Location:
North East of India
Capital:
Patna
Tourist
Attractions: Buddhist
Pilgrimage
Best Time
To Visit: September To
April |
Tourism in
Bihar
Bihar is bound on the north by Nepal, on the
east by West Bengal , on the west by Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh , and Orissa in
the south. The present name of the state of
Bihar owes its origin to the "Viharas" built
by Lord Buddha who attained spiritual
enlightenment on this land and preached
love, peace and tolerance. The erstwhile
capital city of Patliputra of Emperor Ashoka
is the present day state capital, Patna.
Most travellers just pass through Patna on
their way to Calcutta or Kathmandu. However,
Bodhgaya is an excellent place to study
Buddhism, and Rajgir, Nalanda and Sasaram
are interesting places that are not on the
tourist trail. Bodhgaya is one of the most
sacred place for Buddhists and Hindus and
has a number of Buddhist temples. In Gaya,
visit the Mahabodhi Temple. In Vaishali,
check out an ancient parliament, the Fort of
King Vishal, and Ashok Pillar.
CAPITAL :
Patna is a bureaucratic city, noisy and
bustling. It is a sprawling metropolis that
hugs the south bank of the Ganges,
stretching for around 15km in a shape that
has changed little since Ajatasatru (491-459
BC) shifted the Magadhan capital here from
Rajgir. Patna's tourist attractions are Har
Mandir Sahib, Qila
CULTURE :
Bihari culture is based largely on ancient
Aryan Hindu elements. Rural Chota Nagpur has
retained much of its aboriginal way of life.
Places of religious and cultural interest
abound in the plains. Nalanda is the seat of
the ancient and celebrated Nalanda Buddhist
monastic university. The Chhau dance, a
tribute to Bihar's cultural folk traditions
follows classical modes as detailed in the
ancient treatises. In this, therefore three
main elements of the classical dance, namely
Raga or melody, Bhava or mood, tala or
rhythmic timing are found.
HANDICRAFTS :
Bihar's rural handicrafts comprise of
hand-painted wall hangings, wooden stools,
miniatures in paper and leaves, stone
pottery, bamboo, leather goods, and applique
work. But Bihar's most famous and
fascinating indigenous art form is its
Madhubani school of painting, a strict
monopoly of the women of Mithila. It
illustrates mythological themes,
incorporating images of local deities as
well as Hindu gods and goddesses.
OCCUPATION :
The principal foodgrains of Bihar are paddy,
wheat, maize and pulses. Main cash crops
include sugarcane, potato, tobacco,
oilseeds, onion, chillies and jute. The
major industries of the state are steel,
iron, heavy vehicles, aluminium, oil
refining, railway wagons, copper smelting,
cement and communication cables. Bihar is
also very rich in minerals. The main
minerals found in this state are coal, iron,
copper, mica, pyrite, limestone, bauxite,
and graphite.
FESTIVALS :
Saraswati Puja around Jan-Feb; Teej in
August; Diwali in Nov; Chhath Puja in Nov.
CLIMATE:
The state has a humid subtropical monsoon
climate, with three well-defined seasons:
the cool season, from November to February;
the hot season, from March to mid-June; and
the rainy season, from mid-June through
October. Temperatures in December and
January fall to 5ºC and below, while those
in May rise above 40º C. The state's mean
annual rainfall is 1,270 mm. Best time to
visit is October to March.
POPULATION :
104 million.
TOURIST OFFICES :
Tourist Information Center Tourist
information centre, Patna
Tourist Information Center - Government of
Bihar, Mazharul Haq Path (Fraser Road),
Patna.
Tourist Information Center - 216-217,
Kanishka Shopping Plaza, 19 Ashoka Road. New
Delhi.
Govt of India Tourist Office, Tourist Bhawan,
Brre Chand Patel Path Patna - 1
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