Like
in all ancient civilizations, the earliest human settlements in India
sprung up around its magnificent rivers. Few rivers of the world have
moulded the culture, economy and personality of the people dwelling on
their banks as the river Ganga has. Cutting straight across Bihar from
west to east, the bounteous Ganga nurtured a veritable fountainhead of
political and cultural civilizations, on its shores, down the millennia.
Here, kingdom after
kingdom rose and fell, leaving their indelible mark on history. Rival
kings fought legendary battles, devastating the land and people. Yet, by
some strange alchemy, the same land saw the birth of some of the most
noble and progressive religious teachers like the Buddha, Mahavira and
Guru Gobind Singh. Then came the Muslims, ruling with panache for five
centuries, to be eliminated in turn, by the powerful British, who ruled
till the middle of this century.
Bihar,
today, is a quaint interface of the old and new. The state boasts of an
incredible range of mineral resources. The coal belt in Bihar is the
mainstay of thermal energy in India. Bihar's modern visage sports some
of India's largest steel and mining industries.
Places
to Visit
Patna,
BodhGaya,
Nalanda,
Rajgir,
Vaishali
