" of the Bhartiya Janata Party, which was backed by the Forward Castes. Important figures such as Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar took a leading role in this mobilisation, and by 1990, the upper backwards– Koeri, Kurmi, Yadav became the new political elites of the state.[94]
However, the tipping point of this Backward Caste unity came in 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, when the dominant OBC castes, who were at the forefront in the collective struggle against the Forward Castes, were divided into two rival political camps. While one of these camps was led by Yadavs under Janata Dal, the other camp was led by Koeri and Kurmis, who assembled under the Samata Party. According to Sanjay Kumar, this was the election in which the caste divide in the state was most evident not between the Forward and Backward Castes, but rather between two groups of Backward Castes itself. It was this election from which the Forward Castes felt completely marginalised in Bihar's electoral politics and from then onwards, no longer held any significant role in the state's politics.[95]
Nitish Kumar has been chief minister of Bihar for 13 years between 2005 and 2020. In contrast to prior governments, which emphasised divisions of caste and religion, his political platform was based on economic development, reduction of crime and corruption, and greater social equality. Since 2010, the government confiscated the properties of corrupt officials and redeveloped them into school buildings.[100] They also introduced the Bihar Special Court Act to curb crime.[101] It also legislated a two-hour lunch break on Fridays, to enable Muslim employees to pray and thereby reduce absenteeism.[102] The government has prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state since March 2016,[103] which has been linked to a drop in tourism[104] and a rise in substance abuse.[105]
Public health
Bihar generally ranks among the weakest in health outcomes in comparison to other Indian states because it lacks adequate health care facilities.[106][107] While the National Health Mission, the Clinical Establishments Act of 2010, and the formation of the Empowered Action Group (EAG)[108] provide federal funds to expand and improve healthcare services, Bihar's ability to fully utilise this funding is lacking.[106][107]
Research indicates that Bihar relies on privatised hospitals to provide healthcare to the masses, with the second-highest ratio among Indian states for private to public spending and high levels of corruption.[106] These factors are associated with slower healthcare delivery and steep healthcare costs.[109][110][111][112] Corruption is enabled as Bihar lacks continuity and transparency of health reporting as required by the Clinical Establishments Act of 2010. In turn, this prevents the government from making evidence-based conclusions about policy changes and hospital effectiveness, resulting in patterns of ill-informed spending and inconsistent hiring.
When comparing Bihar to Kerala, the number of healthcare professionals (including registered nurses, auxiliary nurses, physicians and health supervisors) at each hospital are significantly lower, and remain constant over time while they steadily increase in number in Kerala.[113] According to Ministry of Health statistics, the greatest shortfalls are for physicians and specialists at 75%.[106] Bihar has only 50% of the sub-health centres, 60% of the primary health centres, and 9% of the community health centres required by the national supply-to-population standards. The number of public hospital beds in Bihar decreased between 2008 and 2015.[113] Given the high population density of the state, Bihar is significantly behind in the number of healthcare professionals that should be employed.[114][113] Despite these shortcomings, Bihar has shown gradual signs of improvement for female health workers,[106] the overall death rate, and infant, neo-natal, child and maternal mortality rates.[106]
Bihar accounts for 71% of India's annual litchi production.[117]
Bihar produces 90% of the world's makhana (Euryale ferox) seeds, also known as fox nuts. It is the largest producer of these seeds in the world.
Bihar's gross state domestic product (GSDP) for the fiscal year (FY) 2013–14 was around ₹3,683.37 billion. By sectors, its composition is 22% agriculture, 5% industry and 73% services.[citation needed] Bihar has the fastest-growing state economy in terms of GSDP, with a growth rate of 17.06% in FY 2014–15.[118] The economy of Bihar was projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4% during 2012–2017 (the 12th Five-Year Plan). Bihar has experienced strong growth in per capita net state domestic product (NSDP). At current prices, per capita NSDP of the state grew at a CAGR of 12.91% from 2004 to 2005 to 2014–15.[119] Bihar's per capita income went up by 40.6% in FY 2014–15.[120] The state's debt was estimated at 77% of GDP by 2007.[121]
Among the states of India, Bihar is the fourth-largest producer of vegetables and the eighth-largest producer of fruits. About 80% of the state's population is employed in agriculture, which is above the national average.[119] The main agricultural products are litchi, guava, mango, pineapple, brinjal, lady's finger, cauliflower, cabbage, rice, wheat, sugarcane, and sunflower. Though good soil and favourable climatic conditions favour agriculture, this can be hampered by floods and soil erosion.[122] The southern parts of the state endure annual droughts, which affect crops such as paddy.[123]
The Finance Ministry has sought to create investment opportunities for big industrial houses like Reliance Industries. Further developments have taken place in the growth of small industries, improvements in IT infrastructure, a software park in Patna, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur,[127] and the completion of the expressway from the Purvanchal border through Bihar to Jharkhand. In August 2008, a Patna-registered company called the Security and Intelligence Services[128] took over the Australian guard and mobile patrol services business of American conglomerate, United Technologies Corporation (UTC). SIS is registered and taxed in Bihar.[129][relevant?]
Prior to prohibition, Bihar emerged as a brewery hub with numerous production units.[130] In August 2018, United Breweries Limited announced it would begin production of non-alcoholic beer at its previously defunct brewery in Bihar.[131][132]
Income distribution
In terms of income, the districts of Patna, Munger, and Begusarai placed highest among the 38 districts in the state, recording the highest per capita gross district domestic product of ₹1,15,239, ₹42,793 and ₹45,497, respectively, in FY 2020-21.[126]
Bihar also ranks very low in per capital income in comparison to other cities in India. Patna has per capital income of 1.15L, which is much lower than other cities like Gurugram (₹7.41L), Noida (₹6.13), Bengaluru (₹6.21L), Hyderabad (₹6.58L) and Mumbai (₹6.43).
Income disparity among social groups
Rumela Sen, a lecturer at Columbia University,[133] outlines the inequalities and backwardness prevalent in Bihar in the post-independence period as a consequence of the "delaying tactics" against the implementation of land reform and utilisation of kinship ties by the upper-caste landlords, who had an obstructionist attitude towards land reform policies.[134] The upper-caste not only dominated the administration, but also the politics in the post-independence period; they utilised their caste ties in order to prevent the distribution of about 9000 acres of land intended for the poor. Since the landlords primarily belonged to upper-castes, just like the politicians and administrators in the early decades after independence, they were successful in grabbing large holdings of land amidst the passage of the Zamindari abolition act of 1952.[135]
There are several traditional styles of painting practised in Bihar. One is Mithila painting, a style used in the Mithila region of Bihar. Traditionally, this form was practised mainly by women, passed down generation to generation. Painting was usually done on walls during festivals, religious events, births, marriages, and other cultural milestones.[136] It was traditionally done on the plastered walls of mud huts, and is also done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. Famous Mithila painters include Smt Bharti Dayal, Mahasundari Devi, the late Ganga Devi, and Sita Devi.
Mithila painting is also called Madhubani art. It mostly depicts human beings and their association with nature. Common scenes illustrate deities and Saraswati from ancient epics, celestial objects, and religious plants like Tulsi, and scenes from the royal court and social events. Generally, no space is left empty.[136]
Bhojpuri painting is a folk painting style that has flourished in the Bhojpuri region of Bihar thousands of years ago. This painting style is a type of wall painting primarily done on temple walls or on walls of the rooms of newly married couples and the main motifs are that of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Although in recent times motifs of natural objects and life and struggles of village people are also depicted to make the painting more acceptable among the common people and bring the style close to reality.[137]
The Patna School of Painting (Patna Kalam), sometimes called "Company Painting", flourished in Bihar during the early 18th to mid-20th centuries. It was an offshoot of the Mughal Miniature School of Painting. Those who practised this art form were descendants of Hindu artisans of Mughal painting. Facing persecution from the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, these artisans found refuge, via Murshidabad, in Patna during the late 18th century. Their art shared the characteristics of the Mughal painters, expanded subject matter from court scenes to bazaar scenes, daily life and ceremonies. They used watercolours on paper and on mica. This school of painting formed the basis for the formation of the Patna Art School under the leadership of Shri Radha Mohan. The school is an important centre of the fine arts in Bihar.
Gaya is another centre of classical music, particularly of the Tappa and Thumri varieties. Pandit Govardhan Mishra–son of the Ram Prasad Mishra, himself an accomplished singer– is perhaps the finest living exponent of Tappa singing in India, according to Padma Shri Gajendra Narayan Singh, founding secretary of the Sangeet Natak Academi of Bihar[citation needed].
Gajendra Narayan Singh also writes, in his memoir, that Champanagar, Banaili, was another major centre of classical music. Rajkumar Shyamanand Sinha of Champanagar, Banaili princely state, was a great patron of music and was himself a renowned figure in the world of classical vocal music in Bihar in his time.[138] Singh, on the subject of Indian classical music in a separate book of his, wrote that "Kumar Shyamanand Singh of Banaili estate had such expertise in singing that many great singers including Kesarbai Kerkar acknowledged his ability. After listening to bandishes from Kumar Sahib, Pandit Jasraj was moved to tears and lamented that, alas, he did not have such ability himself."[139][140]
During the 19th century, many Biharis emigrated as indentured labourers to the West Indies, Fiji, and Mauritius. During this time many sorrowful plays and songs called birha became popular in the Bhojpur region, as Bhojpuri Birha. Dramas incorporating this theme continue to be popular in the theatres of Patna.[141][better source needed]
Bihar has a robust Bhojpuri-language film industry. There is also a smaller production of Magadhi-, Maithili language films. The first film with Bhojpuri dialogue was Ganga Jamuna, released in 1961.[142]Bhaiyaa, the first Magadhi film, was released in 1961.[143]
The first Maithili movie was Kanyadan released in 1965.[144]
Maithili film Mithila Makhaan won the
National Film Award for Best Maithili Film in 2016.[145]
The history of films entirely in Bhojpuri begins in 1962 with the well-received film Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo ("Mother Ganges, I will offer you a yellow sari"), which was directed by Kundan Kumar.[146]
1963's Lagi nahin chute ram was the all-time hit Bhojpuri film, and had higher attendance than Mughal-e-Azam in the eastern and northern regions of India. Bollywood's Nadiya Ke Paar is another well-known Bhojpuri-language movie. Films such as Bidesiya ("Foreigner", 1963, directed by S. N. Tripathi) and Ganga ("Ganges", 1965, directed by Kundan Kumar) were profitable and popular, but in general Bhojpuri films were not commonly produced in the 1960s and 1970s.
In the 1980s, enough Bhojpuri films were produced to support a dedicated industry. Films such as Mai ("Mom", 1989, directed by Rajkumar Sharma) and Hamar Bhauji ("My Brother's Wife", 1983, directed by Kalpataru) had success at the box office. However, this trend faded during the 1990s.[147]
In 2001, Bhojpuri films regained popularity with Saiyyan Hamar ("My Sweetheart", directed by Mohan Prasad), which raised actor Ravi Kishan to prominence.[148] Several other commercially successful films followed, including Panditji Batai Na Biyah Kab Hoi ("Priest, tell me when I will marry", 2005, directed by Mohan Prasad) and Sasura Bada Paisa Wala ("My father-in-law, the rich guy", 2005). These films did much better business in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar than mainstream Bollywood hits at the time, and were both made on extremely tight budgets.[149]Sasura Bada Paisa Wala also introduced Manoj Tiwari, formerly a well-loved folk singer, to the wider audiences of Bhojpuri cinema. The success of Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari's films led to a revival in Bhojpuri cinema, and the industry began to support an awards show[150] and trade magazine Bhojpuri City.[151] The industry produces over one hundred films per year.[citation needed]
In 2019, the Maithili film Mithila Makhaan won Best Maithili Film in the 63rd National Film Awards.[152]
Biharbandhu was the first Hindi newspaper published in Bihar. It was started in 1872 by Madan Mohan Bhatta, a MarathiBrahman who settled in Bihar Sharif.[153] Hindi journalism often failed[154] until it became an official language in the state. Hindi was introduced in the law courts in Bihar in 1880.[153][155]
Urdu journalism and poetry have a long history in Bihar, with many poets such as Shaad Azimabadi, Kaif Azimabadi, Kalim Ajiz and Bismil Azimabadi. Bihar publishes many Urdu dailies, such as Qomi Tanzim and Sahara, and the monthly Voice of Bihar.[156]
The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a number of notable new publications. A monthly magazine named Bharat Ratna was started in Patna, in 1901. It was followed by Ksahtriya Hitaishi, Aryavarta from Dinapure, Udyoga, and Chaitanya Chandrika.[157]Udyog was edited by Vijyaanand Tripathy, a famous poet of the time, and Chaitanya Chandrika by Krishna Chaitanya Goswami, a literary figure of that time. The literary activity was not confined to Patna alone but to other districts of Bihar.[153][158]
Chhath Puja is the biggest and most popular festival in Bihar.[159] The four-day-long holy Hindu festival includes intense celebration across the state. Chhath Puja are done in various cities, towns, and villages throughout Bihar. All of Bihar involves itself in devotion to Chhath Puja. The city is decked up in lighting decorations and thousands of colourful ghats are set up, where effigies of the goddess Chhath Maiya and her brother God Surya are displayed and worshipped at both sunset and sunrise. People of all religious backgrounds go to the bank of any river or near by a pond or lake in order to give arghya to the Sun. They carry fruits and thekuaa along with them in soop and daura (a bowl-like structure made of bamboo) for their worship activities. Nowadays, these traditions have spread to multiple countries worldwide wherever Bihari community is present.
Durga Puja is also the biggest, most popular and widely celebrated festival in Bihar.[160] The ten-day-long colourful Hindu festival includes intense celebration across the state. Pandals are erected in various cities, towns, and villages throughout Bihar. The cities of Bihar are transformed during Durga Puja. Urban areas are decked up in lighting decorations and thousands of colourful pandals are set up where effigies of the goddess Durga and her four children are displayed and worshipped. The idols of the goddess are brought in from Kumortuli, where idol-makers work throughout the year fashioning clay models of the goddess. Since independence in 1947, Durga Puja has slowly changed into more of a glamorous carnival than that of a religious festival. Today people of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds partake in the festivities. On Vijayadashami, the last day of the festival, the effigies are paraded through the streets with riotous pageantry before being immersed into the rivers.
Bihar is visited by many tourists from around the world,[161] In 2019, 33 million tourists visited Bihar, including more than 1 million foreign tourists.[162]
Bihar is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as many other ancient monuments. The Mahabodhi Temple (literally: "Great Awakening Temple"), a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an ancient Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, marking the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya (in Gaya district) is about 96km (60mi) from Patna. The Khuda Bakhsh Library, which has one of the world's largest collection of books, rare manuscripts and paintings is located in Patna.
Nalanda Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is among the oldest universities in the world, situated in Nalanda, Bihar. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the third century BCE to the 13th century CE. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian subcontinent. Archaeological Survey of India has recognised 72 monuments in Bihar as Monuments of National Importance. Furthermore, Archaeological Survey of India has recognised 30 additional monument as protected monuments in Bihar.
Bihar has a rail network length of 3,794 km (2,357 mi) in 2020.[167] All major cities, districts and towns are well connected. Munger, Jamalpur and Bhagalpur are well connected with all major Stations of country. Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, after completion, will pass through Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, and Gaya with a total length of 239 km (149 mi) in Bihar.[168]
Gaya-Darbhanga Expressway (access controlled highway) will be Bihar's first expressway, with a length of 189 km. It is expected to be completed by 2024.[169] Bihar also has state highways with a total length of 4,006 km (2,489 mi) and national highways with a total length of 5,358 km (3,329 mi).
Metro transit
Patna will be the first city in Bihar to have mass rapid transit system. Patna Metro with network of 31 km (19 mi) length is under construction as of 2022.[170] However, it is currently delayed due to land acquisition process.[171]
Bus transit
Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) runs interstate, intrastate, and international route buses.[172] BSRTC has a daily ridership of around 100,000. Its fleet includes non-electric and electric buses, and AC and non-AC buses. Delhi, Ranchi, and Kathmandu in Nepal are some of the destinations served outside Bihar. Patliputra Inter-State Bus Terminal is a major bus transit hub in Bihar.[173]
Inland Waterways
National Waterways-1 runs along the Ganges river. Gaighat in Patna has a permanent terminal of inland waterways for handling cargo vessels.[174] The Ganges is navigable throughout the year, and was the principal river highway across the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain. Vessels capable of accommodating five hundred merchants were known to ply this river in the ancient period, when it served as a conduit for overseas trade. The role of the Ganges as a channel for trade was enhanced by its natural links to major rivers and streams in north and south Bihar.[175]
Bihta, a suburb of the state capital Patna, is home of institutes like IIT Patna, AIIMS Patna, BIT Patna and is now emerging as an educational hub.[188][189] With institutes like Super 30, Patna has emerged as a major center for engineering and civil services coaching. The major private IIT-JEE coaching institutes have opened up their branches in Bihar and this has reduced the number of students who go to, for example, Kota and Delhi for engineering/medical coaching.
Bihar e-Governance Services & Technologies (BeST) and the government of Bihar have initiated a unique program to establish a centre of excellence called Bihar Knowledge Center, a school to equip students with the latest skills and customised short-term training programs at an affordable cost. The centre aims to attract the youth of the state to improve their technical, professional, and soft skills, to meet the current requirements of the industrial job market.[190] The National Employability Report of Engineering Graduates, 2014,[191] puts graduates from Bihar in the top 25 per cent of the country, and rates Bihar as one of the three top states at producing engineering graduates in terms of quality and employability.[192]
^"Bihar Profile"(PDF). census.gov.in. Archived from the original(PDF) on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
^"Bihar GDP"(PDF). prsindia.org. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
^"Sub-national HDI – Area Database". Global Data Lab. Institute for Management Research, Radboud University. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
^"Table 24: gross state domestic product"(PDF). National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. Archived(PDF) from the original on 20 December 2022 – via Reserve Bank of India.
^Guruswamy, Mohan; Kaul, Abhishek (15 December 2003). "The Economic Strangulation of Bihar"(PDF). New Delhi, India: Centre for Policy Alternatives. p. 2. Archived from the original(PDF) on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
^Bihar, Past & Present: souvenir, 13th Annual Congress of Epigraphica by P. N. Ojha, Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute
^Mishra Pankaj, The Problem, Seminar 450 – February 1997
Bal Thackeray (5 March 2008). "Biharis an unwanted lot". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
Wajihuddin, Mohammed (10 August 2008). "'Bihari' has become an abuse". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
^Das, Arvind N. (1992). The Republic of Bihar. New Delhi: Penguin Books. ISBN978-0-14-012351-7.
Guruswamy, Mohan; Mohanty, Jeevan Prakash (15 February 2004). "The De-urbanisation of Bihar"(PDF). New Delhi, India: Centre for Policy Alternatives. Archived from the original(PDF) on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
^Scott, David (May 1995). "Buddhism and Islam: Past to Present Encounters and Interfaith Lessons". Numen. 42 (2): 141–155. doi:10.1163/1568527952598657. JSTOR3270172.
^Cardona, George; Jain, Dhanesh, eds. (11 September 2003). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Routledge Language Family Series. Routledge. p. 500. ISBN978-0-415-77294-5. ...the number of speakers of Bihari languages are difficult to indicate because of unreliable sources. In the urban region most educated speakers of the language name Hindi as their language because this is what they use in formal contexts and believe it to be the appropriate response because of lack of awareness. The uneducated and the urban population of the region return Hindi as the generic name for their language.
^Kumar, Sanjay (1999). ""New Phase in Backward Caste Politics in Bihar: Janata Dal on the Decline."". Economic and Political Weekly. 34 (34/35): 2472–80. JSTOR4408343. The polarisation was not on the lines of the upper and the backward caste divide, but it was around the two axes of backward caste politics. Laloo Yadav after comp- leting his term in office even with a minority government went to polls in a situation where an anti-incumbency wave was sweeping the country. The consolidated backward castes had fragmented into two blocs, one represented by the yadavs in the form of the Janata Dal and the other represented by the kurmis and koeris represented by the Samata Party. For the first time, the upper-castes felt totally marginalised in the state's politics since the support base of their natural ally, the Congress, has been completely eroded. while the BJP was unable to make much inroads among the voters.
^Arokiasamy, Perianayagam; Gautam, Abhishek (2008). "Neonatal mortality in the empowered action group states of India: trends and determinants". Journal of Biosocial Science. 40 (2): 183–201. doi:10.1017/S0021932007002623. ISSN0021-9320. PMID18093346. S2CID1775511.
^Raza, Wameq A.; van de Poel, Ellen; Bedi, Arjun; Rutten, Frans (28 December 2015). "Impact of Community-based Health Insurance on Access and Financial Protection: Evidence from Three Randomized Control Trials in Rural India". Health Economics. 25 (6): 675–687. doi:10.1002/hec.3307. ISSN1057-9230. PMID26708298.
^Ramani, K. V.; Mavalankar, Dileep; Govil, Dipti (2008). Strategic issues and challenges in health management. New Delhi: Sage. ISBN978-8132100201. OCLC316005200.
^ abcGovernment of India- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare- Health and Family Welfare Census Data, 2008–2015
^"Census of India: Provisional Population Totals India: Paper1: Census 2011". Censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
^Rumela, Sen (2021). 'Rebel Retirement in the North through Discordant Exit Networks', Farewell to Arms: How Rebels Retire Without Getting Killed. New York: Oxford Academic. doi:10.1093/oso/9780197529867.003.0005. The big landlords of Bihar derailed land reform via delaying tactics and by refusing to comply with paperwork. They refused to submit documents for their estates despite government orders and filed thousands of court cases halting the landholding ceiling and redistribution of over 9,000 acres of land across the state of Bihar. Since administrators and politicians came mostly from the same landed gentry upper castes as the landlords, the landlords exploited their kinship ties to have government field surveys halted, amended, and ultimately aborted.
^ abCarolyn Brown Heinz, 2006, "Documenting the Image in Mithila Art", Visual Anthropology Review, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 5–33
^"Durga Pooja". Festivals of Bihar. Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
Swami Sahajanand and the Peasants of Jharkhand: A View from 1941 translated and edited by Walter Hauser along with the unedited Hindi original (Manohar Publishers, paperback, 2005).
Sahajanand on Agricultural Labour and the Rural Poor translated and edited by Walter Hauser (Manohar Publishers, paperback, 2005).
Religion, Politics, and the Peasants: A Memoir of India's Freedom Movement translated and edited by Walter Hauser (Manohar Publishers, hardbound, 2003).
Pandit Yadunandan (Jadunandan) Sharma, 1947, Bakasht Mahamari Aur Uska Achook Ilaaz (Bakasht Epidemic and its Infalliable Remedy) in Hindi, Allahabad.
Jagannath Sarkar, "Many Streams" Selected Essays by Jagannath Sarkar and Reminiscing Sketches" Compiled by Gautam Sarkar Edited by Mitali Sarkar, First Published May 2010, Navakarnataka Publications Private Limited, Bangalore.
Indradeep Sinha, 1969, Sathi ke Kisanon ka Aitihasic Sangharsha (Historic Struggle of Sathi Peasants), in Hindi, Patna.
Walter Hauser, 1961, Peasant Organisation in India: A Case Study of the Bihar Kisan Sabha, 1929–1942, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Chicago, (Forthcoming publication).
Rai, Algu, 1946, A Move for the Formation of an All-Indian Organisation for the Kisans, Azamgrah.
N. G. Ranga, 1949, Revolutionary Peasants, New Delhi.
Sastry Harprasad, Magadhan Literature, Sri Satguru Publications, Calcutta, 1923
Rai Alok, Hindi Nationalism, Orient Longman, 2000, ISBN81-250-1979-0
Waddell Austine L., Report on the Excavations at Pataliputra (Patna) – The Palibothra of the Greeks, Asian Publicational Services, Calcutta, 1903
Das Arvind N., The State of Bihar: an economic history without footnotes, Amsterdam: VU University Press, 1992
Brass Paul R., The politics of India since Independence, Cambridge University Press, 1990
Askari S. H., Mediaeval Bihar: Sultante and Mughal Period, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna, 1990
Tayler William, Three Months at Patna during the Insurrection of 1857, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna, 2007
Taylor P.J.O., "What really happened during the Mutiny: A day by day account of the major events of 1857–1859 in India", Oxford University Press, 1997, ISBN0-19-564182-5
Bihar Administration in Bihar List of chief ministers of Bihar Bihar Legislative Assembly Politics of Bihar Bihar Day Transport in Bihar Tourism in Bihar Hajdú–Bihar County Geography of Bihar Bihar Sharif List of governors of Bihar Bihar and Orissa Province Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Agriculture of Bihar Media in Bihar Education in Bihar Administrative divisions of Bihar Bihar State Election Commission History of Bihar Elections in Bihar COVID-19 pandemic in Bihar Bihar School Examination Board List of deputy chief ministers of Bihar Government of Bihar Bihar cricket team Protected ar…
eas of Bihar 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election List of districts of Bihar List of subdivisions of Bihar Bihar Legislative Council Bihar Regiment Aurangabad district, Bihar Religion in Bihar Bihar County Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University Jainagar, Bihar 16th Bihar Assembly Khakee: The Bihar Chapter Emblem of Bihar Languages of Bihar List of constituencies of the Bihar Legislative Assembly Bihar Legislature Bihar School of Yoga Floods in Bihar List of governors of Bihar and Orissa Province 17th Bihar Assembly Bharatiya Janata Party, Bihar Aurangabad, Bihar Hetampur, Bihar Lists of villages in Bihar 1985 Bihar Legislative Assembly election Cinema of Bihar Bihar drought of 1966–1967 1952 Bihar Legislative Assembly election 2010 Bihar Legislative Assembly election 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly election Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation Mahagathbandhan (Bihar) Demographics of Bihar List of institutions of higher education in Bihar Bihar Province Literacy in Bihar Malik clan (Bihar) 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election Climate of Bihar 1990 Bihar Legislative Assembly election List of education ministers of Bihar List of health ministers of Bihar 1962
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