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People of Bihar
Ethnicity
People of the Bihar are Aryans who came from Central Asia and entered this province in around 600 years before Christ after |
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defeating the aboriginal people.According to the legends, great sage Agastya was the first person who crossed the river Gandak and burnt down Dandakaranya
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(forest of this region as it was known in the Vedic times).
Arts and Crafts
Patna Qalam and Mithila paintings are two of the most impressive and popular crafts of Bihar. With the decline of the Mughals, the Delhi artists migrated to Murshidabad (a great center of commerce and a flourishing town of the Nawabs). When this Bengal hamlet did not hold the artists for long, they thought of Bihar. Some of them came over to Patna and practiced their craft following a style that gradually came to be known as the Patna Qalam. The style is famous for its soft colors and the use of hand made paper or mica sheets. Most of these paintings depict the day-to-day life of the people of Bihar.
Madhubani, in the heart of the Mithila region, had a rich tradition of wall paintings done by the village women. Hit by a severe drought in 1966, an artist encouraged them to try their wall paintings on paper. The idea was a great success and since then Mithila paintings gained ground. These line paintings in primary colors normally depict village scenes, human and animal forms, gods and goddesses. A kind of artistic emotion can be observed in these paintings. Tulsidas gives an elaborate description of how the entire Mithila region was decorated for the wedding of Sita with Ram.
Bhagalpur is famous for its silk industry all over the world and is considered to be one of the best silk producing centres in India. Other crafts of Bihar include Sujni embroidery, lac bangle making, and creation of decorative and utility items of Seenki (a local dried grass).
Music and Dance
Jat-Jatin Dance of the Mithila region is performed by the Harijans (name given to the lower castes by Mahatma Gandhi) where one person performs the role of Jat (the husband) and Jatin (the wife) wearing masks and goes through the story of their life. Bidesia, a form of dance drama is extremely popular in the Bhojpuri-speaking region of Bihar.
The region of Mithilanchal is famous for its cultural heritage and the songs of Vidyapati (famous poet of early medieval age) can be heard even now in the evenings from several homes throughout the region. Bhojpuri folksongs are popular throughout the country and second to none when it comes to beats and rhythm.
Fairs and Festivals
Saraswati Puja
it has a festival that is unique to the state. Chhath is the most important festival of the state and is celebrated six days after Diwali, when people from all castes can stand together in the river and worship the sun god. The rituals related to Chhath are very stringent and there are several folktales, songs, and special sweets that make this festival a unique experience.
Another unique ritual confined to Bihar is the Pind-daan performed by the Gayawals in Gaya. It is considered to be an obligation of all devout Hindus to visit this place after the death of their parents, a mandatory rite believed to bring salvation to the departed souls. Though the pind-daan can be performed almost any time of the year, people prefer to do it during Pitrapaksha, which is the period just before Navratri and generally falls in September.
In the summer month of June, the people of Mithila in the village of Saurath organize a unique marriage mart in a mango orchard. During this fair, parents whose children are of marriageable age come here and the Mithila Brahmins settle a record number of marriages during this time.
Sonepur is the venue of a grand cattle fair held in the month of November. The fair is ranked as the world's largest and it is not simply confined to animal trade but numerous shows and performances are also a part of the fair. Visitors also pay obeisance at the nearby temple of Hariharnath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Attire
Sari is the most popular attire for women all over the state. The salwar-kameez is also popular especially with the younger and urban women. The traditional attire for men includes dhoti, kurta, and kharaun (wooden sandal). However, men have taken to the more convenient attire of shirts and pants, though western wear is not so common among women. In Mithila, a unique part of a man's dress is the Paag, a turban whose color is meant to symbolize the status of the man wearing it.
Cuisine
The cuisine of the state is an interesting mix of North and East Indian cuisine. Rice, pulses, and roti are the most common food consumed by the people of this state. One exclusive item of this state is Sattu (gram powder), commonly taken as a mixture with water, salt, and limejuice. A favorite breakfast all over the state is Chura-Dahi (flattened rice and curd) taken together with sugar or jaggery. The influence of Bengal is evident in the way large quantities of fish are consumed in the state. There are several specialty sweets that are made all over the state for special occasions. Khaja, tilkut, anarsa and thekuwa are some of the preparations that form a part of every sweet-toothed Bihari's dreams.
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