Architecture and History

 

 

• The art tradition of Bihar dates back to the Neolithic and prehistoric times.  There are many structural relics that indicates the gap between the prehistoric times and later periods.

 

• The buildings and works of art of the early Mauryan era, were mostly created on wood.  The ancient city of Pataliputra had wooden pillars and fortifications. Evidence from Sanskrit and Pali literacy sources indicate the existence of a highly developed art and sculptures of Pre-Ashokan Magadha.

 

• As per Megasthenes account, the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta's palace Mauryan was splendor with series of hypostyle halls containing pillars of wood, clasped around with vines embossed in gold and ornamented with designs of birds and foliage in gold and silver.

 

• Pataliputra, situated along the banks of the Ganges river, was surrounded by a stupendous timber palisade with loopholes for archers and protected externally by a wide and deep moat.  At intervals were over five hundred bastions with towers.  The city was entered by around sixty-four gates.

 

• During the Mauryan period, burnt bricks and lime was used for constructions. Houses were erected on pillars, windows and stairs.  Fortified cities and palaces had a wall around them with gateways and watch-towers and ditches outside.  The cities had well planned streets.

 

• Mauryan Bihar had structural wonders 'Stupa', and came to be used as a Buddhist architecture to depict a mount containing the relics of Buddha.   The Four-Lion stupa of Ashoka has been adopted as the official emblem of India.

 

• The Pre-Ashokan and Pre-Mauryan folk art were inspired by deities known as Yakshas and Yakshinis, Nagas or Nagis, Gandharvas, Apsaras, earth-spirits, water spirits etc.

 

Mauryan Pillars & Sculptures

 

• The Lion-crowned pillar, Lauriya, Namdangarh in Champaran, is the finest monolithic pillars of Ashoka.  It consists of a polished block of sandstone with a capital .  Two other inscribed pillars are found at Rampurwa and Laurya at Basark.  The edicts of the emperor are inscribed on rock at the Dhauli Hill in Orissa and on a hill near Sasaram in Bihar.

 

• In Bodh Gaya, the oldest Buddhist memorial (55 meters high temple) is a stone railing ornamented with friezes, panels and bosses, with considerable artistic skill.  The stupa was originally a copy in brick or stone of an earthen sepulchral tumulus and ending with the ornamented spire of the medieval period.

 

Islamic Architecture

 

• Islamic architecture has Minar domes, vaults and arches with an exclusive use of mortar and concrete.  A typical architectural splendor is the mausoleum of Magdum Shah Daulat at Maner, Hindu symbols representing elephants, bulls and lotuses also carved on its walls.

 

• The buildings at Bankipur and Padri-ki-Haveli are constructed as per the Gothic architecture.

 

Modern Era

 

• In modern times, Pucca (strong) houses, large in size with baked bricks, mortar, lime, molasses and timber began to be constructed.  The common way of construction are Gilaba rather than lime and mortar and country tiles for their roofs.

 

• People began to project porticos and balconies unsupported by pillars. Construction of buildings even at marshy places became possible and gigantic structures with deep iron foundations have come up in Bihar.

 

Local Arts

 

 

• The people of ancient Mithila succeeded to some extent in preserving and keep ordinary domestic arts of painting earthen pots and mud walls with gods and goddesses still alive.

 

• With the help of All India Fine Arts and Crafts society, Bihar's own Shilpakala Parishad, organized exhibitions on the regional level.  Bihar was first, in organizing and holding regional festivals such as Vaishali festival.  Bihari craftsmen have excelled in terracotta, bamboo-work, Seenk-work, Kasida, Pottery, stone craft, textiles etc.

 

 

Mahabodhi Temple

 

The Main Temple Wall is constructed in the traditional Indian temple architectural style with doors on the east and north, a low basement, and molding with honeysuckle and goose designs on them. A number of niches featuring Buddha images are located above this.

 

 

Nalanda

 

• Nalanda is is seen as a glorious National tradition of architecture  surrounded by a high wall and a large gate, residing a numerous of stupas, classrooms, meditation halls, viharas, compounds, and temples. The unearthed remnants along side the main structure witnesses use of vivid red bricks in construction.

 

• Nalanda's has enormous, well-defined library, housed in three imposing, multi-story structures known as the Ratnasagara, Ratnaranjaka, and Ratnodadhi.

 

 

Vishwa Shanti Stupa

 

Vishwa Shanti Stupa is the tallest  pagoda representing peace, built on top Ratnagiri Hill. Nipponzan Myohoji, a well-known Buddhist monk, developed the design, contructed by a Japanese monk Fujii Guruji. The stupa,is made of marble, bearing four golden statues of Lord Buddha, each one depicting his three life stages—birth, enlightenment, and preaching—and for his death.

 

Golaghar

 

• John Garstin of the Bengal Engineers, a unit of the Bengal Army of the East India Company, created the beehive-shaped building and spiral staircase in 1786 to make it easier for the granary employees to load and unload grain . The building was designed in the style of a stupa, pillarless  that had a thick base wall.

 

• A panoramic view of the city and the Ganges can be seen from the summit of the Golghar.

 

Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

 

• A famous example of Indo-Islamic architecture is the Tomb of Sher Shah Suri constructed between 1540 and 1545 designed by Mir Muhammad Aliwal Khan. It is a 122-foot-tall sandstone mausoleum that is nearly square and lies in the middle of a man-made lake.

 

• The main tomb is constructed in an octagonal shape, has a dome with a 22-meter span atop it, and is surrounded by decorative domed kiosks that previously had coloured glazed tile work on them. The Sur Dynasty considered the lake surrounding the tomb to be progress in the Afghan phase of Sultan architecture.

 

 

 

History

 

 

 

• In the Early Vedic period several kingdoms existed in the plains of Bihar. North of the Ganges was Videha, one of the kings of which was the father of Princess Sita, the wife of Lord Rama. During the same period, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Magadha was Rajagriha now Rajgir, nearly 70 km southeast of Patna; to the east was the kingdom of Anga, with its capital at Campa.

 

• New kingdom later arose in southern Videha, with its capital at Vaishali. It was in Magadha, in the 6th century BCE, that the Buddha developed his religion and that Mahavira, who was born at Vaishali, promulgated and reformed the religion of Jainism.

 

• About 475 BCE the capital of the Magadha empire was located at Pataliputra (modern Patna), where it remained under Ashoka from about 273 to 232 BCE and the Guptas dynasty during the 4th and 5th centuries. During the ensuing Muslim period (about 1200 to 1765)

 

• Bihar had little independent history. It remained a provincial unit until 1765, when it came under British rule and—together with Chota Nagpur to the south—was merged with the state of Bengal.

 

• Bihar formed a part of the Bengal Presidency under the British until 1912, when the province of Bihar and Odisha was formed; in 1936 the two became separate provinces of British-ruled India.

 

• Rajendra Prasad, who played a leading part in the freedom movement and was elected the first president of independent India, was born in the Siwan district (then a part of the Saran district), northwest of Patna.

 

• Upon India’s independence in 1947, Bihar became a constituent part (becoming a state in 1950), and in 1948 the small states with capitals at Saraikela and Kharsawan were merged with it. In 2000, Chota Nagpur plateau in Bihar’s southern region became part of the new state of Jharkhand.

 

 

 

Demographic Location

 

 

 

• Bihar, state located in eastern part of India bounded by Nepal to the north and by the Indian states of West Bengal to the northeast and Uttar Pradesh to the west.

 

• In November 2000 the new state of Jharkhand emerged from Bihar’s southern provinces. The capital of Bihar is Patna rejoices the southern banks of the Great Ganga river.

 

• The state is naturally divided by the Ganga River into North Bihar Plains and South Bihar Plains. Except for the foothills of the Himalayas in the extreme northwest, the North Bihar Plain is a flat alluvial region.

 

• This region is prone to flood during monsoon season. Several mighty rivers - The Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Baghmati, the Kosi, the Mahananda and other seasonal rivers flow down from the Himalayas of Nepal making their way to the Ganges.

 

• In the North Bihar Plains the soil is chalky and light-textured (mostly sandy loam) west of the Burhi (Old) Gandak River and nonchalky and heavy-textured (clay and clay loam) to the east.

 

• Another natural hazard—seismic activity—also affects this area, which lies within the Himalayan earthquake zone.

 

• The land of the South Bihar Plain has many hills rising from the level alluvium. The southern rivers, with the exception of the Son, are all small.

 

• The soil consists mainly of older alluvium, composed of a darkish clay or yellowish loam, with poor, sandy soils predominating toward the south of this region.

 

• In the southwest, beyond the Son River valley, lies the Kaimur Plateau, with horizontal sandstone strata over a limestone base.

 

 

 

 

People, Rituals and Language

 

 

 

• Peoples of Bihar speak Indo-European languages including Hindi, Urdu and the Bihari languages of Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magahi.

 

• Bhojpuri is spoken in the western districts of Bhojpur, Rohtas, Saran, and East and West Champaran.

 

• Maithili is spoken in Darbhanga and Saharsa. Magahi is spoken in Patna, Gaya, and Munger.

 

• Austroasiatic languages are spoken by the Munda, Santhal, and Ho indigenous minorities, while another Scheduled Tribe, the Oraon, speak a Dravidian language.

 

 

 

 

 

Season and Climate

 

 

 

• Bihar state has three well-defined seasons:

 

• The hot-weather season, March to mid-June
• The season of southwest monsoon rains, mid-June to October
• The cold-weather season, November to February.

 

• May is the hottest month, with temperatures regularly exceeding 32 °C, leaving regions in the extreme north bordering Nepal.

 

• The coolest month is January, with temperatures to almost 22 °C.

 

• The normal annual rainfall varies from about 40 inches in the west-central part of the state to more than 60 inches in the extreme north. Most of the state rainfall is received between July and August.

 

• Winter season is the most pleasant climate in the state.

 

 

 

 

Culture and Education

 

 

 

• Maithili is the language of area in ancient Videha now Tirhut practicing Maithil Brahman way of life. Maithili is the only Bihari language with a script of its own, called Tirhuta, and a strong literary history.

 

• The Bhojpuri language has very less evidence of any written literature. Magahi too has a rich tradition of oral literature. The North and South Bihar plains also have contributed significantly to contemporary Hindi and Urdu literature.

 

• Chhath is the state festival of Bihar. Chhath is a 6 days festival. People worship Sun God is worshipped in Chhath.

 

• Madhubani is an important part of Maithali Painting style in Bihar. This age old art is drawn by use of fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, matchsticks, natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by geometrical patterns. These paintings are mostly made by the women of Bihar.

 

• Bihar is indeed a land of art and handicraft. Bihar specializes in production of cotton materials, fine silk, sand gamchas, fine tussar, mulberry and matka silk. Bhagalpur is known  as the Silk City of India.

 

• Tribes of Bihar are referred as the Souls of Bihar. The state is home to several tribes like Bathudi, Binjhia, Birjia and Chik Baraik, who enjoy celebrating their rituals, dances, festivals and music.

 

• Chhau is a tribal dance form of  Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. The dance is  performed during festivals with use of masks and gears, Chhau involves lot of physical strength as the dance moves demands flipping and jumping.

 

• Tribal festivals such as Sarhul, which marks the flowering of the sal trees, and Soharai, celebrated after the rice harvest, are occasions of great festivity.

 

• Holi (a colorful spring fertility festival) and Chhath (a tribute to the Sun, primarily by women) are celebrated in Bihar.

 

• The literacy rate has nearly tripled in the second half of the 20th century to nearly half the state’s population, Bihar still ranks low in literacy among Indian states. The rate for men is significantly higher than that for women. The state’s general aim is to educate all children at least up to the age of 14.

 

• Vocational and technical schools are sponsored by government departments.

 

• Prominent institutions of higher learning in Bihar include:

 

• Patna University (1917),
• Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (formerly Bihar University; 1960), at Muzaffarpur;
• Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (formerly Bhagalpur University; 1960), at Bhagalpur.

 

• The latter two schools offer graduate programs and have a number of affiliated colleges.

 

 

 

Famous Spots

 

 

• On the Southwest part of the state lying on the western bank of River Phalgu is Bodh Gaya .

 

• Among all the famous tourist places in Bihar, the town of Bodh Gaya is famed as the home to the sacred Bodhi tree, under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.

 

• The glory of Gaya was extended so much so that even Hiuen Tsang could not resist mentioning it in his travelogues.

 

 

Major Tourist Attractions:

 

• Bodhgaya
• Mahabodhi Temple
• Vishnupad Temple
• Magla Gauri Shrine
• Dungeshwari Cave Temples
• Bodhi Tree
• Chinese Temple and Monastery
• Bodhgaya Archaeological Museum
• Thai Temple and Monastery
• Royal Bhutan Monastery

 

 

• Nalanda  is one the oldest university in India. It is believed that the last and most famous Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira spent 14 monsoon seasons here. Even, Buddha is said to have delivered lectures near the mango grove in Nalanda.

 

• The fame of this education center was to an extent that Hieun Tsang, the famous Chinese traveler visited here and stayed for at least two years here. Even, I-Tsing another famous Chinese voyager stayed at Nalanda for about 10 years, and such was the glory of this place.

 

Major Tourist Attraction:

 

• Nalanda Archaeological Museum
• Xuanzang Memorial Hall
• Nalanda Multimedia Museum
• Silao
• Surajpur Baragaon
• Rajgir Dance Festival ( in October)

 

 

• Vaishali  is an important archaeological site that was once the capital city of Licchavi rulers. Vaishali earned fame as a birthplace of last Jain Tirthankar Lord Mahavira. It is believed that Mahavira was born and brought up in 6^th century BCE in Kundalagram of Republic of Vaishali.

 

• Vaishali was a prosperous kingdom during the time of Buddha, it is also known for its beautiful courtesan Amrapali. This ancient city finds mention in the travel accounts of eminent Chinese travellers like Fa-hien and Hieun Tsang.

 

Major Tourist Attractions:

 

• Relic Stupa
• Kutagarasala Vihara
• Coronation Tank
• World Peace Pagoda
• Archaeological Survey of India Museum
• Bawan Pokhar Temple
• Kundalpur
• Raja Vishal ka Garh
• Choumukhi Mahadeva

 

 

Aqua, Flora and Fauna

 

 

 

• The natural vegetation of Bihar is deciduous forest, where a small portion of the total area is forested.

 

• Most forests is found in the Himalayan foothills. Most of the forest cover on the plain have been removed in order to cultivate the land.

 

• Valuable resin-yielding sal trees (Shorea robusta) are found in the Himalayan foothills, along with an abundance of bamboo, reeds, and grasses. Common trees of the plain include banyans, Bo trees and palmyra palms.

 

• The more inaccessible forest regions of Bihar are home to various species of large mammals. Bengal tigers, leopards, elephants, and several types of deer. Crocodiles roam along the Kosi River.

 

• In the early 21st century significant populations of the endangered adjutant stork were found in the Kosi and Ganges floodplains. Small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish are common throughout the state.