Bihar. The northern plain of this state extends from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north to a few miles south of the river Ganges as it flows through the State from the west to the east. The Chhotanagpur plateau occupies roughly 1/3rd of the south, extending up to the southern border with Orissa. The southern plateau is among the world's richest source of mineral. In the north, rich farmland and lush orchards extend throughout.
History :
The glorious history of Bihar lasted till around the middle of the 7th or 8th century A.D. - the Gupta Period - when, with the conquest of almost all of northern India by invaders from the middle-east, the Gupta dynasty also fell a victim. In medieval times Bihar lost its prestige as the political and cultural center of India. The Mughal period was a period of unremarkable provincial administration from Delhi. The only remarkable person of these times in Bihar was Sher Shah, or Sher Khan Sur, an Afghan. Based at Sasaram, which is now a town in the district of the same name in central-western Bihar, this jagirdar of the Mughal King Babur was successful in defeating Humayun, the son of Babur, twice - once at Chausa and then, again, at Kannauj (in the present state of Uttar Pradesh or U.P.). During most of British India, Bihar was a part of the Presidency of Bengal, and was governed from Calcutta. As such, this was a territory very much dominated by the people of Bengal. All leading educational and medical centers were in Bengal. In spite of the unfair advantage that Bengalis possessed, some sons of Bihar rose to positions of prominence, by dint of their intelligence and hard labor. One such was Rajendra Prasad, native of Ziradei, in the district of Saran. He became the first President of the Republic of India. And today, Bihar is a part of independent India just like any other state.
Cities of Bihar
Patna,
Hazaribagh,
Gaya.
Tourist Attraction of Bihar :-
Rajgir
At a distance of 102 km off Patna, Rajgir is a well-known pilgrimage of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism alike. Before Patna, Rajgir or Rajgriha (as it was known earlier) was the capital of Magadh. The major centres of interest are the Swarna Gufa, Griddhakuta Parvat, hot springs, and Vishwa Shanti Stupa.
Gaya
Located in the Central Bihar at a distance of around 112 km south of Patna, Gaya is one of the holiest Hindu cities. The main tourist attraction here is the Vishnupad (Vishnu footprints) Temple, built by Rani Ahilya Bai of Indore in the 18th century.
Shershah Masjid
This is a mosque built by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah, who defeated Mughal Emperor Humanyun to rule Delhi. Locally known as Shershahi, the mosque was built in 1545, making it the oldest mosque in Patna.
Jalan Museum
The museum is situated over the ruins of the Qila House, the site of Shershah's fort. It is a private collection containing Chinese paintings and an invaluable collection of silver and jade filigree work of the Mughal period.
