costs. [ 80 ]Sasura Bada Paisa Walaalso introduced Manoj Tiwari, formerly a well-loved folk singer, to the wider audiences of Bhojpuri cinema. In 2008, he and Ravi Kissan are still the leading actors of Bhojpuri films, and their fees increase with their fame. The success of their films has led to a dramatic increase in Bhojpuri cinemas visibility, and the industry now supports an awards show [ 81 ]and a trade magazine,Bhojpuri City, [ 82 ]which chronicles the production and release of what are now over one hundred films per year. Many of the major stars of mainstream Bollywood cinema, including Amitabh Bachchan, have also recently worked in Bhojpuri films. Religion[ edit] Main article: Religion in Bihar Buddhas statue at Bodh Gayas temple Vishnupadh Temple, Gaya, Bihar Gautam Buddhaattained Enlightenmentat Bodh Gaya, a town located in the modern day district of Gayain Bihar. Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th and the last Tirthankaraof Jainism, was born in Vaishaliaround the 6th century BC. [ 83 ] A typical Hindu Brahminhousehold would begin the day with the blowing of a conch shellat dawn. In rural Bihar, religion is the main component of popular culture. Shrines are located everywhere – at the foot of trees, at roadsides, etc. Religious symbols or images of deities can be found in the most obscure or the most public places. From the dashboard of a dilapidated taxi to the plush office of a top executive, holy symbols or idols have their place. There are also a minority of villages also practising Islam in various districts. There is a wide variety of religious festivals. While some are celebrated all over the state, others are observed only in certain areas. Bihar is so diverse that different regions and religions have something to celebrate at some time or other during the year. So festivals take place round the year. Many of these are officially recognised by the days on which they take place being proclaimed as government holidays. Festivals[ edit] This sectiondoes not citeany references or sources.Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(May 2012) See also: Chhath The Morning Worship Dala Chhath. Chhath, also called Dala Chhath, is an ancient and major festival in Bihar. It is celebrated twice a year: once in the summer, called theChaiti Chhath, and once about a week after Deepawali, called theKartik Chhath. The latter is more popular because winters are the usual festive season in North India, and Chhath, being an arduous observance requiring the worshippers to fast without water for more than 24 hours, is easier to do in the Indian winters. Chhath is the worship of the Sun God. Wherever people from Bihar have migrated, they have taken with them the tradition of Chhath. This is a ritual bathing festival that follows a period of abstinence and ritual segregation of the worshiper from the main household for two days. On the eve of Chhath, houses are scrupulously cleaned and so are the surroundings. The ritual bathing and worship of the Sun God takes place, performed twice: once in the evening and once at the crack of dawn, usually on the banks of a flowing river, or a common large body of water. The occasion is almost a carnival, and besides every worshipper, usually women, who are mostly the senior ladies of the household, there are numerous participants and onlookers, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshiper. Ritual rendition of regional folk songs, carried on through oral transmission from mothers and mothers-in-law to daughters and daughters-in-law, are sung on this occasion for several days running. These songs are a great mirror of the culture, social structure, mythology and history of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Chhath being celebrated at the crack of dawn is a beautiful, elating spiritual experience connecting the modern Indian to his ancient cultural roots. Chhath is believed to have been initiated by Karna, the king of AngaDesh (modern Bhagalpurregion of Bihar). Among ritual observances, the month-long Shravani Mela, held along a 108-kilometre route linking the towns of Sultanganjand Deoghar(now in Jharkhandstate), is of great significance. Shravani Mela is organised every year in the Hindu month of Shravan, that is the lunar month of July–August. Pilgrims, known asKanwarias, wear saffron coloured clothes and collect water from a sacred Ghat(river bank) at Sultanganj, then walk barefooted 108 km (67 mi) to the town of Deoghar, there to bathe a sacred Shiva– Lingam. The observance draws thousands of people to Deoghar from all over India. Teejand Chitragupta Pujaare other local festivals celebrated with fervor in Bihar. Bihula-Bishari Pujais celebrated in the Anga region of Bihar. The Sonepurcattle fair is a month-long event starting approximately half a month after Deepawaliand is considered the largest cattle fair in Asia. It is held on the banks of the Gandak Riverin the town of Sonepur. 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. Besides Chhath(mostly celebrated in Bihar), all major festivals of India are celebrated in Bihar, such as Makar Sankranti, Saraswati Puja, Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha(often called Eid-ul-Zuha in the Indian Subcontinent), Muharram, Ram Navami, Rath yatra, Rakshabandhan, Maha Shivaratri, Durga Puja(celebrated with a grandeur akin to the neighbouring state of Bengal), Diwali, Kali Puja/Shyama Puja/Nisha Puja (celebrated in the Mithilanchal region of the north), Kojagra (also celebrated in the Mithilanchal region), Laxmi Puja, Christmas, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Jivitputrika, Chitragupta Puja, Gurpurab, Bhai Dooj, and several other local festivals, as well. Cuisine[ edit] Main article: Cuisine of Bihar Bihari cuisine (Hindi: बिहारी खाना, Urdu: بِہاری کھانا) is eaten in Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, and Nepal, as well as Mauritius, Fiji, some cities of Pakistan, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, as these last are destinations of large Bihari emigration. Bihari cuisine is predominantly vegetarian because traditional Bihar society - influenced by Buddhist and Hindu values of non-violence - did not eat eggs, chicken, fish and other animal products. However, meat and sea food are also common, the latter due to the number of rivers in Bihar. Dairy products are consumed frequently throughout the year, including yogurt ( dahi), buttermilk ( mattha), lassi, ghee, chanch and butter. The cuisine of Bihar is similar in large extent to North Indian cuisine but is influenced by other East Indian cuisines, such as Bengali. Bihari cuisine is seasonal; with watery foods such as watermelon, and sherbet made of the pulp of the wood-apple fruit, being consumed mainly in the summer months; and dry foods, prepared with sesame and poppy seeds, in the winter months. Some dishes which Bihar is famous for include SattuParatha, which are parathas stuffed with fried chickpeaflour, chokha(spicy mashed potatoes and/or brinjal ), fish curry, Bihari kebab, and Posta-dana ka Halwa (or Khas-khas ka Halwa [खसखस का हलवा], a sweet poppy seedpudding). Litti chokha is a is a year-round food prepared by cooking the litti (sattu stuffed in atta [a mixture of flour and water]) over an open fire. When prepared, the litti is dipped in ghee and eaten with chokha. The food is best eaten while hot. Media[ edit] Main article: Media in Bihar Biharbandhuwas the first Hindinewspaper published from Bihar. It was started in 1872 by Madan Mohan Bhatta, a Maharashtrian Brahmansettled in Biharsharif. [ 84 ]Hindi journalism in Bihar, and specially Patna, could make little headway initially. It was mainly due to lack of respect for Hindi among the people at large. Many Hindi journals took birth and after a lapse of time vanished. Many journals were shelved even in the embryo. [ 85 ]But once Hindi enlisted the official support, it started making a dent into the remote areas in Bihar. Hindi journalism also acquired wisdom and maturity and its longevity was prolonged. Hindi was introduced in the law courts in Bihar in 1880. [ 84 ] [ 86 ] Urdu journalism and poetry has a glorious past in Bihar. Many poets belong to Bihar such as Shaad Azimabadi, Kaif Azimabadi, Kalim Ajiz and many more. Shanurahman, a world famous radio announcer, is from Bihar. Many Urdu dailies such as Qomi Tanzim and Sahara publish from Bihar at this time. There is a monthly Urdu magazine called VOICE OF BIHAR – which is the first of its kind and becoming popular among the Urdu speaking people. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a number of notable new publications. A monthly magazine namedBharat Ratnawas started from Patnain 1901. It was followed byKsahtriya Hitaishi,Aryavartafrom Dinapure, Patna,UdyogaandChaitanya Chandrika. [ 87 ]Udyogwas edited by Vijyaanand Tripathy, a famous poet of the time andChaitanya Chandrikaby Krishna Chaitanya Goswami, a literary figures of that time. The literary activity was not confined to Patnaalone but to many districts of Bihar. [ 84 ] [ 88 ] Magahi Parishad, established in Patnain 1952, pioneered Magadhijournalism in Bihar. It started the monthly journal,Magadhi, which was later renamedBihan. Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Aaj,Nayee Baatand Prabhat Khabarare some of the popular Hindi news papers of Bihar. National English dailies like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Navbharat Times, The Telegraphand The Economic Times(Mithila Today) have readers in the urban regions. Transportation[ edit] Main article: Transport in Bihar Map showing national inland waterways-1 and various river ports or terminals along its stretch. Patnariver port on national inland waterways-1 at Gai Ghat Steamersand dredgersat Gai Ghat, Patna Railways[ edit] Bihar is very well-connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns are interconnected, and they are also connected directly to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai (as well as most other major cities in India). Daily or weekly trains connect major cities in India. Nepal Railwaysoperates two railway lines: a 6 km broad gaugeline from Raxaulin India to SirsiyaInland Container Depot or Dry Port near Birganjin Nepal and a 53 km2 ft 6 in(762 mm) narrow gaugeline from Jaynagarin India to Bijalpura in Nepal. The latter line is composed of two sections: 32 km between Jaynagar and Janakpur and 21 km from Janakpur to Bijalpura. The Janakpur line is used largely for passengers and the Sirsiya (Birganj) line only for cargo freight. Airways[ edit] Bihar has three operational airports at Patna, Gaya Airport, and Purnea Airport. The Patna airportis categorised as a restricted international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. The Gaya Airportis an international airport connected to Colombo, Singapore, Bangkok, Paroand more. Roadways[ edit] The state has a vast network of National and State highways. East-West corridor goes through the cities of Bihar (Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga-Purnia NH57) 4–6 lanes. There are tourist buses operates for few places from Patna under Bihar State Tourism Corporations, there is well known and trusted Car Rental Services from eazeecab which operates majorly in Bihar, Including Gaya, Bodhgaya and Patna. Inland Waterways[ edit] The Ganges– navigable throughout the year – was the principal river highway across the vast north Indo-Gangetic Plain. Vessels capable of accommodating five hundred merchants were known to ply this river in the ancient period; it served as a conduit for overseas trade, as goods were carried from Pataliputra(later Patna) and Champa (later Bhagalpur) out to the seas and to ports in Sri Lankaand Southeast Asia. The role of the Ganges as a channel for trade was enhanced by its natural links – it embraces all the major rivers and streams in both north and south Bihar. [ 89 ] In recent times, Inland Waterways Authority of Indiahas declared the Ganges between Allahabadand Haldiato be a national inland waterway and has taken steps to restore its navigability. Tourism[ edit] Trolley ride in Rajgir Remains of the ancient city of Vaishali Main article: Tourism in Bihar Bihar is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world, with a history spanning 3,000 years.[ citation needed]The historically rich culture and heritage of Bihar can be observed from the large number of ancient monumentsspread throughout the state. Bihar is visited by many tourists from around the world, [ 90 ]with about 24,000,000 (24 million) tourists visiting the state each year. [ 90 ] In earlier days, tourism in the region was purely based on educational tourism, as Bihar was home of some prominent ancient universities like Nalanda University& Vikramaśīla University. [ 91 ] [ 92 ] Bihar is one of the most sacred place for various religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhismand Islam. Mahabodhi Temple, a Buddhist shrine and UNESCO World Heritage Siteis also situated in Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna, was one of the longest river bridgesin the world in early 80s. Main article: Tourism in SASARAM, Rohtas, Bihar The Sasaram is a part of Rohtas District. The language spoken in this area is [Bhojpuri,Hindi and English] It is one of the Indias leading tourist destinations, and the city is home to an array of famous tourist attractions. The tomb of Sher Shah Suri is in the Sasaram town of Bihar state, India. Education[ edit] Main articles: Education in Biharand Literacy in Bihar See also: List of educational institutions in Bihar IIT PatnaStudents carrying the Institute Flag at the annual Inter IIT Sports Meet Historically, Bihar has been a major centre of learning, home to the ancient universitiesof Nalanda(established in 450 CE), Odantapurā(established in 550CE)and Vikramshila(established in 783 AD). [ 93 ]This tradition of learning may have been had stultified by the period of Turkic invasions c. 1000 CE at which point it is believed major education centres (now maintained by reclusive communities of Buddhist monks removed from the local populace) were put out of operation during the Turkic raids originating from central Asia . [ 94 ]The current state of education and research is not satisfactory though the current state government claims big achievements in school education. Bihar saw a revival of its education system during the later part of the British rulewhen they established Patna University(established in 1917) which is the seventh oldest university of the Indian subcontinent. [ 95 ]Some other centres of high learning established by the British rule are Patna College(established in 1839), Bihar School of Engineering (established in 1900; now known as National Institute of Technology, Patna), Prince of Wales Medical College (1925; now Patna Medical College and Hospital), Science College, Patna(1928) among others. After independence Bihar lost the pace in terms of establishing a centre of education. Modern Bihar has a grossly inadequate educational infrastructure creating a huge mismatch between demand and supply. This problem further gets compounded by the growing aspirations of the people and an increase 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. Literacy rate from 1951 to 2011 [ 96 ] YearTotalMalesFemales 196121.9535.858.11 197123.1735.869.86 198132.3247.1116.61 199137.4951.3721.99 200147.5360.3233.57 201163.8273.3953.33 Bihar, with female literacy at 53.3%, is striving to climb as the government has established educational institutions. At the time of independence, womens literacy in Bihar was 4.22%. Bihar has a National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Patna and an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Patna. A recent survey by Pratham [ 97 ]rated the absorption of their teaching by the Bihar children better than those in other states.The best talent pool of engineers is in Delhi, Bihar and Jharkhand says the National Employability Report of Engineering Graduates, 2014 [ 98 ]by Aspiring Minds, which makes Bihar one of the top three states producing best Engineering Graduates in terms of Quality and Employability [ 99 ] Loknayak Jai Prakash Institute Of Technology As of December 2013, there are 7 government engineering colleges in public sector and 12 engineering colleges in the private sector in Bihar,besides government aided BIT Patnaand Womens Institute of Technology, Darbhanga. The overall annual intake of these technical institutes offering engineering education to students in Bihar is merely 6,200. [ 100 ] [ 101 ] [ 102 ]In Bihar, the government colleges are located at Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, Motihari, Nalanda and Saran (Chhapra). All institutes are recognized by All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE) affiliated with Aryabhatta Knowledge University(AKU). As it is, the foundation stone of eighth engineering college of the state government,named Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Engineering College was laid on 22 December 2013 at Begusarai, [ 103 ] [ 104 ]while the process to create infrastructure for two new engineering colleges – one each at Madhepuraand Sitamarhi— has started. [ 105 ] [ 106 ] NIT Patna Main building NIT Patna is the sixth oldest engineering collegeof India. Its origin can be traced to 1886 with the establishment of a survey training school and subsequent renaming it to Bihar college of Engineering in 1900. A graduate level curriculum was introduced in 1924. It was renamed Bihar College of Engineering in 1932. In 2004 the government of India upgraded the college to National Institute of Technology(NIT) status, as the state of Bihar had lost its only Regional Engineering College(REC), located at Jamshedpur, when Jharkhandwas carved out of Bihar in 2000. By 2002, the Indian government decided to upgrade all RECs to NITs, with the aim of having at least one NIT per state. Bihar College of Engineering was the first institute to be directly upgraded to NIT status. In 2007, it was granted Institute of National Importancestatus in accordance with the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007. Bihar established several new education institutes between 2006 and 2008. BIT Mesrastarted its Patna extension centerin September 2006. On 8 August 2008, IITwas inaugurated in Patnawith students from all over India these are also prominent engineering colleges in Bihar. [ 107 ] NSITopened its new college in Bihta, which is now emerging as a new education hub in Bihar, in 2008. [ 108 ] [ 109 ] BCE, Bhagalpurand MIT, MuzaffarpurNational Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) [ 110 ]is being set up in Hajipur. On 4 August 2008, National Institute of Fashion Technology Patnawas established as ninth such institute in India. [ 111 ] Chanakya National Law Universitya law university and Chandragupt Institute of Managementwas established in later half of 2008. Steps to revive the ancient Nalanda University as Nalanda International University is being taken; countries like Japan, Korea and China have also taken initiatives. The Aryabhatt Knowledge University in Patna is framed to which all the engineering as well medical colleges are affiliated in Bihar. The A.N. Sinha Institute [ 112 ]of Social Studies is a premier research institute in the state. Bihar is pioneer in the field of yogawith its internationally renowned institute Bihar School of Yogain Munger. Bihar e-Governance Services & Technologies (BeST) and the Government of Biharhave initiated a unique program to establish a center of excellence called Bihar Knowledge Center, a finishing school to equip students with the latest skills and customised short-term training programs at an affordable cost. The center aims to attract every youth of the state to hone up their technical, professional and soft skills and prepare them for the present industry requirement/job market. [ 113 ] Bihar also has Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology(CIPET) and Institute of Hotel Management (a Central govt Unit) in Hajipur. Bihar also has Munshi Singh College in Motihari, East Champaran, Bihar. Website is munshisinghcollege.org.inand Khemchand Tarachand College (KCTC) College in Raxaul, its website is kctcraxaul.org.in/ The Central University of Bihar (CUB) is one of the sixteen newly established Central Universities by the Government of India under the Central Universities Act, 2009 (Section 25 of 2009).[1] The university is located at the premises of Birla Institute of Technology, Patna (BIT Campus, P.O.- B.V. College, Patna – 800 014).[2] The university is likely to be relocated to Panchanpur, approximately 10 km from Gaya on Defence land to be transferred soon. Keeping in view of the permanent location of the university at Gaya, it has been decided to launch new academic programmes at Gaya. It operates from a temporary campus on the grounds of Birla Institute of Technology, Patna. The university will now have its own campus in Gaya. On 28 February 2014, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar laid the foundation stone of the Central University of Bihar at Gaya.[3] It will be spread in 300 acre campus One of Indias premier medical institute – AIIMS Patnastarted functioning in Patna. It is in line with AIIMS, New Delhi. See also[ edit] Geography portal Asia portal South Asia portal India portal Bihar portal Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Behar. next previous
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