Bihar: The Soul of India You Didn't Know You Needed to Explore
Introduction: Bihar is a state situated in the eastern part of India. The capital of Bihar is Patna. Its history is very ancient and prosperous. This is the same place where Gautam Buddha got enlightenment and Maurya empire started. The presence of ancient universities like Nalanda and Vikramshila here shows the educational pride of Bihar.
It is the third largest state of India in terms of population and the twelfth in terms of area. Most of the population of Bihar is rural. In ancient times, Bihar was the stronghold of huge empires, education centers and culture. The name Bihar originated from the word Vihar, the place where Buddhist monks stayed.
Today, Bihar is a developed state where agriculture is the main business. Bihar’s language, culture and folk songs are its identity. People here mainly speak Hindi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi.
Great leaders like Dr. Rajendra Prasad (first President of India) and Jayaprakash Narayan belonged to Bihar.
Wrong perceptions about Bihar :
Bihar is often misunderstood or ignored despite its rich history and culture. Many people see Bihar only from the angle of poverty, unemployment or migration, but they do not know that its real face is quite different from that.
I don’t know why people forget that Bihar gave India its first President, ancient world-class universities like Nalanda, and ideas like Buddhism. Now even the media mostly shows a negative image, which creates misconceptions among people.
Students from Bihar top every competitive exam, most of the students who clear UPSC belong to Bihar, yet their stories are rarely highlighted. This state is not just a symbol of challenges but also a symbol of potential and resilience.
Historical Glory of Bihar : Centre of Knowledge, Governance and Spirituality
The history of Bihar is not just a state but a mirror of a great civilization. Bihar has given immortal contributions in knowledge, governance and spirituality not only to Bihar but to the entire world.
Country : India
Division : Former India
Formation : 22 March 1912 Area
• Total : 98940 km2 (38,200 sq mi)
Area Rank : 12th Size
• Length : 345 km
• Width : 483 km Population (2023)
• Total growth :13,07,25,310
• Rank : 2nd
• Density :1388 km2
• Urban :11.29%
• Rural :88.71%
Language Bhojpuri Hindi Maithili Magahi Angika
GDP
• Total (2025-26) growth ₹10,97,264 crore ($130 billion)
• Rank : 14th
• Per capita : rise to ₹83,936 ($1002)
No.
District Name
Code
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
AR
AW
AU
BA
BE
BG
BJ
BU
DA
EC
GA
GO
JA
JE
KH
KI
KM
KT
LA
MB
MG
MP
MZ
NL
NW
PA
PU
RO
SH
SM
SO
SP
SR
ST
SU
SW
VA
WC
Historical heritage of Bihar:
The history of Bihar is so deep and rich that this state became a centre of knowledge for the whole world. The history of Bihar tells us that there was a time when Bihar had become the centre of knowledge for the whole world. Bihar was a great cultural and educational centre of ancient India.
Nalanda University – Nalanda was the oldest residential university in the world, where students from all over the world came to study. There were more than 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers here. Nalanda started a new era in knowledge, philosophy, science and Buddhism.
Vikramshila University – After Nalanda, Vikramshila was another world-famous university, which was established by Pala king Dharampala. Many great Buddhist scholars came out from here, who took Buddhism to China and Tibet.
Ashokan Pillars – Maurya Empire’s Ashoka built many pillars to spread his message of peace and religion, the edicts written on them even today show us the understanding and thinking of that era. These pillars are an important part of Bihar’s heritage. Bodh Gaya – This is the holy place where Gautam Buddha got enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. Even today this place is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from all over the world.
Education: Bihar has been an epicentre of knowledge since ancient times. World-famous learning centres like Nalanda University and Vikramshila University were located here. Students from every corner of the world came to Nalanda and the library here had thousands of books. This place was not just a centre of education but also of cultural exchange.
Governance :
The whole of India is proud that the Maurya Empire, which began on the land of Bihar, is a golden chapter in the history of India. Chandragupta Maurya established a huge empire, and his principles of ethical and sensitive governance are relevant even today.
Spirituality :
Bihar is that holy land where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. This place is still a major center of global spiritual tourism. Not only this, Mahavir Swami, the founder of Jainism, was also born in Bihar. This state taught the world the path of non-violence, meditation and inner peace.
Bihar – Janmsthal of Buddhism & Jainism
Bihar is not just a state of India but the birthplace of two religious beliefs – Buddhism and Jainism. This land has always been a symbol of spirituality, peace and knowledge.
Bihar is that land where religion is not just a medium of worship but has become the scourge of living.
This state even today gives the message of peace, daya and spiritual balance to the world.
Birth and Development of Buddhism: This is the holy land of Bihar – Bodh Gaya – where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
This enlightenment made him “Buddha” and from here his religion – Buddhism – spread all over the world. Even today Bodh Gaya is a world-renowned pilgrimage site where lakhs of people come every year for soul peace and spiritual awakening.
Rise of Jainism:
Bihar gave birth to another great religion – Jainism. Lord Mahavir, who was the 24th Tirthankar of Jainism, was born in Vaishali of Bihar. His life is an example of non-violence, austerity and truth. Vaishali is also considered a very holy place, which is a main centre of Jain pilgrimage.
“Whenever we talk about Indian civilization, Bihar’s name comes first. Its music, dance, folk art and culture also tell a different story.
There is an emotional connection with the folk songs of this place like Chhath geet, Jat-Jatin, Bidesia, Bhojpuri folk music.
Folk performances like Launda Naach and Bidesia are also a part of the folk art of this place.
The dialect of this place is famous all over the world due to Bhojpuri songs and films of Bihar. “
Litti Chokha, Khaja, Sattu ka Paratha are not just dishes but the emotions of the people here are attached to them, Litti Chokha is known all over the world.
Whenever Bihar is mentioned, this dish definitely comes to mind – Litti Chokha.
“Until we understand our culture, it is difficult to respect it. The heritage of Bihar belongs to all of us – know it, believe it and share it.”
Bihar is a heart of India