Pariksha SaathiLesson 9 of 10 · Bihar General Knowledge
Festivals, Folk Arts, Languages and Literature of Bihar
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Chhath Puja
Bihar's most important festival is devoted to the Sun god (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya. It is celebrated on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, six days after Diwali, and again in Chaitra as Chaiti Chhath. Over four days come Nahay-Khay (a holy bath and a simple meal), Kharna (a day-long fast ended in the evening with jaggery kheer and roti), the Sandhya Arghya to the setting sun while standing in water, and the Usha Arghya to the rising sun next morning; the main fast is nirjala, without even water. Thekua is the typical offering, carried in bamboo baskets. The Sun temple at Deo in Aurangabad district, unusual for facing west, draws huge Chhath crowds.
Great fairs
The Sonepur Mela begins on Kartik Purnima at the meeting of the Gandak and the Ganga at Sonepur in Saran district. Linked to the Harihar Nath temple and the legend of the elephant and the crocodile (Gaj-Graah), it was long famous as Asia's largest cattle fair. The Shravani Mela is held in the month of Shravan, when kanwariyas carry Ganga water from Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district on foot to Baba Baidyanath at Deoghar, now in Jharkhand. The Pitripaksha Mela at Gaya, in the dark fortnight of Ashwin, brings pilgrims to offer pind-daan to their ancestors at the Vishnupad temple, rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar, on the Falgu and at the Akshayavat. Other regional festivals are Sama-Chakeva in Mithila, a Kartik festival of sisters' love for brothers; Jitiya, a mothers' fast for their children; Madhushravani of newly married women in Mithila; Jur Sital, the Maithili new year; and the Bihula festival of the Anga region.
Folk dances and theatre
Jat-Jatin, performed by women of Mithila and the Kosi region, tells the story of a married couple, Jat and Jatin, who live apart. In Jhijhiya, women of Mithila dance during Navratri with perforated earthen pots holding lamps on their heads, praying for protection from witchcraft. Domkach is performed by women at the groom's house on the wedding night, when the men have gone with the baraat. Bidesia, the Bhojpuri folk theatre made famous by Bhikhari Thakur, often called the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri, shows the pain of a wife whose husband has left to work in a distant city. The song tradition includes Sohar at a child's birth, Chaita in the month of Chaitra, Kajari in the rains, Samdaun at a bride's farewell and Nachari, songs to Shiva, many of them composed by Vidyapati.
Madhubani painting
Mithila painting was traditionally done by women on the walls of the kohbar (bridal chamber) and as aripan on floors, using natural colours and twigs or reeds, with gods, nature and wedding symbols as themes. Its styles include Bharni (filled colour), Kachni (fine line work), Tantrik, Godna (tattoo motifs) and Kohbar. The British officer W.G. Archer noticed and recorded the wall paintings after the 1934 earthquake, and during the drought of 1966-68 the All India Handicrafts Board encouraged women to paint on paper for income. Jitwarpur and Ranti are famous painting villages, and Jagdamba Devi was the first Madhubani artist to receive the Padma Shri, in 1975.
Languages
Hindi is the official language of Bihar and Urdu the second official language. The main regional languages of the state belong to the Bihari group of Indo-Aryan languages. Maithili, spoken in Mithila and traditionally written in the Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) script, was added to the Eighth Schedule by the 92nd Amendment (2003), along with Bodo, Dogri and Santhali. Bhojpuri is spoken in the west (Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Champaran); Magahi, descended from Magadhi Prakrit, around Patna, Gaya, Nalanda and Nawada; Angika around Bhagalpur, Munger and Banka; and Bajjika around Vaishali, Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi. The Kaithi script was once widely used in Bihar for these languages and for court records.
Literature
Vidyapati (14th-15th century), called Maithil Kokil, was the court poet of Raja Shivasimha of the Oiniwar dynasty; his Padavali songs of Radha and Krishna made Maithili famous, and he also wrote Kirtilata in Avahatta. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (1908-1974), born at Simariya in Begusarai, was hailed as Rashtrakavi; he wrote Rashmirathi and Kurukshetra, won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1959 for Sanskriti ke Char Adhyay and the Jnanpith Award in 1972 for Urvashi. Phanishwar Nath Renu (1921-1977) of Purnia (now Araria) pioneered the regional (anchalik) novel with Maila Anchal (1954), and his story Mare Gaye Gulfam became the film Teesri Kasam (1966). Nagarjun (Vaidyanath Mishra, 1911-1998), the people's poet, wrote in Maithili as Yatri and won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1969 for his Maithili collection Patrahin Nagna Gachh.
Key facts
- Chhath: Kartik Shukla Shashthi, and again as Chaiti Chhath; four days of Nahay-Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya; thekua is the offering.
- The Sun temple at Deo (Aurangabad) faces west; the Chhath fast is nirjala, without water.
- Sonepur Mela: Kartik Purnima, at the Gandak-Ganga confluence, Harihar Nath temple, legend of Gaj-Graah; long famed as Asia's largest cattle fair.
- Shravani Mela: kanwariyas carry Ganga water from Sultanganj (Bhagalpur) to Baba Baidyanath at Deoghar (Jharkhand).
- Pitripaksha Mela: Gaya; pind-daan at the Vishnupad temple (rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar), on the Falgu and at the Akshayavat.
- Dances: Jat-Jatin (story of a separated couple, Mithila-Kosi), Jhijhiya (lamp-pots on heads, Navratri), Domkach (women, wedding night); Bidesia is Bhikhari Thakur's Bhojpuri folk theatre.
- Songs: Sohar (childbirth), Chaita (Chaitra), Kajari (rains), Samdaun (bride's farewell), Nachari (songs to Shiva, many by Vidyapati).
- Maithili: Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) script; added to the Eighth Schedule by the 92nd Amendment (2003) with Bodo, Dogri and Santhali.
- Language map: Bhojpuri (west), Magahi (Patna-Gaya), Maithili (Mithila), Angika (Bhagalpur-Munger), Bajjika (Vaishali-Muzaffarpur).
- Writers: Vidyapati (Maithil Kokil, Padavali); Dinkar (Urvashi, Jnanpith 1972); Renu (Maila Anchal, 1954); Nagarjun (Yatri in Maithili).
Quick revision
Chhath on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, 4 days, nirjala fast, Deo west-facing Sun temple; Sonepur Mela on Kartik Purnima (Gandak-Ganga); Shravani Mela Sultanganj to Deoghar; Pitripaksha at Gaya (Vishnupad); Sama-Chakeva, Jitiya, Madhushravani; Jat-Jatin, Jhijhiya, Domkach, Bidesia (Bhikhari Thakur); Madhubani styles Bharni, Kachni, Godna, Jagdamba Devi Padma Shri 1975; Maithili in 8th Schedule 2003 (Tirhuta); Dinkar Urvashi 1972; Renu Maila Anchal 1954; Nagarjun = Yatri.