Pariksha SaathiLesson 8 of 10 · Bihar General Knowledge
Agriculture, Industries and GI Products of Bihar
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An agrarian state
After 2000 Bihar kept the fertile plains but lost most of its minerals and heavy industry to Jharkhand, so agriculture and allied work such as livestock and fisheries employ most of its workers. Most holdings are small or marginal, and floods in the north and dry spells in the south decide many harvests. The farming year has four seasons: bhadai (autumn crops such as early paddy and maize, harvested in August-September), aghani (the main winter paddy, harvested in the month of Agahan), rabi (wheat, pulses, oilseeds and winter maize) and garma (summer crops such as moong and vegetables). The state is divided into four agro-climatic zones: I (north-west alluvial plain), II (north-east alluvial plain), III-A (south-east alluvial plain) and III-B (south-west alluvial plain).
Food crops
Rice is the main crop by area; the old Shahabad region, especially Rohtas and Kaimur, watered by the Son canals, is called the rice bowl of Bihar. Wheat is the main rabi crop. Bihar stands out for maize, grown in all seasons and especially as a rabi crop in the Kosi and Seemanchal belt around Purnia, Katihar and Khagaria. The tal lands between Mokama and Barh are known for lentil and gram. Sugarcane is concentrated in the north-west (West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan), jute in the north-east (Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj, Araria), and the aromatic Katarni rice of Bhagalpur and Banka has its own GI tag.
Litchi, makhana and paan
Bihar is best known for litchi and makhana, and it grows most of India's makhana. The Shahi litchi of Muzaffarpur carries a GI tag, and a national research centre for litchi works at Muzaffarpur. Makhana (fox nut, from the water plant Euryale ferox) is grown in the ponds and wetlands of Mithila and Seemanchal, especially Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnia and Katihar, and an ICAR research centre for makhana works at Darbhanga. Magahi paan, the betel leaf of the Magadh region (Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad, Nalanda), and the Jardalu mango of Bhagalpur are also GI-tagged.
Research and dairy
Pusa in Samastipur housed the Agricultural Research Institute, the forerunner of today's Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), from 1905 until damage in the earthquake of 1934 led to its move to New Delhi in 1936; Pusa now hosts the Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, and the Bihar Agricultural University is at Sabour near Bhagalpur. In dairying, the state milk co-operative federation, COMFED, sells under the Sudha brand on the Anand pattern of village co-operatives.
Industries
Barauni in Begusarai has the oil refinery built with Soviet help and commissioned in 1964, along with a thermal power station and a fertilizer plant, which is why Begusarai is called the industrial capital of Bihar. Jamalpur in Munger has the railway workshop founded in 1862, the oldest full-fledged railway workshop in India, and Munger is also known for gun-making and a cigarette factory. Dalmianagar in Rohtas was once home to the large Rohtas Industries complex (cement, paper and sugar), now closed. Newer units include the electric locomotive factory at Madhepura and the diesel locomotive factory at Marhowra in Saran, and NTPC runs large thermal plants at Kahalgaon (Bhagalpur) and Barh (Patna). Sugar mills cluster in the north-west cane belt. The minerals left to Bihar are modest: pyrites at Amjhore in Rohtas, limestone in Kaimur and Rohtas, and mica in the Nawada-Jamui area.
Handicrafts and GI products
Madhubani or Mithila painting is the best known. Bhagalpur, the Silk City, weaves tussar silk known as Bhagalpuri silk. Sikki craft uses golden sikki grass from the wetlands of north Bihar to make baskets, boxes and figures, mostly by women of Madhubani, Darbhanga and Sitamarhi. Manjusha art of Bhagalpur, also called Angika art, paints the legend of Bihula and Bishahari on box-shaped temple models (manjusha) in pink, green and yellow. Sujni embroidery comes from Muzaffarpur, applique (khatwa) work from Patna and Vaishali, tikuli art from Patna and stone carving from Pattharkatti in Gaya. Among foods, Silao khaja from Nalanda district is GI-tagged.
Key facts
- Four crop seasons in Bihar: bhadai (autumn), aghani (winter paddy, harvested in Agahan), rabi (winter) and garma (summer).
- Agro-climatic zones: I (north-west alluvial plain), II (north-east alluvial plain), III-A (south-east) and III-B (south-west).
- Rice bowl of Bihar: Rohtas and Kaimur (old Shahabad), watered by the Son canals; the Mokama-Barh tal is known for lentil and gram.
- GI-tagged produce: Shahi litchi (Muzaffarpur), Jardalu mango (Bhagalpur), Katarni rice (Bhagalpur-Banka), Magahi paan (Magadh) and Silao khaja (Nalanda).
- Makhana (fox nut, Euryale ferox) grows in the ponds of Mithila and Seemanchal; research centres for makhana (Darbhanga) and litchi (Muzaffarpur).
- Pusa (Samastipur): seat of the Agricultural Research Institute (forerunner of IARI) from 1905 until its move to New Delhi in 1936 after the 1934 earthquake; now Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University.
- Barauni refinery (Begusarai): built with Soviet help and commissioned in 1964; Begusarai is called Bihar's industrial capital.
- Jamalpur (Munger): railway workshop of 1862; locomotive factories at Madhepura (electric) and Marhowra (diesel); NTPC plants at Kahalgaon and Barh.
- Manjusha art (Bhagalpur) tells the Bihula-Bishahari story in pink, green and yellow; Sikki craft uses golden grass; Sujni embroidery is from Muzaffarpur.
- Minerals left to Bihar: pyrites at Amjhore (Rohtas), limestone in Kaimur-Rohtas, mica in Nawada-Jamui.
Quick revision
Seasons bhadai, aghani, rabi, garma; zones I, II, III-A, III-B; rice bowl Rohtas-Kaimur; maize in Kosi-Seemanchal; pulses in Mokama tal; GI: Shahi litchi, Jardalu, Katarni, Magahi paan, Silao khaja; makhana in Mithila; Pusa institute 1905; Barauni refinery 1964 (Soviet help); Jamalpur workshop 1862; Madhepura and Marhowra locomotive factories; Kahalgaon and Barh NTPC; Amjhore pyrites; Bhagalpuri silk, Sikki, Manjusha, Sujni.