ART & CULTURE

भीख नहीं अधिकार चाही , हमरा मिथिला राज्य चाही।

मिथिला राज्यक सपना अप्पन दिल में हम बच्चे सा संजोने छी। हमरा ता ई समझ नै आबैया मिथिला सा अतेक नेता भेलाह और पैघ स पैघ संबैधानिक पद पर रहितो कियो चिंता त दूर ध्यानो नहीं देलाह. हम नाम नहीं लेब अपने सब के बूझल ऐछ। अगर इतिहास पर नज़र डालब त मिथिला संग अतेक बेईमानी देखि क देह सिहरी जायत, अंग्रेज के जमाना में 1834 में मिथिला दू भाग में बटी गेलै…आजादी के बाद मिथिला में उद्योग धंधा बंद भय गेलै , लोग गरीब भ भोजन के तलाश में मिथिला स भागय लगलई ।आखिर एहन अन्याय मिथिला संग किया भेलै ??????

कनी सोचु त .............................आज़ादी स पहिले मिथिला विश्व में प्रसिद्द छल , आ आई आजादी के 60 साल बाद की भ गेलै… मिथिला बम लेल कहियो प्रसिद्ध नहीं भेल बुद्धि लेल प्रसिद्द ऐछ ...कहै छई एकर पैन आ माईट में की छै जे अतेक विद्वान पैदा होई छै ….पैन प्रचुर, उत्कृष्ट मानव संसाधन उत्कृष्ट भूमि संसाधन ...एकर बाबजूद हम गरीब छी । कनि सोचु त…. मिथिला में अतेक पैघ लोक भेलाह कियो अई पर ध्यान नहीं देलक, सब अपने पेट भरै में लागल रह्लाह …राजनितिक लोक के सबसे पहिने सोचै के चाही छलैन। मुदा कियो ध्यान नहीं देलाह। कतेको अपमान आ कष्ट सा मिथिला गुजर रहल ऐछ। ई सचमुच में बड्ड पैघ मुददा ऐछ। हमरे युवा सब के किछु करय पडत। हमरा ता पूरा विश्वास ईच्छ इ युवा पीढ़ीये किछु क सकैत ऐछ. राजनेता अगर किछु नै केलाह ता युवा वर्ग हुनका हिलाबई के सेहो क्षमता रखैत ऐछ.

हम एकटा बात स्पष्ट कही दी ....हम त अप्पन पिताजी श्री विनोद नारायण झा सकहलियैन पापा अहाँ भाजपा के बिहार प्रदेश के वरिष्ट नेता छी। बिहार विधान सभा में वरिष्ट सदस्य के अलावा अनुभवी और जानकार छी . एकटा बात अवश्य ध्यान राखव .. संबैधानिक पद पर जनता के बदौलत विधान सभा में मिथिलांचल स प्रतिनिधित्व क रहल छी …मान लौ अहाँ अप्पन क्षेत्र के लेल बहूत काज क रहल छी , मुदा एकर अलावा संपूर्ण मिथिला वासी अहाँ स बहूत उम्मीद आ आशा राखैत अछि। मिथिला राज्य आ मिथिलांचल के लेल किछु एहन काज करू जे संपूर्ण भारत में मिथिला उदीयमान के रूप में जानल जाय. और आबय वाला पीढ़ी अहांके काज के प्रसंशा करै।

मिथिला राज्य निर्माण के अलावा मिथिलांचल के मान, मिथिलांचल के सम्मान, मिथिलान्चल के मर्यादा, मिथिलांचल के गौरव, मिथिलांचल के अतीत, मिथिलांचल के धरोहर और मिथिलावासी लेल अप्पन योगदान जरूर राखव . आखिर मिथिला स प्रतिनिधित्व करइ के बडका सौभाग्य भेटल अछि और ओ कहला हम जरूर प्रयास करब.

जय मिथिला जय मैथिली।


अपनेक
विभय कुमार झा
07 अगस्त 2013.
www.VKJha.in

PAINTINGS

MADHUBANI PAINTINGS The art of Madhubani painting, is the traditional style developed in the Mithila region, in the villages around Madhubani, Bihar. Madhubani literally means a forest of honey. This style of painting has been traditionally done by the women of the region, though today men are also involved to meet the demand. The work is done on freshly plastered or a mud wall. For commercial purposes, the work is now being done on paper, cloth etc.
The paintings are basically of a religious nature. They are done in the special rooms in their homes (in the pooja room, ritual area, bridal room.), on the main village walls, etc., for ceremonial or ritualistic purpose. The women offer sincere prayers to the deity before starting the work.
Figures from nature & mythology are adapted to suit their style. The themes & designs widely painted are the worship of Hindu deities such as Krishna, Rama, Siva, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Sun and Moon, Tulasi plant, court scenes, wedding scenes, social happenings around them, etc. Floral, animal and bird motifs, geometrical designs are used to fill up all the gaps. There is hardly any empty space in this style. The skill is handed down the generations, and hence the traditional designs and patterns are widely maintained.
It is believed that King Janaka had asked for paintings to be developed for his daughter Sita's wedding।
Cotton wrapped around a bamboo stick forms the brush। The colours applied are prepared by the artists। Black colour is obtained by mixing soot with cow dung; yellow from turmeric or pollen or lime and the milk of banyan leaves; blue from indigo; red from the kusam flower juice or red sandalwood; green from the leaves of the wood apple tree; white from rice powder; orange from palasha flowers
The colours are applied flat with no shading। There is normally a double line drawn for the outlines, with the gap between the lines filled by cross or straight tiny lines. In the linear painting, no colours are applied. Only the outlines are drawn.

MADHUBANI AS TOURIST SPOT

Madhubani as Tourist spot

Madhubani is one of the famous town in Bihar state as well as in Mithilanchal zone, famous for Madhubani Paintings worldwide and these paintings are truly world class, show the hidden talent of people including tribals of the whole mithilanchal zone.
It is one of 7 districts of bihar which shares international border with NEPAL. 'Paan- Maachh- Makhaan' these are the special things which one can find everywhere in Mithila and in Madhubani . Paan is Betel leaves used for chewing mostly by elder people and in festivals. Maachh is fishes in Maithili (the language of mithilanchal). Plenty of fishes in varieties are available in small ponds and rivers. Makhaan also called makhana is name of 'fox nut'. Its very much useful fruit in festivals . It is used for eating in various ways.
Apart from this you can find very strong harmonious environment between hindu and muslim in this district.
Next time if you are planning to visit north india please visit Madhubani in Bihar .

Best Regards,

Vibhay Kumar Jha

BIHARI CULTURE

Dance and Music

Chhau Dance

The simple tribal people of Bihar express their creative joy through the Chhau dance, which was originally a war dance, preformed in order to perfect fighting techniques. It has, over the years, evolved into a narrative ballet.

Jat-Jatin Dance

Jat-Jatin Dance of the Mithila region is performed where one person performs the role of Jat (the husband) and Jatin (the wife) wearing masks and goes through the story of their life.

Bidesia

Bidesia is another form of dance drama that is extremely popular in the Bhojpuri-speaking region of Bihar.

Jhijhian Dance

When there is a total drought and there is not even a single drop of water anywhere; the lands are cracked and parched, the sky is lifeless without clouds and the people are awaiting rains - this is the time when the village women pray to Lord Indra for rain. They sing and dance to please the Lord of Rain with their deep devotion. Finally Lord Indra responds their worship and takes pain to pour heavy rainfalls. This is the message of the most eminent folk dance of Bihar.

Kajari Dance

Kajari is a song of rainy season. The popular melodious tune of Kajari songs produce a sweet sensation in body and it is heard from the very beginning of the Shravan month with the rhythmatic note of rain.

Sohar-Khilouna Dance

The foremost event in one’s life is his birth. The birth of a child is celebrated all over the country with different traditional rituals. In Bihar, ladies always sings Sohar on the occasion of birth ceremony of a child. They sometimes compare the child with Lord Rama, sometimes with Lord Krishana and so on. Sohar has its own distinctive dictions.

Holi Dance

Holi is a well known festival to the whole nation. We all know that the first day of the Hindu Calendar, that is, “Pratham Chairtra Mass” is the day of “Holi”. A colourful festival which conveys the massage for religious integration apart from any sort of bigotism. There is a typical style “Dhamar” of holi singing in our villages in which the villagers celebrate it in a form of group with full joy and dances with musical instruments like dholak, jhal-manjeera, etc.

Jumari Dance

Specialized to the married women, it is a folk dance of Mithilanchal of Bihar.

Harvest Dance

Bihar is an agriculture based State. In the harvesting season, male and female villagers do their work with dance and song in the field. Their happiness and joy is the symbol of good crop.

Vidyapati Songs

The region of Mithilanchal is famous for the songs of Vidyapati those can be heard even now in the evenings from several homes in the region. Bhojpuri folksongs are popular in Bihar and second to none when it comes to beats and rhythm.

Arts of Bihar

Madhubani Painting

One of the art forms of Bihar, the Madhubani School of Painting, has lately received much attention and poularity. Madhubani, in the heart of the Mithila region, had a rich tradition of wall paintings done by the village women with vegetable dyes. An artist encouraged them to try their wall paintings on paper and since then Mithila paintings gained ground. These line paintings in primary colors normally depict village scenes, human and animal forms, gods and goddesses.

Patna Qalam

Patna Qalam is a very popular School of Painting of Bihar. This offshoot of the well-known Mughal Miniature School of Painting flourished in Bihar during early 18th to mid 20th century. With the decline of the Mughals, the Delhi artists migrated to Murshidabad. Some of them came to Patna and practiced their craft following a style that gradually came to be known as the Patna Qalam. The style is famous for its soft colors and the use of hand made paper or mica sheets. Most of these paintings depict the life of the people of Bihar.

Crafts of Bihar

Sujini and Khatwa Embroidery

The sujini is a traditional quilt made in Bihar. For the inner stuffing old clothes are used and threads drawn from the saree border are used for the embriodery. The embroidery is done in running stitch in a scale pattern and depicts village scenes such as bride in palanquin, peacocks dancing, boy flying kite, etc. Durga is sombre brown, ochre and black is another favourite imagery. The applique work of Bihar is called "Khatwa" and is used to craft decorative tents, canopies, shamianas, etc. The applique designs for tents are Persian type trees, flowers, animals, birds, etc. For canopies the whole design with circular central motif is cut out of a single cloth.

Wood Inlay

Wood Inlay is one of Bihar's ancient industries. The inlay continues to be done with different materials, metal, ivory and stag-horn. Apart from decorative pieces like wall hangings, table tops, trays, and a number of utility articles are also ornamented with inlay work. Patna also manufactures articles in diaper work utilizing waste pieces of wood. Marvellous pieces of trays, boxes and other articles for household use are produced using this craft. The designs are mostly geometrical but very fine and colourful.

Lacquerware

In Bihar lac has been gathered and used for ages. The vermilion container called sindurdan used in marriages in Bihar is made by a whole community called laheris. the boxes are decorated with the prescribed motifs of fish, chakra and peacock which have a moving rythmic quality. One of the oldest items seems to be a round conical box, in which the bride's parents present her with a nose ring at the marriage that has exciting symbols of fertility and longevity engraved on its red body. Other equally colourful and ornamental articles are chapati boxes and dry fruit containers.

Stonecraft

Bihar's rich heritage of stonecraft is evident from the ancient sculptures of the Mauryan period, prominent amongst which is the famous Asoka pillar at Sarnath. The most noted stoneware centre of Bihar is Patharkatti in Gaya district. this area abounds in the less expensive blue black pot stone from which images and household articles like the pestle, the mortar kharal (medicine grinder) are made. Buddhist icons are a speciality. Chandil and Karaikalla in Singhbum district and Dumka in Santhal parganas work in beautifully grained greenish black soapstone.

Glassware

Patna has had a fine tradition of glassware, mostly tableware, and this was amongst the popular items exported abroad in large quantities. This craft seemed to have declined with time. However, the state has revived glassware in another form. Glass objects are now decorated in the tikuli technique. Traditional pictures like those made on the walls of the houses, highly deorative and attractive, are made on glass with gold or silver pieces to fill up the entire picture. A number of utility articles are made in this style such as wall decorations, boxes, trays, table tops, mats, etc.

Masks

The chou dance of Seraikala in Bihar is highly sophisticated and uses masks. Though the dance originated in the middle ages, the masks seem to have gained a sophisticated look over the years. Today the are not only very stylish but also equally dainty.

The papier-mâché masks of Bihar are impregnated with inarticulated meaning. Traditionally only those people who were dancers were permitted to make the masks. Originally they were made of wood, later of bamboo, then pumpkin shells and now papier-mâché.

Printed Textiles

In Bihar, printing is done on cotton, wool and silk. Places like Bhagalpur, Bihar Sharif, Darbhanga, saran and Patna are well known for this craft. Gaya, being a famous place of pilgrimage has the religious textiles with the names or footprints of deities printed all over in ochre or red. The chunris of Bihar deserve special mention. One sees a whole panorama of designs in these chunris ranging from traditional to floral and animal forms. There is a small printing sector in North Bihar at Sursand where only mica (khari) printing is done. Bright colours are used and largely dots and stars strewn all over form the designs.

Carpets

Obra in Bihar has a hoary tradition in carpet weaving dating back to the Buddhist and Mauryan era when high class floor coverings used to be woven here. But the pile carpet as we know it took birth only about 300 years ago and flourished because of royal patronage offered to carpet weaving. Though it still continues to produce the old designs based on the Indo-Persian style, it is on the decline, and having got isolated from Gaya-Sasram it produces a rougher variety in the usual floral and geometrical patterns.

BIHAR - PAWAPURI

Pawapuri, or Apapuri, 31 kilometers from Rajgir and 87 kilometers from Patna, all sins end for a devout Jain. Lord Mahavira, the final Tirthankar and founder of Jainism, breathed his last at this place, and was cremated here around 500 B.C. It is said that the demand for his ashes was so great that a large amount of soil was removed from around the funeral pyre, creating the water tank. A marble temple, the “Jalmandir”, was later built in the middle of the tank, and is now a major pilgrimage spot for Jains. Another Jain temple called Samosharan is located here.

BIHAR - PAWAPURI

Location: Pawapuri or Pavapuri also called Apapuri is a prominent Sidha Ksetra JainaTirtha situated 8 kms from Bihar Sarif and 31 kilometres from Rajgir. By road it is 87 kilometres from Patna. It is located on Bahktiapur Rajgir railway line.

Buses and taxies also run from Rajgir to Pawapri.

During ancient times about 2600 year ago, Pawapuri was the part of Magadha Kingdom and was called "Madyama Pawa" or "Apawapuri", Ajatshatru, the son of King Shrenik who was one of the greatest disciples of Lord Mahavira was the King of Magadh during the lifetime of Mahavir. During the reign of Ajatshatru King Hastipal was the King of Pawapuri.

When Lord Mahavira came to Pawapuri he stayed in King Hastipal's "Rajikshala".

Jal mandir is a temple in the middle of a lake

blooming with lotuses. The main deity of the temple

is a very old "Charan Paduka" of Lord Mahavira.

Having attained omniscience (Kevala- nana) on the bank of Rju-kula and afterpreaching the principle of Jainism through his divine voice (divya-dhvani), Lord Mahavira toured

over different areas of the country and propounded the religious doctrines. Afterwards he reached Pavapuri and seated himself on a clan or pure slab of stone in a park studded with many ponds. He did not move out for two days; and plunged in pure meditation (sukla- dhyana).

He quitted the mortal coil and became a Siddha in the last quarter of the night of the 14th day of the black half of the month of Kartika. There are five main temples in Pawapuri - the Jal Mandir, the Gaon Mandir, the Samosaran, the New Samosaran and another temple built by Bibi Mehetab Kumari. Apart from these temples thereis a Digambar Jain Mandir near Jal mandir.

The Gaon mandir or the village temple marks the spot where

Lord Mahavira breathed his last. It is said that this temple was built by King Nandivardhan, elder brother of Lord Mahavira.

Jal mandir is a temple in the middle of a lake blooming with lotuses. The main deity of the beautiful temple is a very old "Charan Paduka" of Lord Mahavira. It marks the spot where the mortal remains of Lord Mahavira was cremated.

It is believed that this temple was built by King Nandivardhan, elder brother of Lord Mahavira. Jal Mandir is built in the shape of "Vimana" and there is a stone bridge about 600 feet in length

across it from the bank to the temple.Lord Mahavira attained nirvana in a park, near Pavapuri, round about which there were many pounds or lakes. At present the site of the nirvana of Mahavira is accepted near Bihar-Sherif where a magnificent

Jaina temple stands in the centre of a big lake. This is accepted as the tirtha-ksetra on all hands.Both the sects, Digambra and Svetambra, have voluntarily accepted this place as the spot of the nirvana of Mahavira. A marble temple, the Jalmandir, was later built in the middle of the tank, where Lord.

Mahavira attained salvation. Another beautiful Jain temple of white marble called Samosharan is located at this place. Bhagwawan Mahavira had delivered his sermon here.

The best time time to visit Pawapuri is between October and March.

Accomodation:

There are 5 Jain temples and two Dharamshalas having provision for staying up to 2500 persons

In new Samosaran temple of Swetamber accommodations is available with all facilities. In the city

temple there is a good Bhojanshala, Near Digamber temple there is also a Digamber dharamshala

with all facilities and a good Bhojanshala .

BIHAR RELIGION

Religion:-

Bihar is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and it observes Sikhism, Christianity, and Islam. Religion is a way of life here. A typical Bihari household would begin the day with religious devotion. The blowing of a conch shell heralds the dawn of a new day while somewhere in the distance; a Hindu priest intones the ancient incantations. The low-pitched chanting of a Buddhist monk or the tolling of a church bell reminds people to pay their salutations to god. In Bihar, every aspect of life is suffused with religious significance and its manifestations abound in every corner of the state. While shrines are located everywhere - at the foot of trees, roadsides, etc, 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. Hinduism being the main religion of the state, most of the festivals stem from it. There are many variations on the festival theme. While some are celebrated all over the state, others are observed only in certain areas. But Bihar being so diverse, different regions and religions have something to celebrate at sometime or the other during the year. So festivals take place round the year. On arrival in any part of this state, a tourist finds around him evidence of the extent to which religion enters into the daily life of the people. The calendar is strewn with festivals and fairs of different communities living together. Many of these are officially recognized by the days on which they take place being proclaimed as Government holidays. This section of Discover Bihar unveils faces of the chief religions followed by people of Bihar.

BIHAR - BODH GAYA: PLACE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Bodh Gaya: Place of Enlightenment:-

"Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment.

It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness

and apprehension of the nature of impermanence".

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha-to-be, had been dwelling on the banks of the Nairanjana River with

five ascetic followers for six years practicing austerities. Realising that austerities could not lead to realisation

he abandoned them. His five ascetic companions disgusted at his seeming failure, deserted him and left for Sarnath.

He then moved towards the village of Senani where he was offered rice milk by a Brahmin girl, Sujata.

Accepting from a grass-cutter a gift of kusa grass for a mat, the Bodhisattva took a seat under a pipal tree facing east.

Here he resolved not to rise again until enlightenment was attained.

"Here on this seat my body may shrivel up,

my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve,

but my body will not move from this seat

until I have attained Enlightenment,

so difficult to obtain in the course of many kalpas".

As Gautama sat in deep meditation, Mara, Lord of Illusion, perceiving that his power was about to be broken,

rushed to distract him from his purpose. The Bodhisattva touched the earth, calling it to bear witness the countless

lifetimes of virtue that had led him to this place of enlightenment. When the earth shook, confirming the truth of

Gautama's words, Mara unleashed his army of demons. In the epic battle that ensued, Gautama's wisdom broke

through the illusions and the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers and

Mara and all his forces fled in disarray.

BODH GAYA - THE MAHA BODHI TEMPLE

The historical place at which the Enlightenment took place became a place of pilgrimage. Though it is not mentioned in the scriptures, the Buddha must have visited Bodh Gaya again in the course of his teaching career. About 250 years after the Enlightenment, the Buddhist Emperor, Ashoka visited the site and is considered the founder of the Mahabodhi Temple. According to the tradition, Ashoka, as well as establishing a monastery, erected a diamond throne shrine at this spot with a canopy supported by four pillars over a stone representation of the Vajrasana, the Seat of Enlightenment.
The temple's architecture is superb but its history is shrouded in obscurity. It was constructed with the main intention of making it a monument and not a receptacle for the relics of the Buddha. Several shrines were constructed with enshrined images for use as places of worship.
The basement of the present temple is 15m square, 15m in length as well as in breadth and its height is 52m which rises in the form of a slender pyramid tapering off from a square platform. On its four corners four towers gracefully rise to some height. The whole architectural plan gives pose and balance to the observers.
Inside the temple there is a colossal image of the Buddha in the "touching the ground pose", bhumisparsha mudra. This image is said to be 1700 years old and is facing east exactly at the place where the Buddha in meditation with his back to the Bodhi tree was enlightened.

BODHGAYA REVITALISED

Since 1953, Bodh Gaya has been developed as an international place of pilgrimage. Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Tibet, Bhutan and Japan have established monasteries and temples within easy walking distance of the Mahabodhi compound. The site of the enlightenment now attracts Buddhists and tourists from all over the world.
At any time during the cooler months between December and March, a visitor to Bodh Gaya can observe a continual stream of Indian and international pilgrims walking the roads or arriving in buses, circumambulating the temple, performing prostrations and offering prayers in a multitude of languages. For those who aspire to awaken their full potential, Bodh Gaya today is truly a field vibrant with the potentiality of enlightenment. Enriched by devotion of Buddhists of all traditions, this holy site is emerging as a powerful inspiration to the modern world, awakening people of all nations to the real possibility of enlightenment.

BIHAR - NALANDA

A half hour bus ride from Rajgir is Nalanda, the site of the world's first university, founded in the 5th Century A.D. although the site was a pilgrimage destination from the 1st Century A.D. It has a link with the Buddha as he often came here and two of his chief disciples, Sariputra and Moggallana, came from this area. The large stupa is known as Sariputra's Stupa, marking the spot not only where his relics are entombed, but where he was supposedly born.
The site has a number of small monasteries where the monks lived and studied and many of them were rebuilt over the centuries. We were told that one of the cells belonged to Naropa, who was instrumental in bringing Buddism to Tibet, along with such Nalanda luminaries as Shantirakshita and Padmasambhava. A small opening in the cell revealed a tiny room where Naropa supposedly meditated.
Nalanda's main importance comes from its Buddhist roots as a center of learning. Hsuan Tsang, the famous pilgrim from China came here and studied and taught for 5 years in the 7th Century A.D. Nalanda University at that time had over 10,000 students and 3,000 teachers. For some 700 years, between the 5th and 12th Centuries, Nalanda was the center of scholarship and Buddhist studies in the ancient world. A great fire wiped out the library of over 9 million manuscripts and at the beginning of the 12th Century, the Muslim invader Bakhtiyar Khalji sacked the university. It was in the 1860's that the great archeologist Alexander Cunningham identified the site as the Nalanda University and in 1915-1916 the Archeological Survey of India began excavations of the site. What has been excavated to date is only a small part of the entire site but much of the ruins are beneath existing villages and are unlikely to be revealed. The present site is well-maintained and very pleasant to visit. Across the street is the small museum with some excellent Buddhist statues and about a kilometer away is a temple dedicated to Hsuan Tsang. Nearby are the International Centre for Buddhist Studies and the Nava Nalanda Mahivihara, set up for the research of Buddhism.

BIHAR - RAJGIR

Rajgir just 15 kms from Nalanda is located the complex of temples and monasteries. The place is called Rajgir. It is one of the most important tourist places in India. Being located in a valley, Rajgir is a very scenic place. The small hill grit town is covered with lush green forest which add to the beauty of the place. Rajgir was the capital of the Magadh Mahajanpad (State) when Patliputra was not formed. In those days it was called Rajgrih. Rajgir or Rajgrih means the home of Royalty. This place has been associated with Lord Buddha and Buddhism. Buddha not only spent many years in Rajgir but also delivered sermons here and proselytized emperor Bimbisar at the Griddhakoota hill. The Jivekarmavan monastery was the favorite residence for Buddha. Even Bimbisar gave Venuvan Vihar to Buddha for his residence. It is said that it was at Rajgir that physician treated Buddha, Jivak after he was injured by his cousin Devdatta.The teachings of Buddha was penned down at Rajgir and it was also the venue for the first Buddhist Council. TodayRajgir has come up as one of the most important pilgrimage for the Buddhist.Rajgir also has some very beautiful Hindu and Jain temples which attracts Hindus and Jains also to the place. Not only as a place for worship, Rajgirhas come up as health and winter resort with its warm water ponds. These ponds are said to contain some medicinal properties which help in the cure of many skin diseases. The added attraction of Rajgir is the Ropeway which takes you uphill to the Shanti Stupa and Monasteries built by the Japanese Devotees on top of the Ratnagiri hills.

Mithila Paintings - Madhubani paintings

Madhubani paintings are known to be the pride of whole Mithila region in North Bihar, India. It is an expression of people's sensitivity towards age old custom and beliefs. Madhubani paintings depict themes which revolve around Hindu deities like Rama-sita, Radha Krishna etc.
People of Mithila take pride in sticking to their age old customs and beliefs because this region was the first to come under the influence of Aryan culture. Madhubani paintings play a major role in popularizing the customs which were associated with the mythological characters which are mentioned in holy Vedas- Puranas
Though madhubani paintings are in existence since the time or Rama and Sita, it became popular in early 1960s. Madhubani paintings were painted on mud coated walls and were a monopoly of womenfolk of MIthila region. This art has been passed down from the older generation, from mother to daughter. However now men have also joined them to meet the ever rising demand.
Madhubani paintings were made on walls to celebrate social happenings mainly wedding .Only natural colors were used to paint. Turmeric for yellow, grass for green, henna leaves etc were used to give the madhubani painting the original and traditional look.
Madhubani paintings in its present from became popular when famine struck north Bihar in 1960s. Womenfolk were encouraged to paint these madhubani paintings on paper so that it could be sent out of mithila region. Since then this wall painting was commercialized in real sense. Initially only natural color were used to paint madhubani paintings, but later synthetic color were used to meet the ever rising demand. Today madhubani paintings can be found adoring the home of any art lover whether in Mithila or Manhattan.