Bihari culture

Architecture of Bihar

Sher Shah Suri Tomb

The first significant architectural pieces in Bihar date back to the

. Remains of an 80-pillared hall have also been unearthed.

The Buddhist

Temples—built on elliptical, circular, quadrilateral, or

Important features of the architecture during this period included walled and moated cities with large gates and multi-storied buildings, which consistently used arched windows and doors. . The Indian emperor Ashoka, who ruled from 273 BCE to 232 BCE, established a chain of hospitals throughout the Mauryan empire by 230 BCE.[29] One of the edicts of Ashoka reads: "Everywhere, King Piyadasi (Ashoka) erected two kinds of hospitals, hospitals for people and hospitals for animals. Where there were no healing herbs for people and animals, he ordered that they be bought and planted."^[30]

Buddhist architecture blended with

Rock-cut stepwells in India date from 200 to 400 CE.^[32] Subsequently, the wells at Dhank (550–625 CE) and the stepped ponds at Bhinmal (850–950 CE) were constructed.^[32]

Bihar was largely in ruins when visited by Xuanzang, and suffered further damage at the hands of Mughal raiders in the 12th century.^[33] Though parts of the Bihar have been excavated, much of its ancient architecture still lies buried beneath the modern city.

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Indo-Saracenic

Architectures.

Strips or cane reeds painted in vivid colours are commonly found in homes of the people of Bihar. A special container called a "pauti," woven out of

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Cuisine

, called the Karthik Chhath. The Karthik Chhath is more popular because winters are the usual festive season in northern India, and fasting without water for around 42 hours or more, as required for worshipers during Chhath Puja, is easier to do in the Indian winters.

In Chhath prayers are offered to Sun God, known as Surya.^[43] Wherever people from Bihar have migrated, they have taken with them the tradition of Chhath. During chhath worshiper do ritual bathing that follows a period of abstinence and segregation from their main household for four days.^[43] On the eve of Chhath, houses and their surroundings are scrupulously cleaned. Further, 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 main god worshiped is Aditya the sun god with his wife Ushas the evening dusk goddess and Kiran the dawn goddess and Aditi the mother of Gods, the occasion generally resembles a carnival.^[43] For several days, ritual renditions of regional folk songs are sung. These folk songs have been carried on through oral transmission from mothers and mothers-in-law to daughters and daughters-in-law for generations. It is one of the oldest festivals continuously celebrated since the time of vedic period.

Durga Puja

) is presented to Goddess Durga. The idols of goddess Durga are immersed in water (also, known as visarjan) on Dashmi or the Day after Dashmi. The visarjan of "Bari Devi ji" and "Choti Devi ji" in Patna and visarjan of "Bari Durga Maharani ji," "Choti Durga ji", "Bari Kali ji", and "Choti Kali ji" in Munger and Jamalpur holds a grand procession.

Saraswati Puja

Saraswati Puja