The Legacy of Bihar : A Glimpse at its History and Traditions
Bihar recently celebrated its 109th Foundation Day on 22nd March, having been separated from Bengal in 1912. The roots of history and legacy in the state are far too old and deep nevertheless, dating back to ancient times. This article is just an attempt to bring out a part of the rich culture which we, as Biharis take pride in and would want the whole world to take notice of. Well, before I start, I have to confess that there were many things, which even I was unaware of, but the journey of coming up with this article (thanks to some wonderful information available on the Internet) certainly made me prouder of our heritage, and I hope you feel the same too.
1. The Meaning of Bihar
The word ‘Bihar’ has been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Vihara’ meaning abode or home. It has been an abode for people from numerous cultures since time immemorial. The region has also been home to a large number of Buddhist monks, owing to their religious beliefs.
2. The Birthplace of Buddhism and Jainism
Although Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini in present-day Nepal, he spent most of his years in Bihar, preaching Buddhism and its ideals to the people. It evolved and became one of the largest and the oldest religions of the world. Bodh Gaya happens to be a pilgrimage site for its followers and is believed to be the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, under the famous Bodhi Tree.
Similarly, the roots of Jainism could also be traced back to Bihar. Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism, was born in Vaishali and is believed to be a contemporary of the Buddha. He also renounced the world at an early age to seek spiritual enlightenment. Mahavira practiced intense meditation and severe austerities for about 13 years, after which he attained omniscience.
Both the religions seek to teach people the values and ethics of life and live it the way it should be, without harming others and practicing ahimsa or non-violence.
3. Home to Mathematicians, Astronomers, Scholars, Emperors and other Greats
Aryabhatta, the famous mathematician and astronomer who discovered zero and contributed vastly to Trigonometry, hailed from Bihar. He studied at the Nalanda University and his contributions are of great significance even today. Other great names from ancient times include Chanakya, the author of ArthaShastra and the Prime minister to Chandragupta Maurya, Vatsayana, the author to ‘Kama Sutra’, Chandragupta Maurya, Samudragupta, Vikramaditya, Ashoka the Great, Guru Gobind Singh, Panini, Rahim, Kabir,
Kalidas, Tulsidas and Sher Shah Suri.
A list of Modern greats also goes a long way. The likes of Babu Kunwar Singh, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Jayprakash Narayan, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, George Orwell, Ustad Bismillah Khan were all born here.
4. Education- Historical and Current Perspectives
The Nalanda University, located near Patna, is one of the oldest universities in the world. It was founded by the Gupta Dynasty and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vikramshila was known for education in Tantra. Students from China, Korea, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and different parts of the world used to come to these universities to study.
The British established Patna College in 1839. Patna University, the 7th oldest university in the Indian subcontinent, came up in 1917, Bihar School of Engineering in 1900, Prince of Wales Medical College in 1925 (now known as Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH)) and Science College, Patna in 1928.
Bihar had everything right to become the Education Hub of India, but never did, owing to numerous factors. Well, we do hope that the scenario changes in the coming years and it could establish itself as the Powerhouse it was destined to become in the field of Education.
5. Bihari Cuisine
The state has always been known for its cuisine. Some of the most famous dishes include Litti chokha, Bihari kebabs, Bihari boti, Bihari chicken masala, sattu paratha (parathas stuffed with roasted gram flour), khaja, thekua, til barfi, laktho, khurma, chokha (spicy mashed eggplant and potatoes), fish curry, posta-dana ka halwa, kadhi bari, khichdi, ghugni, dhuska, pittha and choora.
6. Languages
The most commonly spoken languages are Hindi, Urdu, Angika, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Bajjika, Sadri, Kumhali, Panchpargania.
Hindi is the official language, whereas Urdu has received recognition as the second official language by the State Government.
7. Dance and Music
Most of the folk dances are religious in nature, in which, gods and goddesses are invoked through dance, performed to the rhythm of folk songs and music.
Chhau, Bidesia, Paika, Kajari, Jhijhian are some popular examples.
The regional folk songs are associated with the various events in the life of an ordinary person. The historical ballads dealing with the heroic deeds of the freedom fighter Kunwar Singh have also been immortalized through folk songs in the plain tracts of Bihar. ‘Harkirtan’ are famous religious folk songs. ‘Astajam’ are also famous religious folk songs in which ‘Hare-Rama, Hare-Krishna’ is sung regularly for twenty four hours at Hindu religious places.
8. Festivals and Fairs
The majority of people are Hindu. So all traditional Hindu festivals are observed-Holi, Saraswati Puja, Durga Puja or Dussehra, Diwali, Bhai Dooj etc.
But there is one festival uniquely associated with Bihar, and that is the festival of Chhath. This is probably the most famous festival of the state.
When one hears Chhath Puja, Bihar instantly comes to the mind. This is actually an ancient Hindu festival which is dedicated to the Sun God, Surya,
and takes place over 4 days. It is an expression of thanksgiving and seeking blessings from the Almighty for sustaining life on Earth.
The Sonepur Mela is the largest cattle fair in Asia. The central draw of the fair is cattle trade while the imposing Indian elephants are the prime attraction. Shravani Mela, Basant Panchmi, Nag Panchmi, Pitrapaksha Mela are other notable festivals celebrated in the state.
9. Art and Crafts
Madhubani Painting is widely popular and practiced across Bihar. It gets its name from Mithila region where it is widely practiced, particularly by women. The history of Madhubani paintings goes back to the time of Ramayana. Originally the painting was done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas.
Craftsmen have excelled in manufacturing artistic goods which have great demands in the local and international market. Pottery, wooden articles, metal wares, stone wares, jewelry, lacquer works, kashida, sikki and moonj wares, wooden and clay toys, zari, textile fabrics and printing on cloth are some of the contemporary crafts of Bihar which are well-known across the world for their artistic beauties and innovations. A chief feature of the native handicraft is its practicality and usefulness in everyday life like bangle making, khatwa works and stone works.
10. Agriculture
The major occupation of the people is agriculture. Bihar lies in the river plains of the basin of Ganges. It is endowed with fertile alluvial soil ground and water resources. This makes the agriculture rich and diverse. Rice, wheat, and maize are the major cereal crops. Arhar, urad, moong, gram, pea, lentils, and khesaria are some of the pulses cultivated. Bihar is the largest producer of vegetables, which is dominated by potato, onion, eggplant, and cauliflower.
In fruit cultivation, it is the largest producer of lychee and the third largest producer of pineapple, as well as a major producer of mango, banana, and guava. Sugar cane and jute are two other major cash crops of Bihar.
11. The IAS Churning Factory
Bihar has given India a whole lot of IAS officers. The highest numbers of IAS, IPS & IFS aspirants are from this state. Almost 25 per cent of the candidates, who qualified for IAS and IPS in the last ten years, belong to Bihar. In fact, the states of Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu combined, haven’t produced as many IAS officers.
