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Bihar-At a Glance

Presentation · October 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32377.77929

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A. Balasubramanian
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 Bihar-At a Glance
Welcome to the state of Bihar

(A Video Documentary Script)

By
Prof. A. Balasubramanian*
Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science,
University of Mysore ,Mysore
*(Former Director: -Culture and Cultural Relations-Pondicherry University, -Educational Multimedia
Research Centre-University of Mysore)
2013

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Introduction

India is one of the mostly preferred destinations for international tourists.

Tourism is a very promising industry in India. India is a country with a large number of
tourist spots and attractive features. India is a country known for its culture, heritage, history
and natural resources. All the states and union territories have a good number of locations
catering to the domestic and international tourists.

State Profile: location, Capital City, Population, languages.

Bihar is a state in eastern India. The state covers an area of 94,163 square kilometers with 82,
878,792 inhabitants. 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 Capital City of Bihar is Patna. Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state,
while the majority of the people speak Angika, Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili and Bajjika. The
state has the quality of life in the county with excellent Physical infrastructure and it has
47.5% literacy level.

Physiography: Rivers and Forest.

Forest

Bihar has notified forest area of 6,764.14 km², which is 7.1 per cent of its geographical area.
The sub Himalayan foothill of Someshwar and Dun ranges in Champaran district another belt
of moist deciduous forests. These also consist of scrub, grass and reeds.

Rivers

Bihar has a number of rivers, the most important of which is the Ganga. The river Ganga
flows right across it from west to east. North Bihar is extremely fertile, the land being
watered by the rivers Sarayu, Gandak and Ganga. The other rivers are the Sone, Poonpoon,
Falgu, Karmanasa, Durgawati, Kosi, Ghaghara etc.

Climate

The climate of Bihar is a part of the climatic pattern of the Indian subcontinent.

 The winter season extends from December to February and the summers from the
month of March to May.

 The Southwest monsoon accounts for most of the rainfall in the state extending from
June to September.

 Bihar is mildly cold in the winter and the lowest temperatures being around 5 to 10
degrees Celsius.

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  It is very hot in the summer season and the temperature goes around 40 to 45 degrees
Celsius.

 October & November and February & March is the time when the state has a pleasant
climate.

Short History

Ancient Bihar is known as Magadha. It was the center of power, learning, and culture in India
for 1000 years. India's first empire, the Maurya Empire as well as one of the world's greatest
pacifist religions, Buddhism arose from the region that now makes modern Bihar. The
Mauryan Empire originated from Magadha in 325 BC, was started by Chandragupta Maurya
who was born in Magadha, and had its capital at Patna. The Mauryan Emperor, who was born
in Patna, is believed to be one of the greatest rulers in the history of India and the world.

State is Known or famous for what?

The state is famous for its historical places, hills, wildlife sanctuary, temples and foods.

Accessibility – Road, Railways, Airways, Sea routes

Bihar, being the one of the most important cites of India, is well connected to most of the
other Cities of the Country, by highways, railways, airways.

Airways

Bihar has two operational airports. They are, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport located in
Patna, and the Gaya Airport situated in Gaya.

 The Patna airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bangaluru,

Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Ranchi. The Patna airport is categorized as a restricted
international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights.

 The Gaya Airport is an international airport connected to Colombo, Singapore,

Bangkok, Paro and more.

Railways

Bihar has well developed railway network with almost all the major and minor places
connected by good trains. Major railway stations like Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Gaya are
connected to all the major cities of India by regular trains. The Approx. length of the rail
track in the state is 3,377 Kilometers.

Roadways

There is good network of roads connecting all the major parts of the state with Patna.
National highways like 2, 31, 28, 23, 30, and 33 connect the state from places all over India.

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Some of the major places in the state from Patna are Sonepur, Vaishali, Nalanda, Gaya,
Bodhgaya and Rajgir.

Time zone, Currency and No. Of Districts

Throughout the India, the time zone is same of all the States i.e. Indian standard Time +5:30

The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the
currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The new Indian rupee symbol
INR is derived from the Devanagari. The first series of coins with this new rupee symbol was
launched on 8 July 2011.

The modern rupee is subdivided into 100 paise though this division is now theoretical; as of
30 June 2011, coin denominations of less than 50 paise ceased to be legal tender. Bank notes
are available in nominal values of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 2000 rupees. Coins of the rupee
are available in 1, 2, 5 and 10. Paise coins of the rupee have nominal values of 50, and lower
denominations have been officially withdrawn.

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

The divisions are Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Kosi, Magadh, Munger, Patna, Purnia, Saran, and
Tirhut. And the districts are Banka, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Madhubani,
Samastipur, Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul, Arwal, Aurangabad, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nawada,
Jamui, Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Bhojpur, Buxar, Kaimur, Patna, Rohtas,
Nalanda, Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj, Purnia, Gopalganj, Saran, Siwan, East Champaran,
Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Vaishali, and West Champaran.

Hill stations

The most famous hill stations of the state are Brahmajuni Hill, Gurpa Peak, Pragbodhy,
Pretshila Hill, Ramshila Hill, and Gridhakuta.

Brahmajuni Hill is located at the district of Gaya. This hill is also known to be Brahmayoni.
The top of this hill also contains two caves known to be Brahmayoni and Matruyoni that are
dedicated to Astabhujadevi.

Gurpa Peak is situated in the Gaya district. This peak was also known to be
Kukkutapadagiri. This mountain falls in the village of Gurpa.

Pragbodhi is a very popular mountain and is also known as Dhungeswara. The mountain is
situated nearer to the Kiriyama village in Gaya.

Pretshila Hill is located at Gaya and is at the distance of 10 km from another hill called the
Ramshila Hill. Brahma Kund a very beautiful lake runs below this hill.

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Ramshila Hill is located at a distance of 5 km from the Vishnupaada temple in Gaya. It is
considered to be one of the most sacred hills of Bihar. A popular temple called as Ramesvara
or Patalesvara temple is situated at this hill and attracts many tourists.

Gridhakuta is also known to be Vulture’s Peak and is a very famous hill that was listed in
the Buddhist Canonical texts.

Zoo/Parks/Jungles/Gardens

The most famous zoological garden in the state is Sanjay Gandhi Botanical and Zoological
Garden located at Patna. It is popularly known to be the Patna Zoo. This zoo is located on the
Bailey Road in Patna and is famous for its variety of birds. Some of the most attracting
factors of this zoo are the Toy Train, elephant riding and boating. Some of the species living
in this zoological garden are Lions, Deers, Elephants, Beers, Monkeys, Tigers, Leopards,
Amu, Peacock, etc. This zoo is also filled with variety of trees.

National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries

The most famous National Parks in Bihar are Betla National Park and Valmiki National
Park.

Betla National Park is located at 140 kms from the district Ranchi. This park covers an area
of 232 square kms and the most popular species living in the park are Tigers. Other popular
species of this park are Panther, Sloth Bear, Wild Bear, Sambhar, Nilgai, Kakar, and Mouse
Deer.

Valmiki National Park is located at West Champaran which is a district located at Bihar.
This park also covers an area of 335 square kms. The popular inhabitants of this park are
chitals, sambars, nilgais, leopards, hyenas, Indian civets, Jungle cats, Hog deer and wild dogs.

The most popular Wildlife Sanctuaries of Bihar are Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary, Hazaribagh
Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhimbandh Sanctuary, Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary, Topchanchi
Wildlife sanctuary, and Lawalong Wildlife Sanctuary.

Palace/Forts/ Museums/Art Galleries

The most popular forts of Bihar are Vishal Fort, Munger Fort, and Rohtasgarh Fort.

Vishal Fort is located nearer to the parliament of this state and is very famous for its
amazing construction.

Munger Fort is situated at Munger. This fort covers an area of 222 acres and is well-known
for its elegant look.

Rohtasgarh Fort is located at the district of Rohtas. Rohtas is only 45 kilometers away from
Dehri and 39 kilometers from Sasaram. This fort also contains 2000 steps in order to climb
the top of this hill and it is at a height of 1500 feets.

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Vikramshila Museum is the most famous museum in Bihar and is famous for its priceless
art, ancient monuments, ancient utensils, coins, jewelry and many other ancient weapons.
This museum is located at the access of the Excavation site.

Tourist Spot

The most popular tourists attraction of Bihar are the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, Har
Mandir Sahib of Patna, Rajgir, Valmiki National Park, Shanti Stupa, Barabar Caves,
Mahabodhi Mandir, Mahavir Mandir, Mahatma Gandhi Setu and Vikramshila
Museum.

Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park is located at Patna which is the capital city of Bihar. This
park consists of many trees, herbs and shrubs. This park also serves as an inhabitant for
approximately 800 animals.

Har Mandir Sahib of Patna is one of the holy place of Bihar and is situated at Patna.

Rajgir has many temples and monasteries and is considered to be one of the holy destination
of Bihar.

Valmiki National Park is a famous park in Bihar and is situated at the west of Champaran
District of Bihar.

Shanti Stupa is situated at the top of a hill which is about 400 meters tall.

Barabar Caves is situated at the district Gaya and is one of the most famous Hindu
pilgrimages of Bihar.

Temples/Pilgrimage Centers/ Mosques/ Churches/ Jain etc.

Some of the most famous temples in the state are The Mahabodhi Vihara, Pawapur,
Jagdish Temple and the Water temple.

The Mahabodhi Vihara is also known to be Body Gaya temple and it is one of the most
famous temples in the state.

Pawapuri is another famous temple in the state and is located at Patna.

Jagdish Temple is built in the year 1651 and the deities of this temple are Lord Vishnu.

Water temple has a big lake that is filled with lotus and is one of the most amazing temples
of Bihar.

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Handicraft/ Dress Materials/Whole sales products

Some of the famous handicrafts are Architecture, Sculpture, Madhubani Paintings, Sujini
and Khatwa Embroidery, Wood Inlay, Lacquerware, Stonecraft, Printing, and Sikki
Work.

Paintings in this state are the tradition one and will be done in the fresh plastered mud wall of
huts, cloths, hand-made paper and canvas.

Mahubani is one of the forms of painting in this state and will be depicting the nature and
mostly involves the pictures of Hindu deities like Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Lord Durga,
Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Saraswati.

Sujini and Khatwa Embroidery is a traditional one and very famous among the rural areas.
Some of the designs that involve in this Embroider works are peacocks dancing, boy flying
kite etc.

Wood Inlay is done in several materials like metal, ivory and stag-horn. Many decorative
pieces like wall hangings, table tops, trays and a variety of utility articles are also done over
here.

Lacquerware are used in creating gorgeous boxes and bangles. The boxes are beautifully
decorated.

Stonecraft of Bihar is very amazing and is a traditional one. Patharkatti located at Gaya is
the traditional stoneware center.

Celebrations/Festivals/ Dance/ Music

Almost all the festivals are being celebrated in Bihar and the most famous festivals among all
are Chatth Puja, Sama-Chakeva, Ramnavami, Makar-Sankranti, Bihula and
Madhushravani.
 Chatth Puja is celebrated twice a year and falls in the month of March and
November. Though this is a festival of Hindus, some of the Muslims also actively
participate in the celebration.
 Sama-Chakeva is a festival that is especially celebrated in Mithila. This festival is
dedicated to the brother sister relationship and is a very traditional one.
 Ramnavami is a festival that is celebrated popularly in all across India.
 Bihula is a festival very famous in Bhagalpur district and is dedicated to the goddess
Mansa.
Basant Panchami, Shivratri, Raksha Bandhan, Holi, Durga Puja, Deepawali, Id,
Bakrid, and Christmas are the other festivals celebrated in the state.

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Some of the most famous Dances of Bihar are Jhijhian Dance, Jat-Jatin Dance, Kajari
Dance.

 Jhijhian Dance a popular dance performed by the village women in order to please
the Lord Indra who is the Lord of Rain.
 Jat-Jatin Dance is a folk dance that is famous in Mithila and Koshi regions.
 Kajari Dance is very popular and is performed during the rainy seasons.

Educational hubs

The universities in Bihar are said to be fountain of higher education in India as the oldest
University called the Nalanda University is present in this state.

Some of the most famous universities of Bihar are

 Nalanda Open University located at Patna and was established in the year 1987.

 Patna University located at Patna

 Lalit Narayan Mithila University located at Darbhanga

 Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University located at Darbhanga

 Chanakya National Law University situated at Patna

 Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya University located at Chapra

 National Institute of Technology also called as IIT is located at Patna

 Central University of Bihar located at Patna.

Hotels (Five star, Four star, three star) and facility.

The types of hotels available in Bihar are luxury hotels, Heritage hotels, 5 star hotels, 4 star
hotels, 3 star hotels, 2 star hotels and Budget hotels. Discounted hotel packages are also
available in this state that favors the tourists a lot.

The most famous hotels in Bihar are Gaya Hotels, Bokaro Hotels, Chhota Nagpur Hotels,
Deoghar Hotels, Dhanbad Hotels, Hazaribagh Hotels, Jamshedpur Hotels, Kesariya
Hotels, Mccluskiegani Hotels, Muzaffarpur Hotels, Nalanda Hotels, Patna Hotels and
Pawapuri Hotels.

Tourist Dept. Office / Conducted Tourist operators / Guide facility.

Many tourists operator may be handling a particular tour genre. The tour packages will also
be differing according to the tour operators and must be chosen according to the facilities of
the tourists.
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The most popular tour operators in Bihar are Explore India situated at Patna, Sewak Tour
and Travels located at Jamshedpur, Surbhi Travels located at Gaya, Samyak Travels
situated at Jamshedpur, Safari Tour Travesl located at Jamshedpur, and Ringsiya
Communicaton located at Jamshedpur.

Hospitality

Bihar has great hospital facilities. Abundant hospitals are spread across the state of Bihar
among which the most popular ones are located at the state of Patna which is the capital city
of Bihar. The most popular hospitals are

 Dr. Ruban Memorial Hospital

 Magadh Hospital
 Rajeswar Nursing Home
 Shayamal Hospital
 Sahyog Hospital
 Siddqui Nursing Home
 Sri Ram Hospital

Shopping Center/ Malls / Business Centers

The tourists to the state will also be moved by the exquisite collections of pearls and diamond
jewelry added with the gorgeous handicrafts, old antiques, beautiful silk and cotton weaves.
Patna is the well-known shopping destination in Bihar. The most famous shopping malls in
Bihar are

 Maharaja Kameswar Complex

 Amit Pooja Store
 Bedi Hardware and General Stores
 Buati Srigar Palish
 Deva Pick UP Center
 Gayatri Devi Pick Up Centre
 Gori Ganesh

Cinema Halls /Film Cities

Bhojpuri Cinema is very popular and is recognized worldwide. Bhojpuri Cinema has a very
good world marked and the demands for these cinemas are increasing day by day. As the NRI
from the state of Bihar are tremendously increasing, the demand for the Bhojpuri Cinema is
also increasing.

 Regent Cinema
 Apasara Cinema
 Veena Cinema Hall
 Mona Cinema
 Elfistine Cinema
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  Ashok Cinema
 Chanakya Cinema, Patna
 Uma Cinema, Patna
 Vaishali Cinema, Patna

are the most prominent cinema halls in Bihar.

Food Habits

The most popular styles of cooking in the state of Bihar are Gupta, Maurayan, Turk,
Afghan, Persion and European styles.

 The staple foods of the people of Bihar are Wheat and Rice.

 Vegetables also plays main role in the food habits of the people of this state.

Meals

The regular meal of the people in this state encompasses dal, bhat, phulka, tarkari and achar.
But as the seasons change so does the Bihari thali and is known to be the Bihari meal.

Safety And Precautions

There are many important features of vacation. It is not an option but a compulsory measure
that has to be taken while travelling anywhere. General safety and precautions are,

 First aid tool kid is the most important one that everyone has to carry while
travelling.
 Travelling at night is unsafe.
 Keep a photocopy of your passport and all other important documents in a safe
place.
 Don't share taxis with strangers.
 Make a note of emergency exits, stairwells, fire escapes and emergency plans at
hotels.
 And always have local police and ambulance number to make emergency call.

Bihar has plenty of such tourist locations. Each location speaks in volume almost its
uniqueness. The pride of India lies in every tourist spot.
Thank you.

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