Nurturing Our Culture
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BIHAR
Bihar, state of eastern India. It is 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 was created from Bihar’s southern provinces and now forms the state’s southern and southeastern borders. The capital of Bihar is Patna.
Bihar occupied an important position in the early history of India. For centuries it was the principal seat of imperial powers and the main focus of Indian culture and civilization. The derivation of the name Bihar from the Sanskrit vihara (Buddhist monastery) reflects the prominence of such communities in the region in ancient times. Area 38,301 square miles (99,200 square km). Pop. (2011) 103,804,637.
The state is naturally divided by the Ganges (Ganga) River into two regions—the North Bihar Plains and the South Bihar Plains, which together form part of the middle Gangetic Plain. Except for the foothills of the Himalayas in the extreme northwest, the North Bihar Plain is a flat alluvial region. The natural vegetation of Bihar is deciduous forest, but only a small portion of the total area is forested. Most forests occur in the Himalayan foothills; those on the plain have largely been removed in order to cultivate the land. For the most part, the peoples of Bihar are classified according to religion, social caste and lineage, and language, rather than by specific ethnic affiliation. Hindi, Urdu and the Bihari languages of Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magahi—are spoken by most of the population. Agriculture engages nearly three-fourths of Bihar’s population, and Bihar is one of India’s top producers of vegetables and fruits.
Places of religious and cultural interest abound in Bihar. Nalanda is the seat of the ancient and celebrated Nalanda Buddhist monastic centre; the nearby Rajgir Hills area, with its ancient and contemporary temples and shrines, is visited by people of many faiths; and Pawapuri is the place where Mahavira, the renowned teacher of Jainism, attained nirvana (enlightenment, or freedom from an endless cycle of reincarnation). Gaya is an important place of Hindu pilgrimage, and nearby Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, is the holiest place of Buddhism; in 2002 the Mahabodhi temple complex at Bodh Gaya was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. 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 from Ramayana, one of the two great Hindu epic poems of India. During the same period, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Magadha was Rajagriha (now Rajgir), about 45 miles (70 km) southeast of Patna; to the east was the kingdom of Anga, with its capital at Campa (near Bhagalpur). A new kingdom later arose in southern Videha, with its capital at Vaishali. By about 700 BCE, the kingdoms of Vaishali and Videha were replaced by a confederacy of the Vrijji—said to be the first republican state known in history. 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 (emperor of India from about 273 to 232 BCE) and the Guptas (who ruled India in the 4th and 5th centuries CE). 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 played an active role in the successive phases of Indian nationalism. Mahatma Gandhi, the nationalist leader who advocated nonviolent resistance, first launched the satyagraha (“devotion to truth”) movement against the tyranny of the European indigo planters in the Champaran region of northern Bihar. Rajendra Prasad, who played a leading part in the freedom movement and was elected the first president of independent India.
JHARKHAND
Jharkhand, is located south of Bihar. The name Jharkhand means 'Land of forest'. Jharkhand is bordered by the states of Bihar to the north, West Bengal to the east, Odisha to the south, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Uttar Pradesh to the northwest. Its capital is Ranchi.
Jharkhand, one of India’s newest states, was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. Statehood was the culmination of a long struggle carried on primarily by the Adivasis, or Scheduled Tribes. Jharkhand’s land Area 28,833 square miles (74,677 square km) and Population according to 2011 census was 32,966,238.
The most prominent physical feature of Jharkhand is the Chota Nagpur plateau, part of the vast Deccan plateau that occupies most of peninsular India. The highest point in Jharkhand is formed by the conical granite peak of Parasnath, which rises to 4,477 feet (1,365 metres) on the Hazaribag plateau; it is sacred in the Jain religion and to the Santhal people. Lowland plains flank the plateaus in the north-western and north-eastern parts of the state. In addition to the Damodar River in the northeast, the state is drained by the Subarnarekha River in the southeast and by the Brahmani River in the south. A third major river, the Son, runs along much of the north-western state boundary. More than one-fourth of Jharkhand’s land area is forested. Most forests occur on the Chota Nagpur plateau; those on the plain largely have been cleared to allow cultivation of the land. The natural vegetation is deciduous forest. The Hazaribag Wildlife Sanctuary is noted for its Bengal tigers. These endangered animals, along with leopards, elephants, and bears, inhabit only the more remote forests. Various species of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish are plentiful throughout the state.
Nearly two-fifths of the population of Jharkhand consists of various indigenous peoples. Most prominent languages spoken in the state are Hindi; the Bihari languages of Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magadhi; and Urdu. Some of the tribal languages—including Munda, Santhal, and Ho, while other indigenous communities, such as the Oraon, speak Dravidian languages.
Jharkhand is endowed with surface water and groundwater, fertile land, and a moderate climate, all of which have helped the state build a strong agriculture sector. Jharkhand has been working towards economic development since its inception. The Chota Nagpur plateau is the richest mineral belt in India, and it is responsible for a significant share (by value) of the country’s mineral yield. Jharkhand produces almost the entire national output of copper, kyanite (used in the manufacture of heat-resistant porcelain), pyrite (used to make sulfuric acid), and phosphate, as well as much of the output of bauxite (a source of aluminium), mica, kaolin and other clays, and iron ore. Most of the remainder of the state’s manufacturing workers are employed in metal- and agriculture-based industries. Ranchi, Bokaro, and Jamshedpur rank among the largest industrial complexes in India. Heavy machinery is produced in Ranchi, and there is sheet-glass manufacturing at Kandra in West Singhbhum. Among the principal agricultural industries are sugar refining, tobacco processing, and jute milling.
Many of the villages of the various tribal peoples share some common characteristics. Most settlements have a community dance floor that springs to life during festive times. Other tribal celebrations that provide occasions for music and dancing include the festival of flowers known as Sarhul , a cattle festival called Sohrai, and a postharvest festival called Mage Parab. There also are numerous annual Hindu celebrations in Jharkhand that span tribal and nontribal areas. The natural environment contributes to the cultural life of Jharkhand.
From the period of British expansion until the turn of the 21st century, the history of Jharkhand overlapped with the history of Bihar. On Nov. 15, 2000, after decades of growing discontent, especially on the part of the indigenous peoples, Chota Nagpur was separated from Bihar to become Jharkhand, the 28th state of India.