| Bihar Culture |
| Religion Hinduism is practiced by 83% of the population and is the majority religion in the state. Islam is practiced by 16.5% of the population, and other religions less than 0.5%. In rural Bihar, religion is the main component of popular culture. Shrines are located everywhere and religious symbols or images of deities can be found in the most obscure or the most public places. From the dashboard of a dilapidated taxi to the plush office of a top executive, holy symbols or idols have their place. Language Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state but the majority of the people speak one of the Bihari languages, Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili or Angika. Bihari languages were once mistakenly thought to be dialects of Hindi, but have been more recently shown to be descendants of the language of the erstwhile Magadha kingdom, Magadhi Prakrit. The number of speakers of Bihari languages are difficult to indicate because of unreliable sources. In the urban region most educated people name Hindi as their language because this is what they use in formal contexts and believe it to be the appropriate response because of unawareness. Despite of the large number of speakers of Bihari languages they have not been constitutionally recognized in India. The languages were legally absorbed under the subordinate label of HINDI in 1961. Such state and national politics are creating conditions for language endangerment. Arts and crafts Madhubani painting is a style of Indian painting practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas. Madhubani painting mostly depict nature and Hindu religious motifs, and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon are also widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no space is left empty. Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that was passed down from generation to generation in the families of the Mithila Region, mainly by women. The painting was usually done during festivals, religious events, and other milestones of the life-cycle such as birth, Upanayanam (Sacred thread ceremony), and marriage. The weavers of Bihar have been practicing their trade for centuries. Among their products in common use are the cotton dhurries and curtains. These colourful sheets have motifs of Buddhist artifacts, pictures of birds, animals, and flowers. Bhagalpur is well known for its manufacture of silk yarn. Music Bihar has a very old tradition of beautiful folk songs, sung during important family occasions such as marriage, birth ceremonies and festivals. They are sung mainly in group settings with the help of many musical instruments. Bihar also has a tradition of lively Holi songs known as 'Phagua'. During the 19th century, when the condition of Bihar worsened under British misrule, many Biharis had to migrate as to West Indian islands such as Fiji and Mauritius. During this time many sad plays and songs called biraha became very popular, in the Bhojpur area. |
Festivals Chhath, also called Dala Chhath, is an ancient and major festival in Bihar. It is celebrated twice a year, once in the summer (called the Chaiti Chhath) and once around a week after Deepawali (called the Kartik Chhath). The latter is more popular because winters are the usual festive season in North India. Also Chhath is an arduous observance, requiring the worshippers to fast without water for more than 24 hours and is easier to do in the Indian winters. Chhath is the worship of the Sun God. On the eve of Chhath, houses are scrupulously cleaned and so are the surroundings. The ritual bathing and worship of the Sun God is performed twice, once in the evening and once at dawn, usually on the banks of a flowing river, or a common large water body. The occasion is almost a carnival. Besides the worshippers, usually women who are mostly the main ladies of the household, there are numerous participants and onlookers, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshiper. Ritual rendition of regional folk songs are sung for several days on the go. The month long Shravani Mela is held along a 108 km route linking the towns of Sultanganj and Deoghar. It is organised every year in the Hindu month of Shravan, that is the lunar month of July-August. Pilgrims, known as Kanwarias, wear saffron coloured clothes and collect water from a sacred Ghat at Sultanganj, walking the 108 km stretch barefooted to the town of Deoghar to bathe a sacred Shiva-Linga. The observance draws thousands of people to the town of Deoghar from all over India. |
