BEAUTY OF BIHAR

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:

1.  The winter season extends from December to February and the summers from the month of March to May. 
2.  The Southwest monsoon accounts for most of the rainfall in the state extending from June to September. 
3. Bihar is mildly cold in the winter and the lowest temperatures being around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius
4. It is very hot in the summer season and the temperature goes around 40 to 45 degrees Celsius.
5. October & November and February & March is the time when the state has a pleasan tclimate

   

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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 greates tpacifist 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

Airways

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

1.  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.
2.  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.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

1. 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.
2. Gurpa Peak is situated in the Gaya district. This peak was also known to be Kukkutapadagiri. This mountain falls in the village of Gurpa.

   

3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Gridhakuta is also known to be Vulture’s Peak and is a very famous hill that was listed inbthe 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

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 Law along 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-knownbfor 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.

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

1. 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 Vikramshilab Museum.

   

2. 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.

   

3. 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.
4. Valmiki National Park is a famous park in Bihar and is situated at the west of Champaran District of Bihar.
5. 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.

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.

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.

1.  Chatth Puja is celebrated twice a year and falls in the month of March andbNovember. Though this is a festival of Hindus, some of the Muslims also actively participate in the celebration.
2. 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.
3.  Ramnavami is a festival that is celebrated popularly in all across India.
4. 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,

   

5. Bakrid, and Christmas are the other festivals celebrated in the state.
6. Jat-Jatin Dance is a folk dance that is famous in Mithila and Koshi regions.
7. 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

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Some of the most famous universities of Bihar are

1. Nalanda Open University located at Patna and was established in the year 1987.
2.  Patna University located at Patna
3. Lalit Narayan Mithila University located at Darbhanga
4. Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University located at Darbhanga
5. Chanakya National Law University situated at Patna
6. Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya University located at Chapra
7. National Institute of Technology also called as IIT is located at Patna
8. 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.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

1. Dr. Ruban Memorial Hospital 
2. Magadh Hospital
3. Rajeswar Nursing Home
4. Shayamal Hospital 
5. Sahyog Hospital
6. Siddqui Nursing Home
7. 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

1.  Maharaja Kameswar Complex
2.  Amit Pooja Store
3. Bedi Hardware and General Stores
4. Buati Srigar Palish 
5. Deva Pick UP Center
6.  Gayatri Devi Pick Up Centre
7.  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.

1.  Regent Cinema
2. Apasara Cinema
3.  Veena Cinema Hall
4. Mona Cinema
5. Elfistine Cinema
6. Ashok Cinema
7.  Chanakya Cinema, Patna
8.  Uma Cinema, Patna
9. Vaishali Cinema, Patna

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,

1.  First aid tool kid is the most important one that everyone has to carry while travelling.
2. Travelling at night is unsafe.
3. Keep a photocopy of your passport and all other important documents in a safe place.
4. Don't share taxis with strangers.
5. Make a note of emergency exits, stairwells, fire escapes and emergency plans at hotels.
6.  And always have local police and ambulance number to make emergency call.
7. Bihar has plenty of such tourist locations. Each location speaks in volume almost its uniqueness. The pride of India lies in every tourist spot.