Golghar - Trademark Of Patna

Golghar, is located to the west of the Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

Captain John Garstin got this Silo built for the purpose of storing grains for the British armyafter the devastating famine of 1770.The storing capacity of Golgahr is 140000 tons and its construction was completed on 20th July 1786. At that time, India was under the British Raj. It has a foundation of 125m, and a height of 29m. It is pillarless with the wall of 3.6m width at the bottom. One can climb atop the Golghar through the 145 steps of its winding stairway around the monument. The top of the Golghar presents a wonderful view of the city and the Ganga flowing nearby. At time of its construction, it was the tallest building in Patna.
One interesting fact about Golghar is that it has never been filled to its maximum capacity and there are no plans in future as well. The reason for this is an obvious fact.Due to the oversight during its design the doors were designed to open inside. Thus, if it is filled to its maximum capacity, then the doors will not open.

Places to see

• Buddhist sites - Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali, Bhagalpur , Vikramshila ,Sultanganj.
• Jain sites - Vaishali and Pawapuri, Bhagalpur.
• Sikh sites - Gurdwaras, Patna City, the birth place of Guru Gobind Singh.
• Hindu sites - Sultanganj(Bhagalpur), Vishnupad Temple at Gaya, Konch Shiva Temple, Tara Mandir at Mahisi, Patan Devi at Patna, Mahavir Temple at Patna, Mundesvari at Bhabua, Sun Temple at Deo, near Aurangabad, Varah Temple at Harihar Kshetra, Shiv Temple at Singhesarsthan(Madhepura), Thawe Ma durga temple (gopalganj) Gopalmandir, Bahraua siv Hathwa (gopalganj).Aranya Devi temple [Ara],Gadhdevi Ma [Madhauda, Saran], Ambika Bhawani [Aami, Saran] and Janki Mandir in Sitamarhi.
• Muslim sites - Bihar-E-Sharif, [Sultanganj], Bhagalpur.
• Historic sites - The landscape is dotted with historic sites. Important ones are Patna, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali, Pawapuri,Chapra Chirand, a site famous for remnants of Neolithic phase of civilization Champaran, and Sasaram Hathwa(gopalganj).
• Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan, Patna.
• The Jamalpur Workshop, established on 8th. February,1862, enjoys the distinction of being the oldest and the largest Locomotive workshop in India.
  

Tokyo meet to showcase Bihar glory

PATNA: The glory of ancient Bihar will be showcased during a three-day meet on Indian tourism conference at Tokyo, commencing from September 12. For the first time, Bihar government has brought out a glossy colour book on Buddhist circuit in Japanese to attract them to visit Bihar. Japan's contribution to Bihar has been immense in recent years.

Besides the construction of two Vishwa Shanti Stupas at Rajgir and Vaishali, Japan has already offered a grant to the tune of Rs 5,600 crore for infrastructure development of Buddhist circuit in Bihar. Japan has also shown keen interest in setting up the proposed international university at Nalanda. Two-member Bihar delegation, led by tourism minister Nand Kishore Yadav, will be leaving for Tokyo on Monday. The meet on Indian tourism is being jointly organised by the Union ministry of tourism, Ficci, Japan Chamber of Commerce and tour and travel associations of Japan. Before leaving for Tokyo, state tourism secretary Anjani K Singh told TOI: "for the first time, we are carrying 100 copies of a book on Buddhist circuit to Tokyo for its free distribution during our interactive session with various Japanese groups. This time, we do not have to face any language barrier." The photographs of Lord Buddha, Vaishali and Vishwa Shanti Stupas are printed on the cover page of the book. Singh said : "We have also made a 15-minute documentary on Buddha Mahotsva in Japanese language. This 15-minute film would depict the the annual Buddha festivals in Bodh Gaya to attract more Japanese tourists." Singh will also make an half-an hour video presentation at the conference in which he will talk about the major tourist and ancient sites of Bihar with Japanese sub-titles. "We have also decided to gift Madhubani paintings to some important Japanese dignitaries during our meet," he said. "We will have separate meetings with tour and travel operators in which we will talk about the changes taking place in Bihar to attract Buddhist pilgrims," Singh said. Interestingly, Japan has already offered a grant to the tune of Rs 5,600 crore for infrastructure development of Buddhist circuit in Bihar. These include landscaping, solid waste management and improvement of existing drains and electrification. The Rs 5,600-crore grant has been offered by the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) which will also fund construction of four-lane roads as part of the infrastructure development in the state's Buddhist circuit. A total 481.20-km stretch of roads will be covered under the project. On previous occasion, JBIC had also extended financial assistance in developing basic facilities like drinking water, electricity and sewerage system at Nalanda, Vaishali, Rajgir, Kesariya, Areraj and Mangalgarh. The first Vishwa Shanti Stupa was erected on the top of the Ratnagiri hill at Rajgir (1965-69) with financial assistance from Fuji Guruji. The second stupa in Bihar is located in Vaishali.

(Source:www.timesofindia.com)

Another Bihari Talent In Bollywood

PATNA: Yet another young and talented Bihari, Manish Tiwary, has made it to Bollywood as a modern genre filmmaker. Manish, 34, son of a famous radiologist of Muzaffarpur Dr Bibhuti Tiwary, has directed his first feature film "Dil Dosti Etc" slated for all-India release on September 28.
"What does an 18-year-old guy in college really want? 'Dil Dosti Etc' is a fresh, unabashed, no-hold-barred look at how young men of today think and choose to live their life," Manish told TOI on phone from Mumbai. The two-hour feature film explores varied nature of friendship, male bonding, voyeurism, sexual perversion and love. "It delves into the lives of a seemingly dysfunctional generation indulging in pleasure which is often construed to be aimless," he said. Manish still fondly recalls his early days spent at Juran Chhapra locality of Muzaffarpur. "I am a Bihari", he proudly says.
After completing schooling from Sainik School, Tilaiya, he went to Hindu College, Delhi, to do his graduation in zoology. "After doing my post-graduation in environmental sciences from JNU, I went abroad to pursue higher studies from various universities like Leicester University (UK), Cambridge (UK), Yale (US) and Tokyo (Japan). I have worked with the United Nations in Rome, Nepal and India. I was also in-charge of the Cine Society during my three-year stay at Cambridge," Manish said, adding that he has already produced and directed two documentaries and five short films which were shown at International film festivals." "This is when I decided to switch over to full-time filmmaking. I took a long sabbatical and came to Delhi to write the script with Pawan Sony, for the film-Dil Dosti Etc," he said. Manish, has also promoted few Bihari artists like Dinesh Kumar who has passed out from Delhi's National School of Drama in the film. Naseeruddin Shah's son Imaad Shah, is the lead actor in the film besides Shreyas Talpade, Smriti Mishra, Nikita Anand and Ishita Sharma. Smriti Mishra plays Vaishali, a sex-worker in Delhi. "The film is set around the lifestyle of students in DU. Through two university hostellers, Apurv, a rich cosmopolitan guy, and Sanjay, an old-fashioned Bihari, the film juxtaposes the new and old in our society," Manish said. The three female leads — a prostitute, a school girl and a rich model — are depicted not only as love interests of heroes but also to have the viewers chart a range of emotions. This film uses a rich ensemble of characters, stories and themes to reflect the mood of urban India, he said.
(source:www.timesofindia.com)

Bihar girl does India proud in London

SHINING EXAMPLE: Gudiya Khatun, a 16-year-old girl from Gaya district of Bihar, who represents India in the UNICEF Global Event in London.

NEW DELHI: When the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) executive director Ann Venemam launched the State of the World's Children 2006 report in London on Wednesday, one of the two children who were with her was Gudiya Khatun, a 14-year-old girl from a remote village of Gaya district in Bihar. She had been invited as a "shining example" to the world of how education empowers individuals to break out of adversity and exclusion, and enables them to play a positive role in their personal and social lives.
Eldest of the six children, Gudiya's biggest battle in life has been to get education. With girls in her impoverished community excluded from a formal education and with her father not earning, she has had to overcome many obstacles in her quest for learning. But a few visits to an informal learning centre supported by UNICEF changed her life.
Gudiya's first hurdle was convincing her mother since her father was away in Mumbai in search of a living. She was expected to earn money and also help her mother in her daily chores. But she knew if she was ever to improve her family's situation, she had to do more than fetch water and work in the fields.
She got herself enrolled at a local education centre of the Mahila Shiksha Kendra run jointly by the Government and UNICEF that takes adolescent girls who have been denied education and gives them intensive instruction for up to nine months to get them into the school system. Gudiya now attends a regular school despite an 8-km walk each day. She has also joined karate classes at the school she know attends, and wants to become a karate instructor after her schooling.

Students study in a graveyard for better scores

Sherghati, Gaya: Students in Sherghati, a town in Bihar's Gaya district, have chosen a graveyard to study, believing that the spirits there will help them to score good marks in their examinations.
Sherghati is located 50 kilometres from the town of Gaya. A majority of the students here say that the peaceful environment of the graveyard motivates them to visit it often, and they add that their concentration levels have improved.
Noor Khan, a student of Standard Eleven, feels that his studying near the graveyard of the Muslim saint, Kamar Ali Sultan, has helped to improve his memory and retention power.
Khan says: "When there are holidays in school and college, we use to come and study here. As and when we come here and study, we grasp things very early, and we get good marks in our examinations. There is divine spirit in the graveyard that helps us in studying and scoring good marks in our exams."
Another student, Munawar Hasan said that his forefathers used to visit this place to study, and he was just following in their footsteps.
“We learn things well and quickly when we sit in the graveyard rather than sitting at any other place," Hasan said.
The Muslim cleric in charge of the graveyard said that the spirit of a saint was helping the students to score well in their examinations.
"Children used to come here and study. There brain works more when they study here without any tutoring," claimed Mohammad Inamul Haque.
(Source:biharandjharkhand.com)

Bihar legislator is now 'not an Indian citizen'

Patna, Sep 3 :It can only happen in Bihar. A Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) legislator has been found to be not a citizen of India but of Nepal, and her name struck off the voter list.
LJP legislator Nagina Devi's name was removed from the voter list on the orders of Sitamarhi Sub Divisional Officer Bharat Jha. She represents the Bathnaha constituency.
"Yes, her name was removed after she failed to produce any documentary evidence to prove her Indian citizenship," Jha said Friday.
Jha said he had ordered the removal of her name from the voters' list after receiving a letter from the chief electoral officer of Bihar. He had asked Nagina Devi to explain how her name had figured in the list.
In her explanation, Nagina Devi said she was born in 1958 at her grandmother's house at Bhagwanpur village in Bathnaha block in Sitamarhi district and on the basis of her birth she was a citizen of India. But Jha rejected her claims in the absence of any documentary proof showing she was born in Bathnaha.
A few months ago, the home ministry had said in its report that Nagina Devi was not an Indian citizen. Only an Indian citizen can contest elections in the country.
"The home ministry report was based on facts provided by Sitamarhi district magistrate Suman Kumar following a complaint by a political activist," official sources said.
According to the home ministry report, Nagina Devi had married an Indian national, but she cannot be treated as an Indian citizen on the basis of her marriage.
The home ministry report had asked the state home department to take up the issue and act as per law.
The district magistrate in his inquiry report to the home ministry said there was no evidence of Nagina Devi's Indian citizenship and she has failed to provide any documentary proof in her support. It was also reported that she had changed her name in the voter list from time to time.
In 1995 her name figured as Nagina Devi in the list, but in the earlier list she was identified as Manorama Devi.
When asked about the legislator, Bihar Home Secretary Afzaql Amanullah said: "It is for the union home ministry to decide whether Nagina Devi is a citizen of India or not. If she is a citizen of Nepal and got elected by producing a fake affidavit the state government will take action as per the directive of the central government."
Amanullah told IANS that the issue of granting citizenship lies with the union home ministry; "it is not in our hands".
The controversy came to light last year when a lawyer challenged Nagina's election on the ground that she was a Nepalese. The local court then directed the Sitamarhi district magistrate and the home ministry to submit a report on the matter.
The home ministry, in its letter dated May 15, had observed that under Section 5 of the Indian Citizenship Act, just being married to an Indian did not naturally qualify someone to become an Indian citizen.
(Source:bihartimes)

Timeline Of Bihar

560-480 BCE : Anga, Buddha
Before 500 BCE : Foundation of world's first republic in Vaishali.
450-362 BCE : Mahapadma Nanda
Before 325 BCE : Anga, Nanda clan in Magadha, Licchavis in Vaishali
325-185 BCE : Maurya Dynasty
250 BCE : 3rd Buddhist Council
185 BCE-80 CE : Sunga Dynasty
80 - 240 : Regional kings
240 - 600 : Gupta Dynasty
600 - 650 : Harsha Vardhana
750 - 1200 : Pala Dynasty
1200 : Bakhtiyar Khilji's army, destroys the universities at Nalanda and Vikramshila
1200-1250 : Decline of Buddhism
1250-1526 : Ruled by Delhi Sultanate (Muslim Turks - Tughluqs, Sayyids, Lodis)
1526-1540 : Babur defeats last Delhi sultan, establishes Mughal Empire
1540-1555 : Suri dynasty captures empire from Mughals
1556-1757 : Mughal dynasty resumes
1666 : Guru Gobind Singh (Born in Patna, Bihar, India]
1757-1857 : British East India Company rule
1857 : Revolt of 1857
1857-1947 : British Raj rule
1912 : Province of Bihar & Orissa separated from Bengal
1935 : Bihar and Orissa become separate provinces
1947 : Indian Independence; Bihar becomes a state
2000 : Bihar divided into two states - north part remains "Bihar", southern becomes Jharkhand

Bihar : An Introduction

The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit vihāra, meaning "abode(Any address at which you dwell more than temporarily)". The region roughly encompassing the present state was filled with Buddhist vihāra, which were the abodes of Buddhist monks in the ancient and medieval periods.
In the ancient times Bihar was called Magadh and its capital was Patna, called Patliputra at that time. Patliputra was the epicenter of the first ever empire of India, the Nanda Dynasty and later the Mauryan Empire. The greatest ruler ever to originate from this empire was Ashoka. Bihar was always an important place of power, culture and education in the ancient times . The Vikramshila and Nalanda Universities, were among the oldest and best centers of education in ancient India.