The Land of Ancient Civilizations and Modern Aspirations

01 of June 2026

Introduction

Bihar is one of India’s most historically rich and culturally vibrant states, located in the eastern part of the country. Often regarded as the cradle of ancient Indian civilization, it has played a remarkable role in shaping India’s political, spiritual, educational, and cultural journey.

This land was once the heart of powerful empires like the Mauryas and Guptas and later became a global centre of learning through renowned institutions such as Nalanda and Vikramshila. Bihar is also known for its fertile plains, deep-rooted traditions, Buddhist pilgrimage sites and colourful festivals that reflect its living heritage.

The state contributes greatly to India’s agriculture, with major crops like rice, wheat, maize and sugarcane forming the backbone of its economy. It is also closely associated with great personalities such as Emperor Ashoka, Chanakya and Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Today, Bihar is moving forward with steady growth in education, infrastructure, tourism and industry, while proudly preserving the legacy that makes it truly unique.

State Nickname of Bihar

a) Land of Buddhism
b) Land of Monasteries
c) The Heart of Ancient India

Date of Formation of Bihar

Bihar was formed on 22 March 1912 after being separated from the Bengal Presidency during British rule.

Historical Background of Bihar

Bihar has one of the richest historical backgrounds among Indian states. Ancient Bihar was known as Magadha, which became the centre of political power and culture in India.

Bihar was the seat of the powerful Maurya and Gupta Empires. Emperor Ashoka ruled from Pataliputra, which is now Patna.
Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, making Bihar one of the holiest Buddhist destinations in the world.
Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, was also associated with Bihar.
Ancient universities like Nalanda and Vikramshila attracted scholars from across Asia.
During the freedom movement, Bihar played an important role under leaders like Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Jayaprakash Narayan.

Important Facts about Bihar

Geographical Location of Bihar

Latitude – 24°20'N to 27°31'N
Longitude – 83°19'E to 88°17'E

Climate of Bihar at a Glance:

Maximum Temperature: 40-450 C
Minimum Temperature: 5-100 C
Average Annual Rainfall: 1,205 millimeter

State Day of Bihar

Bihar Day is celebrated on 22 March every year.

Capital of Bihar

Patna

PIN Code Prefix of Bihar

80 – 85

Area of Bihar

Total Area – 94,163 square kilometres

Area-wise Rank of Bihar

Bihar is the 13th largest state in India in terms of area.

Population of Bihar

According to Census 2011:

Total Population – 104,099,452
Male Population – 54,278,157
Female Population – 49,821,295

Population Rank of Bihar

Bihar is the 3rd most populous state in India.

Population Density of Bihar

1,106 persons per square kilometer

Sex Ratio of Bihar

918 females per 1000 males

Literacy Rate of Bihar

Overall Literacy Rate – 61.8%
Male Literacy – 71.2%
Female Literacy – 51.5%

Tribes of Bihar and Their Habitat

Scheduled Caste Population (according to 2023 caste survey)

Around 19.65% of the total population

Scheduled Tribe Population (according to 2023 caste survey)

Around 1.68% of the total population

Major Tribes of Bihar

Santhal
- Habitat: Katihar, Purnia and Bhagalpur districts
Oraon
- Habitat: Rohtas and Kaimur districts
Munda
- Habitat: Western districts bordering Jharkhand
Tharu
- Habitat: West Champaran district near Nepal border
Lohra
- Habitat: Southern Bihar region

Universities of Bihar

No.	University Name	Location
1	Patna University	Patna
2	Nalanda University	Rajgir
3	Magadh University	Bodh Gaya
4	Bihar Agricultural University	Bhagalpur
5	IIT Patna	Patna
6	Aryabhatta Knowledge University	Patna
7	Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University	Bhagalpur
8	Lalit Narayan Mithila University	Darbhanga
9	Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University	Muzaffarpur
10	Nalanda Medical College	Patna

State Symbols of Bihar

State Animal – Gaur
State Bird – House Sparrow
State Tree – Peepal Tree
State Flower – Marigold
State Fruit – Mango

Religion in Bihar

Hindu – 82.7%
Muslim – 16.9%
Other Religions – 0.4%

Official Language of Bihar

Hindi
Urdu

Regional languages include Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi and Angika.

Legislature of Bihar

The legislature of Bihar is bicameral.

Legislative Assembly

243 members

Legislative Council

75 members

Judicature of Bihar

Patna High Court is the highest judicial authority of Bihar.
Established in 1916.
The judiciary ensures constitutional rights and justice throughout the state.

Dance Forms of Bihar

Folk Dances

Jat-Jatin
Jhijhiya
Bidesia
Domkach
Paika Dance

Classical & Cultural Traditions

Kathak influence
Chhau in bordering regions

State Song of Bihar

“Mere Bharat Ke Kanthahar, Tujhko Shat-Shat Vandan Bihar”

Folklore of Bihar

Bihar has a rich folk culture reflected through folk songs, oral traditions, paintings and storytelling traditions like Sohar, Kajari and Chaita.

Number of Districts of Bihar with Headquarters

No.	District	District HQ	Population (2011)	Growth	Sex Ratio	Literacy	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
1	Araria	Araria	2811569	30.25%	921	53.53	2829	992
2	Arwal	Arwal	700843	18.89%	928	67.43	4839	1099
3	Aurangabad	Aurangabad	2540073	26.18%	926	70.32	3303	760
4	Banka	Banka	2034763	26.48%	907	58.17	3018	672
5	Begusarai	Begusarai	2970541	26.44%	895	63.87	1917	1540
6	Bhagalpur	Bhagalpur	3037766	25.36%	880	63.14	2569	1180
7	Bhojpur	Arrah	2728407	21.63%	907	70.47	2473	1136
8	Buxar	Buxar	1706352	21.67%	922	70.14	1624	1003
9	Darbhanga	Darbhanga	3937385	19.47%	911	56.56	2278	1721
10	Gaya	Gaya	4391418	26.43%	937	63.67	4978	880
11	Gopalganj	Gopalganj	2562012	19.02%	1021	65.47	2033	1258
12	Jamui	Jamui	1760405	25.85%	922	59.79	3099	567
13	Jehanabad	Jehanabad	1125313	21.68%	922	66.8	1569	1206
14	Kaimur	Bhabua	1626384	26.17%	920	69.34	3363	488
15	Katihar	Katihar	3071029	28.35%	919	52.24	3056	1004
16	Khagaria	Khagaria	1666886	30.19%	886	57.92	1486	1115
17	Kishanganj	Kishanganj	1690400	30.40%	950	55.46	1884	898
18	Lakhisarai	Lakhisarai	1000912	24.77%	902	62.42	1229	815
19	Madhepura	Madhepura	2001762	31.12%	911	52.25	1787	1116
20	Madhubani	Madhubani	4487379	25.51%	926	58.62	3501	1279
21	Munger	Munger	1367765	20.21%	876	70.46	1419	958
22	Muzaffarpur	Muzaffarpur	4801062	28.14%	900	63.43	3173	1506
23	Nalanda	Bihar Sharif	2877653	21.39%	922	64.43	2354	1220
24	Nawada	Nawada	2219146	22.63%	939	59.76	2492	889
25	Pashchim Champaran	Bettiah	3935042	29.29%	909	55.7	5229	753
26	Patna	Patna	5838465	23.73%	897	70.68	3202	1803
27	Purbi Champaran	Motihari	5099371	29.43%	902	55.79	3969	1281
28	Purnia	Purnia	3264619	28.33%	921	51.08	3228	1014
29	Rohtas	Sasaram	2959918	20.78%	918	73.37	3850	763
30	Saharsa	Saharsa	1900661	26.02%	906	53.2	1702	1125
31	Samastipur	Samastipur	4261566	25.53%	911	61.86	2905	1465
32	Saran	Chhapra	3951862	21.64%	954	65.96	2641	1493
33	Sheikhpura	Sheikhpura	636342	21.09%	930	63.86	689	922
34	Sheohar	Sheohar	656246	27.19%	893	53.78	443	1882
35	Sitamarhi	Sitamarhi	3423574	27.62%	899	52.05	2199	1491
36	Siwan	Siwan	3330464	22.70%	988	69.45	2219	1495
37	Supaul	Supaul	2229076	28.66%	929	57.67	2410	919
38	Vaishali	Hajipur	3495021	28.57%	895	66.6	2036	1717

Total Districts in Bihar – 38

Map of Bihar (District Map)

Number of Sub-divisions in Bihar

Bihar has 101 sub-divisions across all districts.

No.	Subdivisions	District Headquarters
1	Araria	Araria
2	Forbesganj	Araria
3	Arwal	Arwal
4	Aurangabad	Aurangabad
5	Daud Nagar	Aurangabad
6	Banka	Banka
7	Begusarai	Begusarai
8	Manjhaul
9	Ballia
10	Bakhari
11	Teghara
12	Bhagalpur	Bhagalpur
13	Kahalgaon
14	Naugachhia
15	Arrah	Bhojpur
16	Jagdishpur
17	Piro
18	Buxar	Buxar
19	Dumraon	Buxar
20	Darbhanga	Darbhanga
21	Benipur
22	Biraul
23	Motihari	East Champaran
24	Areraj
25	Raxaul
26	Sikarahna
27	Pakridayal
28	Chakia
29	Gaya	Gaya
30	Neemchak
31	Bathani
32	Sherghati
33	Tekari
34	Gopalganj	Gopalganj
35	Hathua	Gopalganj
36	Jamui	Jamui
37	Jehanabad	Jehanabad
38	Bhabhua	Kaimur
39	Mohania	Kaimur
40	Katihar	Katihar
41	Barsoi
42	Manihari
43	Khagaria	Khagaria
44	Gogri	Khagaria
45	Kishanganj	Kishanganj
46	Lakhisarai	Lakhisarai
47	Madhepura	Madhepura
48	Uda Kishanganj	Madhepura
49	Madhubani	Madhubani
50	Jainagar
51	Benipatti
52	Jhanjharpur
53	Phul Paraas
54	Haveli Kharagpur	Munger
55	Tarapur	Munger
56	East Muzaffarpur	Muzaffarpur
57	West Muzaffarpur	Muzaffarpur
58	Bihar Sharif	Nalanda
59	Rajgir
60	Hilsa
61	Nawada	Nawada
62	Rajauli	Nawada
63	Patna Sadar	Patna
64	Patna City
65	Barh
66	Danapur
67	Masaurhi
68	Paliganj
69	Purnia	Purnia
70	Banmankhi
71	Dhamdaha
72	Vaishi
73	Sasaram	Rohtas
74	Bikramganj
75	Dehri
76	Saharasa Sadar	Saharsa
77	Simri Bakhtiyarpur	Saharsa
78	Samastipur Sadar	Samastipur
79	Dalsinghsarai
80	Patori
81	Rosera
82	Chhapra	Saran
83	Marhaura
84	Sonepur
85	Sheikhpura	Sheikhpura
86	Sheohar	Sheohar
87	Sitamarhi Sadar	Sitamarhi
88	Belsand
89	Pupri
90	Siwan Sadar	Siwan
91	Maharajganj	Siwan
92	Supaul	Supaul
93	Birpur
94	Nirmali
95	Tribeniganj
96	Hajipur	Vaishali
97	Mahnar
98	Mahua
99	Bettiah	West Champaran
100	Bagaha
101	Narkatiaganj

Number of Villages in Bihar

Approximately 45,000 villages.

Number of Blocks

Bihar has 534 blocks.

Lok Sabha Seats of Bihar

40 Lok Sabha Seats

Major Lok Sabha Constituencies

Patna Sahib
Pataliputra
Gaya
Bhagalpur
Darbhanga
Muzaffarpur
Nalanda
Valmiki Nagar

Rajya Sabha Seats of Bihar

16 Rajya Sabha seats

Vidhan Sabha Seats of Bihar

243 Assembly Constituencies

Main Cites of Bihar Ranking by Population

Rank	City	Value
1	Patna	16,84,222
2	Gaya	4,74,093
3	Muzaffarpur	3,33,200
4	Purnia	3,10,817
5	Darbhanga	2,96,039
6	Begusarai	2,52,008
7	Dagarua	2,21,229
8	Jainagar, Bihar	2,17,820
9	Arrah	2,03,380
10	Saharsa	1,56,540
11	Siwan	1,35,066
12	Sasaram	1,31,172
13	Hajipur	1,19,412
14	Sitamarhi	1,06,093
15	Kishanganj	1,05,782
16	Motihari	1,00,683
17	Bairgania	42,895
18	Rajgir	41,587
19	Jogbani	39,281
20	Bodhgaya inscription of Mahanaman	30,883
21	Sursand	29,688
22	Nabinagar	25,041
23	Bagha Kusmar	11,380
24	Shikarpur	6,973

Main Crops of Bihar

Rice
Wheat
Maize
Sugarcane
Pulses
Oilseeds

Main Cash Crops of Bihar

Sugarcane
Tobacco
Jute
Potato

Minerals Found in Bihar

Limestone
Pyrite
Bauxite
Quartz
Mica

Rivers Flowing Through Bihar

Bihar has many rivers some of the important rivers are-

No.	River Name	Total Length (approx.)	Length in Bihar (approx.)	Origin Point	Confluence / Endpoint	Key Significance & Features
1	Ganga	2,525 km	445 km	Gangotri Glacier (Uttarakhand)	Bay of Bengal	• Lifeline of Bihar; supports most of the state's intensive agriculture and deep-water transport.
						• The longest stretch runs through the Patna District (99 km).
2	Ghaghara (Saryu)	1,080 km	83 km	Mapchachungo Glacier (Tibet)	Ganga at Revelganj (Saran)	• Enters near Siwan; forms a natural boundary between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
						• Holds deep sacred value in Hindu scriptures (associated with Ayodhya).
3	Gandak (Narayani)	814 km	250 km	Nhubine Himal Glacier (Tibet/Nepal)	Ganga near Hajipur (Patna)	• Major source of irrigation through the Gandak Project.
						• Runs along the Valmiki National Park and Tiger Reserve.
4	Burhi Gandak	320 km	320 km	Chautarwa Chaur (West Champaran)	Ganga near Khagaria	• Flows entirely within Bihar parallel to the main Gandak.
						• Famous for high velocity and a highly meandering, erratic path.
5	Kosi	724 km	260 km	Saptakoshi region (Tibet/Nepal)	Ganga near Kursela (Katihar)	• Infamously dubbed the "Sorrow of Bihar" due to catastrophic annual floods.
						• Noted for shifting its channel westward by over 130 km over the past two centuries.
6	Bagmati	597 km	394 km	Shivpuri Hills (Nepal)	Merges into Kosi at Badlaghat	• Enters via Sitamarhi and acts as a central lifeline for the Mithila plain.
						• Highly flood-prone river with high sediment deposits.
7	Mahananda	360 km	198 km	Mahaldiram Hills (Darjeeling, WB)	Ganga near Nawabganj (WB border)	• Forms the easternmost boundary of North Bihar's river system.
						• Feeds the fertile, jute-rich plains of Kishanganj, Purnia, and Katihar.
8	Son	784 km	202 km	Amarkantak Plateau (Madhya Pradesh)	Ganga near Maner (Patna)	• Main right-bank perennial tributary in South Bihar.
						• Feeds the Indrapuri Barrage, sustaining the extensive canal irrigation system of South Bihar.
9	Punpun	200 km	135 km	Chota Nagpur Plateau (Palamu, Jharkhand)	Ganga near Fatuha (Patna)	• Rain-fed river that frequently causes water-logging near East Patna.
						• Highly religious; pilgrims perform Pind Daan (ancestral rituals) here.
10	Phalgu (Niranjana)	135 km	135 km	Formed by Lilajan & Mohana rivers near Gaya	Merges into Punpun/Ganga stem	• Flows past Gaya, a world-famous spiritual destination.
						• Ephemeral river that dries up at the surface but keeps a continuous sub-surface water flow.

Mountains and Hills of Bihar

No.	Peak / Hill Name	Approximate Elevation	Location (District)	Cultural & Historical Significance
1	Someshwar Fort / Hills	880 m (2,890 ft)	West Champaran	Highest peak in Bihar; forms a natural border with Nepal. Features a ruined ancient fort and sits in the Shivalik Range.
2	Vaibhavgiri Hill	~380 m	Nalanda (Rajgir)	Part of the five historic hills of Rajgir. It features historic Jain temples and the Saptaparni Cave, where the First Buddhist Council was conducted.
3	Gurpa Hill (Kukkutapadagiri)	305 m (1,000 ft)	Gaya	Deeply sacred to Buddhists; believed to be where Maha Kassapa (successor of Lord Buddha) meditated and awaits the future Buddha, Maitreya.
4	Mandar Hill (Parvat)	300 m (984 ft)	Banka	Richly linked to Hindu mythology as the churning staff for the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean). It features rock cuts and a Jain temple at the peak.
5	Brahmajuni Hill	249 m (816 ft)	Gaya	Believed to be the exact location where Lord Buddha delivered his Fire Sermon (Adittapariyaya Sutta) to 1,000 disciples.
6	Pretshila Hill	244 m (800 ft)	Gaya	Famous for the Brahma Kund lake at its base. Pilgrims flock here to perform Pind Daan rituals for the salvation of their ancestors.
7	Pragbodhi (Dungeshwari Hill)	214 m (702 ft)	Gaya	Houses ancient cave temples where Prince Siddhartha practiced strict asceticism for six years before moving to Bodh Gaya to achieve enlightenment.
8	Gridhakuta Peak (Vulture's Peak)	~200 m (656 ft)	Nalanda (Rajgir)	A highly revered Buddhist site where Lord Buddha resided for many seasons and delivered pivotal sermons like the Lotus Sutra.
9	Barabar Hills	~150–200 m	Jehanabad	Home to the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India dating back to the Mauryan Empire (3rd Century BCE), featuring polished granite walls and Ashokan inscriptions.

Industries of Bihar

Agriculture and Food Processing
Sugar Industry
Silk Industry
Leather Industry
Handloom and Handicrafts

Economy of Bihar

Sector-wise Contribution

Agriculture – 24%
Industry – 20%
Services – 56%

Airports of Bihar

No.	Airport	Type	Location
1	Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan Airport (PAT)	Domestic	Patna
2	Gaya International Airport (GAY)	International	Gaya
3	Darbhanga Airport (DBR)	Domestic	Darbhanga

Railway Zones and Stations in Bihar

No.	Railway Zone	Zonal Headquarters	Operating Divisions in Bihar	Major Stations in Bihar
1	East Central Railway (ECR)	Hajipur, Bihar	Danapur, Sonpur, Samastipur, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU)	Patna Jn., Patliputra Jn., Gaya Jn., Muzaffarpur Jn., Darbhanga Jn., Hajipur Jn., Samastipur Jn., Barauni Jn., Sasaram, Buxar
2	Eastern Railway (ER)	Kolkata, West Bengal	Malda	Bhagalpur Jn., Jamalpur Jn., Banka, Sultanganj, Kahalgaon
3	Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR)	Maligaon (Guwahati), Assam	Katihar	Katihar Jn., Kishanganj, Purnia Jn., Jogbani, Barsoi Jn.
4	North Eastern Railway (NER)	Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh	Varanasi	Siwan Jn., Chhapra Jn., Gopalganj, Thawe Jn.

Major Roads and Highways of Bihar

National Highway 27
National Highway 31
East-West Corridor
Mahatma Gandhi Setu

State Museum

Bihar Museum located in Patna.

Hydro Projects of Bihar

No.	Name	District	Basin	River
1	Eastern Gandak Hydroelectric Project	West Champaran District	Ganga	Gandak river-Tributary of Ganga
2	Kosi Hydroelectric Project	Supaul/Saharsa	Ganga	Kosi -Tributary of Ganga
3	Sone Hydroelectric Project	Rohtas	Ganga	Ganga/Sone

Thermal Power Projects of Bihar

No.	Power Station Name	Location (District)	Installed / Planned Capacity	Operating Agency / Developer	Status
1	Barh Super Thermal Power Station	Barh (Patna)	3,300 MW (5 x 660 MW)	NTPC Limited	Operational
2	Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station	Kahalgaon (Bhagalpur)	2,340 MW	NTPC Limited	Operational
3	Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project	Nabinagar (Aurangabad)	1,980 MW (3 x 660 MW)	NTPC Limited	Operational
4	Buxar Thermal Power Plant	Chausa (Buxar)	1,320 MW (2 x 660 MW)	SJVN / BSPGCL	Partially Operational / Commissioning
5	Nabinagar Thermal Power Project (BRBCL)	Nabinagar (Aurangabad)	1,000 MW (4 x 250 MW)	Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Co. Ltd.	Operational
6	Barauni Thermal Power Station	Barauni (Begusarai)	720 MW	NTPC Limited	Operational
7	Kanti Thermal Power Station (Muzaffarpur TPP)	Kanti (Muzaffarpur)	610 MW	NTPC Limited	Operational
8	Pirpainti Thermal Power Station	Pirpainti (Bhagalpur)	2,400 MW (3 x 800 MW)	Adani Power	Upcoming / Approved
9	Kajra / Lakhisarai Plant	Kajra (Lakhisarai)	1,320 MW	BSPGCL	Upcoming

Dams of Bihar

No.	Name	River	Nearest City	District	Basin
1	Ajan Dam	Ajan	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga
2	Amrity Dam	Amrity	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga
3	Badua Dam	Badua	Banka	Banka	Ganga
4	Barnar Dam	Barnar	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga
5	Baskund Dam	Baskund	Lakhisarai	Lakhisarai	Ganga
6	Belharna Dam	Belharna	Banka	Banka	Ganga
7	Bilasi Dam	Bilasi	Banka	Banka	Ganga
8	Chandan Dam	Chandan	Banka	Banka	Ganga
9	Durgawati Dam	Durgawati	Bhabhua	Kaimur (Bhabua)	Ganga
10	Gaighat Dam	Baghara	Munger	Munger	Ganga
11	Jalkund Dam	Jalkund	Munger	Munger	Ganga
12	Job Dam	JOB	Nawada	Nawada	Ganga
13	Kailash Ghati Dam	Kailash Ghati	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga
14	Khargpur Lake Dam	Man	Munger	Munger	Ganga
15	Kohira Dam	Kohira	Bhabhua	Kaimur (Bhabua)	Ganga
16	Kolmahadeo Dam	Kolmahadev (Bhusari)	Nawada	Nawada	Ganga
17	Morwy Dam	Morwe	Lakhisarai	Lakhisarai	Ganga
18	Nagi Dam	Nagi	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga
19	Nakti (Bihar) Dam	Nakti	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga
20	Orhni Dam	Orni	Banka	Banka	Ganga
21	Phulwaria Dam	Tilaiya	Nawada	Nawada	Ganga
22	Sindhwarni Dam	Man	Munger	Munger	Ganga
23	Srikhandi Dam	Srikhandi	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga
24	Upper Kiul Dam	Kiul	Jamui	Jamui	Ganga

Space Research and Science Institutions of Bihar

Aryabhatta Centre for Astronomy and Space Science
Bihar has contributed significantly to ancient astronomy and mathematics.

Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserve Forests of Bihar

No.	Name	Type	Districts of Bihar	Established in	Size in km2
1	Barela Jheel Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Vaishali	1997	1.96
2	Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Munger	1976	681.99
3	Gautam Budha Wildlife Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Gaya	1976	259.48
4	Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Kaimur and Rohtas	1979	1505
5	Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Begusarai	1987	67.5
6	Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Jamui	1987	7.91
7	Nakti Dam Bird Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Jamui	1987	3.32
8	Pant Wildlife Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Rajgir, Nalanda	1978	35.84
9	Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park	Zoo and Botanic Garden	Patna	1969	0.619
10	Udaypur Wildlife Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Champaran	1978	8.74
11	Valmiki National Park	National Park	West Champaran	1989	335.65
12	Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	West Champaran	1976	880.78
13	Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary	Wildlife Sanctuary	Bhagalpur	1990	60 km

UNESCO Heritage Sites of Bihar

Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya
Nalanda Mahavihara

Festivals of Bihar

Chhath Puja
Sama Chakeva
Sonepur Cattle Fair
Makar Sankranti
Holi
Diwali
Ram Navami

Historical Places of Bihar

Nalanda: World's oldest residential university and global hub for ancient Buddhist philosophy.
Bodh Gaya: Holiest Buddhist site where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.
Rajgir: First Magadha Empire capital that hosted the historic First Buddhist Council.
Vaishali: World's first democratic republic and the birthplace of Jainism's Lord Mahavira.
Patliputra: Capital of Maurya/Gupta empires and the centre of ancient Indian geopolitics.
Sasaram: Features Sher Shah Suri's magnificent lake tomb, an Indo-Islamic masterpiece.
Vikramashila: Premier Pala-era university that was major centre for Vajrayana Buddhist studies.
Pawapuri: Sacred Jain site where Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana.
Barabar Caves: India's oldest rock-cut caves and famous for polished Maurya architecture.
Munger: Historic capital of Mir Qasim that features a massive anti-British fort.

Tourist Places of Bihar

Religious and Historical Tourism

Bodh Gaya
Nalanda
Rajgir
Vaishali
Pawapuri

Nature and Wildlife Tourism

Valmiki National Park
Kakolat Waterfall
Bhimbandh

First Governor of Bihar

Jayaramdas Daulatram

First Chief Minister of Bihar

Shri Krishna Singh

Great Personalities of Bihar

Freedom Fighters

Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Kunwar Singh
Jayaprakash Narayan

Writers and Scholars

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
Phanishwar Nath Renu
Vidyapati

Sports Personalities

Shreyasi Singh
Manoj Kumar
Neetu Kumari

Conclusion

Bihar is a land of immense historical, cultural and spiritual importance. From the rise of ancient empires to the spread of Buddhism and Jainism, Bihar has contributed enormously to Indian civilization. Its fertile lands, rich traditions, educational legacy and vibrant festivals make it one of the most unique states of India.

For competitive exam aspirants, Bihar is an important topic from the perspective of geography, history, politics, economy, culture and current affairs. Understanding Bihar thoroughly can help students score better in state-level and national-level examinations.

Traditional GK

The Land of Ancient Civilizations and Modern Aspirations