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The climate of Bihar is greatly influenced by the two states that surround it. It is mildly cold in winters and in the most extreme conditions also temperatures remain between 5-10 degrees Celsius. The winter months are December and January. The summer months in Bihar are hot and dry and temperatures range from 40-45 degrees. April May and first half of June are the hot months. Bihar witnesses moderate rainfall in the Monsoons that begin from June and last till September.
History of Bihar
Known as Magadha in ancient India Bihar was the center of the Mauryan Empire which dominated the country from 325 BC to185 BC. Nalanda and Patliputra in Bihar remained the important centers of power, learning and culture for the next one thousand years under the rule of the Mauryan Empire. In the medieval period Bihar witnessed the invasion of the Mughals who established a peaceful atmosphere in the state. After the downfall of the Mughals Bihar was taken over by the Nawab of Bengal who in turn was defeated by the British in the Battle of Buxar. After the Battle of Buxar the East India Company took charge over the administration of the state and Bihar was treated as a province of Bengal. Bihar was carved out as a separate state in the year 1912.
Bihar - FactsBelow is a table representing important facts about Bihar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Economy and Infrastructure of Bihar
The economy of Bihar is both agricultural and service oriented. Bihar was rated as the second best manufacturing state in India in 2008. Bihar is home to several public sector projects like Oil refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Pyrites, Phosphates and Chemicals Ltd (PPCL) etc. In addition Bihar is also the base of numerous other manufacturing units like Jute mills at Katihar, medicine manufacturing unit at Hajipur, distilleries at Gopalganj etc. Bihar is the major producer of crops like mango, guava, litchi, pineapple, cauliflower, and cabbage in India. Over the years Bihar has developed an extension network of roads and railway system. Bihar has to its credit 2318 Kms. of National Highways, 4192 Kms. of State highways, 12,579 Kms. of district roads and over 69000 Kms. of other roads.
Society and Culture of Bihar
Bihar boasts of a rich cultural heritage being the birthplace of Gautam Buddha and King Asoka. The locals of Bihar are known as Biharis and the common language spoken between the natives is Bhojpuri. Apart from Bhojpuri Hindi is the other predominant language in the state. A culmination of a number of religious groups residing together Bihar is one of the most colorful states. Festivals are a major part of Bihar. The festivals like Saraswati Puja, Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Rath yatra, Rakhi, Maha Shivaratri, Durga Puja,Diwali, Laxmi Puja, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, are celebrated in the state with great vigor and enthusiastic.
Bihar Tourism
Bihar is home to several important centers of education, pilgrimage centers and tourists spots. The state witnesses a huge influx of tourist all round the year. Important places of tourist interest are Rajgir (pilgrim place for the Buddhists), Bodh Gaya (most sacred place for Buddhists), Gaya, (centre of pilgrimage for Hindus), Nalanda (ruins of the world's earliest Buddhist university) and Vaishali (the seat of the first republic of the world in the sixth century bc). Other places of tourist interest in Bihar include Hazaribagh, a wildlife reserve, famous for its national park; Bhimbandh, famous for hot springs; Maner, a sacred Muslim shrine of Sufi Saint Hazrat Makhdoom Shah; Vikramshila, the ruins of a Buddhist university; Deoghar, famous for a Hindu shrine and Sasaram, the site of the tomb of Afghan emperor Sher Shah Suri.
Bihar is a place where many would like to spend their vacation due to its diverse nature and the rich history and culture that dates back to 3,000 years. It is evident from the fact present in Bihar like the ancient monuments, the rich history that Bihar was a very important place on the world map due to Buddha, Nalanda University and the education that Bihar provided to international student even in the seventh century.
Tourist attractions
Tourists love to visit Bihar due to its diverse attractions that are ancient, beautiful, natural as well as manmade. This state of India is visited by many tourists from all over the world and has a record of almost 6 million tourists that visit Bihar all the year round. One can find the finest monuments of the Mughal art and Hindu architecture. Bihar is famous as a tourists delight; one can find nature blessing the state with abundant beauty as well as an important place of various religions like the Buddhism, Jainism, Hindu, Sikh etc. Bihar offers stunning lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, thick forests, holy rivers, forests, palaces, important structures from the past and a history that is rich.
Places of importanceNestled on the banks of the holy river Ganga, it is blessed with fertility and abundant crop. The state has several ancient monuments, pilgrimage sites, natural beauty and many more things that will make your vacation complete. The important travel destinations are the Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Patna, Rajgir, Pawapuri, Vaishali etc. Tourists will also like the local attractions like the Harminder sahib, Sanjay Gandhi Zoological Park, Golghar, Har Manidr Takht, Gandhi Setu Jalan Museum, Khuda Baksh Oriental library, state museum Martyr's memorial, Pathar Ki Masjid, Sher Shah's Mausoleum, and many more.
Must visit attractionsNalanda has a lot to offer to its visitors. The place is witness to the glorious past that ancient India had in terms of education and Buddhism. Nalanda was a prime seat of knowledge during the Gupta period and the epicenter of education. The biggest attraction here is the excavated remains of the huge university. You can find many temples as well as monasteries, the daises for the professors and many more things that can speak volumes of the rich times it has seen. It comprises of the archeological museum, Huein Tsang memorial hall, and the Surajpur Baragaon.
Bodhgaya attracts many foreigners here due to its relation to Lord Buddha. Bodhgaya is a small town, where Buddha lived and found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. The Mahabodhi temple is worth visiting and is magnificent due to its architectural significant. The place has many stupas of all sizes that were built 2500 years back. Under the tree, one can find a stone platform, where Buddha has attained enlightenment. Nearby Bodhagaya, you can visit Gaya, an important place of the Hindus, where you can find Vishnu temple. Nalanda is 50 KMs from Bodhagaya. Rajgir another important place comprises of beautiful rock cut temples, Buddhists ruins and many forts.
Patna, the capital of Bihar is a must visit and one has to spend a day or two discovering the rich cultural heritage of Patna. Patna boasts of various tourist attractions like the Kumrahar excavations, Padri-ki-Haveli, Golghar, Har Mandir, Qila house, Patna house, etc. There are various monuments, structure and buildings that proudly stand to testify the past. Vaishali, another historically significant place, is the birth place of the Jain leader Lord Mahavir. The place also is important as Buddha preached his last sermon here. There are many places to explore like the architecturally magnificent stupas, the Ashoka pillar, Vishal ka garh, coronation tank, and the Bawan Pokhar temple. The Ashoka pilar is world famous for its religious importance and the architecture as it was made of a single piece red sand stone. The Vishal ka garh has 1 kilometer of circumference that is a huge structure.
Apart from the spiritual side of Bihar, there are also fun spots that are full of beautiful landscape, waterfalls, caves, forests, greenery, flora and fauna etc. Rajgir is just the place that is famous for its scenic beauty. It is covered with thick green forest and has many ponds that are said to have medicinal values. One can also use the rope ways provided in this place to visit the Shanti Stupa and other attractions.
Hotels in Bihar
Bihar was always an important center of education. The state is thronged by tourists and students that come from different parts of the world. Bihar has no dearth of accommodation. The hotels in Bihar range from five star to deluxe to three star to budget. Equipped with the latest amenities of comfort and luxury the hotels in Bihar promise a memorable stay.
Last Updated on 30 March 2012
