Bihar

When we speak of Bihar we are remembered of ancient India when Buddhism was evolving, what now is an universal religion.The Word "Bihar" has been coined from "Vihara" meaning Buddhist Monasteries.

At one time in the epoch of history these "viharas" were all strewn over the landscape of  Bihar, around villages and cities alike. Bihar is the fascinating land of great religious leaders like Gautama Buddha, Lord Mahavir and Guru Gobind Singh.

Bihar is the home of Emperor Ashoka who preached "ahinsa" or non-violence and spread the message of Buddhism throughout the world. The tradition of "ahinsa" has been carried into the modern times and the land was witness to the "Satyagraha (or non-violence) Movement" of the Father of the Nation, Mahatama Gandhi.

Bihar is located in the eastern part of the country. It is an entirely land locked state, although the outlet to the sea through the port of Kolkata is not far away. Bihar lies mid-way between the humid West Bengal in the east and the sub humid Uttar Pradesh in the west which provides it with a transitional position in respect of climate, economy and culture.

It is bounded by Nepal in the north and by Jharkhand in the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga which flows through the middle from west to east.

Bihar, the ancient land of Buddha, has witnessed golden period of Indian history. It is the same land where the seeds of the first republic were sown, and which cultivated the first crop of democracy.

Such fertile is the soil that has given birth to numerous intellectuals which spread the light of knowledge and wisdom not only in the country but in the whole world.

The state has its capital at Patna, which is situated on the bank of the holy river Ganga. The state as it is today has been shaped from its partition from the province of Bengal and most recently after the separation of the tribal southern region now called Jharkhand.