Bihar: Art & Culture

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Architecture

●​ Mauryan Period – Rajprasad, pillars, stupas, Viharas & Chaitya.

✓Chandragupta Maurya’s Rajprasad – Kumhrar (Patna), 80 pillars, stone, wood

✓Ashoka – Monolithic pillars (Lauria Nandangarh in West Champaran, Lauria Areraj in

East Champaran, Rampurwa in East Champaran, Basarh in Vaishali), Chunar
sandstone, animal figures, inverted lotus

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✓Barabar, Nagarjuna hills – By Ashoka & grandson Dasrath built Caves (Ajivika sect),
shiny polish

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✓Patna – Maurya statues, Yaksha statue in brown sandstone, naked Jain Tirthankara
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statues (Lohanipur), Kayotsarga posture; Didarganj Yakshi/Streeratna – Brown
sandstone, Patna
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●​ Gupta Period- Mahabodhi Temple (Gaya), Nalanda University by Kumargupta & 7.5 feet
statue of Buddha at Sultanganj(Bhagalpur)
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●​ Pala Period – Stone & Bronze; Odantpuri, Vikramshila University by Dharmapal (brick,
courtyard, monks’ rooms); Vishnupad Temple (Gaya); Sculptors Dhiman (During
Dharmapal), Vitphal (During Devpal); Bronze statue of Devapal from Nalanda, Wall
paintings from Sarai Sthal (Nalanda), Kukrihar (Gaya); black basalt statues of Buddhism
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& Jainism (Munger)

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●​ Medieval –
○​ Malik Ibrahim Tomb (Bihar Sharif, 1353, Tughlaq style)
○​ Tomb of Sher Shah (Sasaram, 1545, Afghan style, octagonal)
○​ Tomb of Hasan Khan & Islam Shah (Sasaram)
○​ Tomb of Shah Daulat (Maner, 1617, Mughal, Ibrahim Khan Kakar, Jahangir era,
red sandstone)
●​ European – Patna Museum, Sultan Palace (Indo-Islamic)

✓Patna Collectorate, Patna College Bhawan, Bankipur Church, Padri ki Haveli (Gothic
style, influenced by Holland style);

✓Patna Raj Bhawan, Patna Secretariat, High Court (European Renaissance style);

✓Golghar (dome art).

Painting
 ●​ Madhubani/Mithila Painting – Mithila women, wall & Aripan/soil, Religious and
botanical paintings based on natural colors (Gosain ghar & Kohbar Paintings); 10
thousand square feet painting at Madhubani railway station; A museum at Tokamachi
(Japan); Artists- Seeta, Kaushalya, Shanti, Asha, Heera, Ganga Devi; Padma Shree to
Subhadra Devi in 2023
●​ Patna Kalam (Indo-British)– Male Painting mainly, 18th century, Mughal+British+local
style, miniature, paper & ivory, common life, festivals, animals; Ishwari Prasad as last
painter; Painters- Sevak Ram (First Painter), Yamuna Prasad (Begum ki Sharabkhori),
Shiv lal (Muslim Niqah), Madholal (Ragini), Mahadev (Gandhari), Hulas lal (Birds &
trees) Dacho Bibi, Sona Bibi
●​ Manjusha Painting – Bhagalpur (Anga region); wood, jute, bamboo, paper; sequential
chain story, based on love story of Bihula-Vishhari; only pink, green & yellow colour;
Painters- Nirmala devi, Chakraborty devi; GI tag in 2021
●​ Samjhi Art: Around Patna & Braj region of UP.

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●​ Jadopatia Painting – Santhal tribes, cloth/paper, customs & beliefs

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●​ Thangka Painting – Buddhist-Tibetan word (wrap art), Buddha’s life, Indian+Tibetan
culture mixed

Music
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●​ Jantasari (women while using chakki/janta), Nachari (Lord Shiva, collection of
Vidyapati), Sohar (child birth), Firangiya (patriotism, freedom), Batohia (patriotism, Shri
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Raghubeer Narayan).
●​ Chaita (Chait), Phag (Holi-Phalgun), Kajri (Saavan), Barahmasa (features of 12
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months),
●​ Sumangali/Lagani (on marriage by women), Purabi (separated women describe their
condition)
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Folk Dance & Drama

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●​ Dances – Kariya Jhumar (Mithila women in group), Dhobiya (Bhojpur, Marriage),

Jhijhiya (lamp in pot with hole on head, rural girls on Durga puja), Launda (men
dressed as women), Jogida (Holi), Jharni (on Muharram), Vidyapati dance (Mithila
especially Purnia), Kathghorwa (West & East Champaran on auspicious occasions),
Chhau (War, Sringar ras, Make dancers), Pawariya (Child birth), Kholdin (Auspicious
occasions), Karma (Munda & Oraon tribe in Banka & West Champaran, Agriculture)
●​ Drama – Jat-Jatin (married life quarrel), Bhakuli Banka (with Jat-Jatin) Videshiya (A
form of Launda dance- men as women, Bhikhari Thakur) Sama Chakeva (Kartik,
brother-sister), Domkach (by women after groom leaves to bride house, humor),
Kirnatiya (Krishna life)

Festivals

●​ Guru Govind Singh Jayanti (Patna), Mahavir Jayanti (Chaitra), Buddha Jayanti
(Vaishakh Purnima)
 ●​ Govardhan Puja (Animals worship, Next day of Diwali), Chhath Puja (most important,
sun-water worship, Kartik),
●​ Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja), Ramnavami (Lord Rama), Holi (Phalguni full
moon)
●​ Janmashtami (Krishna), Vijayadashami (Ravana effigy), Deepawali (Ayodhya return),
●​ Shivratri (Shiva-Parvati marriage), Rakshabandhan (Shravan full moon), Teej (married
women fast)

Fairs

●​ Kartik Purnima Mela (Sonepur, Ganga Snan, Harihar Nath worship)

●​ Harihar Kshetra/Sonepur Mela (Sonepur, Gandak river, Asia’s largest cattle fair,
Oct-Nov)
●​ Saurath Mela (Madhubani, father chooses groom for daughter, Group Marriages)

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●​ Baunsi & Mandar Mela (Banka, Makar Sankranti)

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●​ Vaishali Mela (Chaitra, where Mahavira born)
●​ Mandar Mela (Banka, Makar Sankranti)
●​ Malmas/Makar Mela (Rajgir, hot springs)

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●​ Janaki Mela (Chaitra, Sitamarhi, Sita Mata)
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●​ Pitri Paksha Mela (Gaya, Hindu Pinddaan, Falgu river, since Buddha time)
●​ Siddheswar Mela (Madhepura, Shivratri)
●​ Hardi & Turki Mela (Muzaffarpur, Shivratri)
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●​ Vivah Panchami Mela (Sitamarhi, Ram-Sita marriage)

●​ Book Fair (Patna Gandhi Maidan)
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●​ Simariya Mela (Simariya Ghat, Begusarai.

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