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
. 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.
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 of Interest in Bihar: Patna,
Gaya,
Nalanda,
Rajgir,
Vaishali
