Andhra Pradesh

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Andhra Pradesh
State

Clockwise from top left: Charminar, Tirupathi, Prakasam Barrage, Lepakshi Nandi (bull), Kirti Torana of Warangal Fort

Seal

Nickname(s): Rice Bowl of India

Location of Andhra Pradesh in India

Map of Andhra Pradesh

Coordinates (Hyderabad):

17.366N

78.476ECoordinates: 17.366N 78.476E India Country 1 November 1956 (56 years Established

Capital Largest city Districts Government Body Governor Chief Minister Legislature Deputy Chief Minister High Court Area Total Area rank Population (2011)[1] Total Rank Density Time zone UN/LOCODE ISO 3166 code Vehicle registration HDI HDI rank Literacy Official State Language Website

ago) Hyderabad Hyderabad 23 total Government of India, Government of Andhra Pradesh E. S. L. Narasimhan N. Kiran Kumar Reddy (INC) Bicameral (294 + 90 seats) Damodar Raja Narasimha Andhra Pradesh High Court 275,045 km2 (106,195 sq mi) 4th 84,655,533 5th 310/km2 (800/sq mi) IST (UTC+05:30) AP IN-AP AP 0.473 (low) 20th (2005) 67.77% (2011) Telugu ap.gov.in )

State symbols of Andhra Pradesh Emblem Poorna kumbham ( Language Telugu ( Song )

Maa Telugu Thalliki (

) by Sri Sankarambadi Sundaraachari Dance Animal Bird Flower Tree Sport Kuchipudi ( Black Buck ( Indian Roller ( Water lily ( Neem ( Kabaddi ( ) ) ) ) ) )

Andhra Pradesh (/ndr prd/) abbreviation A.P. is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the country's southeastern coast. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh is bordered by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the east, Tamil Nadu to the south and Karnataka to the west. According to the Planning Commission of India, in the financial year 2011-12 the state was second in nominal GDP, and in GDP per capita it ranks fourth.[2] Andhra Pradesh GDP in financial year 2011 was 567,636 crore (US$98 billion).[3] It is historically called the "Rice Bowl of India".[4] More than 77% of its crop is rice; Andhra Pradesh produced 17,796,000 tonnes (19,616,732 short tons) of rice in 2006.[5] Two of the mega cities of the state - Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam - were listed among the top 15 cities contributing to India's overall Gross domestic product.[6] Andhra Pradesh has the second-longest coastline of 972 km (604 mi) among the states of India.[7] Two major rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna, run across the state. The small enclave (30 square kilometres (12 sq mi)) of Yanam, a district of Pondicherry, lies in the Godavari delta in the northeast of the state. The state comprises three regions: Telangana, Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. The state's most populous cities are Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Warangal and Nellore (2011 census). The primary official language of Andhra Pradesh is Telugu[8] and the co-official language is Urdu. Other languages often spoken in the state include Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada and Oriya.[9] On 1 November 1956, the States Reorganisation Act formed Andhra Pradesh by merging Telugu-speaking areas of Andhra State with the already existing Hyderabad State.[10] The Marathi speaking areas of Hyderabad State merged with Bombay State and Kannada speaking areas were merged with Mysore State.

Contents

1 History o 1.1 Early history o 1.2 Modern history 2 Geography and climate 3 Demographics o 3.1 Population statistics o 3.2 Religions 4 Economy 5 Administration 6 Tourism 7 Religious tourism 8 Notable religious buildings 9 Culture o 9.1 Cuisine o 9.2 Performing Arts and crafts o 9.3 Literature o 9.4 Cinema o 9.5 Music 10 Sports 11 Education and research 12 Transport 13 Newspapers and journals 14 See also 15 References 16 External links

History
Main article: History of Andhra Pradesh

Early history

Kondaveedu

Kakatiya sculpture at Warangal

A pillar at Ahobilam temple in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh Rock-cut Lord --Buddha-- Statue at Bojjanakonda near Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam The first historical records appear in the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya, when what is now the Nizamabad and Adilabad districts of the Telangana region constituted parts of the Assaka Mahajanapada (700300 BCE)[11] An Andhra tribe was mentioned in the Sanskrit epics such as Aitareya Brahmana (800 BCE) and Mahabharata (400 BCE).[12] The Natya Shastra written by Bharatha (1st century BCE) also mentions about the Andhra people.[13] The roots of the Telugu language have been seen on inscriptions found near the Guntur district[14] and from others dating to the rule of Renati Cholas in the 5th century CE.[15] Megasthenes, a Greek traveler and geographer who visited the Court of Chandragupta Maurya (322297 BCE), mentioned that the region had three fortified towns and an army of 100,000 infantry, 200 cavalry, and 1,000 elephants. Buddhist books reveal that Andhras established their huts or tents near the Godavari River at that time.[16] Inscriptional evidence shows that there was an early kingdom in coastal Andhra (Guntur District) ruled first by Kuberaka and then by his son Varun, with Pratipalapura (Bhattiprolu) as the capital. Around the same time, Dhanyakatakam/Dharanikota (present day Amaravati) appears to have been an important place, which was visited by Gautama Buddha. According to the ancient Tibetan scholar Taranatha: "On the full moon of the month Chaitra in the year following his

enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, the Buddha emanated the mandala of 'The Glorious Lunar Mansions' (Kalachakra)".[17][18] The Mauryans extended their rule over Andhra in the 4th century BCE. With the fall of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE, the Satavahanas became independent. After the decline of the Satavahanas in 220 CE, the Ikshvaku dynasty, Pallavas, Ananda Gotrikas, Rashtrakutas, Vishnukundinas, Eastern Chalukyas, and Cholas ruled the land.[19] Scholars have suggested that the Prajpramit Sutras, the earliest Mahayana Sutras,[20][21] developed among the Mahsghika along the Krishna River in Andhra country.[22] A.K. Warder holds that "the Mahyna originated in the south of India and almost certainly in the Andhra country."[23] Sree Padma and Anthony Barber note that "historians of Buddhist thought have been aware for quite some time that such pivotally important Mahayana Buddhist thinkers as Ngrjuna, Dignaga, Candrakrti, Aryadeva, and Bhavaviveka, among many others, formulated their theories while living in Buddhist communities in Andhra."[24] They note that the ancient Buddhist sites in the lower Krishna Valley, including Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda and Jaggayyapeta "can be traced to at least the third century BC[E], if not earlier."[24] The Dzogchen, Mahamudra and Lamdr masters Sri Singha, Savari, Maitripa and Virupa lived and taught in the Andhra region for some portion of their lives or were in some cases permanent residents.[25] During this period,[clarification needed] Telugu emerged as a popular language, supplanting Prakrit and Sanskrit.[26] Telugu was made the official language by the Vishnukundina kings (5th and 6th centuries), who ruled from their capital city of Vengi. Eastern Chalukyas ruled for a long period after the decline of Vishnukundinas; their capital was also Vengi. As early as the 1st century CE, Chalukyas were mentioned as being vassals and chieftains under the Satavahanas and later under the Ikshvakus. The Chalukya ruler Rajaraja Narendra ruled Rajahmundry around 1022 CE.[27] The battle of Palnadu (1182) resulted in the weakening of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty and led to the emergence of the Kakatiya dynasty in the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Kakatiyas were at first vassals of the Rashtrakutas, and ruled over a small territory near Warangal. Eventually all the Telugu lands were united by the Kakatiyas. In 1323 CE, Delhi Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq sent a large army under Ulugh Khan to conquer the Telugu country and captured Warangal. King Prataparudra was taken prisoner. Musunuri Nayaks recaptured Warangal from the Delhi Sultanate in 1326 CE and ruled for fifty years

Modern history
Inspired by their success, the Vijayanagara Empire, one of the greatest empires in the history of Andhra Pradesh and India, was founded by Harihara and Bukka, who served as treasury officers of the Kakatiyas of Warangal.[28] In 1347 CE, an independent Muslim state, the Bahmani Sultanate, was established in south India by Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah in a revolt against the Delhi Sultanate. The Qutb Shahi dynasty held sway over the Andhra country for about two hundred years from the early part of the 16th century to the end of the 17th century.[29] Although Hyderabad was founded less than 500 years ago, archaeologists have unearthed Iron Age sites near the city that could date back to 500 BCE. Approximately over 1000 years ago this region was ruled by Kakatiyas until 1310 CE, and fell under Delhi sultanate from (13101345), when

the central sultanate became weak the Bahmani Sultan revolted against the Sultan of Delhi Muhammad bin Tughluq and established an independent state in Deccan within the Delhi Sultanates southern provinces and ruled until 1518 CE. Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, governor of Golconda, declared independence from the Bahmani Dynasty and proclaimed himself Sultan of Golcanda in that year, and he founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty.[30] Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (the ruling family of the Golconda Sultanate, previously a feudatory of Bahmani sultanate that declared independence in 1512) founded the city of Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591[20] to relieve a water shortage the dynasty had experienced at its old headquarters at Golconda city (11 kilometres west of Hyderabad city on the other side of Musi). He also ordered the construction of the Charminar. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb captured kingdom of Golconda including the city of Hyderabad in 1687 and, during this short Mughal rule, Mughal-appointed governors of the city soon gained autonomy.[31] In 1724, Asaf Jah I, who was granted the title Nizam-ul-Mulk ("Governor of the country") by the Mughal emperor, defeated a rival official to establish control over kingdom of Golconda renamed it as Hyderabad state. Thus began the Asaf Jahi dynasty that ruled Hyderabad State until a year after India's independence from Britain. Asaf Jah's successors ruled as the Nizams of Hyderabad. The rule of the seven Nizams saw the growth of Hyderabad city both culturally and economically. Hyderabad city became the formal capital of the kingdom (Hyderabad state) and Golkonda city was almost abandoned. Huge reservoirs, like the Nizam Sagar, Tungabhadra, Osman Sagar, and Himayat Sagar, were built. Survey work on Nagarjuna Sagar had also begun during this time; the actual work was completed by the Government of India in 1969. The wealth and grandeur of the Nizams is demonstrated by the fabled Jewels of The Nizams, which is a tourist attraction. The state was the richest and the largest among the princely states of India. The land area of the state was 90,543 mi; its population in 1901 was 50,073,759. It enjoyed an estimated revenue of 90,029,000.[32][33]

Visakhapatnam city skyline view See also: Andhra State, Vishalandhra Movement, Telangana Movement, and Telangana Rebellion In Colonial India, Northern Circars became part of the British Madras Presidency. Eventually this region emerged as the Coastal Andhra region. Later the Nizam rulers of Hyderabad ceded five territories to the British which eventually emerged as Rayalaseema region. The Nizams retained control of the interior provinces as the princely state of Hyderabad, acknowledging

British rule in return for local autonomy. However, Komaram Bheem, a tribal leader, started his fight against the erstwhile Asaf Jahi Dynasty for the liberation of Hyderabad State.[34] Meanwhile, the French occupied Yanam, in the Godavari delta, and (save for periods of British control) would hold it until 1954. India became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. The Nizam wanted to retain the independence of the Princely Hyderabad State from India, but the people of the region launched a movement to join the Indian Union. The state of Hyderabad was forcibly joined to the Republic of India with Operation Polo in 1948.[35] In an effort to gain an independent state based on the linguistic and protect the interests of the Andhra (Telugu-speaking) people of Madras State, Potti Sreeramulu fasted until death in 1952. After his death, Andhra state was carved out of Telugu speaking areas of Madras State on 1 November 1953, with Kurnool as its capital.[36]

Ethipothala Falls

Hyderabad state in 1956(in yellowish green). After reorganisation in 1956, Regions of the state west of Red and Blue lines merged with Bombay and Mysore states respectively and rest of the state(Telangana) was merged with Andhra state to form Andhra Pradesh state On 1 November 1956, the States Reorganisation Act merged the Telugu-speaking areas of the former Hyderabad state also known as Telangana with the Andhra state to form the state of

Andhra Pradesh. The city of Hyderabad, the former capital of the Hyderabad State, was made the capital of the new state. There were several movements to invalidate the merger to form two states viz. Andhra and Telangana in 1969, 1972 and now. 1969 movement was in Telangana region and 1972 movement was in Andhra region. Current movement, which started in 2000, is in Telangana region and is an on going political issue in the state. On 9 December 2009, Government of India announced process of formation of Telangana state. It was announced that a separation proposal for Telangana would be introduced to the state assembly.[37] Controversy arose as to the future status of Hyderabad City, part of one of the ten districts of Telangana region.[38] This move was opposed by protesters from Kosta and Rayalaseema regions,however the protests in the state capital Hyderabad was rocked only by pro-bifurcation protests. On 23 December 2009, the government decided to put the decision of bifurcating the state on hold until a consensus is achieved among the different political parties. This agitated supporters of a separate Telangana state.[39] On 5 January 2010, the Central Government represented by Home Minister P Chidambaram conducted a meeting by inviting all the recognised political parties of AP and recorded their stand on the issue. The Government of India appointed a committee, headed by B. N. Srikrishna, to guide the central government to settle the issue of Telangana amicably.[40] The committee submitted its report on 30 December 2010, a day before its term was to expire.[41]

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Andhra Pradesh

The Mouth of the Godavari River (East) emptying into the Bay of Bengal

Greater Flamingoes (Phoenicopterus roseus) taking off Pocharam lake Geographically, Andhra Pradesh is composed of most of the eastern half of the Deccan plateau and the plains to the east of the Eastern Ghats. Andhra Pradesh is divided into three regions. The northern part of the plateau is the Telangana region and the southern part is known as

Rayalaseema. These two regions are separated by the River Krishna. The third region is Coastal Andhra.[42] The plains to the east of Eastern Ghats form the Eastern coastal plains. The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and individual sections have local names. The Kadapa Basin[43] formed by two arching branches of the Eastern Ghats is a mineral-rich area. The coastal plains are for the most part delta regions formed by the Godavari, Krishna, and Penner rivers. The Eastern Ghats are a major dividing line in the state's geography. The Ghats become more pronounced towards the south and extreme north of the coast. The Eastern Ghat region is home to dense tropical forests, while the vegetation becomes sparse as the Ghats give way to the Deccan Plateau, where shrub vegetation is more common. Most of the coastal plains are put to intense agricultural use. The west and southwest parts of Andhra Pradesh have semi-arid conditions. Indian Space Research Organisation's Satish Dhawan Space Centre is located at the Barrier Island of Sriharikota, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. The climate of Andhra Pradesh varies considerably, depending on the geographical region. Monsoons play a major role in determining the climate of the state. Summers last from March to June. In the coastal plain, the summer temperatures are generally higher than the rest of the state, with temperature ranging between 20 C and 41 C.[44] July to September is the seasons for tropical rains in Andhra Pradesh. The state receives heavy rainfall from Southwest Monsoon during these months. About one third of the total rainfall in Andhra Pradesh is brought by the Northeast Monsoon. October and November see low-pressure systems and tropical cyclones form in the Bay of Bengal which, along with the Northeast Monsoon, bring rains to the southern and coastal regions of the state. November, December, January, and February are the winter months in Andhra Pradesh. Since the state has a long coastal belt the winters are not very cold. The range of winter temperature is generally 12 C to 30 C.[44] Hyderabad is the capital and, along with the adjoining twin city Secunderabad, is the largest city in the state.Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh's main seaport, is the second largest city and is home to the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command. Due to its location and proximity to major rail and road routes, Vijayawada is a major trading centre and is the third largest city of the state, Tirupati is the fourth largest city of the state, followed by Rajamundry, Guntur, Nellore, Warangal, and Kakinada. Other important places of the state are Kadapa, Srikakulam, and Kurnool.
Maharastra, Chattisgarh & Orissa

Maharastra

Bay of Bengal

Karnataka

Andhra Pradesh

Bay of Bengal

Karnataka

Tamil Nadu

Bay of Bengal

Demographics
[hide]Population Trend
Census 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 Pop. 35,983,000 43,503,000 53,550,000 66,508,000 75,727,000 84,655,533 % 20.9% 23.1% 24.2% 13.9% 11.8%

Source:Census of India[45]

First Languages of Andhra Pradesh in 2010[46] Telugu (83.88%) Urdu (8.63%) Hindi (3.23%) Tamil (1.01%)

Population statistics
Telugu is the official language of the state, spoken by 83.88% followed by Urdu 8.63% of the population. Major linguistic minority groups are Hindi (3.23%), and Tamil (1.01%). Other languages spoken in Andhra Pradesh by less than 1% each are Kannada (0.74%), Marathi (0.80%), and Oriya (0.44%). Languages spoken by less than 0.2% of the population include Malayalam (0.08%), Gujarati (0.06%), Bengali (0.05%), Gorkhali/Nepali (0.03%), Punjabi (0.01%) and Sindhi(0.01%).[47]

The main ethnic group of Andhra Pradesh is the Telugu people, who are primarily Dravidians. Andhra Pradesh ranks tenth compared to all Indian States in the Human Development Index scores[48] with a score of 0.416. The National Council of Applied Economic Research district analysis in 2001 reveals that Khammam, Krishna, West Godavari, Chittoor, and Medak are the five districts in rural AP with the highest Human Development Index scores in ascending order. The data show that the poor make up 16.3% of the total population in rural AP, and expenditure on consumption is around 13.5% of the total consumption expenditure. The female literacy rate is 0.66 compared to male literacy rate in rural AP. The district-wise variations for poverty ratio are high and low for the ratio of female/male literacy rate.[49] The gender gap in illiteracy is one of the issues being addressed by the Asmita Resource Centre for Women, an Indian NGO based in Andhra Pradesh that works to better the socio-economic status of women and communities in India.

Religions

Tirumala Temple entrance

Mecca Masjid Frontage The state is home to Hindu saints of all castes. An important figure is Saint Yogi Sri Potuluri Virabrahmendra Swami. He was born in the Vishwabrahmin (goldsmith) caste and had Brahmin and Dalit disciples.[50] Fisherman Raghu was a Shudra saint.[51] Saint Kakkayya was a chura (sweeper) Harijan saint. Religion in Andhra Pradesh
Percent

Hinduism Islam Christianity Jainism Sikhism Others

88.88% 9.2% 1.35% 0.05% 0.04% 0.48%

Several important Hindu modern-day saints are from Andhra Pradesh. These include Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Sri Sivabala Yogi Maharaj who advocates religious unity in worship; and Swami Sundara Chaitanyanandaji of the Aurobindo Mission.[citation needed]Islam in Hyderabad, with historical patronizing by the rulers, has a strong Sufi influence, with various moments active in the last two decades. Hyderabad has also produced many renowned religious scholars of representing different Islamic sects and trends, including Abul Ala Maududi, Turab-ul-Haq Qadri, and Allamah Rasheed Turabi.[52] Most Telugu Christians are Protestant belonging to major Indian Protestant denominations such as the Church of South India, the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches and several others.

Economy
Main article: Economy of Andhra Pradesh See also: Software industry in Andhra Pradesh Year GSDP State Rank 2008 3,364,813 (US$58,000) millions 3 2009 4,267,850 (US$73,000) millions 3 2010 4,904,110 (US$84,000) millions 3 2011 5,889,630 (US$100,000) millions 3 2012 6,762,340 (US$120,000) millions 3[3]
[53]

Andhra Pradesh's GDP for 2011 was approximately 5,67,636 lakh crore,[3] placing it third among the states. The state ranks second in terms of overall Gross State Product among all the states of the Indian Union.[54] In terms of per capita GSDP the state compares very favorably with other large states. In the 2010 list by Forbes Magazine, there are seven from Andhra Pradesh among the top 100 richest Indians.[citation needed]

Aerial view of Visakhapatnam[55] port

Srisailam Dam - Hydro Electric Power Source Agriculture has been the chief source of income for the state's economy. Andhra Pradesh is an exporter of many agricultural products. Four important rivers of India, the Godavari, Krishna, Penna, and Thungabhadra flow through the state, providing irrigation. Rice, sugarcane, cotton, Chili pepper, mango, and tobacco are the local crops. Recently, crops used for vegetable oil production such as sunflower and peanuts have gained favour. There are many multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.[56][57] The service sector of the state accounts for 43% of the gross state domestic product (GSDP) and employs 20% of the work force.[57] Andhra Pradesh economy has registered over 5.5% annual economic growth rate during the last two decades.[citation needed] The state is ranked fifth industrially developed states in India. Andhra Pradesh ranks second in India in terms of mineral wealth. The state has about one third of India's limestone reserves, estimated at about 30 billion tonnes. The Tumalappalli Uranium mine in Andhra has confirmed 49,000 tonnes of ore and there are indications that it could hold reserves totalling three times its current size, The Times of India quoted Srikumar Banerjee as saying. The mine's proven reserve is enough to support a 8,000 mega watts nuclear power plant for 40 years, the report added. The Krishna Godavari Basin has huge reserves of natural gas and petroleum. The state has a large amount of coal reserves.[57] The state ranks first nationwide in hydro electricity generation, with a national market share of over 11%. Andhra Pradesh has the fourth largest power generating utility in the country, with an installed capacity of around 10,650

MW. The two cheapest sources of thermal power generation coal and natural gas are in abundance.[citation needed]

Cyber Towers in Hyderabad

The Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly in the centre of Hyderabad City. In 20042005, Andhra Pradesh was at the second position[citation needed] in the list of top information technology exporting states of India. The IT sector is expanding at a rate of 52.3% every year. The IT exports reached 19,000 crore (US$3.3 billion) in 20062007, contributed to 14 per cent of total IT exports of the nation and ranked fourth in India.[58] Other key sectors include, Biopharmaceuticals, Power, Automobile, Tourism, Textiles, Retail, Leather, Mining and Religious tourism.

Administration
Main articles: Government of Andhra Pradesh, Politics of Andhra Pradesh, and List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh has a Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly, lower house) of 294 seats, and a Vidhan Parishad (legislative council, upper house) of 90 members. 31 members are elected from local bodies, 31 members are elected from the assembly, eight members are elected from teachers, eight members are elected from graduates, and 12 members are nominated by the Governor. In the Parliament of India Andhra Pradesh has 18 in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House, and 42 in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House.[59][60] Andhra Pradesh had a series of governments headed by Indian National Congress (INC) Party until 1982.Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao is the founder of Telugu Desam party and served as the first chief minister from the party. N. Chandrababu Naidu held the record for the longest serving

chief minister (1995 to 2004). P. V. Narasimha Rao served as the chief minister of the state from 1971 to 1973, and went on to become the Prime Minister of India in 1991. The first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was Neelam Sanjiva Reddy who later served as President of India. The Congress chief ministers of the state are Damodaram Sanjivayya, Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, P. V. Narasimha Rao, Jalagam Vengala Rao, Marri Chenna Reddy, Tanguturi Anjaiah, Bhavanam Venkatarami Reddy, Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Konijeti Rosaiah and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Andhra Pradesh High Court at Hyderabad, the main judicial body for the State
[citation needed]

Until 1962, the CPI, along with socialist parties, played an important role as opposition parties. Parties namely Praja Socialist Party and Krishi Lok Party played important role in 1950's. In the 1967 state assembly elections all socialist parties were eliminated and CPI lost opposition party status. N.G. Ranga's Swatantra Party became the Opposition Party. They also failed to hold control later and became defunct. In 1978 Jalagam Vengal Rao and Kasu Brahmananda Reddy formed the Reddy Congress and contested against INC but lost. In 1983 the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won the state elections and N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) became the chief minister of the state for the first time. This broke the long time single party monopoly enjoyed by the INC from 1956 until 1982. A few months after the election, Nadendla Bhaskara Rao usurped power when NTR was away in the United States for medical treatment. After coming back, NTR campaigned for a comeback by demonstrating the support of the majority of the elected MLAs. The governor Thakur Ram Lal was ousted by Indira Gandhi and in his place she appointed Shankar Dayal Sharma. NTR was reinstated as chief minister. Within a month NTR recommended the dissolution of the assembly and called for fresh elections. Gandhi was assassinated on 31 October 1984 by her Sikh bodyguard and Rajiv Gandhi was made Prime Minister by President Giani Zail Singh. In the ensuing elections for Lok Sabha and the AP Assembly, the Telugu Desam Party won in Andhra Pradesh and NTR came back to power. The 1989 elections ended the rule of NTR, with the INC party returning to power with Marri Chenna Reddy at the helm. He was replaced by Janardhan Reddy in 1990, who was replaced by Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy in 1992. In 1994, Andhra Pradesh gave a mandate to the Telugu Desam Party again, and NTR became the chief minister again. Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the son-in-law of NTR, usurped power with the backing of a majority of the MLAs. The Telugu Desam Party won both the assembly and Lok Sabha election in 1999 under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu. There was an assassination attempt on Naidu in 2003 in Tirupathi; he

survived the attack. In the ensuing elections the party lost power to a resurgent INC and its allies. Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy became the Chief Minister. Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy became the CM again by fending off the Praja Rajyam Party and a major alliance of TDP, TRS, CPI and CPM. He died on 2 September 2009 in a helicopter crash. Konijeti Rosaiah, a senior statesman and former state finance minister, became the Chief Minister on 3 September 2009. On 24 November 2010, Rosaiah submitted his resignation on the grounds of increased work pressure. Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy was sworn in as the new Chief Minister on the following day.[61]

Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Andhra Pradesh

Belum Caves

Charminar

Thousand Pillar Temple

Kuntala Waterfall

Borra Caves (stalagmites and stalactites) Andhra Pradesh is promoted by its tourism department as the "Koh-i-Noor of India." Andhra Pradesh is the home of many religious pilgrim centres. Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati is according to believers the abode of Hindu god Venkateswara. Srisailam, nestled in the Nallamala Hills is the abode of Mallikarjuna and is one of twelve Jyothirlingas in India. Amaravati's Shiva temple is one of the Pancharamams, as is Yadagirigutta, the abode of an avatara of Vishnu, Lakshmi Narasimha. The Ramappa temple and Thousand Pillars temple in Warangal are famous for their temple carvings. The state has numerous Buddhist centres at Amaravati, Nagarjuna Konda, Bhattiprolu, Ghantasala, Nelakondapalli, Dhulikatta, Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Shalihundam, Pavuralakonda, Bojjannakonda (Sankaram), Phanigiri and

Kolanpaka.[62] The Vijayanagara Empire built number of monuments, including the Srisailam temple and Lepakshi temples.

Araku Valley The golden beaches at Visakhapatnam, the one-million-year-old limestone caves at Borra, picturesque Araku Valley, hill resorts of Horsley Hills, river Godavari racing through a narrow gorge at Papi Kondalu, waterfalls at Ettipotala, Kuntala and rich bio-diversity at Talakona are some of the natural attractions of the state. Kailashagiri is a park near the sea in Visakhapatnam. Visakhapatnam is home to other tourist attractions such as the INS Kursura S20 Submarine museum (the only one of its kind in India), the longest beach road in India, Yarada Beach, Araku Valley, and Indira Gandhi Zoological Gardens. The Borra Caves are located in the Anatagiri Hills of the Eastern Ghats, near Vishakapatnam. They are at an altitude of about 800 to 1300 metres and are famous for million-year-old stalactite and stalagmite formations. They were discovered by British geologist William King George in 1807. The caves get their name from a formation inside the caves that looks like the human brain, which in the local language, Telugu, is known as burra. The Belum caves were formed due to erosion in limestone deposits in the area by the weakly acidic water of the Chitravati River millions of years ago. The Papi Hills are located in Khammam district, near Bhadrachalam. Boat cruises are available on the river Godavari. The Belum Caves in Kurnool District have a length of 3,229 metres (10,594 ft), making them the second largest natural caves on the Indian subcontinent. The Belum Caves derive their name from Bilum, the Sanskrit word for caves. In Telugu, the caves are known as Guhalu. The caves have long passages, spacious chambers, freshwater galleries, and siphons. The caves' deepest point is 120 feet (37 m) from the entrance and is known asPatalganaga. Horsley Hills, elevation 1,265 metres (4,150 ft), is a summer hill resort in Andhra Pradesh, about 160 km (99 mi) from Bangalore and144 km (89 mi) from Tirupati. The town of Madanapalle lies nearby. Major tourist attractions include the Mallamma temple and the Rishi Valley School. Horsely Hills is the departure point for the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary at a distance of 87 km (54 mi).

Nirmal is famous for its handicrafts and paintings. Kuntala waterfall, at 45 metres (148 ft), is the biggest in the state. Charminar, Golconda Fort, Chandragiri Fort, Chowmahalla Palace, and Falaknuma Palace are some of the monuments in the state. Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada in Krishna district, Venkateswara Temple in Dwaraka Tirumala, West Godavari District, and Surya temple in Arasavelli in Srikakulam District are also places to see in Andhra Pradesh. The Annavaram Satayannarayana Swami temple is in East Godavari, near Kakinada.Konaseema is another place in East Godavari for nature lovers with scenic greenery of lush paddy fields and coconut groves. All along the banks of river Godavari and its canals. The Charminar, built in 1591 CE, is a monument and mosque located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chr and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches.

The Thousand Pillar Temple is one of the very old temples of South India that was built by the kakatiya. It stands out to be a masterpiece and achieved major heights in terms of architectural skills by the ancient kakathiya vishwakarma sthapathis. It is believed that the Thousand Pillar Temple was built by King Rudra Deva in 1163 AD. The Thousand Pillar Temple is a specimen of the Kakatiyan style of architecture of the 12th century. It was destroyed by the Muslims of Tughlaq dynasty during their invasion of South India. It comprises one temple and other building. There are one thousand pillars in the building and the temple, but no pillar obstructs a person in any point of the temple to see the god in the other temple. The present day engineers have taken out all the pillars from the building. After they lifted all the pillars they encountered a huge mass of sand. It took nearly two weeks for them to take away all the sand. It was wet sand, because of a pipe connection from the nearby water body named Bhadrakali Cheruvu.

Religious tourism

Birla Mandir Hindu temple

Diguva Mangalagiri Temple

Durga Temple in Vijayawada

Ramappa Temple

Mounagiri Hanuman Temple in Anantapur

Malluru Ugra Narasimha Swamy Temple at Mangapet of Warangal District Andhra Pradesh, India Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in the town of Tirumala in Chittoor district is a very important pilgrimage site for Hindus throughout India. It is the second richest pilgrimage city of any religious faith in the world after Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the Indian state of Kerala.[63] Its main temple is dedicated to the god Venkateswara. In 1517, Vijayanagara ruler Sri Krishna Deva Raya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels, enabling the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. Statues of Sri Krishna Deva Raya and his spouse stand in the premises of the temple. The five ancient Hindu temples of Lord Shiva, known as Pancharama Kshetras, are located at Amararama, Draksharama, Somarama, Ksheerarama and Kumararama. The Sivalingas at these temples are made from a single Sivalinga. Simhachalam is another popular pilgrimage site of national importance located on a hill 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Visakhapatnam city centre. Simhachalam is said to be the abode of the savior-god Narasimha, who rescued Prahlada from his abusive father Hiranyakashipu. One of the most exquisitely sculpted shrines of Andhra Pradesh, it has a beautifully carved 16pillared Natya mantapa and a 96-pillared Kalyana mantapa. The temple was built in 11th century by Kullotunga chola. Engaged couples go to this temple as a ritual just before marriage. It is one of the most crowded temples of Andhra Pradesh.[citation needed] Srisailam temple in Kurnool district is a very famous Shiva temple, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. Lord Rama himself installed the Sahasralinga, while the Pandavas lodged the Panchapandava lingas in the temple courtyard. The Skanda Purana, an ancient religious text, has a chapter called "Srisaila Kandam" dedicated to this temple, which points to its ancient origin. It is said that Adi Shankara (c. 788821 CE) visited this temple at the time that he composed his Sivananda Lahiri. Srisailam is located in Kurnool district.[citation needed] Bhadrachalam Temple is a temple to Lord Rama in the town of Bhadrachalam in Khammam district. It is situated on the banks of the river Godavari. This is the place where Kancherla Gopanna (16201680) wrote his devotional songs dedicated to lord Rama. It was believed that lord Rama spent some years on the banks of river Godavari here in Treta Yuga. Kancherla Gopanna raised the funds and constructed the temple during the reign of Tanisha in the 17th century. Sri Rama Navami, a celebration of the Marriage of Lord Rama and sita, is celebrated here every year. Government of Andhra Pradesh sends pearls for the event.[citation needed] Kanaka Durga Temple is a temple to the goddess Durga situated on the Indrakeeladri Hill in the city of Vijayawada on the banks of Krishna River. Special pujas are performed during Dasara, also called Navratri. The most significant are Saraswati puja and Theppotsavam. The festival of Dasara for the Goddess Durga is celebrated there every year. A large number of pilgrims attend the colourful celebrations and take a holy dip in the Krishna River.[citation needed] Raghavendra Swami Mutt in Mantralayam is a town in Kurnool district. It lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra river on the border with neighbouring Karnataka state. It is also called

Manchale. The town is noted for the holy presence of the Vrindavana of Guru Raghavendra Swami, a Madhwa saint and follower of Sri Madhwacharya. It is believed that Guru Raghavendra Swami is in the Vrindavana from the past 339 years and is believed to be in the Vrindavana for another 361 years. While entering the Vrindavana, Guru Raghavendra Swami stated that he would be there (in the Vrindavana) for 700 years.

Notable religious buildings

Gnana Saraswati Temple, Basar, dedicated to Saraswati, goddess of education Yaganti Caves and Mahanandi, pilgrimage centres in Kurnool Birla Mandir, Hyderabad Sanghi Temple, at Sanghi Nagar, near Hyderabad Ramappa Temple, constructed in 1213, located 77 km (48 mi) from Warangal Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad Buddha statue, erected in 1992 on the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad Srikalahasti Temple, ancient Shiva temple by the Swarnamukhi river in Chittoor district Vemulavada Sri Raja Rajeshwara temple in Karimnagar Sri Viswa Viznana Vidya Adhyatmika Peetham, in Pithapuram, East Godavari district

Culture
Main article: Culture of Andhra Pradesh Bapu's paintings, Nanduri Venkata Subba Rao's Yenki Paatalu (Songs about a washerwoman called Yenki), mischievous Budugu (a character by Mullapudi), Annamayya's songs, Aavakaaya (a variant of mango pickle in which the kernel of mango is retained), Gongura (a chutney from Roselle plant), Atla Taddi (a seasonal festival predominantly for teenage girls), the banks of river Godavari, and the Dudu basavanna (the ceremonial ox decorated for door-to-door exhibition during the harvest festival Sankranthi) have long defined Telugu culture. The village of Durgi is known for stone craft, producing carvings of idols in soft stone that must be exhibited in the shade because they are prone to weathering.[citation needed] Kalamkari is an ancient textile art form dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. Andhra Pradesh is famous for doll making. Dolls are made from wood, mud, dry grass, and lightweight metal alloys. Tirupathi is famous for redwood carvings. Kondapalli is famous for mud toys with rich colors. The village of Etikoppaka, located in Visakhapatnam district, produces lacquered toys. Nirmal paintings are expressive and are usually painted over a black background. Story telling in Andhra Pradesh is an art form in itself. Folk dances unique to Andhra Pradesh include Yaksha ganam, Burra katha (usually done by three people, telling stories using three different musical instruments), Jangama kathalu, Hari kathalu, Chekka bajana, Urumula natyam (usually done at festivals, where a group of people dance in circles with loud music), and Ghata natyam (performances done with earthen pots over one's head).[citation needed] Andhra Pradesh has many museums, the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, which features a varied collection of sculptures, paintings, and religious artifacts, including the Archaeological Museum[64] at Amaravati near Guntur City that features relics of nearby ancient sites, and the

Visakha Museum, in Visakhapatnam, which displays the history of the pre-Independence and thotla konda which depicts the age old budhist stupa's and cultural style, Madras Presidency in a rehabilitated Dutch bungalow.[65] Victoria Jubilee Museum in Vijayawada has a good collection of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery and inscriptions. Other ancient sites include dozens of ancient Buddhist stupas in Nagarjunakonda which is now an island in Nagarjuna Sagar, an artificial lake that formed after the construction of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. The Island has a large museum that houses many Buddhist relics.[66] Just like in other parts of the country, many festivals are celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, which include - Ugadi, Sankranthi, Dasara, Varalakshmi Vratham, Vinayaka Chavithi, Deepavali, Batukamma, Rakhi poornima, Christmas, Sri Rama Navami, Bonalu, Maha Shivaratri, Nagula Chaviti, Holi, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-zuha, Muharram, Milad-un-Nabi etc.

Cuisine
Main article: Telugu cuisine The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is one of the spiciest of all Indian cuisines. There are many variations to the cuisine based on geographical regions, caste and traditions. Rice is the staple food and is used in a wide varieties of dishes. Typically, rice is boiled and eaten with curry or made into a batter for use in a crepe-like dish called attu (pesarattu is made of a mixture of this batter and mung beans) or dosas, a crepe filled with black beans or lentils. Pickles and chutneys, locally known as thoku and pachadi in Telugu, are popular in Andhra Pradesh, many varieties of pickle and chutney are unique to the State. Chutneys are made from practically every vegetable including tomatoes, brinjals (eggplant), and roselle (Gongura). Avaakaya (mango pickle) is probably the best known of the Andhra Pradesh pickles.[citation needed] ("Hydrabadi Biryani")one of the most famous dish in India belongs to Hydrabad ( Andhra Pradesh's state capital ), this is prepared with rice mixed with vegetables, pulses or non vegetarians ( chicken, mutton and fish ) Meat, vegetables and greens are prepared with different spices (masala) into a variety of strongly flavored dishes such as Hyderabadi Biryani, fish curry, brinjal curry and Gongura pachadi are the most popular dish of the state. The coastal region is even more well versed with the varieties in sea food specially known for Chapala Pulusu, Bommidala pulusu, Koramenu kura. Much of the cuisine is mainly prepared of meat. It is rich and aromatic, with a liberal use of exotic spices and ghee (clarified butter). Lamb, chicken and fish are the most widely used meats in the nonvegetarian dishes.[citation needed] The desserts or sweet dishes cherished in Andhra range from Payasam which is a rice or vermicelli pudding served both warm and cold; Pootharekulu; Bobbattlu; Paalakova; Mamidi Tandra; Khaja; Bandar Laddu; Sunnandalu.

Performing Arts and crafts

See also: Shadow Puppets of Andhra Pradesh

Kuchipudi, dance by Yamini Reddy Classical dance in Andhra can be performed by both men and women; women tend to learn it more often. Kuchipudi is the state's best-known classical dance form. The various dance forms that existed through the state's history are Bonalu, Dappu, Chenchu Bhagotham, Kuchipudi, Bhamakalapam, Burrakatha, Veeranatyam, Butta bommalu, Tappeta Gullu, Lambadi, Dhimsa, Kolattam, and Chindu. Jaanapadam theenmar is a popular folk dance. Jayapa Senani was the first person to write about the dances prevalent in Andhra Pradesh.[67] Both Desi and Margi forms of dances are included in his Sanskrit treatise Nrutya Ratnavali.

Literature
Main article: Telugu literature Nannayya, Tikkana, and Yerrapragada form the trinity who translated the great Sanskrit epic Mahabharata into Telugu. Pothana is the poet who composed the classic SriMad Maha Bhagavatamu, a Telugu translation of Sri Bhagavatham, authored by Veda Vyasa in Sanskrit. Nannayya (c. 11th century CE), the earliest known Telugu author, was patronized by the king Rajaraja Narendra who ruled from Rajamahendravaram (now Rajahmundry). The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya wrote Amuktamalyada. The Telugu poet Vemana, a native of Kadapa, is notable for his philosophical poems. Telugu literature after Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1848 1919) is termed modern literature. Known as Gadya Tikkana, Satyavathi Charitam was the author Telugu-language social novel, Satyavathi Charitam. Jnanpith Award winners include Sri Viswanatha Satya Narayana and Dr. C. Narayana Reddy. The Andhra Pradesh native and revolutionary poet Sri Sri brought new forms of expressionism into Telugu literature.[citation needed] Other modern writers include Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, the only person nominated from India for a Nobel prize in literature since Rabindranath Tagore. The West Bengal Government conferred on him the title Rashtrendu ("Moon of the Nation"). Telugu University awarded him an honorary Doctorate in Literature in 1994. He received the Kalidas Samman award from the

Madhya Pradhesh government, and he won the Central Sahitya Akademi fellowship in 1999. Puttaparthi Narayanacharyulu is one of the scholarly poets of Telugu literature. He wrote the books Sivatandavam and Panduranga Mahatyam. Other notable writers from Andhra Pradesh include Srirangam Sreenivasarao, Gurram Jashuva, Chinnaya Suri, Viswanatha Satyanarayana.[citation needed]

Cinema
Main article: Telugu Cinema

A western street replica at Ramoji Film City

The Prasads IMAX world's largest 3D-IMAX screen Prasads IMAX In the early 1980s, the Telugu film industry had largely shifted its base to Hyderabad from Madras. The Telugu film culture (or, "Tollywood") is the second-largest film industry in India.[68] Hyderabad houses the Prasads IMAX theatre, which was the biggest 3D IMAX screen in the world when it was built in 2007.[69] It is also home to Ramoji Film City which is the worlds largest integrated film studio complex at over 2,000 acres (809 ha) of land.[70] Prolific film producer from the state, D. Ramanaidu holds a Guinness Record for the most number of films produced by a person.[71]Nandhamuri Taraka Rama rao and Chiranjeevi are the prominent figures in the Telugu film industry. In the years 2005, 2006 and 2008 the Telugu film industry, has produced the largest number of films in India exceeding the number of films produced in Bollywood.[72][73] The industry holds the Guinness World Record for the largest film production facility in the world.[74] The Prasads IMAX located in Hyderabad is the world's largest 3D IMAX

screen, and the most attended cinema screen in the world.[75][76][77] The state of Andhra Pradesh, consists of the most number of cinema theatres in India.[78]

Music
Main article: Music of Andhra Pradesh

Balamuralikrishna during a concert in Kuwait on 29 March 2006, accompanied by Mavelikkara Sathees Chandran (violin), Perunna G. Harikumar (mridangom), Manjoor Unnikrishnan (ghatam) Many composers of Carnatic music like Annamacharya, Tyagaraja, Kshetrayya, and Bhadrachala Ramadas were of Telugu descent. Modern Carnatic music composers like Ghantasala and Sri M. Balamuralikrishna are also of Telugu descent. The Telugu film industry hosts many music composers and playback singers such as S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P.Susheela, S. Janaki, P B Srinivas. Telugus have a large number of folk dances. Folk songs are popular in the many rural areas of the state. Forms such as the Burra katha and Poli are still performed today.[79]

Sports
The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh, is the governing body which looks after the infrastructure development in Cricket, Field hockey, Association Football, Olympic weightlifting, Chess, Water Sports, Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis, Cycling etc.[citation needed] Sports like kho kho, kabaddi, chinni daandu and goli (marbles) are played mostly in coastal Andhra & Telangana areas. One of the most popular sports in Andhra Pradesh is cricket. The Hyderabad Cricket Association nurtures potential international players. The Hyderabad cricket team has won the Ranji Trophy twice. The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad and ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam, regularly host international matches. The Sunrisers Hyderabad, an Indian Premier League franchise, is based in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. Notable cricketers from Andhra Pradesh, include C. K. Nayudu, Maharajkumar of Vizianagram, M. V. Narasimha Rao, Mohammad Azharuddin, M. S. K. Prasad, V.V.S. Laxman, Tirumalasetti Suman, Arshad Ayub, Ambati Rayudu, Paul Valthaty, Venkatapathy Raju, Sravanthi Naidu, Yalaka Venugopal Rao etc.

Other accomplished sports-persons include, A. Ramana Rao, Karnam Malleswari, Pullela Gopichand, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Sharath Kamal, Chetan Anand (Badminton), Pradeep (Volley Ball), Mukesh Kumar (Hockey), Abdul Najeeb Qureshi, Jwala Gutta, Raman Subbarao, Kamineni Eswara Rao, etc. Grandmasters in Chess like, Koneru Humpy, Pendyala Harikrishna, Dronavalli Harika and Gogineni Rohit hail from the state.

Education and research

Indian School of Business Andhra Pradesh is served by more than 20 institutes of higher education. All major arts, humanities, science, engineering, law, medicine, business, and veterinary science are offered, with first degrees and postgraduate awards available. Advanced research is conducted in all major areas.[citation needed] Andhra Pradesh has 1,330 arts, science and commerce colleges; 1,000 MBA and MCA colleges; 847 engineering colleges; 53 medical colleges, and one Indian Institute of Technology (in Hyderabad). The student to teacher ratio in higher education is 19:1. According to the 2001 census, Andhra Pradesh has an overall literacy rate of 61.11% (as per Andhra pradesh Govt's official website). The male literacy rate is 70.3% and the female literacy rate is 67.4%.[citation
needed]

Andhra Pradesh is the home to Osmania University, it is one of the oldest modern universities in India. It is one of the largest university systems in the subcontinent with over 300,000 students on its various campuses and affiliated colleges.[80] The Government of Andhra Pradesh has established Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT)[4] in 2008 to cater to the educational needs of the gifted rural youth of Andhra Pradesh. The Institute specializes in teaching and research in Information Technology and other emerging disciplines under the control of a common university Governing Council and following a common syllabus.

School children in an elementary school in Andhra Pradesh The state has recently made strides in setting up several institutes. Andhra Pradesh is home to the Damodaram Sanjeevayya National Law University, vishakhapatnam, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Hyderabad Campus), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Hyderabad campus), Indian Institute of Biotechnology,[81]top unviersity in the country: University of Hyderabad (central university)</ref>Template:Http://www.iith.ac.in/ Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad,[82] Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad,[83] International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H),[84] National Institute of Technology NIT Warangal,[85] National Institute of Nutrition[86] the Nalsar University of Law, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, National Institute of Rural Development,[87] School of Planning and Architecture, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies,[88] prestigious Indian School of Business (ISB) and IFHE university's IBS, Hyderabad.[89] The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and The Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition are also located in Hyderabad. Also Georgia Institute of Technology,[90] is in the process of setting up their campus in Hyderabad. Apart from this Andhra Pradesh is home to many more top class universities like English and Foreign Languages University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University,[91] Osmania University,[92] Andhra University,[93] Nagarjuna University,[94] Kakatiya University,[95] Sri Venkateswara University,[96] Sri Krishnadevaraya University,[97] Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University,[98] Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Telangana University Nizamabad, Mahathma Gandhi University Nalgonda, Palamur University Mahaboobnagar, Rayalaseema university, Kurnool,[99] Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University(SVVU)(www.svvu.edu.in) and private engineering colleges like Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology, Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, MVSR Engineering College, GRIET,Hyderabad Institute of Technology And Management(HITAM) to serve their people across Andhra Pradesh. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has established the first University of Health Sciences, fulfilling the recommendations of several committees. The Andhra Pradesh University of Health Sciences was established by Act.No. 6 of the Andhra Pradesh legislature and was inaugurated in 1986 by the late Sri N.T. Rama Rao, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. After the death of its founder Sri N.T. Rama Rao the University was named after him as NTR University of Health Sciences, Andhra Pradesh.

Transport

Major road links of Andhra Pradesh

The railroad bridge between Rajahmundry and Kovvur

Road: A total of 146,954 km (91,313 mi) of roads are maintained by the State, of which State Highways comprise 42,511 km (26,415 mi), National Highways 2,949 km (1,832 mi), and District Roads 101,484 km (63,059 mi). The growth rate for vehicle ownership in Andhra Pradesh is the highest in the country at 16%.[100]

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is the major public transport corporation owned by the government of Andhra Pradesh that connects all the cities and villages. APSRTC is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest fleet of vehicles (approximately 21,000), and the longest distance covered daily. Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station [M.G.B.S] in Hyderabad and Nehru Bus stand in Vijayawada are among the largest bus stand in Asia.[101] Thousands of private operators also run buses connecting major cities and towns. Private vehicles like cars, motorised scooters, and bicycles occupy a major share of the local transport in the cities and adjoining villages.

The Secunderabad Railway Station, headquarters of the South Central Railway

Visakhapatnam seaport

Rail: Railways are a major means of transport connecting all major cities and towns. The history of railways in Andhra Pradesh dates back to the time of Nizam of Hyderabad. Most of Andhra Pradesh falls under the auspices of the South Central Railway, founded in 1966 with its headquarters at Secunderabad. The East Coast Railway serves Srikakulam, Vizianagaram District, and part of Visakhapatnam district including Visakhapatnam City. Vijayawada Railway Station is one of the busiest railway junctions in India. Second largest & busiest Railway station in Asia. Air: Hyderabad International Airport, also known as Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, is the international airport for the city of Hyderabad. It has won WORLD NO 1 Airport award twice (2009, 2010) in the 5 - 15 million passenger category. It is the largest airport in the state and one of the busiest airports nationwide. Visakhapatnam Airport, the other international airport in the state is the second largest serving close to 1 million passengers annually. Other airports in the state are Vijayawada Airport, Rajahmundry Airport, and Tirupati Airport. The government also has plans to start airports in eight other cities: Guntur, Ongole, Nellore, Warangal, Kadapa, Tadepalligudem, Kurnool, Karimnagar, Ramagundam and Kothagudem. Sea: Andhra Pradesh has two of the major ports of India at Visakhapatnam, the second largest port of India (cargo handling)[102] and Kakinada and three minor ports at Krishnapatnam (Nellore), Machilipatnam, and Nizampatnam (Guntur). A private port is being developed at Gangavaram, near Visakhapatnam. This deep seaport can accommodate ocean liners up to 200,000250,000 DWT.Andhra Pradesh having second largest sea coastal line in India of 974 km

Newspapers and journals

Telugu

Eenadu Sakshi (newspaper) Andhra Jyothi Andhra Bhoomi Andhra Prabha Prajasakti Suryaa Vaartha Namaste Telangana Visaalandhra

Urdu

Awam Etemaad daily The Munsif Daily The Siasat Daily Blitz

English

Deccan Chronicle The Hindu Hindustan Times The Business Line The Economic Times The New Indian Express The Times of India The Hans India

See also
Geography portal Asia portal South Asia portal India portal Andhra Pradesh portal Hyderabad portal

Index of Andhra Pradesh-related articles Outline of India Index of India-related articles Bibliography of India India at Wikipedia books History of India List of people from Andhra Pradesh Middle kingdoms of India Traditional games of Andhra Pradesh Uttarandhra

References

Arunachal Pradesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search "Arunachal" redirects here. For the hill at Thiruvannamalai, see Arunachala.

Arunachal Pradesh
State

Seal

Location of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Map of Arunachal Pradesh

Coordinates (Itanagar):

27.06N

93.37ECoordinates: 27.06N 93.37E India Country 20 February 1987 Established Itanagar Capital Itanagar Largest city 16 Districts Government Nirbhay Sharma Governor Nabam Tuki (INC) Chief Minister Unicameral (60 seats) Legislature Parliamentary 2 constituency Guwahati High Court High Court Itanagar Bench Area 83,743 km2 (32,333 sq mi) Total 14th Area rank

Population (2011) Total Rank Density Time zone ISO 3166 code HDI HDI rank Literacy Official languages Website

1,382,611 26th 17/km2 (43/sq mi) IST (UTC+05:30) IN-AR 0.617 (medium) 18th (2005) 66.95% Hindi[dubious discuss],[1] English[2][3][4] arunachalpradesh.nic.in

Arunachal Pradesh /rntl prd/ is a state of India. Located in northeast India, Arunachal Pradesh borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the north. Itanagar is the capital of the state. China claims most of the state as part of Tibet and calls the disputed area South Tibet. Arunachal Pradesh means "land of the dawn-lit mountains".[5] Literally it means "land of the rising sun" (Sanskrit: Arun: Sun, Pradesh: state, province or region) in reference to its position as the easternmost state of India. It is also known as the "Orchid State of India" and the "Paradise of the Botanists". It is the biggest of the group of eastern states commonly known as the Seven Sister States. Like other parts of Northeast India, a majority of the people native to the state are of Tibeto-Burman origin. A large and increasing number of migrants have reached Arunachal Pradesh from many other parts of India, though no reliable population count of the migrant population exists, and percentage estimates of total population accordingly vary widely. Arunachal Pradesh has the largest number of regional languages among Indian states.[6]

Contents

1 History o 1.1 Early history o 1.2 Drawing of McMahon line o 1.3 Sino-Indian War 1.3.1 Tawang o 1.4 Current name 2 Geography o 2.1 Climate 3 Districts 4 Economy 5 Tourism 6 Languages

7 Demographics 8 Transport o 8.1 Air o 8.2 Roads o 8.3 Railway 9 Education 10 State symbols 11 See also 12 Notes 13 External links

History
Early history
The history of pre-modern Arunachal Pradesh remains shrouded in mystery. Oral histories possessed to this day by many Arunachali tribes of Tibeto-Burman stock are much richer and point unambiguously to a northern origin in modern-day Tibet. Again corroboration remains difficult. From the point of view of material culture it is clear that most indigenous Arunachali groups align with Burma-area hill tribals, a fact that could either be explainable in terms of a northern Burmese origin or from westward cultural diffusion. From the same perspective the most unusual Arunachali group by far is the Puroik/Sulung, whose traditional staple food is sago palm and whose primary traditional productive strategy is foraging. While speculatively considered to be a Tibeto-Burman population, the uniqueness of Puroik culture and language may well represent a tenuous reflection of a distant and all but unknown pre-Tibeto-Burman, Tai and Indo-Aryan past. According to the Arunachal Pradesh government, the region was mentioned in the Hindu texts Kalika Purana and Mahabharata, and is attested to be the Prabhu Mountains of the Puranas, and was where sage Parashuram washed away sins, the sage Vyasa meditated, King Bhishmaka founded his kingdom and Lord Krishna married his consort Rukmini.[7] Recorded history from an outside perspective only became available in the Ahom chronicles of the 16th century. The Monpa and Sherdukpen do keep historical records of the existence of local chiefdoms in the northwest as well. Northwestern parts of this area came under the control of the Monpa kingdom of Monyul, which flourished between 500 B.C. and 600 A.D. This region then came under the loose control of Tibet and Bhutan, especially in the Northern areas. The remaining parts of the state, especially those bordering Myanmar, came under the titular control of the Ahom and the Assamese until the annexation of India by the British in 1858. However, most Arunachali tribes remained in practice largely autonomous up until Indian independence and the formalization of indigenous administration in 1947. Recent excavations of ruins of Hindu temples such as the 14th century Malinithan at the foot of the Siang hills in West Siang are somewhat automatically associated with the ancient history of Arunachal Pradesh, inasmuch as they fall within its modern-day political borders. However, such

temples are generally south-facing, never occur more than a few kilometers from the Assam plains area, and are perhaps more likely to have been associated with Assam plains-based rather than indigenous Arunachali populations. Another notable heritage site, Bhismaknagar, has led to suggestions that the Idu (Mishmi) had an advanced culture and administration in pre-historical times. Again, however, no evidence directly associates Bhismaknagar with this or any other known culture. The third heritage site, the 400-year-old Tawang Monastery in the extreme northwest of the state, provides some historical evidence of the Buddhist tribal people. The sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso was born in Tawang.[8]

Drawing of McMahon line

British map published in 1909 showing the Indo-Tibetan traditional border (eastern section on the top right) In 1913-1914 representatives of China, Tibet and Britain negotiated a treaty in India: the Simla Accord.[9] This treaty's objective was to define the borders between Inner and Outer Tibet as well as between Outer Tibet and British India. British administrator, Sir Henry McMahon, drew up the 550 miles (890 km) McMahon Line as the border between British India and Outer Tibet during the Simla Conference. The Tibetan and British representatives at the conference agreed to the line and Tibet ceded Tawang and other Tibetan areas to the British Empire. The Chinese representative had no problems with the border between British India and Outer Tibet; however on the issue of the border between Outer Tibet and Inner Tibet the talks broke down. Thus, the Chinese representative refused to accept the agreement and walked out.[citation needed] The Tibetan Government and British Government went ahead with the Simla Agreement and declared that the benefits of other articles of this treaty would not be bestowed on China as long as it stays out of the purview.[10] The Chinese position was that Tibet was not independent from China, so Tibet could not have independently signed treaties, and per the Anglo-Chinese (1906) and AngloRussian (1907) conventions, any such agreement was invalid without Chinese assent.[11] Simla was initially rejected by the Government of India as incompatible with the 1907 AngloRussian Convention. However, this agreement (Anglo-Russian Convention) was renounced by Russia and Britain jointly in 1921. However, with the collapse of Chinese power in Tibet, the line had no serious challenges as Tibet had signed the convention, therefore it was forgotten to the extent that no new maps were published until 1935, when civil service officer Olaf Caroe called attention to this issue. The Survey of India published a map showing the McMahon Line

as the official boundary in 1937.[citation needed] In 1938, the British finally published the Simla Convention as a bilateral accord two decades after the Simla Conference; in 1938 the Survey of India published a detailed map showing Tawang as part of North-East Frontier Agency. In 1944 Britain established administrations in the area, from Dirang Dzong in the west to Walong in the east. Tibet, however, altered its position on the McMahon Line in late 1947 when the Tibetan government wrote a note presented to the newly independent Indian Ministry of External Affairs laying claims to (Tawang) south of the McMahon Line.[12] The situation developed further as India became independent and the People's Republic of China was established in 1949. With the PRC poised to take over Tibet, India unilaterally declared the McMahon Line to be the boundary in November 1950, and forced the last remnants of Tibetan administration out of the Tawang area in 1951.[13][14] The PRC has never recognized the McMahon Line, and claims Tawang on behalf of Tibetans.[15] The 14th Dalai Lama, who led the Tibetan government from 1950 to 1959, was quoted in 2003 as saying that Tawang was "actually part of the Tibetan administration" before the Simla Accord.[16] He clarified his position in 2008, saying that as far as Tibet was concerned "Tawang is part of India".[16] According to the Dalai Lama, "In 1962 during the IndiaChina war, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) already occupied all these areas (Arunachal Pradesh) but they announced a unilateral ceasefire and withdrew, accepting the current international boundary.[17]

Sino-Indian War
Main article: Sino-Indian War The NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) was created in 1955. The issue was quiet for nearly a decade, a period of cordial Sino-Indian relations, but the re-emergence of the issue was a major cause of the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The cause of the escalation into war is still disputed by both Chinese and Indian sources. During the war in 1962, the PRC captured most area of Arunachal Pradesh. However, China soon declared victory, voluntarily withdrew back to the McMahon Line and returned Indian prisoners of war in 1963. The war resulted in the termination of barter trade with Tibet, although in 2007 the state government has shown signs to resume barter trade with Tibet.[18] Tawang In recent years, PR China has occasionally made statements in conjunction with its 'claims' on Tawang. India has rebutted these claims by Chinese government and the Indian prime minister has informed the Chinese government that Tawang is an integral part of India. He repeated this to the Chinese prime minister when the two prime ministers met in Thailand in October 2009. China objected to the visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang in November 2009 though the Dalai Lama had previously visited Tawang several times since he left Tibet in 1959. India rejected the Chinese objection and said that the Dalai Lama is an honoured guest in India and could visit any place in India. The Dalai Lama visited Tawang on 8 November 2009. About 30,000 people including those from neighbouring countries, Nepal and Bhutan, attended his religious discourse.[19]

He was received and welcomed by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh and the people of Arunachal Pradesh. The residents of Tawang painted their houses and decorated the town.[20]

Current name
NEFA was renamed on 20 January 1972 and became the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh became a state on 20 February 1987. More recently, Arunachal Pradesh has come to face threats from certain insurgent groups, notably the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), who are believed to have base camps in the districts of Changlang and Tirap.[21] There are occasional reports of these groups harassing local people and extorting protection money.[22] Especially along the Tibetan border, the Indian army has a considerable presence due to concerns about Chinese intentions in the region. Special permits called Inner Line Permits (ILP) are required to enter Arunachal Pradesh through any of its checkgates on the border with Assam.

Geography

A lake at Sela on the way to Tawang in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Himalayas bordering Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh is located between 26.28 N and 29.30 N latitude and 91.20 E and 97.30 E longitude and has 83,743 square kilometre area.

Much of Arunachal Pradesh is covered by the Himalayas. However, parts of Lohit, Changlang and Tirap are covered by the Patkai hills. Kangto, Nyegi Kangsang, the main Gorichen peak and the Eastern Gorichen peak are some of the highest peaks in this region of the Himalayas. The land is mostly mountainous with the Himalayan ranges running north south. These divide the state into five river valleys: the Kameng, the Subansiri, the Siang, the Lohit and the Tirap. All these are fed by snow from the Himalayas and countless rivers and rivulets. The mightiest of these rivers is Siang, called the Tsangpa in Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra after it is joined by the Dibang and the Lohit in the plains of Assam. At the lowest elevations, essentially at Arunachal Pradesh's border with Assam, are Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests. Much of the state, including the Himalayan foothills and the Patkai hills, are home to Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests. Toward the northern border with Tibet, with increasing elevation, come a mixture of Eastern and Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests followed by Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows and ultimately rock and ice on the highest peaks. The Himalayan ranges that extend up to the eastern Arunachal separate it from Tibet. The ranges extend toward Nagaland, and form a boundary between India and Burma in Changlang and Tirap district, acting as a natural barrier called Patkai Bum Hills. They are low mountains compared to the Greater Himalayas.[23]

Climate
The climate of Arunachal Pradesh varies with elevation. Areas that are at a very high elevation in the Upper Himalaya close to the Tibetan border have an alpine or tundra climate. Below the Upper Himalayas are the Middle Himalayas, where people experience a temperate climate. Areas at the sub-Himalayan and sea-level elevation generally experience humid, sub-tropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. Arunachal Pradesh receives heavy rainfall of 2,000 to 4,100 millimetres (79 to 160 in) annually, most of it between May and September. The mountain slopes and hills are covered with alpine, temperate, and subtropical forests of dwarf rhododendron, oak, pine, maple, fir, and juniper; sal (Shorea robusta) and teak are the main economically valuable species.

Districts
Main article: Districts of Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh is divided into seventeen districts, each administered by a district collector. The districts are:

Tirap District Changlang District Lohit District Anjaw District Lower Dibang Valley

Upper Dibang Valley East Siang West Siang Upper Siang Lower Subansiri Upper Subansiri Kurung Kumey Papum Pare East Kameng West Kameng Tawang District Longding District

Economy
The chart below displays the trend of the gross state domestic product of Arunachal Pradesh at market prices estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in billions of Indian Rupees. See also List of Indian states by GDP. Year Gross Domestic Product (Billion INR) 1980 1.070 1985 2.690 1990 5.080 1995 11.840 2000 17.830 2005 31.880 2010 65.210 2011 82.330 2012 93.570 Arunachal Pradesh's gross state domestic product was estimated at US$706 million at current prices in 2004 and USD 1.75 billion at current prices in 2012. Agriculture primarily drives the economy. Jhum, the local word for a shifting cultivation widely practiced among the tribal groups, is now less practiced. Arunachal Pradesh has close to 61,000 square kilometers of forests, and forest products are the next most significant sector of the economy. Among the crops grown here are rice, maize, millet, wheat, pulses, sugarcane, ginger, and oilseeds. Arunachal is also ideal for horticulture and fruit orchards. Its major industries are rice mills, fruit preservation units, and handloom handicrafts. Sawmills and plywood trades are prohibited under law.[24] Arunachal Pradesh accounts for a large percentage of India's untapped potential of producing hydroelectric power. In 2008, the government of Arunachal Pradesh state signed deals with various companies planning some 42 hydroelectric schemes that will produce electricity in excess of 27,000 MW.[25] Construction of the Upper Siang Hydroelectric Project, which is expected to generate between 10,000 to 12,000 MW, began in April 2009.[26]

Tourism
Tourist attractions include Tawang (a beautiful town with a Buddhist monastery) at 3000 m elevation, Ziro (which holds cultural festivals), the Namdapha tiger project in Changlang district and Sela lake near Bomdila with its bamboo bridges overhanging the river. Religious places of interest include Malinithan in Lekhabali, Rukhmininagar near Roing (the place where Rukmini, Lord Krishna's wife in Hindu mythology, is said to have lived), and Parshuram Kund in Lohit district (which is believed to be the lake where Parshuram washed away his sins). The state provides abundant scope for angling, boating, rafting, trekking and hiking. Rafting and trekking are common activities. Some suggested routes for travel or trekking are

TezpurTipiBomdila-Tawang TinsukiaTezu-Parasuramkund MargheritaMiao-Namdapha ItanagarZiro-DaporijoAlong (or Aalo)Pasighat.

Over the years, the Jawaharlal Nehru Museum, Itanagar has become an important tourist destination in the state capital.[27][28] The state is rich in wildlife and has a number of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks with rare animals, birds and plants. Perhaps the highest diversity of mammals in India is in Arunachal Pradesh (200+ species).[29] The diversity of birds is also very high, 700+ and is second only to Assam.[30]

Languages
Modern-day Arunachal Pradesh is one of the linguistically richest and most diverse regions in all of Asia, being home to at least 30 and possibly as many as 50 distinct languages in addition to innumerable dialects and subdialects thereof. Boundaries between languages very often correlate with tribal divisions for example, Apatani and Nyishi are tribally and linguistically distinct but shifts in tribal identity and alignment over time have also ensured that a certain amount of complication enters into the picture for example, Galo is and has seemingly always been linguistically distinct from Adi, whereas the earlier tribal alignment of Galo with Adi (i.e., "Adi Gallong") has only recently been essentially dissolved.

Apatani tribal women The vast majority of languages indigenous to modern-day Arunachal Pradesh belong to the Tibeto-Burman language family. The majority of these in turn belong to a single branch of Tibeto-Burman, namely Tani. Almost all Tani languages are indigenous to central Arunachal Pradesh, including (moving from west to east) Nyishi/Nishi, Apatani, Bangni, Tagin, Hills Miri, Galo, Bokar, Lower Adi (Padam, Pasi, Minyong, and Komkar), Upper Adi (Aashing, Shimong, Karko and Bori, and Milang; only Mising, among Tani languages, is primarily spoken outside Arunachal Pradesh in modern-day Assam, while a handful of northern Tani languages including Bangni and Bokar are spoken in small numbers in Tibet. Tani languages are noticeably characterized by an overall relative uniformity, suggesting relatively recent origin and dispersal within their present-day area of concentration. Most Tani languages are mutually intelligible with at least one other Tani language, meaning that the area constitutes a dialect chain, as was once found in much of Europe; only Apatani and Milang stand out as relatively unusual in the Tani context. Tani languages are among the better-studied languages of the region.

Aka Tribe of West Kameng To the east of the Tani area lie three virtually undescribed and highly endangered languages of the "Mishmi" group of Tibeto-Burman, Idu, Digaru and Miju. A number of speakers of these languages are also found in Tibet. The relationships of these languages, both amongst one another and to other area languages, are as yet uncertain. Further south, one finds the Singpho (Kachin) language, which is primarily spoken by large populations in Burma, and the Nocte and Wancho languages, which show affiliations to certain "Naga" languages spoken to the south in modern-day Nagaland.

To the west and north of the Tani area are found at least one and possibly as many as four Bodic languages, including Dakpa and Tshangla; within modern-day India, these languages go by the cognate but, in usage, distinct designations Monpa and Memba. Most speakers of these languages or closely related Bodic languages are found in neighbouring Bhutan and Tibet, and Monpa and Memba populations remain closely adjacent to these border regions. Between the Bodic and Tani areas lie a large number of almost completely undescribed and unclassified languages, which, speculatively considered Tibeto-Burman, exhibit many unique structural and lexical properties that probably reflect both a long history in the region and a complex history of language contact with neighbouring populations. Among them are Sherdukpen, Bugun, Aka/Hruso, Koro, Miji, Bangru and Puroik/Sulung. The high linguistic significance these languages is belied by the extreme paucity of documentation and description of them, even in view of their highly endangered status. Puroik, in particular, is perhaps one of the most culturally and linguistically unique and significant populations in all of Asia from proto-historical and anthropological-linguistic perspectives, and yet virtually no information of any real reliability regarding their culture or language can be found in print. Finally, there is an unknown number of Tibeto-Burman languages of Nepal-area origin spoken in modern-day Arunachal Pradesh, including Gurung and Tamang; not classified as "tribal" in the Arunachali context, such languages generally go unrecognized, while their speakers are largely viewed as itinerant "Nepalis". An unknown number of Tibetan dialects are similarly spoken by recent migrants from Tibet, although they are not generally recognized or classified as tribal or indigenous. Outside of Tibeto-Burman, one finds in Arunachal Pradesh a single representative of the Tai language family, namely the Khamti language, which is closely affiliated to the Shan dialects of northern Burma; seemingly, Khamti is a recent arrival in Arunachal Pradesh whose presence dates from 18th and/or early 19th-century migrations from northern Burma. In addition to these non-Indo-European languages, the Indo-European languages Assamese, Bengali, English, Nepali and especially Hindi are making strong inroads into Arunachal Pradesh. Primarily as a result of the primary education system in which classes are generally taught by Hindi-speaking immigrant teachers from Bihar and other Hindi-speaking parts of northern India a large and growing section of the population now speaks a semi-creolized variety of Hindi as its mother tongue. Despite, or perhaps because of, the linguistic diversity of the region, English is the only official language recognized in the state.

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Arunachal Pradesh

Children in Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh

[show]Population Growth
Arunachal Pradesh can be roughly divided into a set of semi-distinct cultural spheres, on the basis of tribal identity, language, religion and material culture: the Tibetic area bordering Bhutan in the west, the Tani area in the centre of the state, the Mishmi area to the east of the Tani area, the Tai/Singpho/Tangsa area bordering Burma, and the "Naga" area to the south, which also borders Burma. In between there are transition zones, such as the Aka/Hruso/Miji/Sherdukpen area, which provides a "buffer" of sorts between the Tibetic Buddhist tribes and the animist Tani hill tribes. In addition, there are isolated peoples scattered throughout the state, such as the Sulung. Within each of these cultural spheres, one finds populations of related tribes speaking related languages and sharing similar traditions. In the Tibetic area, one finds large numbers of Monpa tribespeople, with several subtribes speaking closely related but mutually incomprehensible languages, and also large numbers of Tibetan refugees. Within the Tani area, major tribes include Nishi, which has recently come to be used by many people to encompass Bangni, Tagin and even Hills Miri. Apatani also live among the Nishi, but are distinct. In the centre, one finds predominantly Galo people, with the major sub-groups of Lare and Pugo among others, extending to the Ramo and Pailibo areas (which are close in many ways to Galo). In the east, one finds the Adi with many subtribes including Padam, Pasi, Minyong and Bokar, among others. Milang, while also falling within the general "Adi" sphere, are in many ways quite distinct. Moving east, the Idu, Miju and Digaru make up the "Mishmi" cultural-linguistic area, which may or may not form a coherent historical grouping. Moving southeast, the Tai Khamti are linguistically distinct from their neighbours and culturally distinct from the majority of other Arunachali tribes; they are religiously similar to the Chakmas

who have migrated from erstwhile East Pakistan. They follow the same Theraveda sect of Buddhism. The Chakmas consist of the majority of the tribal population. Districts of Lohit, Changlang, Dibang and Papumpare have a considerable number of Chakmas. They speak a linguistic variant derived from Assamese and Bengali. Assam also have a large population of Chakmas who reside in the district of Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and Kachar. They also exhibit considerable convergence with the Singpho and Tangsa tribes of the same area, all of which are also found in Burma. Finally, the Nocte and Wancho exhibit cultural and possibly also linguistic affinities to the tribes of Nagaland, which they border. In addition, there are large numbers of migrants from diverse areas of India and Bangladesh, who, while legally not entitled to settle permanently, in practice stay indefinitely, progressively altering the traditional demographic makeup of the state. Finally, populations of "Nepalis" (in fact, usually Tibeto-Burman tribespeople whose tribes predominate in areas of Nepal, but who do not have tribal status in India) and Chakmas are distributed in different areas of the state (although reliable figures are hard to come by).

Buddhism is practiced by 13% of the population. Shown here is a statue of the Buddha in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. Literacy has risen in official figures to 66.95% in 2011 from 54.74% in 2001. The literate population is said to number 789,943. Number of literate males are 454,532 (73.69%) and number of literate females are 335,411 (59.57%).[32] An uncertain but relatively large percentage of Arunachal's population are animist, and follow shamanistic-animistic religious traditions such as Donyi-Polo (in the Tani area) and Rangfrah (further east). A small number of Arunachali peoples have traditionally identified as Hindus, although the number is growing as animist traditions are merged with Hindu traditions. Tibetan Buddhism predominates in the districts of Tawang, West Kameng, and isolated regions adjacent to Tibet. Theravada Buddhism is practiced by groups living near the Burmese border. Around 19% of the population are said to be followers of the Christian faith,[33] and this percentage is probably growing due to Christian missionary activities in the area. According to the 2001 Indian Census, the religions of Arunachal Pradesh break down as follows:[34]

Hindu: 379,935 (34.6%) Others (mostly Donyi-Polo): 337,399 (30.7%) Christian: 205,548 (18.7%)

Buddhist: 143,028 (13.0%) Muslim: 20,675 (1.9%) Sikh: 1,865 (0.1%) Jain: 216 (<0.1%) Religion in Arunachal Pradesh

Religion

Percent

Hinduism Others (mostly Donyi-Polo) Christianity Buddhism Islam Sikhism Jainism

34.6% 30.7% 18.7% 13.0% 1.9% 0.1% 0.1%

A law has been enacted to protect the indigenous religions (e.g., Donyi-Poloism, Buddhism) in Arunanchal Pradesh against the spread of other religions, though no comparable law exists to protect the other religions. Out of the 705,158 tribals living in Arunachal, 333,102 are Animist (47.24%), 186,617 are Christian (26.46%), 92,577 are Hindu (13.13%), and 82,634 are Buddhist (11.72%). Out of the 101 recognized tribes, 37 have an animist majority (Nissi, Adi Gallong, Tagin, Adi Minyong, Adi, Apatani.etc.), 23 have a Christian majority (Wancho, Dafla, Mossang Tangsa, Bori, Yobin.etc.), 15 have a Hindu majority (Mishmi, Mishing/Miri, Deori, Aka, Longchang Tangsa.etc.) and 17 have a Buddhist majority (Monpa, Khampti, Tawang Monpa, Momba, Singpho, Sherdukpen.etc.). The remaining eight tribes are multi-faith, i.e., they do not have a dominant religion (Nocte, Tangsa, Naga.etc.).[35]

Transport
Air

Switchbacks in the Himalayas

The state's airports are Daporijo Airport, Ziro Airport, Along Airport, Tezu Airport and Pasighat Airport. However, owing to the rough terrain, these airports are small and are not in operation. Before the state was connected by roads, these airstrips were originally used for the transportation of food. A green-field airport serving Itanagar is being planned at Holongi at a cost of Rs. 6.50 billion.[36]

Roads
Arunachal Pradesh has two highways: the 336 km National Highway 52, completed in 1998, which connects Jonai with Dirak,[37] and another highway, which connects Tezpur in Assam with Tawang.[38] As of 2007, every village has been connected by road thanks to funding provided by the central government. Every small town has its own bus station and daily bus services are available. All places are connected to Assam, which has increased trading activity. An additional National Highway is being constructed following the Stillwell Ledo Road, which connects Ledo in Assam to Jairampur in Arunachal. Work on the ambitious 2,400 km two-lane Trans-Arunachal Highway Project announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 31, 2008 on his maiden visit to the state, is scheduled to be completed by 2015-16.

Railway
Arunachal Pradesh will get its first railway line in late 2013 when the new link line from Harmuti on the main Rangpara North-Murkong Selak railway line to Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh is commissioned. The construction of the 33 km long 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway link was completed in 2012, and the link will become operational when the gauge conversion of the main line under Project Unigauge is commissioned. The state capital Itanagar is 10 km from the new railhead Naharlagun. The new railway line will connect Itanagar with the Indian railway network.

Education
The state government is expanding the relatively underdeveloped education system with the assistance of NGOs like Vivekananda Kendra, leading to a sharp improvement in the state's literacy rate. The main university is the Rajiv Gandhi University (formerly known as Arunachal University), together with nine affiliated Government Colleges as well as four private colleges. The first college, Jawaharlal Nehru College, Pasighat, was established in 1964. There is also a deemed university, the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology as well as the National Institute of Technology of Arunachal Pradesh, established on 18 August 2010, is located in Yupia (headquarter of Itanagar).[39] NERIST plays an important role in technical and management higher education. The directorate of technical education conducts examinations yearly so that students who qualify can continue on to higher studies in other states. There are also trust institutes like Pali Vidyapith run by Buddhists. They teach Pali and Khamti scripts in addition to typical education subjects. Khamti is the only tribe in Arunachal Pradesh that has its own script. Libraries of scriptures are in a number of places in Lohit district, the largest one being in Chowkham.

The state has two polytechnic institutes: Rajiv Gandhi Government Polytechnic in Itanagar established in 2002 and Tomi Polytechnic College in Basar established in 2006. There is one law college called Arunachal Law Academy at Itanagar. The College of Horticulture and Forestry is affiliated to the Central Agriculture University, Imphal.

State symbols
State Bird State Flower State Animal State Tree Hornbill Foxtail Orchid Gayal Hollong
[40][41]

See also
Geography portal Asia portal South Asia portal India portal Himalaya region portal

Outline of India Index of India-related articles Bibliography of India India at Wikipedia books North-East Frontier Agency List of disputed or occupied territories List of people from Arunachal Pradesh Religion in Arunachal Pradesh Cuisine of Arunachal Pradesh Sino-Indian relations List of Indian state trees List of Indian state animals List of Indian state birds List of Indian state flowers List of institutions of higher education in Arunachal Pradesh

Notes

Assam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For the tea, see Assam tea. For the silk, see Assam silk. For the oil, see Assam oil.

Assam
State

Seal

Location of Assam in India

Map of Assam

Coordinates (Dispur):

26.14N

91.77ECoordinates: 26.14N 91.77E India Country Northeast India Region 15 August 1947 (65 years Established ago) Dispur Capital Guwahati Largest city 27 Districts [*] Government J B Patnaik Governor Tarun Gogoi (INC) Chief Minister Unicameral (126 seats) Legislature Parliamentary 14 constituency Gauhati High Court High Court Area 78,550 km2 (30,330 sq mi) Total

Area rank Population (2011) Total Rank Density Time zone ISO 3166 code HDI HDI rank Literacy

16th 31,169,272 14th 400/km2 (1,000/sq mi) IST (UTC+05:30) IN-AS 0.534 (medium) 22nd (2005) 73.18% (26th)[1] Assamese (in Brahmaputra Valley)

Official languages

Bengali (in Barak Valley) Bodo (in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts)

Website

assam.gov.in

^[*] Assam has had a legislature since 1937 ^[*] Assam is one of the original provinces of British India

Assam ([sm]; Assamese: xm pronunciation (helpinfo) /xm/) is a northeastern state of India. Its capital is Dispur, located at Guwahati. Guwahati is also known as the NorthEastern corridor of India. Located south of the eastern Himalayas, Assam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak river valleys along with the Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar Hills with an area of 30,285 square miles (78,438 km). Assam is surrounded by six of the other Seven Sister States: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. These states are connected to the rest of India via a narrow strip in West Bengal called the Siliguri Corridor or "Chicken's Neck".[2] Assam also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh; and cultures, peoples and climate with South-East Asia important elements in Indias Look East policy.[3] Assam became a part of the British India after the British occupied the region following the First Anglo-Burmese War of 18241826. It is known for Assam tea, large and old petroleum resources, Assam silk and for its rich biodiversity. Assam has successfully conserved the one-horned Indian rhinoceros from near extinction, along with the tiger and numerous species of birds, and it provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant. It is becoming an increasingly popular destination for wildlife tourism, and Kaziranga and Manas are both World Heritage Sites.[4] Assam was also known for its Sal tree forests and forest products, much depleted now. A land of high rainfall, Assam is endowed with lush greenery and the mighty river Brahmaputra, whose tributaries and oxbow lakes provide the

region with a unique hydro-geomorphic and aesthetic environment. It was at Assam where the first oil resources of India had been found out.

Contents

1 Etymology 2 History o 2.1 Pre-history o 2.2 Ancient o 2.3 Medieval o 2.4 Colonial era o 2.5 Modern history 3 Geography and climate 4 Flora and fauna 5 Government and politics 6 Tea history 7 Economy o 7.1 Macro-economy o 7.2 Agriculture o 7.3 Industry o 7.4 Tourism 8 Demographics o 8.1 Religions 8.1.1 Hinduism 8.1.2 Islam 8.1.3 Christianity 8.1.4 Sikhism 8.1.5 Buddhism o 8.2 Languages 9 Culture o 9.1 Symbolism o 9.2 Festivals o 9.3 Music, Dance and Drama o 9.4 Cuisine o 9.5 Literature o 9.6 Fine arts o 9.7 Traditional crafts 10 Sports 11 Media 12 Education o 12.1 Universities o 12.2 Medical Colleges o 12.3 Government Technology and Engineering College o 12.4 Private Technology and Engineering College o 12.5 Law Academy 13 See also

14 Notes 15 References 16 Further reading 17 External links

Etymology
Main article: Etymology of Assam The precise etymology of "Assam" in unknown. In the classical period and up to the 12th century the region east of the Karatoya river, largely congruent to present-day Assam, was called Kamarupa, and alternatively, Pragjyotisha.[5] In medieval times the Mughals used Kamrup[6]and Asham, and during British colonialism, the English used Assam. Though many authors have associated the name with the 13th century Shan invaders[7] the precise origin of the name is not clear. It was suggested by some that the Sanskrit word Asama ("unequalled", "peerless", etc.) was the root, which has been rejected by Kakati,[8] and more recent authors have concurred that it is a latter-day Sanskritization of a native name.[9] Among possible origins are Tai (A-Cham)[10] and Bodo (Ha-Sam).[11]

History
Main article: History of Assam

Pre-history
Further information: Danava dynasty, Naraka dynasty, and Aryan migration to Assam Assam state and adjoining regions have evidences of human settlements from all the periods of the Stone ages, but there are no archeological evidence of bronze- or iron-age culture. The hills at the height of 1,5002,000 feet (460 to 615 m) were popular habitats probably due to availability of exposed doleritic basalt useful for tool-making.[12] According to the Kalika Purana (c.7th8th AD), written in Assam, the earliest ruler of Assam was Mahiranga Danav followed by Hatak, Sambar, Ratna and Ghatak; Naraka removed this line of rulers and established his own Naraka dynasty. It mentions that the last of the Naraka-bhauma rulers, Narak, was slain by Krishna. Naraka's son Bhagadatta, mentioned in the Mahabharata, fought for the Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra with an army of kiratas, chinas and dwellers of the eastern coast. Later rulers of Kamarupa frequently drew their lineage from the Naraka rulers. However, there is much evidence that Mahayana Buddhism was prominent in ancient Assam. After Hi-uen Shang's visit Mahayana Buddhism came to Assam. Relics of Tezpur, Malini Than, Kamakhya and Madan Kam Dev Temple are the evidences of Mahayana Buddhism.

Ancient

The Kamrup Kingdom, 350 and 1140 CE

Madan Kamdev ruins Further information: Kamarupa The historical account begins with Samudragupta's 4th century Allahabad inscription that mentions Kamarupa in Western Assam [13] and Davaka in Central Assam[14] as frontier kingdoms of the Gupta Empire. Davaka was soon absorbed by Kamarupa kingdom which grew into large kingdom that spanned from Karatoya river to Sadiya and covered the entire Brahmaputra valley and, at times, North Bengal and Northern Bangladesh.[15] Ruled by three dynasties Varman, Mlechchha and Pala from their capitals in present-day Guwahati (Pragjyotishpura), Tezpur (Haruppeswara) and Durjaya respectively, it covered Kamarupa was ruled by powerful dynasties: the Varmanas (c.350650 CE), the Mlechchha dynasty (c.655900 CE) and the Kamarupa-Palas (c.9001100 CE). Kamarupa was 10,000 li in circuit and capital city Pragjyotishpura was about 30 li. Kamrupi kings claims their descent from Narakasura, an immigrant from Aryavarta. In the reign of the Varman king, Bhaskar Varman(c. 600650 AD), the Chinese traveler Xuan Zang visited the region and recorded his travels. Later, after weakening and disintegration (after the Kamarupa-Palas), the Kamarupa tradition was somewhat extended till c. 1255 AD by the Lunar I (c. 11201185 AD) and Lunar II (c. 11551255 AD) dynasties.[12] Ruled by three dynasties Varman, Pala and Salstambhas from their capitals in present-day Guwahati (Pragjyotishpura), Durjaya) and Tezpur (Haruppeswara) respectively, it covered the entire Brahmaputra valley and, at times, North Bengal and Northern Bangladesh.[16]

Medieval

The Ahom Kingdom, c. 1826

Kareng ghar, the palace of the Ahom kings Further information: Kamata kingdom, Ahom kingdom, Kachari kingdom, Sutiya kingdom, and Baro-Bhuyan Two later dynasties, the Ahoms and the Koch. The Ahoms, a Tai group, ruled Upper Assam[17] for nearly 600 years (12281826 AD) and the Koch, a Tibeto-Burmese, established sovereignty in c. 1510 AD. The Koch kingdom in western Assam and present North Bengal was at its zenith in the early reign of Naranarayana (c. 15401587 AD). It split into two in c. 1581 AD, the western part as a Moghul vassal and the eastern as an Ahom satellite state. Since c. 13th AD, the nerve centre of Ahom polity was upper Assam; the kingdom was gradually extended till Karatoya River in the c. 17th18th AD. It was at its zenith during the reign of Sukhrungpha or Sworgodeu Rudra Simha (c. 16961714 AD). Among other dynasties, the Sutiya Kingdom ruled north-eastern Assam and parts of present Arunachal Pradesh and the Kacharis ruled from Dikhow River to central and southern Assam. With expansion of Ahom kingdom, by c. 1520 AD the Sutiyas areas were annexed and since c. 1536 AD Kacharis remained only in Cachar and North Cachar more as an Ahom ally then a competing force. Despite numerous invasions, mostly by the Muslim rulers, no western power ruled Assam until the arrival of the British. Though the Mughals made seventeen attempts to invade they were not successful. The most successful invader Mir Jumla, a governor of Aurangzeb, briefly occupied Garhgaon (c. 166263 AD), the then capital, but found it difficult to control people making guerrilla attacks on his forces, forcing them to leave. The decisive victory of the Assamese led by the great general Lachit Borphukan on the Mughals, then under command of Raja Ram Singha at Saraighat (1671) had almost ended Mughal ambitions in this region. Mughals were finally expelled from Lower Assam during the reign of Gadadhar Singha in 1682 AD.

Colonial era

Map of Assam during 1907-1909

A map of the British Indian Empire in 1909 during the partition of Bengal (19051911), showing British India in two shades of pink (coral and pale) and the princely states in yellow. The Assam Province (initially as the Province of Eastern Bengal and Assam) can be seen towards the northeastern side of India. Further information: Colonial Assam In the later part of 18th century, religious tensions and atrocities of nobles led to the Moamoria rebellion, resulting in tremendous casualties of lives and property. The rebellion was suppressed but the kingdom was severely weakened by the civil war. Political rivalry between Prime Minister Purnananda Burhagohain and Badan Chandra Borphukan, the Ahom Viceroy of Western Assam, led to the invitation of Burmese by the latter,[18][19][20][21] in turn leading to three successive Burmese invasions of Assam. The reigning monarch Chandrakanta Singha tried to check the Burmese invaders but he was defeated after fierce resistance.[22][23][24] A reign of terror was unleashed by the Burmese on the Assamese people,[25][26][27][28] who fled to neighbouring kingdoms and British-ruled Bengal.[29][30] The Burmese reached the East India Company's borders, and the First Anglo-Burmese War ensued in 1824. The war ended under the Treaty of Yandabo[31] in 1826, with the Company taking control of Western Assam and installing Purandar Singha as king of Upper Assam in 1833. The arrangement lasted till 1838 and thereafter the British gradually annexed the entire region. Initially Assam was made a part of the Bengal Presidency, then in 1906 it was a part of Eastern Bengal and Assam province, and in 1912 it was reconstituted into a chief commissioners' province. In 1913, a legislative council and, in 1937, the Assam Legislative Assembly, were formed in Shillong, the erstwhile capital of the region. The British tea planters imported labour from central India adding to the demographic canvas. After a few initial unsuccessful attempts to free Assam during the 1850s, the Assamese joined and actively supported the Indian National Congress against the British from the early 20th century.

Showing an historical incident at Kankalata Udyan, Tezpur At the turn of the 20th century, British India consisted of eight provinces that were administered either by a governor or a lieutenant-governor. The Assam Province was one amongst those major

eight provinces of British India. The following table lists their areas and populations (but does not include those of the dependent Native States):[32] During the partition of Bengal (19051911), the new province of Assam and East Bengal was created as a lieutenant-governorship. In 1911, East Bengal was reunited with Bengal, and the new provinces in the east became: Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.[32] Table hereafter shows the major original provinces during British India that includes the Assam Province: Province of British India[32] Burma Bengal Madras Bombay United Provinces Central Provinces and Berar Punjab Assam Area (in thousands of Population (in millions of square miles) inhabitants) 170 9 151 75 142 38 123 19 107 48 104 97 49 13 20 6 Chief Administrative Officer Lieutenant-Governor Lieutenant-Governor Governor-in-Council Governor-in-Council Lieutenant-Governor Chief Commissioner Lieutenant-Governor Chief Commissioner

In 1947, Assam including the present Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya became a state of the Union of India (princely states, Manipur and Tripura became Group C provinces) and a district of Assam, Sylhet, chose to join Pakistan.

Modern history

Assam till 1950s; The new states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram formed in the 1960-70s. From Shillong, the capital of Assam was shifted to Dispur, now a part of Guwahati. After the Indo-China war in 1962, Arunachal Pradesh was also separated out. Since 1947, with increasing economic problems in the region, separatist groups began forming along ethnic lines, and demands for autonomy and sovereignty grew, resulting into fragmentation of Assam. Since the mid-20th century, people from present Bangladesh have been migrating to Assam. In 1961, the Government of Assam passed a legislation making use of Assamese language compulsory. It had to be withdrawn later under pressure from Bengali speaking people in Cachar. In the 1980s the Brahmaputra valley saw a six-year Assam Agitation[33] triggered by the discovery of a sudden rise in registered voters on electoral rolls. It tried to force the government to identify and deport foreigners illegally migrating from neighboring Bangladesh and changing the demographics. The agitation ended after an accord between its leaders and the Union Government, which remained unimplemented, causing simmering discontent.[34] The post 1970s experienced the growth of armed separatist groups like United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)[33] and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). In November 1990, the Government of India deployed the Indian army, after which low-intensity military conflicts and political homicides have been continuing for more than a decade. In recent times, ethnicity based militant groups have also mushroomed. Regional autonomy has been ensured for BodoKachari community in Bodoland Territorial Council Areas (BTC), for the Karbis in Karbi Anglong and for the people of Dima Hasao district after agitation of the communities due to sluggish rate of development and general apathy of successive state governments towards indigenous communities.

Geography and climate

Main article: Physical Geography of Assam

<Environs: Assam, dissected hills of the South Indian Plateau system and the Himalayas all around its north, north-east and east.

Geomorphic studies conclude that the Brahmaputra, the life-line of Assam is an antecedent river, older than the Himalayas. The river with steep gorges and rapids in Arunachal Pradesh entering Assam, becomes a braided river (at times 10 mi/16 km wide) and with tributaries, creates a flood plain (Brahmaputra Valley: 5060 mi/80100 km wide, 600 mi/1000 km long).[35] The hills of Karbi Anglong, North Cachar and those in and close to Guwahati (also Khasi-Garo Hills) now eroded and dissected are originally parts of the South Indian Plateau system.[35] In the south, the Barak originating in the Barail Range (Assam-Nagaland border) flows through the Cachar district with a 2530 miles (4050 km) wide valley and enters Bangladesh with the name Surma. Assam has petroleum, natural gas, coal, limestone and other minor minerals such as magnetic quartzite, kaolin, sillimanites, clay and feldspar.[36] A small quantity of iron ore is available in western districts.[36] Discovered in 1889, all the major petroleum-gas reserves are in Upper parts. A recent USGS estimate shows 399 million barrels (63,400,000 m3) of oil, 1,178 billion cubic feet (3.341010 m3) of gas and 67 million barrels (10,700,000 m3) of natural gas liquids in the Assam Geologic Province.[37] With the Tropical Monsoon Rainforest Climate, Assam is temperate (summer max. at 95100 F or 3538 C and winter min. at 4346 F or 68 C) and experiences heavy rainfall and high humidity.[35][38] The climate is characterized by heavy monsoon downpours reducing summer temperatures and affecting foggy nights and mornings in winters, frequent during the afternoons. Spring (MarApr) and Autumn (SeptOct) are usually pleasant with moderate rainfall and temperature.

Flora and fauna

See also: Biodiversity of Assam

An Indian Rhino at Kaziranga National Park

An endangered Golden Langur Assam is one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world and consists of tropical rainforests,[39] deciduous forests, riverine grasslands,[40] bamboo[41] orchards and numerous wetland[42] ecosystems; Many are now protected as national parks and reserved forests. The Kaziranga,

home of the rare Indian Rhinoceros, and Manas are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Assam. The state is the last refuge for numerous other endangered and threatened species including the White-winged Wood Duck or Deohanh, Bengal Florican, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Red-headed vulture, White-rumped vulture, Greater Adjutant, Jerdon's Babbler, Rufous-necked hornbill, Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, Pygmy hog, Gaur, Wild water buffalo, Indian hog deer, Hoolock gibbon, Golden Langur, Capped langur, Barasingha, Ganges river dolphin, Barca snakehead, Ganges shark, Burmese python, Brahminy river turtle, Black pond turtle, Asian forest tortoise, and Assam roofed turtle. Threatened species that are extinct in Assam include the Gharial, a critically endangered fish-eating crocodilian, and the Pink-headed duck (which may be extinct worldwide). For the State Bird, the White-winged Wood Duck, Assam is a globally important area.[43] Assam is also known for orchids.[44] The state has the largest population of the Wild Water Buffalo in the world.[45] The state also has the highest diversity of birds in India with around 820 species.[46] With subspecies the number is as high as 946.[47] The mammal diversity in Assam is also high with around 190 species[48] The region is prone to natural disasters with annual floods and frequent mild earthquakes. Strong earthquakes are rare; three of which were recorded in 1869, 1897 (8.1 on the Richter scale); and in 1950 (8.6).

Government and politics

Districts of Assam. Note that since 2001, four new districts have been created: Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri and Kamrup (metropolitan); and Kamrup has been renamed Kamrup (rural) Main article: Districts of Assam Assam is divided into 27 administrative districts.[49] These districts are further sub-divided into 49 Sub-divisions or Mohkuma.[49] Every district is administered from a district head quarter with the office of the Deputy Commissoner, District Magistrate, Office of the District Panchayat and usually with a district court. The districts are delineated on the basis of the features such as the rivers, hills, forests, etc. and majority of the newly constituted districts are sub-divisions of the earlier districts. The local governance system is organised under the jila-parishad (District Panchayat) for a district, panchayat for group of or individual rural areas and under the urban local bodies for the

towns and cities. Presently there are 2489 village panchayats covering 26247 villages in Assam.[50] The 'town-committee' or nagar-somiti for small towns, 'municipal board' or pourosobha for medium towns and municipal corporation or pouro-nigom for the cities consist of the urban local bodies. Assam has two big cities. Largest City is Guwahati and other major cities are Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Silchar and Nagaon. Smaller cities are Tezpur, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Dhubri etc. For the revenue purposes, the districts are divided into revenue circles and mouzas; for the development projects, the districts are divided into 219 'development-blocks' and for law and order these are divided into 206 police stations or thana.[50]

Tea history
Main article: Assam tea

Woman tea worker plucking tea leaves in a tea garden, Assam produces a significant portion of the world's tea

This 1850 engraving shows the different stages in the process of making tea in Assam After discovery of Camellia sinensis (1834) in Assam followed by its tests in 183637 in London, the British allowed companies to rent land since 1839. Thereafter tea plantations mushroomed in Upper Assam, where the soil and the climate were most suitable. Problems with the imported laborers from China and hostilities of native Assamese resulted into migration of forced laborers from central-eastern parts of India. After initial trial and error with planting the Chinese and the Assamese-Chinese hybrid varieties, the planters later accepted the local Camellia assamica as the most suitable one for Assam. By 1850s, the industry started seeing some profits. Industry saw initial growth, when in 1861, investors were allowed to own land in Assam and it saw substantial progress with invention of new technologies and machinery for preparing processed tea during 1870s. The cost of Assam tea was lowered down many folds and became more competitive than its Chinese variant. Despite the commercial success, tea laborers continued to be exploited, working and living under poor conditions. Fearful of greater government interference, the tea growers formed the Indian Tea Association in 1888 to lobby to retain the status quo. The organization was very successful

in this, and even after Indias independence, conditions of the laborers have improved very little.[51]

Economy
Main article: Economy of Assam

In the 1950s, per capita income in Assam was little higher than that in India. In 200001, in Assam it was 6,157 at constant prices (199394) and 10,198 at current prices; almost 40% lower than that in India.[52] According to the recent estimates,[53] per capita income in Assam has reached 6756 (199394 constant prices) in 200405, which is still much lower than India's.

A paddy field of Assam

A tea garden in Assam: tea is grown at elevations near sea level, giving it a malty sweetness and an earthy flavor, as opposed to the more floral aroma of highland (e.g. Darjeeling, Taiwanese) teas

Macro-economy
The economy of Assam today represents a unique juxtaposition of backwardness amidst plenty.[54] Despite its rich natural resources, and supplying of up to 25% of India's petroleum needs, Assams growth rate is has not kept pace with that of India; the difference has increased rapidly since the 1970s.[55] The Indian economy grew at 6% per annum over the period of 1981 to 2000, the growth rate of Assam was only 3.3%.[56] In the Sixth Plan period, Assam experienced a negative growth rate of 3.78% when India's was positive at 6%.[55] In the postliberalised era (after 1991), the difference widened further. According to recent analysis, Assams economy is showing signs of improvement. In 200102, the economy grew (at 199394 constant prices) at 4.5%, to fall to 3.4% in the next financial year.[57] During 200304 and 200405, the economy grew (at 199394 constant prices) more satisfactorily at 5.5% and 5.3% respectively.[57] The advanced estimates placed the growth rate for 200506 at above 6%.[53] Assam's GDP in 2004 is estimated at $13 billion in current prices. Sectoral analysis again exhibits a dismal picture. The average annual growth rate of agriculture, which was only 2.6% per annum over 1980s has unfortunately fallen to 1.6% in the 1990s.[58] Manufacturing sector has shown some improvement in the 1990s with a growth rate of 3.4% per annum than 2.4% in the 1980s.[58] Since past five decades, the tertiary sector has registered the highest growth rates than the other sectors, which even has slowed down in the 1990s than in 1980s.[58]

Agriculture
In Assam among all the productive sectors, agriculture makes the highest contribution to its domestic sectors, accounting for more than a third of Assams income and employs 69% of workforce.[59] Assam's biggest contribution to the world is tea. It produces some of the finest and most expensive teas and has its own variety Camellia assamica. Assam also accounts for a fair share of Indias production of rice, rapeseed, mustard seed, jute, potato, sweet potato, banana, papaya, areca nut, sugarcane and turmeric. It is also a home of large varieties of citrus fruits, leaf vegetables, vegetables, useful grasses, herbs, spices, etc. Assams agriculture is yet to experience modernisation in a real sense. With implications for food security, per capita food grain production has declined in the past five decades.[60] Productivity has increased marginally, but is still low compared to highly productive regions. For instance, the yield of rice (staple food of Assam) was just 1531 kg per hectare against Indias 1927 kg per hectare in 200001[60] (which itself is much lower than Egypts 9283, USs 7279, South Koreas 6838, Japans 6635 and Chinas 6131 kg per hectare in 2001[61]). On the other hand, after having strong domestic demand, and with 1.5 million hectares of inland water bodies, numerous rivers and 165 varieties of fishes,[62] fishing is still in its traditional form and production is not self-sufficient.[63] The Assam Agriculture University is located at Jorhat, Assam. It is the only agricultural university for the Seven Sisters.

Industry

Apart from tea and petroleum refineries, Assam has few industries of significance. Industrial development is inhibited by its physical and political isolation from neighbouring countries such as Burma, China and Bangladesh and from other growing Southeast Asian economies; ultimately leading to neglect by the federal government in regards to development a key motivation for separatist groups.[64] The region is landlocked, situated in the eastern periphery of India and is linked to the mainland by a flood and cyclone prone narrow corridor, known as the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck, with weak transport infrastructure that have remained undeveloped since independence. The international airport in Guwahati is yet to find providing direct international Dibrugarh is the major industrial district of Assam. Most of the big industries are situated in Dibrugarh. Dibrugarh is the Second Richest Revenue district of the nation, first district is the Mumbai District of Maharastra. The Brahmaputra suitable for navigation does not possess sufficient infrastructure for international trade and success of such a navigable trade route will be dependent on proper channel maintenance and diplomatic and trade relationships with Bangladesh.

Processed Assam tea Assam is a major producer of crude oil and it accounts for about 15% of India's crude output,[65] exploited by the Assam Oil Company Ltd.,[66] and natural gas in India and is the second place in the world (after Titusville in the United States) where petroleum was discovered. Asias first successful mechanically drilled oil well was drilled in Makum (Assam) way back in 1867. Most of the oilfields are located in the Upper Assam region. Assam has four oil refineries located in Guwahati, Digboi, Golaghat (Numaligarh) and Bongaigaon with a total capacity of 7 million metric tonnes (7.7 million short tons) per annum. It is worth mentioning here that Asia's first refinery was set up at Digboi and discoverer of Digboi oilfield was the Assam Railways & Trading Company Limited (AR&T Co. Ltd.), a registered company of London in 1881.[67] Despite its richness in natural resources, the benefits have yet to improve the lives of the people of Assam. One of the reasons citated for this is various insurgencies that plagued the region as well as deficits in infrastructure. Although having a poor overall industrial performance, several other industries have nevertheless been started, including a chemical fertiliser plant at Namrup, petrochemical industries at Namrup and Bongaigaon, paper mills at Jagiroad, Panchgram and Jogighopa, sugar mills at Barua Bamun Gaon, Chargola, Kampur, cement plant at Bokajan & Badarpur, cosmetics plant of Hindustan Unilever(HUL) at Doom Dooma, etc. Moreover, there are other industries such as jute mill, textile and yarn mills, silk mill, etc. Unfortunately many of these industries are facing loss and closure due to lack of infrastructure and improper management practices.[68]

Tourism
See also: Tourism in Assam Assam is the central state in the North-East Region of India and serves as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. For the purposes of tourism there are wildlife preserves like the Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Dibrugarh- Tinsukia), among others. Jokai Botanical Garden( Dibrugarh) the only Natural Botanical Garden in entire North- East India. Cultural and historical destinations also provide opportunities for tourists. Apart from wildlife preserves there are many historical places in the state like Rang Ghar, Talatal Ghar of Sivasagar, Kareng Ghar of Garhgaon, Agnigarh of Tezpur, Madan Kamdev archeological site of Kamrup etc. While visiting Madan Kamdev Tourist can also visit in Famous ancient temple Gopeswar Mandir situated in Village Deuduar. Cultural places are mainly great temple of Kamakhya, pilgrimage place Hajo, the great Vaishnava Sattras of Majuli and Barpeta and many more.

Rang Ghar, Sibsagar

An Indian rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park

Kachari Palace, Khaspur

Manas River, Manas National Park

Chandrapur, Guwahati

Demographics
Main article: People of Assam

District-wise Demographic Characteristics in 2001

[show]Population Growth
As per 2011 census, total population of Assam was 31,169,272. The total population of the state has increased from 26,638,407 to 31,169,272 in the last ten years with a growth rate of 16.93%.[70] Of the 27 districts of Assam, eight districts registered rise in the decadal population growth rate. Interestingly, religious minority-dominated districts like Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Morigaon, Nagaon, Hailakandi etc. recorded growth rates ranging from 20 per cent to 24 per cent during the last decade. On the other hand, eastern Assam districts like Sivasagar, Jorhat etc. registered around 9 per cent population growth, and for the record, these districts do not share any international border.[71] Total population of Assam was 26.66 million with 4.91 million households in 2001.[72] Higher population concentration was recorded in the districts of Kamrup, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Dhubri, Darang and Cachar. Assam's population was estimated at 28.67 million in 2006 and at 30.57 million in 2011, 34.18 million by 2021 and 35.60 million by 2026.[73] In 2011, literacy rate in the state was 73.18%. Male literacy rate was 78.81% and female literacy rate was 67.27% [70] In 2001, the census had recorded literacy in Assam at 63.3% with male literacy at 71.3% and female at 54.6%. Urbanisation rate was recorded at 12.9%.[74] Growth of population in Assam has experienced a very high trajectory since the mid-decades of the 20th century. Population grew steadily from 3.29 million in 1901 to 6.70 million in 1941, while it has increased unprecedentedly to 14.63 million in 1971 and 22.41 million in 1991 to

reach the present level.[72] The growth in the western and southern districts was extremely high primarily due to the rapid influx of people from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.[34] An estimated 400,000 people have been displaced in the recent ethnic violence between indigenous Bodos and Bengali- Muslims.[75] Assam has many ethnic groups and the People of India project has studied 115 of these. Out of which 79 (69%) identify themselves regionally, 22 (19%) locally, and 3 trans-nationally. The earliest settlers were Austroasiatic, followed by Tibeto-Burman, Indo-Aryan speakers, and Tai Kadai speakers.[76] Forty-five languages are spoken by different communities, including three major language families: Austroasiatic (5), Sino-Tibetan (24) and Indo-European (12). Three of the spoken languages do not fall in these families. There is a high degree of bilingualism. STs in Assam There are 23 notified Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Assam with the Bodos (40.9 per cent) making half of the total ST population (around 13 per cent) of the state. The other STs (both plains and hills) include Miri, Karbi, Rabha, Kachari, Lalung, Barman in Cachar, Borokachar, Deori, Hajai, Mech, Dimasa, Hajong, Singhphho, Khampti and Garo, Biate, Khasi, Jaintia, Synteng, Pnar, War, Bhoi, Lyngngam, and Kuki,Chakma, Hmar.

Religions
Religion in Assam[77]
Religion Percent

Hinduism Islam Christianity Others

64.92% 30.93% 3.71% 0.45%

According to the 2001 census which is now 10 years old, there were 17,296,455 Hindus, 8,240,611 Muslims, 986,589 Christians, 22,519 Sikhs, 51,029 Buddhists, 23,957 Jains and 22,999 belonging to other religious communities.[78] The latter includes Animism (Khamti, Phake, Aiton etc. communities). Hinduism

Kamakhya Temple

The Hindus of Assam perform several dances to practice their devotion to their Gods. One category of them is the Sattriya Dances. Kamakhya, dedicated to Goddess Durga is the eastern-most pilgrimage of Hinduism. Popular Hindu Gods in Assam are Durga, Shiva, Krishna and Narayana, although several tribes practice devotion to local deities as well. Well known saints and philosophers from Assam include Srimanta Sankardeva (Assamese: ) Gurudev Kalicharan, Madhab, Mahadeb, and very likely Kumarila Bhatta. Brahmo Samaj: Assam is the home of Kalicharan Mech, a Bodo Hindu who stopped the British Christian missionaries, spread ahimsa and vegetarianism. He was deeply influenced by the Brahmo Samaj.[79] He later became known as "Gurudev Kalicharan Brahmachari"[80] or "Guru Brahma". His principles were established as the Brahma Dharma. Perhaps his teachings can be summarized by his given phrase, "Chandrama Surya Narayans Jyoti", meaning, "the light (jyoti) from the sun is capable from dispelling darkness and taking people to Brahma (Narayans)."[81] From the teachings of Guru Brahma, the "Bodo-Brahmas" (the Bodos of this sect) have boycotted alcohol, heavy dowry as well as meat-eating. This sect is written by scholars to be Vedic and Upanishadic.[82] As per Vedic rituals, the priests perform Horn Yajna, which was begun by Guru Brahma to organize the Bodos.[83] While the Bodo Christians today are laying stress on adopting a Roman script for the Bodo community, the Bodo-Brahmas prefer the traditional Bengali-Ahomi script. Out of the 3,308,570 Assamese tribals reported in the 2001 Census, 90.7% were Hindus and 8.8% were Christians. There were also 6,267 Muslims, 5,153 Budhists and 3,574 Animists.[84] Islam Muslims constitute the second largest religious group in Assam with 8,240,611 Muslims.[78] In the 16th century, an Islamic saint Ajan Fakir Shah Miran and also known as Ghiyasuddin Auliya came from Baghdad to Assam to preach Islam in the area. The mosque constructed by him is known as the Pao Mecca mosque. Poa Mecca literally means one-fourth of Mecca, as the foundation of the mosque is believed to have been laid upon a handful of earth brought from Mecca. The Poa-Mecca mosque was partially destroyed by a strong earthquake that occurred in 1897 and the dargah on the 750 ft (229 m). Ghiyasuddin Auliya Ajan Fakir was buried on the hills of Gaurachol and hence the tomb on the hill is related to him, are considered sacrosanct not only by the Muslims but by people of other faiths as well.[85] Panchpeer Dargaha, in the Dhubri District is a Mazar Sharif of five Sufi Saints who accompanied Raja Ram Singh during his time of invasion to Assam. Panbari Masjid, also historically called the Rangamati Masjid, is a famous mosque near Panbari, about 25 km east from Dhubri town, and is considered to be the oldest mosque of Assam.

Christianity The Bible was translated into Assamese in the year of 1819. In 1827, an attempt was made to start a Baptist church in Guwahati, but it made no permanent converts in the area. Later the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society was able to make some headway in Guwahati. Although these earliest Christian missionary endeavors which were focused in the north-east of India, were in Modern Assam, the great success of Protestant missionaries in North-East India which they achieved in late 19th and the 20th centuries, was primarily in areas such as Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya which are not part of Assam anymore. As of 1991, only Tripura of the seven eastern states of India had a lower percentage of Christians than Assam. There were more Christians in Assam than in Mizoram even though Mizoram was the second most Christian state in India at the time.[86] Besides the Protestants there are also Catholics. There is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Shillong. According to the 2001 Census, there are a total of 986,589 Christians in Assam.[87] Out of this, 291,000 (29.5%) are tribals.[84] Sikhism

Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib main building The first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev had visited Kamrup (Assam) in the 1505 as recorded in the his first visit in Purantan Janam Sakhi (the historical papers related to the visits and daily recorded activities of the Guru). Guru Nanak had met Srimanta Shankardeva (the founder of the Mahapuruxiya Dharma) as the Guru travelled from Dhaka to Assam. But no sangat or historical shrine dedicated to him survives as to date. Ninth Guru of Sikhs Guru Tegh Bahadur visited Assam in 1668. This place is also famous for the Sikh Gurdwara Thara Sahib or Gurdwara Damdama Sahib which was constructed in memory atop the hillock place of meditation of the Guru in Dhubri, Kamrup. The historical site and places of interest of the Gurdwara are many times referred to as Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib situated in Dhubri (Assam) by the banks of the Brahmaputra .[88] The grateful Ahom King invited Guruji to the Kamakhya shrine, where he was honoured with great respect.

In the year 1820, few hundred Sikh soldiers went to Assam at the initiative of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to help Ahom rulers in a war. Their descendants are mostly concentrated in Lanka in Nagaon district of Assam.[89] Sikhs have been living in Assam for approximately two hundred years.[90] Buddhism The religion is practised by 51,029 persons in Assam. Among them are the Chakma, Mutsuddi and Boruas. The Chakmas of Assam are located mostly in Cachar and Karbi Anglong with very lesser presence in Nagaon district. The chakmas are originally from the Chittagong area of Bangladesh. Guwahati has lots of Buddhist temples, the most prominent being the Bamunimaidan Buddhist temple. The Indigenous Tai tribes like Tai Phake, Tai Aiton, Khamyang, Turung, Singpho and Khampti are also buddhist by religion. They mainly inhabit Upper Assam and also Karbi Anglong. There is also a small Bhutanese and Tibetan population in Assam.

Languages
See also: Assamese language, Assamese literature, Bodo language, Sylheti language, and Bishnupriya Manipuri language

7th8th century specimen of Assamese (Kamrupi) literature .

Languages of Assam in 2001[91]

Assamese (49.44%) Bengali (27.91%) Bodo (4.93%) Nepali (2.15%) Hindi (5.97%) Other (9.6%) Assamese and Bodo are the major indigenous and official languages while Bengali holds official status in the three districts in the Barak Valley and is the second most widely spoken language of the state (27.91%).[91] Traditionally Assamese was the language of the commons (of mixed origin Austroasiatic, Tibeto-Burman, Prakrit) in the ancient Kamarupa and in the medieval kingdoms of Kamatapur, Kachari, Sutiya kingdom, Borahi, Ahom and Koch. Traces of the language is found in many poems by Luipa, Sarahapa, etc. in Charyapada (c.7th8th AD). Modern dialects Kamrupi, Goalpariya etc. are the remnants. Moreover, Assamese in its traditional form was used by the ethno-cultural groups in the region as lingua-franca, which spread during the stronger kingdoms and was required for needed economic integration. Localised forms of the language still exist in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh. The form used in the upper Assam was enriched by the advent of Tai-Shans in the 13th century. Linguistically modern Assamese traces its roots to the version developed by the American Missionaries based on the local form in practice near Sibsagar (Siwoxagor) district. Assamese (Osomeeya) is a rich language due to its hybrid nature with its unique characteristics of pronunciation and softness. Assamese literature is one of the richest. Dimasa is a one of the oldest languages spoken in North East India particularly in Assam. The word Dimasa etymologically translates to "Son of the big river " (Di- Water, ma- suffix for great, sa-sons), the river being the mighty Brahmaputra. The Dimasa word "Di" for water forms the root word for many of the major rivers of Assam and the North East India like Dikrang which means green river, Dikhow which means "fetched water", Diyung ( huge river) etc. The mighty river Brahmaputra is known as Dilao (long river) among the Dimasas even now. Many of the important towns and cities in Assam and Nagaland found their names from the Dimasa word such as Diphu, Dimapur (a capital of Dimasa Kingdom), Dispur, Hojai, Khaspur, etc. In fact, Dimasa language is one of the last languages of the North East India which still has undiluted rich vocabularies. Bodo is an ancient language of Assam. Spatial distribution patterns of the ethno-cultural groups, cultural traits and the phenomenon of naming all the major rivers in the North East Region with Bodo-Kachari words (e.g. Dihing, Dibru, Dihong, D/Tista, Dikrai, etc.) reveal that it was the most important language in the ancient times. Bodo is presently spoken largely in the Western Assam (Bodo Territorial Council area). After years of neglect, now Bodo language is getting attention and its literature is developing. Other native languages of Tibeto-Burman origin and related to Bodo-Kachari are Deori[1], Mising, Karbi, Rabha, Tiwa, etc. Rajbongshi also known as Kamatapuri/Goalpariya is also widely spoken by the people of western Assam.

Nepali is also spoken in almost all parts of the state. There are approximately thirty lakhs of Nepali speakers spreading over the area of all the district of Assam. Assamese language being the main language, they are well versed in it. Assamese language is the main medium in educational institutions but Nepali language is also taught as a major Indian language. In Guwahati and Digboi, many Jr. basic School and Jr. high School are Nepali medium where all the teachers are Nepali. As a major Indian language, Nepali is included by Assam State Secondary Board, Assam Higher Secondary Council and Gauhati University in their HSCL, higher secondary and graduation level respectively, in some junior basic and higher secondary schools and colleges, Nepali teachers and lecturers are also appointed. In these institutions, Nepali and literature are taught. There are also speakers of Tai languages in Assam. A total of six Tai language were spoken in Assam, although two are now extinct.[92]

Tai Phake Tai Aiton Khamti Khamyang (critically endangered) Ahom (extinct) Turung (extinct)

The Tai Ahom language (brought by Sukaphaa and his followers), is no longer a spoken language today, but is receiving increased attention for research after centuries of long care and preservation by the Bailungs (traditional priests). There are also small groups of people speaking their own dialects such as Manipuri, Khasi, Garo,[Biate language(Biate)], Hmar, Kuki, Zeme Naga etc. in different parts. Bengali is the official language in Barak Valley and the widely spoken language there is Sylheti, a dialect of Bengali. Bengali is also largely spoken in the western districts of Dhubri, Barpeta and Goalpara. On the 19th of May, 1961, 11 persons were killed by police firing in Silchar in Cachar, Barak Valley, when they were protesting the state government's decision to make Assamese the official language in all parts of the state. The day is observed as 'Bhasha Shaheed Diwas' in Barak Valley every year. Santali or Santhali is also spoken widely by the tribal population in the tea garden districts of Assam. these people who were initially brought as tea estate labourers by the British to Assam have now made it their home state. Bishnupriya Manipuri language is also spoken by a small minority of people in Barak Valley. Some of the other languages spoken in Assam are Missing, Rabha and Karbi.

Culture
Main article: Culture of Assam See also: Assamese cinema

Assamese culture is traditionally a hybrid one developed due to assimilation of ethno-cultural groups in the past. Therefore, both local elements or the local elements in Sanskritised forms are distinctly found.[93] The major milestones in evolution of Assamese culture are:

Assimilation in the Kamarupa Kingdom for almost 700 years (under the Varmans for 300 years, Salastambhas and Palas for each 200 years).[12] Establishment of the Ahom dynasty in the 13th century AD and assimilation for next 600 years.[12] Assimilation in the Koch Kingdom (15th16th century AD) of western Assam and Kachari Kingdom (12th18th century AD) of central and southern Assam.[12]

Dakhinpat Satra of Majuli

Presenting Gayan Bayan in Majuli, the Neo-Vaishnavite Cultural heritage of Assam

Vaishnava Movement led by Srimanta Shankardeva (Sonkordeu) and its contribution and cultural changes. Vaishanav Movement, the 15th century religio-cultural movement under the leadership of great Srimanta Sankardeva (Sonkordeu) and his disciples have provided another dimension to Assamese culture. A renewed Hinduisation in local forms took place, which was initially greatly supported by the Koch and later by the Ahom Kingdoms. The resultant social institutions such as namghar and sattra (the Vaishnav Monasteries) have become part of Assamese way life. The movement contributed greatly towards language, literature and performing and fine arts. It is also noticed that many a times, Vaishnav Movement attempted to introduce alien cultural attributes and modify the way of life of common people. Brajavali a language specially created by introducing words from other Indian languages had failed as a language but left its traces on the Assamese language. Moreover, new alien rules were also introduced changing people's food habits and other aspects of cultural life. This had a greater impact on alienation of many local ethno-cultural and political groups in the later periods.

Historically, it is not difficult to understand that on one hand, during the strong politicoeconomic systems under stronger dynasties, greater cultural assimilation's created common attributes of Assamese culture, while on the other during smaller politico-economic systems or during political disintegration, more localised attributes were created with spatial differentiation. Time-factor for such integrations and differentiations has also played extremely important role along with the position of individual events in the entire series of sequential events. With rich traditions, the modern culture is greatly influenced by events in the British and the Post-British Era. The language was standardised by the American Baptist Missionaries such as Nathan Brown, Dr. Miles Bronson and local pundits such as Hemchandra Barua with the form available in the Sibsagar (Sivasagar) District (the ex-nerve centre of the Ahom Kingdom). A renewed Sanskritisation was increasingly adopted for developing Assamese language and grammar. A new wave of Western and northern Indian influence was apparent in the performing arts and literature. Increasing efforts of standardisation in the 20th century alienated the localised forms present in different areas and with the less-assimilated ethno-cultural groups (many source-cultures). However, Assamese culture in its hybrid form and nature is one of the richest, still developing and in true sense is a 'cultural system' with sub-systems. It is interesting that many sourcecultures of Assamese cultural-system are still surviving either as sub-systems or as sister entities, for e.g. Bodo or Karbi or Mishing. It is important to keep the broader system closer to its roots and at the same time to focus on development of the sub-systems. Some of the common and unique cultural traits in the region are peoples' respect towards arecanut and betel leaves, symbolic (Gamosa, Arnai, etc.), traditional silk garments (e.g. Mekhela chador, traditional dress of Assamese women) and towards forefathers and elderly. Moreover, great hospitality and Bamboo culture are common.

Symbolism
See also: List of Assam state symbols and Jaapi

A decorative Assamese Jaapi laid over a Gamosa

Symbolism is an ancient cultural practice in Assam and is still a very important part of Assamese way of life. Various elements are being used to represent beliefs, feelings, pride, identity, etc. Tamulpan, Xorai and Gamosa are three important symbolic elements in Assamese culture. Tamulpan (the areca nut and betel leaves) or guapan (gua from kwa) are considered along with the Gamosa (a typical woven cotton or silk cloth with embroidery) as the offers of devotion, respect and friendship. The Tamulpan-tradition is an ancient one and is being followed since time-immemorial with roots in the aboriginal Austro-Asiatic culture. Xorai is a traditionally manufactured bell-metal article of great respect and is used as a container-medium while performing respectful offers. Moreover, symbolically many ethno-cultural groups use specific clothes to portray respect and pride. There were many other symbolic elements and designs, but are now only found in literature, art, sculpture, architecture, etc. or in use today for only religious purposes. The typical designs of assamese-lion, dragon, flying-lion, etc. were used for symbolising various purposes and occasions. The archaeological sites such as the Madan Kamdev (c. 9th10th AD) exhibits massscale use of lions, dragon-lions and many other figures of demons to show case power and prosperity. The Vaishnava monasteries and many other architectural sites of late medieval period also showcase use of lions and dragons for symbolic effects.

Festivals
See also: Bohag Bihu, Magh Bihu, and Bwisagu

A Bihu dancer blowing a pepa (horn)

Bihu dancers and drummer with a dhul.

Mising girls dancing during Ali Ai Ligang (Spring Festival) There are diversified important traditional festivals in Assam. Bihu is the most important and common and celebrated all over Assam. It is the Assamese new year celebrated in April of the Gregorian calendar. Durga Puja is another festival celebrated with great enthusiasm. Muslims celebrate two Eids (Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) with much eagerness all over Assam. Bihu is a series of three prominent festivals. Primarily a non-religious festival celebrated to mark the seasons and the significant points of a cultivator's life over a yearly cycle. Three Bihus, rongali or bohag, celebrated with the coming of spring and the beginning of the sowing season; kongali or kati, the barren bihu when the fields are lush but the barns are empty; and the bhogali or magh, the thanksgiving when the crops have been harvested and the barns are full. Bihu songs and Bihu dance are associated to rongali bihu. The day before the each bihu is known as 'uruka'. The first day of 'rongali bihu' is called 'Goru bihu' (the bihu of the cows), when the cows are taken to the nearby rivers or ponds to be bathed with special care. In recent times the form and nature of celebration has changed with the growth of urban centres. Bwisagu is one of the popular seasonal festival of the Bodos. Bwisagu start of the new year or age. Baisagu is a Boro word which originated from the word "Baisa" which means year or age, ang "Agu" that means starting or start. Bushu Dima or simply Bushu is a major harvest festival of the Dimasa people. This festival is celebrated during the end of January. Officially 27 January has been declared as the day of Bushu Dima festival. The Dimasa people celebrate their festival by playing musical instrumentskhram (a type of drum), muri ( a kind of huge long flute). The people dances to the different tunes called "murithai" and each dance has got its name, the prominent being the "Baidima" There are three types of Bushu celebrated among the Dimasas Jidap, Surem and Hangsou. Moreover, there are other important traditional festivals being celebrated every year on different occasions at different places. Many of these are celebrated by different ethno-cultural groups (sub and sister cultures). Some of these are:

Me-Dam-Me-Phi Ali-Aye-Ligang Rongker Kherai Garja

Awnkham Gwrlwi Janai Chojun/Swarak Sokk-erroi Hacha-kekan Hapsa Hatarnai

Porag Bathow Wangala

Other few yearly celebrations are Doul Utsav of Barpeta, Brahmaputra Beach Festival, Guwahati, Kaziranga Elephant Festival, Kaziranga and Dehing Patkai Festival, Lekhapani, Karbi Youth Festival of Diphu and International Jatinga Festival, Jatinga can not be forgotten. Few yearly Mela's like Jonbeel Mela, began in 15th Century by the Ahom Kings, Ambubachi Mela, Guwahati etc.

Music, Dance and Drama

See also: Music of Assam and Folk dances of Assam Assam has rich tradition of performing arts. Ankia Naat (Onkeeya Naat) is a traditional Vaishnav dance-drama (Bhaona) form popular since 15th century AD It makes use of large masks of gods, goddesses, demons and animals and in between the plays a Sutradhar (Xutrodhar) keeps on telling the story.

Raas Leela Celebrations at Goramur, Majuli Island

Bodo dance Bagurumba

Jhumur Dance of the Tea Tribe The Bihu dance and Hucory performed during the Bohag Bihu, Kushan nritra of Rajbongshi's, Bagurumba and Bordoicikhla dance of Bodos, Mishing Bihu, Banjar Kekan performed during Chomangkan by Karbis are some of the major folk dances. Sattriya (Sotriya) dance related to Vaishnav tradition is a classical form of dance. Moreover, there are several other age-old danceforms such as Barpetas Bhortal Nritya, Deodhoni Nritya, Ojapali, Beula Dance, Ka Shad Inglong Kardom, Nimso Kerung, etc. The tradition of modern moving theatres is typical of Assam with immense popularity of many large theatre groups such as Kohinoor, Srimanta Sankardev, Abahan, Bhagyadevi, Hengul, Rajmahal, Itihas etc. At the same time musical tradition is also rich. Folk songs and music related to Bihu and other festivals dates back to time-immemorial. Borgeet, the popular Vaishnav songs are written and composed in 15th century. Assam has large numbers of traditional musical instruments including several types of drums, string instruments, flutes, cymbals, pipes, etc.

Nagara

Bhor Taal

Khuti taal

Lukobadya dotara

Doba The indigenous folk music has substantially influenced the growth of a modern idiom, that finds expression in the music of such artists like Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnuprasad Rabha, Parvati Prasad Baruwa, Bhupen Hazarika, Pratima Barua Pandey, Anima Choudhury, Luit Konwar Rudra Baruah, Jayanta Hazarika, Khagen Mahanta, Deepali Borthakur, Ganashilpi Dilip Sarma, Sudakshina Sarma among many others. Among the new generation, Zubeen Garg, Jitul Sonowal, Angaraag Mahanta and Joi Barua have a great fan following. There is an award given in the

honour of Bishnuprasad Rabha for achievements in the cultural/music world of Assam by the State Government

Bishnuprasad Rabha

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala

Jayanta Hazarika

Pratima Barua Pandey

Parveen Sultana

Bhupen Hazarika

Angaraag Mahanta

Zubeen Garg

Cuisine
Main article: Assamese cuisine

Assamese Thali Typically, an Assamese plate would contain bhaat (rice) with dal (lentils), masor jool (fish curry), with mangso (meat curry) or xaak and bhaji (herbs and vegetables). Rice is one of the main dish in Assam, and variety of different rices are grown and eaten in different ways, roasted, grounded, boiled or just soaked.

Fish curries made of rou, illish, or chitol are the most favorite. If not a curry, simply fried fish. Birds like ducks and pigeon are also used in dishes. Pork and Mutton dishes are mainly popular among the younger generation. Another favourite combination can be looci (puffed bread), a curry which can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian, and asar (pickle). Two main characteristic of a traditional meal in Assam are Khar and Tenga. A class of dishes named after the main ingredient Khar and a sour dish is a Tenga. Khorisa (bamboo shoot) are used at times for flavours in curries. They also can be preserved and made into pickles. Koldil (Banana Flower) and Squash are also cooked into delicious sabji's. The food is usually served in bell metal utensils.

Literature
Main article: Assamese literature Noted writers:

Lakshminath Bezbaruah Birinchi Kumar Barua Hem Barua Dr. Mamoni Raisom Goswami Bhabendra Nath Saikia Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya

Hiren Bhattacharyya Homen Borgohain Rebati Mohan Dutta Choudhury Mahim Bora Lil Bahadur Chettri Syed Abdul Malik

Hiren Bhattacharyya

Homen Borgohain

Rebati Mohan Dutta Choudhury

Mahim Bora

Lil Bahadur Chettri

Fine arts
Main article: Fine Arts of Assam

Citra Bhagavata illustration

A page of manuscript painting from Assam; The medieval painters used locally manufactured painting materials such as the colours of hangool and haital and papers manufactured from aloewood bark The archaic Mauryan Stupas discovered in and around Goalpara district are the earliest examples (c. 300 BC to c. 100 AD) of ancient art and architectural works. The remains discovered in Daparvatiya (Doporboteeya) archaeological site with a beautiful doorframe in Tezpur are identified as the best examples of art works in ancient Assam with influence of Sarnath School of Art of the late Gupta period. Many other sites also exhibit development of local art forms with local motifs and sometimes with similarities with those in the Southeast Asia. There are currently more than forty discovered ancient archaeological sites across Assam with numerous sculptural and architectural remains. Moreover, there are examples of several Late-Middle Age art and architectural works including hundreds of sculptures and motifs along with many remaining temples, palaces and other buildings. The motifs available on the walls of the buildings such as Rang Ghar, Joydoul, etc. are remarkable examples of art works. Painting is an ancient tradition of Assam. Xuanzang (7th century AD) mentions that among the Kamarupa king Bhaskaravarma's gifts to Harshavardhana there were paintings and painted objects, some of which were on Assamese silk. Many of the manuscripts such as Hastividyarnava (A Treatise on Elephants), the Chitra Bhagawata and in the Gita Govinda from the Middle Ages bear excellent examples of traditional paintings. The medieval Assamese literature also refers to chitrakars and patuas. There are several renowned contemporary artists in Assam. The Guwahati Art College is a government institution for tertiary education. Moreover, there are several art-societies and nongovernment initiatives across the state.

Traditional crafts
Main articles: Traditional crafts of Assam and Bell and brass metal crafts of Assam See also: Assam silk Assam has a rich tradition of crafts; presently, Cane and bamboo craft, bell metal and brass craft, silk and cotton weaving, toy and mask making, pottery and terracotta work, wood craft, jewellery making, musical instruments making, etc. remained as major traditions.[94] Historically, Assam also excelled in making boats, traditional guns and gunpowder, ivory crafts, colours and paints, articles of lac, agarwood products, traditional building materials, utilities from iron, etc. Cane and bamboo craft provide the most commonly used utilities in daily life, ranging from household utilities, weaving accessories, fishing accessories, furniture, musical instruments,

construction materials, etc. Utilities and symbolic articles such as Sorai and Bota made from bell metal and brass are found in every Assamese household.[95][96] Hajo and Sarthebari (Sorthebaary) are the most important centres of traditional bell-metal and brass crafts. Assam is the home of several types of silks, the most prestigious are: Muga the natural golden silk, Pat a creamybright-silver coloured silk and Eri a variety used for manufacturing warm clothes for winter. Apart from Sualkuchi (Xualkuchi), the centre for the traditional silk industry, in almost every parts of the Brahmaputra Valley, rural households produce silk and silk garments with excellent embroidery designs. Moreover, various ethno-cultural groups in Assam make different types of cotton garments with unique embroidery designs and wonderful colour combinations. Moreover, Assam possesses unique crafts of toy and mask making mostly concentrated in the Vaishnav Monasteries, pottery and terracotta work in Western Assam districts and wood craft, iron craft, jewellery, etc. in many places across the region.

Bell metal made sorai and sophura are important parts of culture

A traditional bell-metal dish from Assam

Assam Silk known as Muga with Japi

Terracotta, Devi Idol

Sports
Main article: List of Ancient games of Assam Assam is the home of many ancient sports which have been played since Ahom era, include Koni-juj, Kori khel, Moh juj, Bulbuli sorair juj, Kaar khel etc. Assam produced many eminent sportsmen who have brought laurels to India like Arjun Bhugeswar Baruah, Olympians Dipankar Bhattacharjee, Jayanta Talukdar and Shiva Thapa. Cricket and football are the most popular sport of Assam.Guwahati has many sports stadiums include Nehru Stadium, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phukan Indoor Stadium, Chachal Tennis Complex, Dr. Zakir Hussain Aquatic Complex, Maulana Md. Tayabullah Hockey Stadium, Tepesia Sports Complex, SAI Complex Maligaon NF Railway Stadium etc. Bordoloi Trophy, a very old and prestigious annual football tournament held at Nehru Stadium, Guwahati.

Media
Print media include Assamese dailies Dainik Asam, Dainik Janambhumi, Amar Asom, Dainik Agradoot, Asomiya Pratidin, Asomiya Khobor, Janasadharan, Niyamiya Barta and Gana Adhikar. Asom Bani and Sadin are notable Assamese weekly newspaers. English dailies of Assam include The Assam Tribune, The Sentinel, The Telegraph and Seven Sisters Post. There are around five All India Radio stations in Assam. Assam has three Doordarshan kendras at Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar. Guwahati has headquarters of many electronic medias like NE TV, News Live, DY 365, Prime News, News Time Assam, Frontier TV, News Network and Prag. The regional newspaper include Thekar, in Karbi language is the highest daily from Karbi Anglong district and Bodosa is the highest circulated Bodo daily from BTC.

Education
Main article: Education in Assam See also: List of educational institutions in Assam

Cotton College in Guwahati initiated modern tertiary education and research in Assam and has been continuing classical and high-educational standards for more than hundred years; many of the buildings in the college are excellent examples of Assamese architecture with colonial flavours

Academic complex of IIT Guwahati

Main Building of Jorhat Engineering College Assam boasts of the most wide-ranging networks of higher educational institutions in the whole of North-Eastern region of India. Assam has developed into a top educational destination at the state as well as at the national level. To enhance the status of Assam education, the state government has introduced many innovative education polices. Its capital city, Guwahati, is a key destination for higher education for students of the whole of north-eastern region. A special mentioning is deserved by Cotton College, Guwahati which holds a heritage that goes back a century (Estd. 1901). One of India's best boarding schools The Assam Valley School is located at Balipara in the Sonitpur(Tezpur) District of Assam. It is a co-educational ICSE residential school. Assam has several institutions for tertiary education and research. Assam's other major cities like Silchar and Dibrugarh are also major educational hubs with universities, medical colleges and engineering colleges established there. The major institutions are:

Universities

Gauhati University, Guwahati National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh Tezpur University, Tezpur K.K.Handique State Open University, Guwahati, Dibrugarh Assam University, Silchar Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat Bodoland University,[97] Kokrajhar Don Bosco University,[98] (private) Assam down town University,[99] (private)

Kaziranga University,[100] Jorhat (private)

Medical Colleges

Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Silchar Jorhat Medical College,[101] Jorhat Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, Barpeta Dr. J. K. Saikia Homeopathic Medical College, Jorhat Assam Government Ayurvedic College, Guwahati Susruta School of Medical and Paramedical Sciences,

Government Technology and Engineering College

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati National Institute of Technology, Silchar Central Institute of Technology Kokrajhar Assam Engineering College, Guwahati Jorhat Engineering College, Jorhat Gauhati University Institute of Science and Technology, Gauhati University, Guwahati Bineswar Brahma Engineering College,Kokrajhar Jorhat Institute of Science and Techhnology, Jorhat Dibrugarh University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh Triguna Sen School of Technology, Assam University, Silchar School of Engineering, Tezpur University, Tezpur

Private Technology and Engineering College

Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management and Technology, Guwahati Don Bosco College of Engineering and Technology, Guwahati Royal School of Engineering and Technology, Guwahati NETES Institute of Technology and Science Mirza Down Town College of Engineering, Guwahati KU School of Engineering, Technology and Management Asian institute of management and technology(AIMT) Assam Institute of Management (AIM) Regional Institute of Science & Technology, Guwahati

Law Academy

Bishnu Ram Medhi Government Law College (Earlier Earl Law College), Guwahati. Dispur Law College, Guwahati Goalpara Law College, Goalpara Jorhat Law College, Jorhat.

Tinsukia Law College, Tinsukia National Educational Foundation (NEF) Law College, Guwahati, Affiliated to Gauhati University, University Topper of session 2011-12 J.B Law College, Guwahati Department Of Law,Guwahati University, Guwahati National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, Guwahati Law and judicial studies Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh. Deshabandhu Chittaranjan School of Legal Studies, Assam Central University, Silchar

The National Law University and Judicial Academy The National Law University has been established with the Assam Act of 2009. Initially it was National Law School but later on School was substituted for University by bringing necessary amendment in the act. Prof. Dr. Gurjeet Singh is its current and founding Vice-Chancellor. The University started with its first batch in year 2011. Though newly established the university has been successful enough in spreading its foot in the North-East and emerge as a premier institute of law, research and social-sciences study. The students of first batch have also represented the university outside in other parts of India. The University is a member of CLAT family and has been successful in establishing its presence as a major player in North-East. Currently the university is located in the capital city of Assam, Guwahati, with its permanent campus under construction at Agiyathuri, on the Northern bank of the Brahmaputra. 21 acres (8 ha), the Academy will offer the right atmosphere for educational pursuits and excellence.

See also
Geography portal Asia portal South Asia portal India portal

Outline of India Index of India-related articles Bibliography of India India at Wikipedia books List of people from Assam List of Assam state symbols List of Cities and Towns in Assam 1897 Assam earthquake 1950 Assam earthquake Asom Sahitya Sabha Assam agitation Assam Rifles Assam Accord

Assamese Associations Assamese Brahmins Assamese cinema Assamese cuisine Baruah Biodiversity of Assam Rhino poaching in Assam Culture of Assam Cultural Development of Kamarupa Districts of Assam Early Period of Kamarupa Etymology of Assam Fine Arts of Assam Greater Assam History of Assam Kalitas of Assam Kamrupi Literature Kamrupi Brahmins Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti Kamrupi Lokgeet Kamarupa of Bhaskar Varman Kamarupa - Late to end period Mishing language Music of Assam People of Assam Physical Geography of Assam Political parties in Assam State Anthem of Assam Tourism in Assam Traditional crafts of Assam Textiles and dresses of Assam Varman Dynasty

Bihar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation).

Bihar
State

Seal

Location of Bihar in India

Coordinates (Patna):

25.37N

85.13ECoordinates: india slklffrrm' Regions Divisions Established Capital Largest cities Districts Government Body India

25.37N 85.13E

Angika, Bhojpur, Magadh, Mithila Patna, Tirhut, Saran, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Munger, Magadh 1912 (as Bihar) Patna Patna, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Purnea 38 total Government of India,

 Governor Chief Minister Legislature Parliamentary constituency High Court Area Total Area rank Population (2011)[1] Total Rank Density Time zone UN/LOCODE ISO 3166 code Vehicle registration HDI HDI rank Literacy Official language(s) Website

Government of Bihar D. Y. Patil Nitish Kumar (JDU) Sushil Kumar Modi (Bharathiya Janata Party) Bicameral (243 + 75 seats) 40 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi) 12th 103,804,637 3rd 1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi) IST (UTC+05:30) INBR IN-BR BR 0.41[2] (low) 21st (2011) 63.82% (28th) 73.4% (male) 53.3% (female) Hindi and Urdu gov.bih.nic.in

Bihar (/bhr/; Hindustani pronunciation: [bar]) is a state in northern India.[3][4] It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi (98,940 km2) and 3rd largest by population. It is bounded by Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, Northern part of West Bengal to the east and by Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two parts by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east.[5] Bihar has forest area of 6,764.14 km2,[6] which is 7.2% of its geographical area. Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state, while the majority of the people speak Angika, Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili and Bajjika. In 2000, Bihar was subdivided, the southern part becoming the state of Jharkhand. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25,[7] which is the highest proportion in India. Ancient Bihar was a centre of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India.[8] From Magadha arose India's first and greatest empire, the Maurya empire as well as one of the world's

most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism.[9] Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule.[10] Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important centre of Indian civilisation. Close to Patna, Nalanda and Vikramshila were centres of learning established in the 5th and 8th century respectively in Bihar, and are counted amongst the oldest and truly international universities of the time. Since the late 1970s, Bihar lagged behind other Indian states in social and economic development terms.[11][12][13] Economists and social scientists claimed that this is a direct result of the policies of the central government, such as the freight equalization policy,[14][15] its apathy towards Bihar,[7][16][17] lack of Bihari sub-nationalism (resulting in no spokesperson for the state),[15][18][19] and the Permanent Settlement of 1793 by the British East India Company.[15] The state government has however made significant strides in developing the state.[20] The improved governance has led to an economic revival[21] in the state through increased investment in infrastructure, better health care facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a diminution in crime and corruption.[22][23] Indian[24] Global business and economic leaders feel that Bihar now has good opportunity to sustain its growth and thus they have shown interest in investing in the state.[25][26] Additionally, for the period 20112012, Bihar was also India's fastest growing state, with a growth rate of 13.1% for the year 201112, which had followed a growth rate of 14.8% for the previous year.[27] Bihar has managed to record 11.95% annual growth rate, the highest among all the states, during the 11th Plan period.[28]

Contents

1 Etymology 2 History 3 Geography and climate 4 Flora and fauna 5 Demographics 6 Government and administration 7 Politics 8 Economy o 8.1 Agriculture o 8.2 Industry o 8.3 Income distribution: north-south divide 9 Education 10 Culture o 10.1 Language and literature o 10.2 Arts and crafts o 10.3 Performing arts o 10.4 Cuisine o 10.5 Religion o 10.6 Bihar Regiment o 10.7 Festivals o 10.8 Cinema 11 Media o 11.1 Telecommunications

11.2 Television 11.3 Radio 12 Transportation 13 Tourism 14 See also 15 References 16 Further reading 17 External links

o o

Etymology

The Mahabodhi Temple, among the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word, Vihara (Devanagari: ), which means "abode". The region roughly encompassing the present state was dotted with Buddhist vihara, the abodes of Buddhist monks in the ancient and medieval periods. Medieval writer Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani records in the Tabakat-i-Nasiri that in 1198 AD, Bakhtiyar Khalji committed a massacre in a town now known as Bihar Sharif, about 70 km away from Bodh Gaya.[29][30] Later, Bakhtiyar learned that the town was a college, and the word for college is bihar.

History
This section may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (May 2013) Main article: History of Bihar See also: Timeline for Bihar, Magadha, History of Buddhism in India, Decline of Buddhism in India, and 2008 attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra

Ancient Bihar, known as Magadha, was the center of power, learning, and culture in India for 1000 years. India's first empire, the Maurya empire as well as Buddhism arose from the region that now makes up modern Bihar. The Mauryan empire, which originated from Magadha in 325 BC, was started by Chandragupta Maurya who was born in Magadha, and had its capital at Pataliputra (modern Patna). The Mauryan Emperor, who was born in Patliputra (Patna) is believed to be one of the greatest rulers in the history of India and the world.[31][32] Bihar remained an important place of culture and education during the next 1000 years. The Gupta Empire that originated from Magadha in 240 AD is referred to as the Golden Age of India in science, mathematics, astronomy, commerce, religion and Indian philosophy.[citation needed] During Gupta Rule, India was called the "Golden Bird". The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavours, as well as a very strong powerful global economy. Historians place the Gupta dynasty alongside the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and Roman Empire as a model of a classical civilization. The capital of Gupta empire was Pataliputra, present day Patna. The Vikramshila and Nalanda universities were among the oldest and best centres of education in ancient India. Some writers believe the period between 400 AD and 1,000 AD saw gains by Hinduism at the expense of Buddhism.[33][34][35][36] The Hindu kings gave many grants to the Buddhist monks for building Brahmaviharas.[citation
needed]

Kalidasa's Sanskrit play Abhijnakuntalam is one of the legacies of the Gupta Empire. The Buddhism of Magadha was swept away by the invasion under Muhammad Bin Bakhtiar Khilji, during which many of the viharas and the famed universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila were destroyed, and thousands of Buddhist monks were massacred in 12th century.[37][38][39][40][41][42] In 1540 the great Pathan of Bihar, Sher Shah Suri, from Sasaram, Bihar, took the reins of North-India. He was the first person who defeated the Mughals and army of Humayun, making Delhi as his capital. The Mughals had to leave India during his rule. Sher Shah is considered as one of the most progressive emperors during the Mughal era. He made several economic changes, infrastructural improvement, highways (the famous Grand Trunk road), establishment of the Rupiya (current Indian currency), and modern post offices, policing, community and free kitchens. The administrative reforms and social engineering ventures influenced the Mughal mindset of ruling in India under Akbar. Protocols of governance set by

Sher Shah (Sher Khan) were to become the standard of governance, which along with exemplary management skills, influenced the future of the Mughal Empire, and were the impetus for Akbar to copy Sher Shah's model of administration, despite the fact that they were rivals.[citation needed] In a freak accident, while cleaning a gun, Sher Shah was killed. His nephew Adil Shah Suri was named sultan, and appointed Hemu Vikramaditya as his prime minister and Army commander. Hemu fought and won twenty-two battles against Afghan rebels and Akbar's forces at Agra and Delhi. Hemu, who was given the title of 'Samrat' at Purana Quila, Delhi was then known as 'Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya'. Hemu lost his life while fighting 'Second Battle of Panipat' against Akbar on 7 November 1556. Between 1557 and 1576, Akbar, the Mughal emperor, annexed Bihar and Bengal.[43] The tenth and the last Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh was born in Patna. After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the British East India Company obtained the diwani rights (rights to administer, and collect revenue or tax) for Bihar, Bengal and Odisha. The rich resources of fertile land, water and skilled labour had attracted the foreign imperialists, particularly the Dutch and British, in the 18th century. A number of Agrio based industries had been started in Bihar by the foreign entrepreneurs. Bihar remained a part of the Bengal Presidency of British India until 1912, when the province of Bihar and Orissa was carved out as a separate province. Since 2010, Bihar has celebrated its birthday as Bihar Diwas on 22 March.[44] In 1935, certain portions of Bihar were reorganised into the separate province of Orissa.[citation needed]

(Sitting left to right) Rajendra Prasad and Anugrah Narayan Sinha during Mahatama Gandhi's 1917 Champaran Satyagraha Farmers in Champaran had revolted against indigo cultivation in 1914 (at Pipra) and 1916 (Turkaulia). In April 1917, Mahatma Gandhi visited Champaran, where Raj Kumar Shukla had drawn his attention to the exploitation of the peasants by European indigo planters. The

Champaran Satyagraha that followed received support from many Bihari nationalists, such as Rajendra Prasad and Anugrah Narayan Sinha.[45][46] In the northern and central regions of Bihar, the Kisan Sabha (peasant movement) was an important consequence of the Freedom Movement. It began in 1929 under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati who formed the Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha (BPKS), to mobilise peasant grievances against the zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights. The movement intensified and spread from Bihar across the rest of India, culminating in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April 1936, where Saraswati was elected as its first president.[47] This movement aimed at overthrowing the feudal zamindari system instituted by the British.[clarification needed] It was led by Saraswati and his followers Pandit Yamuna Karjee, Rahul Sankrityayan, Pandit Karyanand Sharma, Baba Nagarjun and others. Pandit Yamuna Karjee along with Rahul Sankritayan and a few others started publishing a Hindi weekly Hunkar from Bihar, in 1940.[citation needed] Hunkar later became the mouthpiece of the peasant movement and the agrarian movement in Bihar and was instrumental in spreading it.[citation needed] On 15 January 1934, Bihar was devastated by an earthquake of magnitude 8.4. Some 30,000 people were said to have died in the quake.[citation needed] The state of Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000.[48] Bihari migrant workers have faced violence and prejudice in many parts of India, such as Maharashtra, Punjab and Assam.[49][50]

Geography and climate

River Map of Bihar

Mountain of Ashrams, Near Sena Village, at Buddha Gaya

Flooded farmlands in northern Bihar

Main articles: Geography of Bihar and Climate of Bihar

Climate
Classification Avg. temperature Summer Winter Precipitation ETh 27 C (81 F) 34 C (93 F) 10 C (50 F) 1,200 mm (47 in)

Bihar has a diverse climate. Its temperature is subtropical in general, with hot summers and cool winters. Bihar is a vast stretch of fertile plain. It is drained by the Ganges River, including its northern tributaries Gandak and Koshi, originating in the Nepal Himalayas and the Bagmati originating in the Kathmandu Valley that regularly flood parts of the Bihar plains. The total area covered by the state of Bihar is 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi). the state is located between 24-20'10" N ~ 27-31'-15" N latitude and between 83-19'-50" E ~ 88-17'-40" E longitude. Its average elevation above sea level is 173 feet (53 m). The Ganges divides Bihar into two unequal halves and flows through the middle from west to east. Other Ganges tributaries are the Son, Budhi Gandak, Chandan, Orhani and Phalgu. Though the Himalayas begin at the foothills, a short distance inside Nepal and to the north of Bihar, the mountains influence Bihar's landforms, climate, hydrology and culture. Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills. To the south is the Chota Nagpur plateau, which was part of Bihar until 2000 but now is part of a separate state called Jharkhand. Bihar is mildly cold in the winter, with the lowest temperatures being in the range from 010 C (3250 F). Winter months are December and January. It is hot in the summer, with average highs around 3540 C (95104 F).

Flora and fauna

Bauhinia acuminata, locally known as Kachnaar Main articles: Flora of Bihar and Fauna of Bihar See also: Protected areas of Bihar Bihar has notified forest area of 6,764.14 km2 (2,612 sq mi), which is 7.2% of its geographical area.[6] The sub Himalayan foothill of Someshwar and the Dun ranges in the Champaran district are another belt of moist deciduous forests. These also consist of scrub, grass and reeds. Here the rainfall is above 1,600 millimetres (63 in) and thus promotes luxuriant Sal forests in the area. The most important trees are Shorea Robusta, Sal Cedrela Toona, Khair, and Semal. Deciduous forests also occur in the Saharsa and Purnia districts.[51] Shorea Robusta (sal), Diospyros melanoxylon (kendu), Boswellia serrata (salai), Terminalia tomentose (Asan), Terminalia bellayoica (Bahera), Terminalia Arjuna (Arjun), Pterocarpus Marsupium (Paisar), Madhuca indica (Mahua) are the common flora across the forest of Bihar.

A Bengal tiger in the Tiger Reserve of Valmiki National Park The Ganges River dolphins, or "sois" are found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra. This river dolphin is the national aquatic animal of India. It is now considered amongst the most endangered mammals of the region. The dolphins range from 2.3 to 2.6 meters in length. They have impaired vision due to the muddy river water but use sonar signals to navigate.Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, near Bhagalpur is set up to ensure the protection of this species. Valmiki National Park, West Champaran district, covering about 800 km2 (309 sq mi) of forest, is the 18th Tiger Reserve of India and is ranked fourth in terms of density of tiger population.[52] It has a diverse landscape, sheltering rich wildlife habitats and floral and faunal composition, along with the prime protected carnivores.

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Bihar See also: Bihari people

[show]Population growth
Atr the 2001 Census, Bihar was the third most populated state of India with total population of 82,998,509 (43,243,795 male and 39,754,714 female).[1][54] Nearly 85% of Bihar's population lived in rural areas. Almost 58% of Biharis were below 25 years age, which is the highest in India. The density was 881. The sex ratio was 919 females per 1000 males. Mostly, Biharis belong to Indo-Aryan, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Hephthalites stock, who shares common genetic lineage with Central Asian and Eurasian population along with few Mongolo-Dravidian and Austroasiatic people mostly in Chhotanagpur Plateau (now part of Jharkhand). Since ancient times, Bihar has attracted migrants and settlers including Bengalis, Turks from Central Asia, Persians, Afghans and Punjabi Hindu refugees during the Partition of British India in 1947.[55] Bihar has a total literacy rate of 63.82% (75.7% for males and 55.1% for females), recording a growth of 20% in female literacy over the period of a decade.[56][57] At the 2011 census, the density has surpassed 1,000 per square kilometre, making Bihar India's densest-populated state, but is still lower than West Java or Banten of Indonesia.

Largest cities in Bihar

City District Population 1 Patna Patna 2,405,421 2 Gaya Gaya 463,454 3 Bhagalpur Bhagalpur 398,138 4 Muzaffarpur Muzaffarpur 351,838 5 Biharsarif Nalanda 296,889 6 Darbhanga Darbhanga 294,116 7 Purnia Purnia 280,547 Muzzafarpur City District 8 Arrah Bhojpur 9 Munger Munger 10 Chhapra Saran 11 Katihar Katihar 12 Danapur Patna 13 Sasaram Rohtas 14 Dehri Rohtas

view talk edit

Patna

Population 261,099 188,050 179,190 175,199 131,176 141,176 119,007

Source: Census of India 2011[58]

State symbols of Bihar[59] Animal Gaur Bird India roller Flower Kanchnar

Tree

Peepal

Government and administration

Main articles: Government of Bihar and Administration in Bihar See also: Divisions of Bihar and Districts of Bihar

Vidhansabha Building, Patna The constitutional head of the Government of Bihar is the Governor, who is appointed by the President of India. The real executive power rests with the Chief Minister and the cabinet. The political party or the coalition of political parties having a majority in the Legislative Assembly forms the Government. The head of the bureaucracy of the State is the Chief Secretary. Under this position, is a hierarchy of officials drawn from the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and different wings of the State Civil Services. The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice. Bihar has a High Court which has been functioning since 1916. All the branches of the government are located in the state capital, Patna. The state is divided into nine divisions and 38 districts, for administrative purposes. The various districts included in the divisions Patna, Tirhut, Saran, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Munger and Magadh Division, are as listed below.

Division Headquarters

District map of Bihar Districts

Bhagalpur Bhagalpur Darbhanga Darbhanga Kosi Saharsa Magadh Gaya Munger Munger Patna Patna Purnia Purnia Saran Chapra Tirhut Muzaffarpur

Banka, Bhagalpur Begusarai, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul Arwal, Aurangabad, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nawada Jamui, Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura Bhojpur, Buxar, Kaimur, Patna, Rohtas, Nalanda Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj, Purnia Gopalganj, Saran, Siwan East Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Vaishali, West Champaran

Politics
Main article: Politics of Bihar See also: Political parties in Bihar, Elections in Bihar and List of politicians from Bihar

Krishna Sinha (right) with Anugrah Narayan Sinha during swearing-in ceremony of independent Bihar's first government on 15 August 1947 The first Bihar governments in 1937 and 1946 were led by Sri Krishna Sinha and Anugrah Narayan Sinha. Subsequently, Bihar gained an anti-establishment image and it was often projected as prone to low discipline and anarchy.[citation needed] Caste-based politics came to the fore, with power initially being in the hands of the Yadavs, Bhumihar Brahmin, Rajput, Kayastha and Brahmin communities.[citation needed] For two decades, the Indian National Congress governed the state hand-in-glove with the central government of Indira Gandhi.[citation needed] It was at this time that Chandrashekhar Singh became chief minister and politicians such as Satyendra Narain Sinha deserted Congress for the Janata Party due to ideological differences.[citation needed] There were occasional breaks in Congress governance, as in 1977.[citation needed] In between, the socialist movement tried to break the stranglehold of the status quo under the leadership of Mahamaya Prasad Sinha and Karpoori Thakur. This did not flourish, partly due to the impractical idealism

of these leaders and partly due to the machinations of the central leaders of the Congress Party who felt threatened by a large politically aware state.[citation needed] Janata Dal came to power in the state in 1990 on the back of its victory at the national stage in 1989.[citation needed] Lalu Prasad Yadav became Chief Minister after defeating Ram Sundar Das, a former chief minister from the Janata Party and a protege of upper caste Janata stalwarts.[citation needed] Yadav gained support among the masses through a series of popular and populist measures.[citation needed] Socialists such as Nitish Kumar disassociated themselves from Yadav, who by 1995 was both chief minister and president of his party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).[citation needed] Yadav was later subject to various charges of corruption leading him to quit the post of chief minister. Soon after his wife Rabri Devi was elected in his place.[citation needed] The administration is believed to have deteriorated during this period.[citation needed] By 2004, 14 years after Yadav's victory, The Economist magazine said that "Bihar [had] become a byword for the worst of India, of widespread and inescapable poverty, of corrupt politicians indistinguishable from mafia-dons they patronize, caste-ridden social order that has retained the worst feudal cruelties".[60] In 2005, the World Bank believed that issues faced by the state were "enormous" because of "persistent poverty, complex social stratification, unsatisfactory infrastructure and weak governance".[61] In 2005, as disaffection mounted, the RJD was voted out of power and replaced by a coalition headed by his former ally, Nitish Kumar.[citation needed] Currently, there are two main political formations: the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which comprises Janata Dal, Bharatiya Janata Party and the RJD-led coalition which also has the Indian National Congress. There are myriad other political formations. Ram Vilas Paswan led Lok Janshakti Party is a constituent of the UPA at the center. The Communist Party of India had a strong presence in Bihar at one time, but is weakened now. The CPM and Forward Bloc have a minor presence, along with the other extreme Left.[citation needed] In the 2010 state elections Bihar's current Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government won 206 seats out of 243 seats.[citation needed] In contrast to prior governments, which emphasised divisions of caste and religion, Kumar's manifesto was based on economic development, curbs on crime and corruption and greater social equality for all sections of society. This was the at the time of election and immediately afterwards. Since 2010, the government has confiscated the properties of corrupt officials and redeployed them as schools buildings.[62] Simultaneously they introduced Bihar Special Court Act to curb crime.[63] It has also legislated for a two-hour break on Fridays, including lunch, to enable Muslim employees to pray and thus cut down on post-lunch absenteeism by them.[64]

Economy
Year Gross State Domestic Product (millions of Indian

Rupees)[65] 1980 73,530 1985 142,950 1990 264,290 1995 244,830 2000 469,430 710,060 2005
[66]

Bihar accounts for 65% of India's annual litchi production.[67]

A village market

Farm workers in Bihar Main article: Economy of Bihar Gross state domestic product of Bihar for the year 2011/2012 has been around 262230 crore INR. By sectors, it's composition is: Agriculture = 22% Industry = 5% Services = 73%.

The economy of Bihar is largely service-oriented, but it has a significant agricultural base. The state also has a small industrial sector. More recently, Bihar's state GDP recorded a very high growth (in the excess of 10%), making Bihar the fastest growing major state of India.

Agriculture
Main article: Agriculture of Bihar Bihar lies in the riverine plain of the Ganga basin area and is endowed with fertile Gangetic alluvial soil with abundant water resources, particularly ground water resources. This makes Bihar's agriculture rich and diverse, although it has never reached its full potential.[citation needed] Rice, wheat, and maize are the major cereal crops of Bihar, while arhar urad, moong, gram, peas, lentils, and khesaria are some of the pulses[clarification needed] crop cultivated in Bihar. Bihar is the largest producer of vegetables,[citation needed] especially potatoes, onions, brinzle, and cauliflower. In fruit cultivation, it is the largest producer of litchi, the third largest producer of pineapples[citation needed] and a major producer of mangoes, bananas, and guava. Sugarcane and jute are the other two major cash crops of Bihar.[citation needed]

Industry
Main article: Industry of bihar Bihar has a very small industrial base compared to the other Indian states including neighbouring Jharkhand . State of Bihar accounts for nearly about 8.5% of India's population and about 3% of its landmass. In percentage terms of industrial units, Bihar holds only around 1% of factories installed in India. In terms of output value, less than 1% of India's industrial output comes from Bihar. The industrial sector contributes about 5% to the GDP of Bihar, while the share of industrial sector in India's GDP is around 20%. Bihar's industrial sector is dominated by small household and cottage industries. Agro-based industries are major constituents of industrial sector in Bihar. Bihar has emerged as brewery hub with major domestic and foreign firms setting up production units in the state. Three major firms United Breweries Group, Danish Brewery Company Carlsberg Group and Cobra Beer are to set up new units in Patna and Muzaffarpur in 2012.[68] Bihar has significant levels of production of mango, guava, litchi, pineapple, brinjal, cauliflower, bhindi, and cabbage.[69] Despite the state's leading role in food production, investment in irrigation and other agriculture facilities has been inadequate. Historically, the sugar and vegetable oil industries were flourishing sectors of Bihar. Until the mid-1950s, 25% of India's sugar output was from Bihar. Dalmianagar was a large agro-industrial town. There were attempts to industrialise the state between 1950 and 1980: an oil refinery in Barauni, a motor scooter plant at Fatuha, and a power plant at Muzaffarpur. However, these were forced to shut down due to certain central government policies (like the Freight Settlement Policy) which neutralised the strategic advantages of Bihar. Barauni is still one of the few old industrialised towns in the state. Hajipur, near Patna, remains a major industrial town in the Bihar, linked to the capital city through the Ganges bridge and good road infrastructure.[citation needed]

The state's debt was estimated at 77% of GDP by 2007.[70] The Finance Ministry has given top priority to create investment opportunities for big industrial houses like Reliance Industries. Further developments have taken place in the growth of small industries, improvements in IT infrastructure, the new software park in Patna, and the completion of the expressway from the Purvanchal border through Bihar to Jharkhand. In August 2008, a Patna registered company called the Security and Intelligence Services (SIS) India Limited[71] took over the Australian guard and mobile patrol services business of American conglomerate, United Technologies Corporation (UTC). SIS is registered and taxed in Bihar.[72] The capital city, Patna, is one of the better-off cities in India when measured by per capita income.[73]^

Income distribution: north-south divide

In terms of income, the districts of Patna, Munger and Begusarai were the three best-off out of a total of 38 districts in the state, recording the highest per capita gross district domestic product of 31,441, 10,087 and 9,312, respectively in 200405.[74]

Education
Main articles: Education in Bihar and Literacy in Bihar See also: List of educational institutions in Bihar

IIT Patna Students carrying the Institute Flag at the annual Inter IIT Sports Meet Historically, Bihar has been a major centre of learning, home to the ancient universities of Nalanda (established in 450 CE), Odantapur (established in 550CE) and Vikramshila (established in 783 [75] AD). This tradition of learning may have been had stultified by the period of Turkic invasions c. 1000 CE at which point it is believed major education centres (now maintained by reclusive communities of Buddhist monks removed from the local populace) were put out of operation during the Turkic raids originating from central Asia .[76] The current state of education and research is not satisfactory though the current state government claims big achievements in school education. Bihar saw a revival of its education system during the later part of the British rule when they established Patna University (established in 1917) which is the seventh oldest university of the Indian subcontinent.[77] Some other centres of high learning established by the British rule are Patna College (established in 1839), Bihar School of Engineering (established in 1900; now

known as National Institute of Technology, Patna), Prince of Wales Medical College (1925; now Patna Medical College and Hospital), Science College, Patna (1928) among others. After independence Bihar lost the pace in terms of establishing a centre of education. Modern Bihar has a grossly inadequate educational infrastructure creating a huge mismatch between demand and supply. This problem further gets compounded by the growing aspirations of the people and an increase in population. The craving for higher education among the general population of Bihar has led to a massive migration of the student community from the state. Literacy rate from 1951 to 2011[78] Bihar, with female literacy at 53.3%, is striving to climb Year Total Males Females as the government has established educational 1961 21.95 35.85 8.11 institutions. At the time of independence, women's 1971 23.17 35.86 9.86 literacy in Bihar was 4.22%. Bihar has a National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Patna and an Indian 1981 32.32 47.11 16.61 Institute of Technology (IIT) in Patna. A recent survey by 1991 37.49 51.37 21.99 Pratham[79] rated the absorption of their teaching by the 2001 47.53 60.32 33.57 Bihar children better than those in other states. 2011 63.82 73.39 53.33 As on date, there are six engineering colleges for boys and one for girls in public sector and nine others in the private sector in Bihar. The overall annual intake of these technical institutes offering engineering education to students in Bihar is merely 4,559. As it is, the seventh engineering college of the state government would start its first session from July 2012 at Chhapra, while the process to create infrastructure for three new engineering colleges one each at Madhepura, Begusarai and Sitamarhi has started.[80] Bihar established several new education institutes between 2006 and 2008. BIT Mesra started its Patna extension center in September 2006. On 8 August 2008, IIT was inaugurated in Patna with students from all over India.[81] NSIT opened its new college in Bihta, which is now emerging as a new education hub in Bihar, in 2008.[82][83] BCE, Bhagalpur and MIT, Muzaffarpur are also prominent engineering colleges in Bihar.[84] National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)[85] is being set up in Hajipur. On 4 August 2008, National Institute of Fashion Technology Patna was established as ninth such institute in India.[86] Chanakya National Law University a law university and Chandragupt Institute of Management was established in later half of 2008. Steps to revive the ancient Nalanda University as Nalanda International University is being taken; countries like Japan, Korea and China have also taken initiatives. The Aryabhatt Knowledge University in Patna is framed to which all the engineering as well medical colleges are affiliated in Bihar. The A.N. Sinha Institute[87] of Social Studies is a premier research institute in the state. Bihar is pioneer in the field of yoga with its internationally renowned institute Bihar School of Yoga in Munger. Bihar e-Governance Services & Technologies (BeST) and the Government of Bihar have initiated a unique program to establish a center of excellence called Bihar Knowledge Center, a finishing school to equip students with the latest skills and customised short-term training

programs at an affordable cost. The center aims to attract every youth of the state to hone up their technical, professional and soft skills and prepare them for the present industry requirement/job market.[88] Bihar also has Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology(CIPET) and Institute of Hotel Management(a Central govt Unit) in Hajipur. One of India's premier medical institute AIIMS Patna started functioning in Patna. It is in line with AIIMS, New Delhi.

Culture
This section may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (May 2013) Main article: Culture of Bihar

Language and literature

Main articles: Languages in Bihar and Literature in Bihar See also: Angika, Bhojpuri, Magadhi, Maithili language, Magadhi Prakrit, Hindi in Bihar, and Urdu Language in Bihar English (US) Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state (recently Maithili is also included as one of the official languages of the state, although the usage of the language for official purposes is negligible), while the majority of the people speak one of the Bihari languages Maithili, Angika, Magadhi or Bhojpuri . Presently Bihari languages are considered one of the five subgroups of Hindi; however, Maithili was declared a separate language. However, these are considered to be derived from the language of the erstwhile Magadha state Magadhi Prakrit, along with Bengali, Assamese, and Oriya. Bihari Hindi, a slang form of Standard Hindi, is used as a lingua franca and many speak it as their first language throughout the state. A small minority also speak Bengali, mainly in big districts or along the border area with West Bengal. Many Bengali speakers are people from West Bengal or Hindu people from erstwhile East Pakistan who immigrated during the Partition of India in 1947. Though Urdu and Bihari languages may relate to each other, however they are different in many ways. Few words in Bihari language sounds same as they are spoken in Urdu; e.g. Sulf-nazuk in Bihari is Sinf-e-Nazuk in Urdu. Also, masculine and feminine words are often not clear in Bihari language as these are in Urdu. In spite of the large number of speakers of Bihari languages, they have not been constitutionally recognised in India. Hindi is the language used for educational and official matters in Bihar.[89] These languages were legally absorbed under the subordinate label of 'HINDI' in the 1961 Census. Such state and national politics have created conditions for language endangerment.[90]

The first success for spreading Hindi occurred in Bihar in 1881, when Hindi displaced Urdu as the sole official language of the province and became the first state of India to adopt Hindi. In this struggle between competing Hindi and Urdu, the potential claims of the three large mother tongues in the region Magahi, Bhojpuri and Maithili were ignored. After independence Hindi was again given the sole official status through the Bihar Official Language Act, 1950.[91] Urdu became the second official language in the undivided State of Bihar on 16 August 1989. The relationship of Maithili community with Bhojpuri and Magahi communities the immediate neighbours have been neither very pleasant nor very hostile. Maithili has been the only one among them which has been trying to constantly deny superimposition of Hindi over her identity. As of now Maithili is a separate language that uses Devanagari as the writing script rather than its own script Mithilakshar due to lack of the development of the printing press and also due to ignorance. The other two have given up their claims and have resigned to accept the status of dialects of Hindi. Bihar has produced a number of writers and scholars, including Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Ram Avatar Sharma, Dr. Bhagwati Sharan Mishra, R. K. Sinha, Raja Radhika Raman Singh, Shiva Pujan Sahay, Divakar Prasad Vidyarthy, Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', Ram Briksh Benipuri, Phanishwar Nath 'Renu', Pandit Nalin Vilochan Sharma, Gopal Singh "Nepali", Baba Nagarjun, Mridula Sinha, and Pankaj Rag. Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, the great writer and Buddhist scholar, was born in U.P. but spent his life in the land of Lord Buddha, i.e., Bihar. Hrishikesh Sulabh the short story writer, playwright and theatre critic and novelist Anurag Anand are some of the prominent authors of the current age to have emerged from Bihar. One of Anurag's better known works, The Legend of Amrapali[92] is based around the life of the yesteryear courtesan from the kingdom of Vaishali which had its nerve center in areas that now fall within the boundaries of Bihar state. Arun Kamal and Aalok Dhanwa are the well-known poets. Different regional languages also have produced some prominent poets and authors. Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, who is among the greatest writers in Bengali, resided for some time in Bihar. Of late, the latest Indian writer in English, Upamanyu Chatterjee also hails from Patna in Bihar. Devaki Nandan Khatri, who rose to fame at the beginning of the 20th century on account of his novels such as Chandrakanta and Chandrakanta Santati, was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Vidyapati Thakur is the most renowned poet of Maithili (c. 1415th century). Interestingly, the first Indian author in English was a Bihari, Deen Mohammad. Among the contemporary writers in English Amitava Kumar, Tabish Khair, Birbal Jha and Siddharth Choudhary are important names. Siddharth Choudhary has been shortlisted for 2009 Man Asian Literary Prize for his book Day Scholar. Bihar has also made important contributions to Urdu literature. Famous Urdu writers Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, Manazir Ahsan Gilani, Jabir Husain, Hussain Ul Haque; Eminent Writer, Critic, Bibliographist, Linguist & Scholar of Urdu language Abdul Qavi Desnavi; Eminent Poets Shad Azimabadai, Nasikh, Jamil Mazhari, Mazhar Imam, Dr. Shamim Hashimi[93] (Collection of Ghazals Toot-tay pattoN ka dukh[94]), Suhail Azimabadi; Short story writers Akhtar Orenivi, Shaukat Hayat, Shamoel Ahmed; and Paigham Afaqui (novel Makaan), Abdus Samad (novel Do Gaz Zameen), Hussain Ul Haque (novel Farat), Ilyas Ahmed Gaddi (novel Fire Area) enjoy special place in global literature.

The literary and cultural movement Bhookhi Peedhi, or 'Hungry generation', was launched from Bihar's capital in November 1961 by two brothers, Samir Roychoudhury and Malay Roy Choudhury. The movement impacted most of the Indian languages of the time. Urdu is second government language in Bihar which is the mother tongue of Muslims who form about 17% of state's population. Near 25% people in Bihar read and write Urdu. Bihar has produced many Urdu scholars, such as Shaad Azimabadi, Jamil Maz'hari, Khuda Baksh Khan, Maulana Shabnam Kamali, Bismil Azimabadi (poet known for the patriotic ghazal "Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai"), Kaif Azimabadi, Rasikh Azimabadi, and in these days, Kalim Aajiz.

Arts and crafts

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2012) See also: Mithila Painting

Madhubani painting by Bharti Dayal Mithila painting is a style of Indian painting practised in the Mithila Darbhanga, Madhubani region of Bihar, where powdered rice is coloured and is stuck. Tradition states that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Ram. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, handmade paper and canvas. Mithila painting mostly depict men and its association with Nature & scene and deities from ancient epics like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no space is left empty. Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that was passed down from generation to generation in the families of the Mithila Region, mainly by women. The painting was usually done on walls during festivals, religious events, and other milestones of the life-

cycle such as birth, Upanayanam (Sacred thread ceremony), and marriage. This painting is in fact the simplistic manifestation of philosophical heights achieved by our Nation in yesteryears. There are so many famous Mithila artist like Smt Bharti Dayal, Mahasundari devi, late Ganga devi, late Sita devi & others who have induced an intellectual edge in their paintings & made it Famous and prestigious Worldwide! Bharti Dayal is considered as one of the greatest Madhubani painter as her art is a unique amalgamation of Heritage and modernity . It is remarkable for its ingenuity, grace and balance! Her work is experimental and authentic. Radha is not an only mythical character hemmed in by tradition but a selfless striver for sublimity also in Bharti's canvases !! Besides National Award she has also been Honoured with The Vishist Bihari Samman amid festivities to commemorate 100 year of Bihar . Manjusha Art or Angika Art is an art form of Anga region of Bihar. Notably artist Jahar Dasgupta born in Jamshedpur, Bihar which is presently under state Jharkhand. Manjusha art or Angika Art Originated in AngaPradesh (Present Day Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Tarai area of the Nepal) which was used in Bihula-Vishahri Pooja, celebrated usually in August to please snake gods(Nag). Manjusha Art is one of the very old and historically very important Art which is expression wise not less than Madhubani Art or any art of India. Manjusha Art or Manjusha Kala is often referred to as Snake Paintings by foreigners as swirling snakes in the art depict the central character Bihulas tale of love and sacrifice. Legends says that five daugheters of Lord Shiva -Maina, Bhawani, Devi, Padma and Jaya known as Bishahari (Meaning Person carrying Poison). They requested to Workship earth Which Shiva granted and This Festival of Bishari started. Manjushas are temple-shaped boxes, Containg 8 -Pillars. They are made of bamboo, jute and paper. They also contains Painting of Gods and Goddesses and Other Characters. These boxes are used in Bishahari puja -A festival Dedicated to Snake God, Celebrated in Bhagalpur, India

A painting of the city of Patna, on the River Ganges, Patna School of Painting Patna School of Painting or Patna Qalaam, some times also called Company painting, offshoot of the well-known Mughal Miniature School of Painting flourished in Bihar during early 18th to mid-20th century. The practitioners of this art form were descendants of Hindu artisans of Mughal painting who facing persecution from the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb found refuge, via Murshidabad, in Patna during late 18th century. They shared the characteristics of the Mughal painters, but unlike them (whose subjects included only royalty and court scenes), the Patna painters also started painting bazaar scenes. The paintings were executed in watercolours on paper and on mica. Favourite subjects were scenes of Indian daily life, local rulers, and sets of festivals and ceremonies. Most successful were the studies of natural life, but the style was generally of a hybrid and undistinguished quality. It is this school of painting that formed the

nucleus for the formation of the Patna Art School under the leadership of Shri Radha Mohan. College of Arts and Crafts, Patna is an important centre of fine arts in Bihar.

Artisans selling their work near GPO Patna. The artisans of Bihar have been very skilful in creating articles using local materials. Baskets, cups and saucers made from bamboo-strips or cane reed are painted in vivid colours are commonly found in Bihari homes. A special container woven out of Sikki Grass in the north, the "pauti", is a sentimental gift that accompanies a bride when she leaves her home after her wedding. The weavers of Bihar have been practising their trade for centuries. Among their products in common use are the cotton dhurries and curtains. They are produced by artisans in central Bihar, particularly in the Patna and Biharsharif areas. These colourful sheets, with motifs of Buddhist artefacts, pictures of birds, animals, and/or flowers, gently wafting in the air through doors and windows, blown by a cool summer breeze, used to be one of the most soothing sights as one approached a home or an office. Bhagalpur is well known for its seri-culture, manufacture of silk yarn and weaving them into lovely products. It is known as the tussah or tusser silk.

Performing arts
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2012) Main article: Music of Bihar

Magahi folk singers

Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan, from Dumraon, Bihar Bihar has contributed to the Indian (Hindustani) classical music and has produced musicians like Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan, who later migrated out of Bihar. Dhrupad singers like the Malliks (Darbhanga Gharana) and the Mishras (Bettiah Gharana), who were patronised by the Zamindars of Darbhanga and Bettiah respectively, have produced maestros like Ram Chatur Mallik, Abhay Narayan Mallick, Indra Kishore Mishra. Perhaps, not well acknowledged and commercialised as those from the Dagar school of Dhrupad, they have kept the Dhrupad tradition in perhaps the purest forms. Gaya was another centre of excellence in classical music, particularly of the Tappa and Thumri variety. Pandit Govardhan Mishra, son of the Ram Prasad Mishra, himself, an accomplished singer, is perhaps the finest living exponent of Tappa singing in India today, according to Padmashri Gajendra Narayan Singh, former Chairman of Bihar Sangeet Natak Academy. Gajendra Narayan Singh also writes in his latest book "surile Logon Ki Sangat" that Champanagar, Banaili was another major centre of classical music. Rajkumar Shyamanand Sinha of Champanagar Banaili estate was a great patron of music and himself, was one of the finest exponents of classical vocal music in Bihar in his time. Gajendra Narayan Singh in his other book "Swar Gandh" has written that "Kumar Shyamanand Singh of Banaili estate had such expertise in singing that many great singers including Kesarbai Kerkar were convinced about his prowess in singing. After listening to Bandishes from Kumar Saheb, Pandit Jasraj was moved to tears and lamented that alas! he could have such ability himself" (free translation of Hindi text). Bihar has a very old tradition of beautiful folk songs, sung during important family occasions, such as marriage, birth ceremonies, festivals, etc. and the most famous folk singer has been Padma Shri Sharda Sinha. They are sung mainly in group settings without the help of many musical instruments like Dholak, Bansuri and occasionally Tabla and Harmonium are used. Bihar also has a tradition of lively Holi songs known as 'Phagua', filled with fun rhythms. During the 19th century, when the condition of Bihar worsened under the British misrule, many Biharis had to migrate as indentured labourers to West Indian islands, Fiji, and Mauritius. During this time many sad plays and songs called biraha became very popular, in the Bhojpur area. Dramas on that theme continue to be popular in the theatres of Patna. Dance forms of Bihar are another expression of rich traditions and ethnic identity. There are several folk dance forms that can keep one enthralled, such as dhobi nach, jhumarnach, manjhi, gondnach, jitiyanach, more morni, dom-domin, bhuiababa, rah baba, kathghorwa nach, jat jatin,

launda nach, bamar nach, jharni, jhijhia, natua nach, nat-natin, bidapad nach, sohrai nach, and gond nach. Theatre is another form in which the Bihari culture expresses itself. Some forms of theatre with rich traditions are Bidesia, Reshma-Chuharmal, Bihula-Bisahari, Bahura-Gorin, Raja Salhesh, Sama Chakeva, and Dom Kach. These theatre forms originate in the Anga region of Bihar.

Cuisine
Main article: Cuisine of Bihar

Religion
Main article: Religion in Bihar Religion in Bihar
Religion Percent

Hinduism Islam Other

83.2% 16.5% .3%

Buddha's statue at Bodh Gaya's temple

Vishnupadh Temple, Gaya, Bihar

Gautam Buddha attained Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, a town located in the modern day district of Gaya in Bihar. Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th and the last Tirthankara of Jainism, was born in Vaishali around 6th century BC.[95] A typical Hindu Brahmin household would begin the day with the blowing of a conch shell at dawn. In rural Bihar, religion is the main component of popular culture. Shrines are located everywhere even 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. There are many variations on the festival theme. While some are celebrated all over the state, others are observed only in certain areas. However, Bihar is so diverse that different regions and religions have something to celebrate at some time or the other during the year. So festivals take place round the year. Many of these are officially recognised by the days on which they take place being proclaimed as government holidays.

Bihar Regiment
One of the battle cry of the Bihar Regiment, consisting of 17 battalions, is "Jai Bajrang Bali" (Victory to Lord Hanuman).[96]

Festivals
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2012) See also: Chhath

The Morning Worship Dala Chhath. Chhath, also called Dala Chhath is an ancient and major festival in Bihar, and is celebrated twice a year: once in the summers, called the Chaiti Chhath, and once around a week after Deepawali, called the Kartik Chhath. The latter is more popular because winters are the usual festive season in North India, and Chhath being an arduous observance requiring the worshippers to fast without water for more than 24 hours, is easier to do in the Indian winters. Chhath is the worship of the Sun God. Wherever people from Bihar have migrated, they have taken with them

the tradition of Chhath. This is a ritual bathing festival that follows a period of abstinence and ritual segregation of the worshiper from the main household for two days. On the eve of Chhath, houses are scrupulously cleaned and so are the surroundings. The ritual bathing and worship of the Sun God takes place, performed twice: once in the evening and once on the crack of the dawn, usually on the banks of a flowing river, or a common large water body. The occasion is almost a carnival, and besides every worshipper, usually women, who are mostly the main ladies of the household, there are numerous participants and onlookers, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshiper. Ritual rendition of regional folk songs, carried on through oral transmission from mothers and mothers-in-law to daughters and daughters-in-law, are sung on this occasion for several days on the go. These songs are a great mirror of the culture, social structure, mythology and history of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Chhath being celebrated at the crack of the dawn is a beautiful, elating spiritual experience connecting the modern Indian to his ancient cultural roots. Chhath is believed to be started by Karna, the king of Anga Desh (modern Bhagalpur region of Bihar). Among ritual observances, the month-long Shravani Mela, held along a 108-kilometre route linking the towns of Sultanganj and Deoghar (now in Jharkhand state), is of great significance. Shravani Mela is organised every year in the Hindu month of Shravan, that is the lunar month of JulyAugust. Pilgrims, known as Kanwarias, wear saffron coloured clothes and collect water from a sacred Ghat (river bank) at Sultanganj, walking the 108 km (67 mi) stretch barefooted to the town of Deoghar to bathe a sacred ShivaLinga. The observance draws thousands of people to the town of Deoghar from all over India. Teej and Chitragupta Puja are other local festivals celebrated with fervor in Bihar. Bihula-Bishari Puja is celebrated in the Anga region of Bihar. The Sonepur cattle fair is a month long event starting approximately half a month after Deepawali and is considered the largest cattle fair in Asia. It is held on the banks of the Gandak River in the town of Sonepur. The constraints of the changing times and new laws governing the sale of animals and prohibiting the trafficking in exotic birds and beasts have eroded the once-upon-a-time magic of the fair. Apart from Chhath, all major festivals of India are celebrated in Bihar, such as Makar Sankranti, Saraswati Puja, Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha (often called Eid-ul-Zuha in the Indian Subcontinent), Muharram, Ram Navami, Rath yatra, Rakshabandhan, Maha Shivaratri, Durga Puja is celebrated with a grandeur akin to the neighbouring state of Bengal, Diwali, Kali Puja/Shyama Puja/Nisha Puja is celebrated in the Mithilanchal portion, Kojagra is also celebrated in the Mithilanchal region, Laxmi Puja, Christmas, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Jivitputrika, Chitragupta Puja, Gurpurab, Bhai Dooj and several other local festivals as well.

Cinema
Main article: Cinema of Bihar See also: Bhojpuri Film Industry and List of Bhojpuri films Bihar has a robust cinema industry for the Bhojpuri language. There are some small Maithili, Angika and Magadhi film industry. First Bhojpuri Film was Ganga Jamuna released in 1961.[97] "Lagi nahin chute ram" was the all-time superhit Bhojpuri film which was released against

"Mugle Azam" but was a superhit in all the eastern and northern sector. Bollywood's Nadiya Ke Paar is among the most famous Bhojpuri language movie. The first Maithili movie was Kanyadan released in 1965,[98] of which a significant portion was made in the Maithili language. Bhaiyaa a Magadhi film was released in 1961.[99] Bhojpuri's history begins in 1962 with the well-received film Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo ("Mother Ganges, I will offer you a yellow sari"), which was directed by Kundan Kumar.[100] Throughout the following decades, films were produced only in fits and starts. Films such as Bidesiya ("Foreigner", 1963, directed by S. N. Tripathi) and Ganga ("Ganges", 1965, directed by Kundan Kumar) were profitable and popular, but in general Bhojpuri films were not commonly produced in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, enough Bhojpuri films were produced to tentatively make up an industry. Films such as Mai ("Mom", 1989, directed by Rajkumar Sharma) and Hamar Bhauji ("My Brother's Wife", 1983, directed by Kalpataru) continued to have at least sporadic success at the box office. However, this trend faded out by the end of the decade, and by 1990, the nascent industry seemed to be completely finished.[101] The industry took off again in 2001 with the super hit Saiyyan Hamar ("My Sweetheart", directed by Mohan Prasad), which shot the hero of that film, Ravi Kissan, to superstardom.[102] This success was quickly followed by several other remarkably successful films, including Panditji Batai Na Biyah Kab Hoi ("Priest, tell me when I will marry", 2005, directed by Mohan Prasad) and Sasura Bada Paisa Wala ("My father-in-law, the rich guy", 2005). In a measure of the Bhojpuri film industry's rise, both of these did much better business in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar than mainstream Bollywood hits at the time, and both films, made on extremely tight budgets, earned back more than ten times their production costs.[103] Sasura Bada Paisa Wala also introduced Manoj Tiwari, formerly a well-loved folk singer, to the wider audiences of Bhojpuri cinema. In 2008, he and Ravi Kissan are still the leading actors of Bhojpuri films, and their fees increase with their fame. The extremely rapid success of their films has led to dramatic increases in Bhojpuri cinema's visibility, and the industry now supports an awards show[104] and a trade magazine, Bhojpuri City,[105] which chronicles the production and release of what are now over one hundred films per year. Many of the major stars of mainstream Bollywood cinema, including Amitabh Bachchan, have also recently worked in Bhojpuri films.

Media
Main article: Media in Bihar Biharbandhu was the first Hindi newspaper published from Bihar. It was started in 1872 by Madan Mohan Bhatta, a Maharashtrian Brahman settled in Biharsharif.[106] Hindi journalism in Bihar, and specially Patna, could make little headway initially. It was mainly due to lack of respect for Hindi among the people at large. Many Hindi journals took birth and after a lapse of time vanished. Many journals were shelved even in the embryo.[107] But once Hindi enlisted the official support, it started making a dent into the remote areas in Bihar. Hindi journalism also acquired wisdom and maturity and its longevity was prolonged. Hindi was introduced in the law courts in Bihar in 1880.[106][108]

Urdu journalism and poetry has a glorious past in Bihar. Many poets belong to Bihar such as Shaad Azimabadi, Kaif Azimabadi, Kalim Ajiz and many more. Shanurahman, a world famous radio announcer, is from Bihar. Many Urdu dailies such as Qomi Tanzim and Sahara publish from Bihar at this time. There is a monthly Urdu magazine called "VOICE OF BIHAR" which is the first of its kind and becoming popular among the Urdu speaking people. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a number of notable new publications. A monthly magazine named Bharat Ratna was started from Patna in 1901. It was followed by Ksahtriya Hitaishi, Aryavarta from Dinapure, Patna, Udyoga and Chaitanya Chandrika.[109] Udyog was edited by Vijyaanand Tripathy, a famous poet of the time and Chaitanya Chandrika by Krishna Chaitanya Goswami, a literary figures of that time. The literary activity was not confined to Patna alone but to many districts of Bihar.[106][110] Magahi Parishad, established in Patna in 1952, pioneered Magadhi journalism in Bihar. It started the monthly journal, Magadhi, which was later renamed Bihan. DD Bihar and ETV Bihar are the television channels dedicated to Bihar. Sahara Samay, Bihar/Jharkhand is the first 24-hour news channel dedicated to Bihar followed by Mahuaa TV, Hamar TV, Sadhna news, Bhojpuria TV, Arya TV and Maurya TV. Full-time Maithili Channel, Saubhagya Mithila caters to maithil households in Mithilanchal (India and Nepal).Biharfirst.com is the first 24 hr Internet Infotainment channel launched on Bihar Diwas (100 Years). Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Aaj, Nayee Baat and Prabhat Khabar are some of the popular Hindi news papers of Bihar. National English dailies like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Navbharat Times, The Telegraph and The Economic Times have readers in the urban regions.

Telecommunications

Airtel, BSNL, Idea Cellular, Reliance Mobile, Tata Docomo, Vodafone, etc.

Television

Airtel digital TV, Dish TV, Reliance Digital TV, TATA Sky Doordarshan Videocon d2h

Radio

All India Radio Gyan Vani Radio Mirchi Radio Dhamaal

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Bihar

Steamers and dredgers at Gai Ghat, Patna. Bihar has three operational airports : Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Patna, Gaya Airport, Gaya and Purnea Airport, Purnea. The Patna airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bangaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ranchi and Kathmandu. Airport at Purnea serves two flight a week to Patna & kolkata. The Purnea Airport is still in developing stage and only chartered flights from Spirit Airways are into service. The Patna airport is categorised as a restricted international airport, with customs facilities to receive international chartered flights. The Gaya Airport is an international airport connected to Colombo, Singapore, Bangkok, Paro and more. Bihar is very well-connected by railway lines to the rest of India. Most of the towns are interconnected, and they are also connected directly to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai (as well as most other major cities in India). Daily or weekly trains connect Patna and other major cities in Bihar to Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Siliguri in the North East, to Hyderabad, Vizag, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in the South, to Nagpur, Raipur, Bhilai, Bhopal and Indore in Central India, and to Goa, Pune, Surat, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Bikaner and Jaipur in Western India. There are also frequent (often multiple daily) connections to several towns in neighboring Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and to the Northern states of Haryana and Punjab. Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Katihar, Barauni, Chhapra, Siwan abd Dehri On Sone are Bihar's best-connected railway stations. Nepal Railways operates two railway lines: a 6 km broad gauge line from Raxaul in India to Sirsiya Inland Container Depot or Dry Port near Birganj in Nepal and a 53 km 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge line from Jaynagar in India to Bijalpura in Nepal. The latter line is composed of two sections: 32 km between Jaynagar and Janakpur and 21 km from Janakpur to Bijalpura. The Janakpur line is used largely for passengers and the Sirsiya (Birganj) line only for cargo freight. The state has a vast network of National and State highways. East-West corridor goes through the cities of Bihar (Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga-Purnia NH57) 46 lanes. For Buddhist pilgrims, the best option for travel to Bihar is to reach Patna or Gaya, either by air or train, and then travel to Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir and Vaishali. Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh also is not very far.

The Ganges navigable throughout the year was the principal river highway across the vast north Indo-Gangetic Plain. Vessels capable of accommodating five hundred merchants were known to ply this river in the ancient period; it served as a conduit for overseas trade, as goods were carried from Pataliputra (later Patna) and Champa (later Bhagalpur) out to the seas and to ports in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. The role of the Ganges as a channel for trade was enhanced by its natural links it embraces all the major rivers and streams in both north and south Bihar.[111] In recent times, Inland Waterways Authority of India has declared the Ganges between Allahabad and Haldia to be a national inland waterway and has taken steps to restore its navigability.

Tourism

Trolley ride in Rajgir

Remains of the ancient city of Vaishali Main article: Tourism in Bihar Bihar is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world, with a history spanning 3,000 years.[citation needed] The historically rich culture and heritage of Bihar can be observed from the large number of ancient monuments spread throughout the state. Bihar is visited by many tourists from around the world,[112] with about 24,000,000 (24 million) tourists visiting the state each year.[112] In earlier days, tourism in the region was purely based on educational tourism, as Bihar was home of some prominent ancient universities like Nalanda University & Vikramala University.[113][114] Bihar is one of the most sacred place for various religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam. Mahabodhi Temple, a Buddhist shrine and UNESCO World Heritage Site is

also situated in Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna, was one of the longest river bridges in the world in early 80s. Bihar is one of the most sacred place for various religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam. Mahabodhi Temple, a Buddhist shrine and UNESCO World Heritage Site is also situated in Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna, was one of the longest river bridges in the world in early 80s.

See also
Geography portal Asia portal South Asia portal India portal Bihar portal

India Outline of India Index of India-related articles Bibliography of India India at Wikipedia books History of India Timeline of Bihar Bihari languages Anti-Bihari sentiment Bihari people Bihari culture List of people from Bihar

Chhattisgarh
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Chhattisgarh
State

Seal

Location of Chhattisgarh in India

Political Map of Chhattisgarh

Coordinates (Raipur):

21.27N

81.60ECoordinates: Country Established Capital Largest city Districts Government Governor Chief Minister Legislature Parliamentary constituency High Court Area Total Area rank Population (2011) Total Rank Density Time zone ISO 3166 code HDI HDI rank Literacy Official languages Website

21.27N 81.60E India 01 November 2000 Raipur Raipur 27 (9 dist. new) Shekhar Dutt Raman Singh (BJP) Unicameral (90 seats) 11 (year 2010) Chhattisgarh High Court 135,194.5 km2 (52,198.9 sq mi) 10 25,545,198 16th 190/km2 (490/sq mi) IST (UTC+05:30) IN-CT 0.516 (medium) 23rd (2005) 64.7% (23rd) Hindi, Chhattisgarhi chhattisgarh.nic.in

State symbols of Chhattisgarh Language Chhattisgarhi (a dialect of Hindi) Van Bhainsa (Wild Buffalo) Animal Pahari Myna (Hill Myna) Bird

Tree

Sal or Sarai

Chhattisgarh (Hindi: ,Tamil: ; , Chattsgah, ttisg) is a state in Central India. It is the 10th largest state in India, with an area of 135,190 km2 (52,200 sq mi). With a population of 25.5 million, Chhattisgarh is the 16th most-populated state of the nation. It is a source of electricity and steel for India.[1] Chhattisgarh accounts for 15% of the total steel produced in the country.[2] The state was formed on 1 November 2000 by partitioning 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh. Raipur was made its capital city. Chhattisgarh borders the states of Madhya Pradesh in the north-west, Maharastra in the south-west, Andhra Pradesh in the south, Odisha in the east, Jharkhand in the north-east and Uttar Pradesh in the north. Currently the state comprises 27 districts.

Contents

1 Etymology 2 Geography o 2.1 Climate o 2.2 Temperature 3 Transport o 3.1 Roads o 3.2 Rail network o 3.3 Air 4 History o 4.1 Ancient and medieval history o 4.2 Modern history o 4.3 Separation of Chhattisgarh 5 Government and administration o 5.1 Districts o 5.2 Municipal corporations 6 Human Development Indicators (HDIs)[23] o 6.1 HDI o 6.2 Standard of living o 6.3 Education Index o 6.4 Health Index o 6.5 Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) o 6.6 Urbanisation o 6.7 Sex ratio o 6.8 Fertility rate o 6.9 ST population o 6.10 Poverty o 6.11 Access to drinking water o 6.12 Sanitation o 6.13 Teledensity

6.14 Road density 7 Demographics o 7.1 Religion o 7.2 Language o 7.3 Status of women 7.3.1 Witchcraft 8 Culture o 8.1 Crafts o 8.2 Dance 8.2.1 Panthi 8.2.2 Pandwani 8.2.3 Rawat Nacha 8.2.4 Soowa Nacha 8.2.5 Karma 9 Other State people cultural contribution o 9.1 Theatre o 9.2 Traditional food 10 Economy o 10.1 Agriculture 10.1.1 Agricultural products 10.1.2 Irrigation o 10.2 Industrial sector 10.2.1 Power sector 10.2.2 Steel sector 10.2.3 Aluminium sector 10.2.4 Natural resources 10.2.4.1 Forest 10.2.4.2 Mineral deposits 10.2.4.3 Information and technologies 10.2.4.4 Major companies [47] o 10.3 Exports 11 Tourism o 11.1 Waterfalls o 11.2 Hot spring o 11.3 Caves o 11.4 National parks and wildlife sanctuaries o 11.5 Archaeological sites o 11.6 Temples o 11.7 Dams 12 Education o 12.1 Absolute literates and literacy rate o 12.2 Universities o 12.3 Premier institutes in Chhattisgarh 12.3.1 Indian Institute of Management Raipur (IIM RP) 12.3.2 National Institute of Technology 12.3.3 All India Institute of Medical Science(AIIMS)

12.3.4 Hidayatullah National Law University o 12.4 Other universities 12.4.1 Guru Ghasidas Central University 12.4.2 Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University 12.4.3 Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur 12.4.4 Sarguja University 12.4.5 Dr. C. V. Raman University 12.4.6 Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University 13 Media and communications 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 External links

Etymology
There are several opinions on the origin of the word Chhattisgarh. In ancient times, this region was called Dakshin Kosala (South Kosala). The name Chhattisgarh was popularized during the Maratha period and was first used in an official document in 1795.[3] It is widely believed that Chhattisgarh takes its name from the 36 pillars of Chhatishgarhin Devi temple (chhattis means "36" and garh means "fort"). The old state had 36 demesnes (feudal territories): Ratanpur, Vijaypur, Kharound, Maro, Kautgarh, Nawagarh, Sondhi, Aukhar, Padarbhatta, Semriya, Champa, Lafa, Chhuri, Kenda, Matin, Aparora, Pendra, Kurkuti-kandri, Raipur, Patan, Simaga, Singarpur, Lavan, Omera, Durg, Saradha, Sirasa, Menhadi, Khallari, Sirpur, Figeswar, Rajim, Singhangarh, Suvarmar, Tenganagarh and Akaltara.[4] However, experts do not agree with this explanation, as 36 forts cannot be archaeologically identified in this region.[3] British chronicler J.B. Beglar provides a different explanation of the origins of the name. According to Beglar, "The real name is not Chhattisgarh [36 forts] but Chhattisghar [36 houses]." He cited "a tradition saying that ages ago, about the time of Jarasandha [in the age of the Mahabharata], 36 families of chanmars (Leather workers) emigrated southward from Jarasandh's Kingdom and established themselves in a country which after them is called Chhattisghar."[5] A parallel opinion is that Chhattisghar is home for 36 tribal clans.[citation needed] Another view, more popular with experts and historians, is that Chhattisgarh is the corrupted form of Chedisgarh which means Raj or "Empire of the Chedis" (Kalchuri Dynasty).[3] According to Dr. Shrikant Khilari, the name Chhattisgarh comes from the time of Guru Ghasidas. Guru Ghasidas, a saint, named Chhattisgarh and the name was officially applied by the Marathas in 1795.[citation needed]

Geography

The northern and southern parts of the state are hilly, while the central part is a fertile plain. Deciduous forests of the Eastern Highlands Forests cover roughly 44% of the state. The state animal is the van bhainsa, or wild water buffalo. The state bird is the pahari myna, or hill myna. The state tree is the Sal, or Sarai,found in Baster division.

The State Tree of Chhattisgarh In, the north lies the edge of the great Indo-Gangetic plain. The Rihand River, a tributary of the Ganges, drains this area. The eastern end of the Satpura Range and the western edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau form an east-west belt of hills that divide the Mahanadi River basin from the Indo-Gangetic plain. The central part of the state lies in the fertile upper basin of the Mahanadi river and its tributaries. This area has extensive rice cultivation. The upper Mahanadi basin is separated from the upper Narmada basin to the west by the Maikal Hills (part of the Satpuras) and from the plains of Odisha to the east by ranges of hills. The southern part of the state lies on the Deccan plateau, in the watershed of the Godavari River and its tributary, the Indravati River. The Mahanadi is the chief river of the state. The other main rivers are Hasdo (a tributary of Mahanadi), Rihand, Indravati, Jonk, Arpa and Shivnath. It is situated in the east of Madhya Pradesh.[clarification needed]

Climate
The climate of Chhattisgarh is tropical. It is hot and humid because of its proximity to the Tropic of Cancer and its dependence on the monsoons for rains. Summer in Chhattisgarh temperatures can reach 45C (113F). The monsoon season is from late June to October and is a welcome respite from the heat. Chhattisgarh receives an average of 1,292 millimetres (50.9 in) of rain. Winter is from November to January and it is a good time to visit Chhattishgarh. Winters are pleasant with low temperatures and less humidity.[6]

Temperature

The temperature varies between 30 and 45 C (86 and 113 F) in summer and between 0 and 25 C (32 and 77 F) during winter. However, extremes in temperature can be obsevered with scales falling to less than 0C to 49C.[citation needed]

Transport
Road, rail and air transportation from and to Chhattisgarh can be seen from the official website of the Chhattisgarh Government.

Roads
Chhattisgarh has wide coverage of roads which have pan-nation connectivity. The district headquarters, tehsils and development blocks are well connected with good all-weather roads. 11 national highways passing through the state which are together 2,184 km in length. This includes NH 6, NH 16, NH 43, NH 12A, NH 78, NH 111, NH 200, NH 202, NH 216, NH 217, NH 221.[7][8] The state highways and major district roads constitute another network of 8,031 km. Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. As of 2012, there are a total of 6635 passenger vehicles plying on 2316 roads of the state. Transport is coordinated through 22 computerised transport offices in the state. A motor and driving school has also been proposed to be established.[9]

Rail network
Almost the entire railway network spread over the state comes under the geographical jurisdiction of the South East Central Railway Zone of Indian Railways centered around Bilaspur, which is the zonal headquarters of this zone. The construction of erstwhile NagpurChhattisgarh railway line began in 1878 and was completed in 1882. staThe other main railway junction is Raipur and Durg Junction, which is also a starting point of many long distance trains. These three junctions are well-connected to the major cities of India.[10] The state has the highest freight loading in the country and one -sixth of Indian Railway's revenue comes from Chhattisgarh. The length of rail network in the state is 1,108 km, while a third track has been commissioned between Raipur and Raigarh.[11] Construction of some new railway lines are under process. These include Dalli-Rajhara Jagdalpur rail line, Pendra Road - Gevra Road Rail Line rail line, Raigarh-Mand Colliery to Bhupdeopur rail line and Barwadih-Chirmiri rail line.[12] Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been engaged to conduct a pre-feasibility study of the Metro Rail project in the State. TNew Metro line is proposed between durg-Bhilai-RaipurNaya Raipur. First phase work will start with Bhilai-Raipur connectivity.[13]

Air

The air infrastructure in Chhattisgarh is small compared to other states. Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur is its sole airport with scheduled commercial air services. A massive reduction in sales tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from 25 to 4 per cent in Chhattisgarh in 2003 has contributed to a sharp rise in passenger flow. The passenger flow has increased by an overwhelming 58 per cent between 2011 and November 2012.[14] It has links to top cities of the country. An "On Demand" Air-taxi service is available from Raipur to Korba, Jagdalpur, Raigarh, Ambikapur and Jashpur. Airports

Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur

Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur Bilaspur Airport Jagdalpur Airport

Other airstrips

Nandini Airport, Bhilai Baikunth Airstrip, Baikunth Kondatarai Airstrip, Raigarh JSPLs Airstrip, Raigarh Darima Airstrip, Ambikapur Korba Airstrip, Korba Agdih Airstrip, Jashpur Dondi Airstrip, Dondi, Durg

Proposed airstrips

Kanker Kabirdham Surajpur Dantewada Bijapur Korba Balrampur

Rajnandgaon

History
Ancient and medieval history
In ancient times, this region was known as Dakshin-Kausal. This area also finds mention in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Between the sixth and twelfth centuries, Sarabhpurias, Panduavanshi, Somvanshi, Kalachuri and Nagvanshi rulers dominated this region. Kalachuris ruled in Chhattisgarh from 980 to 1741 AD.

Modern history
Chhattisgarh was under Maratha rule (Bhonsales of Nagpur) from 1741 to 1845 AD. It came under British rule from 1845 to 1947. Raipur gained prominence over the of capital Ratanpur with the advent of the British in 1845. In 1905, the Sambalpur district was transferred to Odisha and the estates of Sarguja were transferred from Bengal to Chhattisgarh. The area constituting the new state merged into on November 1, 1956, under the States Reorganization Act and remained a part of that state for 44 years. Prior to its becoming a part of the new state of Madhya Pradesh, the region was part of old Madhya Pradesh State, with its capital at Nagpur. Prior to that, the region was part of the Central Provinces and Berar province (CP and Berar) under the British rule. Some areas constituting the Chhattisgarh state were princely states under the British rule, but later on were merged into Madhya Pradesh.[15]

Separation of Chhattisgarh

Mantralaya in Naya (New) Raipur The present state of Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh on November 1, 2000. The demand for a separate state was first raised in the 1920s. Similar demands kept cropping up at regular intervals; however, a well-organized movement was never launched. Several all-party platforms were formed and they usually resolved around petitions, public meetings, seminars, rallies and strikes.[16]

A demand for separate Chhattisgarh was raised in 1924 by the Raipur Congress unit and also discussed in the Annual Session of the Indian Congress at Tripuri. A discussion also took place of forming a Regional Congress organization for Chhattisgarh. When the State Reorganisation Commission was set up in 1954, the demand for a separate Chhattisgarh was put forward, but was not accepted. In 1955, a demand for a separate state was raised in the Nagpur assembly of the then state of Madhya Bharat.[16] The 1990s saw more activity for a demand for the new state, such as the formation of a statewide political forum, especially the Chhattisgarh Rajya Nirman Manch. Chandulal Chadrakar led this forum, several successful region-wide strikes and rallies were organized under the banner of the forum, all of which were supported by major political parties, including the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.[16] The new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government sent the redrafted Separate Chhattisgarh Bill for the approval of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, where it was once again unanimously approved and then it was tabled in the Lok Sabha. This bill for a separate Chhattisgarh was passed in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the creation of a separate state of Chhattisgarh. The President of India gave his consent to the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2000 on August 25, 2000. The Government of India subsequently set November 1, 2000, as the day the state of Madhya Pradesh would be divided into Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.[16]

Government and administration

The State Legislative assembly is composed of 90 members of the Legislative Assembly. There are 11 members of the Lok Sabha from Chhattisgarh. The Rajya Sabha has five members from the state.

Districts
Main article: Districts of Chhattisgarh

Largest cities in Chhattisgarh

(2011 Census of India estimate)[17] Rank City 01 Raipur Bhilai- Durg 02 district 03 Bilaspur 04 Raigarh 05 Korba District Population Rank City Raipur 1,100,131 06 Ambikapur Durg 1,010,298 District Sarguja Population 256,139

07 Rajnandgaon Rajnandgaon 153,599 08 Jagdalpur 09 Chirmiri 10 Dhamtari Bastar Koriya Dhamtari 143,529 100,656 90,254

Bilaspur 426,741 Raigarh 365,417 Korba 365,116

Chhattisgarh state consists of 27 districts:[18][19][20][21][22]

Bastar Division

Durg Division

Raipur Division

Bilaspur Division

Surguja Division

Bijapur Sukma Dantewada (Dakshin Bastar) Bastar (Jagdalpur) Kondagaon Narayanpu r Kanker (Uttar Bastar)

Kawardha (Kawardha) Rajnandgao n Balod Durg Bemetara

Dhamtari Gariyaband Raipur Baloda Bazar Mahasamun d

Bilaspur Mungeli Korba JanjgirChampa Raigarh

Koriya Surajpur Surguja (Ambikap ur) Balrampur Jashpur

Municipal corporations

Ambikapur Bhilai Bilaspur Chirmiri Durg Jagdalpur Korba Raigarh Raipur Rajnandgaon

Human Development Indicators (HDIs)[23]

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2013)

HDI
As of 2011 Chhattisgarh had an HDI value of 0.358, the lowest of any Indian state. The national average is 0.467 according to 2011 Indian NHDR report.

Standard of living

Chhattisgarh has one of the lowest standard of living in India as per the Income Index (0.127) along with the states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan. These states have incomes below the national average, with Bihar having the lowest income per capita. These poor states, despite low absolute incomes, have witnessed high Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) growth rates especially Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Uttarakhand which had growth rates above 10 per cent per annum during the Tenth Five Year Plan period (20027).

Education Index
Chhattisgarh has an Education Index of 0.526 according to 2011 NHDR which is higher than that of states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan which are below the 0.5 mark. Though, it is lower than the national average of 0.563. With respect to literacy, the state fared just below the national average. The recent estimates from Census (2011) also depict a similar picture with the literacy rate of 71 per cent (81.4% Males & 60.5% Females), which is close to the all India literacy rate of 74 per cent. According to NSS (20078), the literacy rate for STs and SCs was better than the corresponding national average and this is a positive sign. Among the marginalized groups, STs are at the bottom of the rankings, further emphasizing the lack of social development in the state. Bastar and Dantewada in south Chhattisgarh are the most illiterate districts and the drop out ratio is the highest among all the districts. The reason for this is the extreme poverty in rural areas.

Health Index
Health Index of Chhattisgarh is less than 0.49, one of the lowest in the country. The Health Index is defined in terms of life expectancy at birth since a higher life expectancy at birth reflects better health outcomes for an individual. Despite different health related schemes and programmes, the health indicators such as percentage of women with BMI<18.5, Under Five Mortality Rate and underweight children are poor. This may be due to the difficulty in accessing the remote areas in the state. The prevalence of female malnutrition in Chhattisgarh is higher than the national averagehalf of the ST females are malnourished. The performance of SCs is a little better than the corresponding national and state average. The Under Five Mortality Rate among STs is significantly higher than the national average. The percentage of under-weight children in Chhattisgarh is also higher than the national average, further underlining the appalling health condition of the states population.

Net State Domestic Product (NSDP)

Chhattisgarh is one of the emerging states with relatively high growth rates of NSDP (8.2% vs. 7.1% All India over 2002-2008) and per capita NSDP(6.2% vs. 5.4% All India over 2002-2008).

The growth rates of the said parameters are above the national averages and thus it appears that Chhattisgarh is catching up with other states in this respect. However, Chhattisgarh still has very low levels of per capita income as compared to the other states.

Urbanisation
The demographic profile shows that about 80 per cent of the total population lived in rural areas.

Sex ratio
There are 1,028,32,895 (more than 1.28 crore) males and 1, 027,120,303 (more than 1.27 crore) females in Chhattisgarh which is 2.11 per cent of the countrys total population. The sex ratio in the state is one of the best in India with 991 females per 1,000 males, as is the child sex-ratio with 964 females per 1,000 males (Census 2011)

Fertility rate
Chhattisgarh has a fairly high fertility rate (3.1) as compared to All India (2.6) and the replacement rate (2.1). Chhattisgarh has rural fertility rate of 3.2 and urban fertility rate of 2.1. as

ST population
With the exception of the hilly states of the north-east, Chhattisgarh has one of highest shares of Scheduled Tribe (ST) population within a state, accounting for about 10 per cent of the STs in India. Scheduled Castes and STs together constitute more than 50 per cent of the states population. The tribals of Chhattisgarh are an important part of the population and mainly inhabit the dense forests of Bastar and other districts of south Chhattisgarh. The total population of the scheduled caste people in Chhattisagrh stood at 78,22,902 in 2011. Similarly, the percentage increase in the population of the scheduled list of tribals during the 2001-2011 decade had been at the rate of 18.23 per cent. The share of the tribal population in the entire state had been 30.62 per cent which was 31.76 per cent during 2001.

Poverty

Tendu Patta (Leaf) collection in Chhattisgarh, India. The incidence of poverty in Chhattisgarh is very high but is better than Odisha and Bihar. The estimated poverty ratio in 20045 based on uniform reference period consumption was around 50 per cent, which is approximately double the all India level. The incidence of poverty in the rural and urban areas is almost the same. More than half of the rural STs and urban SCs are poor. In general, the proportion of poor SC and ST households in the state is higher than the state average and their communitys respective national averages (except for rural SC households). Given that more than 50 per cent of the states population comprises STs and SCs, the high incidence of income poverty among them is a matter of serious concern in the state. This indicates that the good economic performance in recent years has not percolated to this socially deprived group, which is reflected in their poor performance in human development indicators.

Access to drinking water

In terms of access to improved drinking water sources, at the aggregate level, Chhattisgarh fared better than the national average and the SCs of the state performed better than the corresponding national average. Scheduled Tribes are marginally below the state average, but still better than the STs at the all India level. The proportion of households with access to improved sources of drinking water in 20089 was 91 per cent. This proportion was over 90 per cent even in states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. This was largely because these states had over 70 per cent of their households accessing tube wells/ handpumps as sources of drinking water.

Victim of Fluorosis in Raigarh

Sanitation
Sanitation facilities in the state are abysmally low with only about 27 per cent having toilet facilities, which is far below the all-India average of 44%.[24][25] The STs are the most deprived section in this regard with only 18 per cent of the ST households having toilet facilities, which is lower than the all India average for STs. The SCs also have a lower proportion of households with toilet facilities as compared to the all India average. States with low sanitation coverage in 2001 that improved coverage by 4-10% points are Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Sikkim, Punjab, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa and Uttarakhand registered increased coverage by more than 20 percentage points.[24]

Teledensity
Across states, it has been found that teledensity was below 10 per cent in 2010 for Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, reflecting a lack of access to telephones in these relatively poorer states. On the other hand, for states like Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and metropolitan cities like Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, teledensity was over 100 per cent in 2010 implying that individuals have more than one telephone connection.

Road density
The road length per 100 km2 (62,000 mi) was less than the national average of 81 km (81,000 m) per 100 km2 (62,000 mi) in Chhattisgarh. The rural areas of Chhattisgarh failed to meet their targets of constructing new roads under PMGSY.

Demographics
[show]Population Growth
Chhattisgarh is primarily a rural state with only 20% of population (around 5,1 million people in 2011) residing in urban areas. According to the report from the government of India,[27] at least

34% are Scheduled Tribes, 12% are Scheduled Castes and over 50% belong to official list of OBC. Plain area is numerically dominated by castes such as Teli, Satnami and Kurmi; while forest area is mainly occupied by tribes such as Gond, Halbi, Halba and Kamar/Bujia and Oraon.

Tribal Youth of Bastar

Religion
There were 22.8 million people in Chhattisgarh as per the census 2011 of which 98.30% were Hindu, 1% Muslim and 0.7% Christian.[28] Chattisgarh now has the highest Hindu percentage in the world by state. Religions in Chhattisgarh[28]
Religion Percent

Hindu Others

98.30% 1.7%

Native of Chhattisgarh Plains with Neem Branches and Leaves on Hareli Festival

Language
Main article: Chhattisgarhi language The official language of the state is Hindi and is used by non-rural population of the state. Chhattisgarhi, a dialect of Hindi language, is spoken and understood by the majority of people in Chhattisgarh. Telugu is also spoken in parts of Chhattishgarh.

Chhattisgarhi was known as "Khaltahi" to the surrounding hill-people and as "Laria" to Sambalpuri and Oriya speakers. Kosali and Oriya are also spoken by a lot of people.[quantify]

Adivasi woman and child

Status of women
Chhattisgarh has a high female-male sex ratio (991)[29] ranking at the 5th position among other states of India. Although this ratio is small compared to other states, it is unique in India because Chhattisharh is the 10th largest state in India. The gender ratio (number of females per 1000 males) has been steadily declining over 20th century in Chhattisgarh. But it is conspicuous that Chhattisgarh always had a better female-tomale ratio compared with national average. Year 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 India 972 964 955 950 945 946 941 930 934 927 933 940 Chhattisgarh 1046 1039 1041 1043 1032 1024 1008 998 998 985 989 991 Probably, such social composition also results in some customs and cultural practices that seem unique to Chhattisgarh: The regional variants are common in India's diverse cultural pattern. Rural women, although poor, are independent, better organized, socially outspoken.[30] According to another local custom, women can choose to terminate a marriage relationship through a custom called chudi pahanana, if she desires. Most of the old temples and shrines here are related to 'women power' (e.g., Shabari, Mahamaya, Danteshwari) and the existence of these temples gives insight into historical and current social fabric of this state. However, a mention of these progressive local customs in no way suggests that the ideology of female subservience does not exist in Chhattisgarh. On the contrary, the male authority and dominance is seen quite clearly in the social and cultural life. Detailed information on aspects of women's status in Chhattisgarh can be found in 'A situational analysis of women and girls in Chhattisgarh' prepared in 2004 by the National Commission of Women, a statutory body belonging to government of India. Witchcraft

In order to bring about social reforms and with a view to discourage undesirable social practices, Chhattisgarh government has enacted the Chhattisgarh Tonhi Atyachar (Niwaran) Act, 2005 against witchery.[31] Much has to be done on the issue of law enforcement by judicial authorities to protect women in this regard, bringing such persecution to an end.[32] Some sections of tribal population of Chhattisgarh state believe in witchcraft.[32] Women are believed to have access to supernatural forces and are accused of being witches (tonhi) often to settle personal scores. As of 2010, they are still hounded out of villages on the basis of flimsy accusations by male village sorcerers paid to do so by villagers with personal agendas, such as property and goods acquisition.[32] According to National Geographic Channels investigations, those accused are fortunate if they are only verbally bullied and shunned or exiled from their village.

Social Mission Against Blind Faith

Adivasi Woman at Farasgaon Market

Natives of Kamar Tribe

Culture

A carving in the 10th- or 11th-century Hindu temple of Malhar village. This area, 40 km from Bilaspur, was supposedly a major Buddhist center in ancient times. The state hosts many religious sects such as Satnami Panth, Kabirpanth, Ramnami Samaj and others. Champaran (Chhattisgarh) is a small town with religious significance as the birthplace of the Saint Vallabhacharya, increasingly important as a pilgrimage site for the Gujarati community. The Oriya culture is prominent in the eastern parts of Chhattisgarh bordering Odisha.

Crafts
Chhattisgarh is known for "Kosa silk" and "lost wax art". Besides saris and salwar suits, the fabric is used to create lehengas, stoles, shawls and menswear including jackets, shirts, achkans and sherwanis. International sculptor, Sushil Sakhuja's Dhokra Nandi is famous and available at government's Shabari handicrafts emporium, Raipur.

Dance
Panthi, Rawat Nacha, Karma, Pandwani, Chaitra, Kaksar, Saila and Soowa are the several indigenous dance styles of Chhattisgarh. Panthi Panthi, the folk dance of the Satnami community, has religious overtones. Panthi is performed on Maghi Purnima, the anniversary of the birth of Guru Ghasidas. The dancers dance around a jaitkhamb set up for the occasion, to songs eulogizing their spiritual head. The songs reflect a

view of nirvana, conveying the spirit of their guru's renunciation and the teachings of saint poets like Kabir, Ramdas and Dadu. Dancers with bent torsos and swinging arms dance, carried away by their devotion. As the rhythm quickens, they perform acrobatics and form human pyramids.[33] Pandwani Pandavani is a folk ballad form performed predominantly in Chhattisgarh. It depicts the story of the Pandavas, the leading characters in the epic Mahabharata. The artists in the Pandavani narration consist of a lead artist and some supporting singers and musicians. There are two styles of narration in Pandavani, Vedamati and Kapalik. In the Vedamati style the lead artist narrates in a simple manner by sitting on the floor throughout the performance. The Kaplik style is livelier, where the narrator actually enacts the scenes and characters.[34]

Pandwani Rawat Nacha Rawat Nacha, the folk dance of cowherds, is a traditional dance of Yaduvanshis (clan of Yadu) as symbol of worship to Krishna from the 4th day of Diwali(Goverdhan Puja) till the time of Dev Uthani Ekadashi (day of awakening of the gods after a brief rest) which is the 11th day after Diwali according to the Hindu calendar . The dance closely resembles Krishna's dance with the gopis (milkmaids).[35][36] In Bilaspur, the Rawat Nach Mahotsav folk dance festival is organized annually since 1978. Tens of hundreds of Rawat dancers from remote areas participate.[37]

Famous Raut Nacha Soowa Nacha Soowa or Suwa tribal dance in Chhattisgarh is also known as Parrot Dance. It is a symbolic form of dancing related to worship. Dancers keep a parrot in a bamboo-pot and form a circle around it. Then performers sing and dance, moving around it with clapping. This is one of the main dance form of tribal women of Chhattisgarh.[38]

Sua Nacha at Khudmudi Village, Chhattisgarh Karma Tribal groups like Gonds, the Baigas and the Oraons in Chhattisgarh have Karma dance as part of their culture. Both men and women arrange themselves in two rows and follow the rhythmic steps, directed by the singer group. The Karma tribal dance marks the end of the rainy season and the advent of spring season.[clarification needed][39][40]

Other State people cultural contribution

Lata mangeshkar sing song for Chhattisgarhi film Bhakla of Dhriti pati sarkar. Mohmd Rafi sing song for Chhattisgarhi film. He had also sung songs for various chhattisgarhi films like Ghardwaar, Kahi Debe Sandes, Punni Ke Chanda, etc.

Theatre
Theater is known as Gammat in Chhattisgarh. Pandavani is one of the lyrical forms of this theater. Several acclaimed plays of Habib Tanvir, such as Charandas Chor, are variations of Chhattisgarhi theater.

Natya Samaroh by IPTA

Traditional food
The State of Chhattisgarh is known as the rice bowl of Central India and has a rich tradition of food culture. Most of the traditional and tribal foods are made of rice and rice flour, curd and a variety of green leaves like lal bhaji, chech bhaji, kohda and bohar bhaji. Badi and Bijori are optional food categories; gulgula (bobra), bidiya, dhoodh fara,bafauli, kusli, balooshahi, khurmi fall in sweet categories. The tribal and village population enjoys delicacy brew made of small, creamy white fruit of a local tree called Mahuwa.

Red Velvet Mite is used as Medicine in Traditional Healing of Chhattisgarh

Economy
Chhattisgarh's gross state domestic product for 2010 is estimated at INR 60,079 crore in current prices. The economy of Chhattisgarh has grown rapidly in recent years with a growth rate of 11.49 per cent in GDP for 20092010.[41] Chhattisgarhs success factors in achieving high growth rate are growth in agriculture and industrial production. Tea production

Chhattisgarh State is ranked as the 17th tea production state in India. The districts Jashpur & Sarguja are favorable tea production areas.In the Jashpur district the first tea plantation in "BRAHMNISHTHALAYA SOGARA ASHRAM" the direction of "PUJYA PAD GURUPAD BABA JI". Tea production start after two years by Sogara Ashram.Tea processing unit established in Sogara Ashram & the unit name is "AGHOR TEA PROCESSING PLANT". Forest department also start tea plantation motiveted by SOGARA ASHRAM.In Sarguja distt. "TEA NERSURY" developing by "MARGDARSHAN SANSTHAN AGRICULTURE COLLEGE" Ambikapur,Sarguja.

Agriculture
Agriculture is counted as the chief economic occupation of the state. According to a government estimate, net sown area of the state is 4.828 million hectares and the gross sown area is 5.788 million hectares.[42] Horticulture and animal husbandry also engage a major share of the total population of the state.[43] About 80% of the population of the state is rural and the main livelihood of the villagers is agriculture and agriculture-based small industry. The majority of the farmers are still practicing the traditional methods of cultivation, resulting in low growth rates and productivity. The farmers have to be made aware of modern technologies suitable to their holdings. Providing adequate knowledge to the farmers is essential for better implementation of the agricultural development plans and to improve the productivity.[44]

Chloroxylon is used for Pest Management in Organic Rice Cultivation in Chhattisgarh, India Considering this and a very limited irrigated area, the productivity of not only rice but also other crops is low, hence the farmers are unable to obtain economic benefits from agriculture and it has remained as subsistence agriculture till now.

Medicinal Rice of Chhattisgarh used as Immune Booster

Herbal Farming in Chhattisgarh: Aloe vera

Herbal Farming in Chhattisgarh: Gulbakawali

Herbal Farming in Chhattisgarh: Safed Musli with Arhar Agricultural products

The main crops are rice, maize, kodo-kutki and other small millets and pulses (tuar and kulthi); oilseeds, such as groundnuts (peanuts), soybeans and sunflowers, are also grown. In the mid1990s, most of Chhattisgarh was still a monocrop belt. Only one-fourth to one-fifth of the sown area was double-cropped. When a very substantial portion of the population is dependent on agriculture, a situation where nearly 80% of a state's area is covered only by one crop, immediate attention to turn them into double crop areas is needed. Also, very few cash crops are grown in Chhattisgarh, so there is a need to diversify the agriculture produce towards oilseeds and other cash crops. Chhattisgarh is also called the "rice bowl of central India".[42]

Kodo Millet is used as Life Saving Medicine in Chhattisgarh, India

Bastar Beer prepared from Sulfi Irrigation In Chhattisgarh, rice, the main crop, is grown on about 77% of the net sown area. Only about 20% of the area is under irrigation; the rest depends on rain. Of the three agroclimatic zones, about 73% of the Chhattisgarh plains, 97% of the Bastar plateau and 95% of the northern hills are rainfed. The irrigated area available for double cropping is only 87,000 ha in Chhattisgarh plains and 2300 ha in Bastar plateau and northern hills. Due to this, the productivity of rice and other crops is low, hence the farmers are unable to obtain economic benefits from agriculture and it has remained as subsistence agriculture till now, though agriculture is the main occupation of more than 80% of the population.[44] In Chhattisgarh region about 22% of net cropped area was under irrigation as compared to 36.5% in Madhya Pradesh in 1998-99, whereas the average national irrigation was about 40%. The irrigation is characterized by a high order of variability ranging from 1.6% in Bastar to 75.0% in

Dhamtari. Based on an average growth trend in irrigated area, about 0.43% additional area is brought under irrigation every year as compared to 1.89% in Madhya Pradesh and 1.0% in the country as a whole. Thus, irrigation has been growing at a very low rate in Chhattisgarh and the pace of irrigation is so slow, it would take about 122 years to reach the 75% level of net irrigated area in Chhattisgarh at the present rate of growth.[44] Chhattisgarh has a limited irrigation system, with dams and canals on some rivers. Average rainfall in the state is around 1400 mm and the entire state falls under the rice agroclimatic zone. Large variation in the yearly rainfall directly affects the production of rice. Irrigation is the prime need of the state for its overall development and therefore the state government has given top priority to development of irrigation.[42] A total of four major, 33 medium and 2199 minor irrigation projects have been completed and five major, 9 medium and 312 minor projects are under construction, as of 31 March 2006.

Industrial sector
Power sector Chhattisgarh is one of the few states of India where the power sector is effectively developed. Based on the current production of surplus electric power, the position of the State is comfortable and profitable. The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) is in a strong position to meet the electricity requirement of the new state and is in good financial health. Chhattisgarh provides electricity to several other states because of surplus production and its power hubs are Korba and Bilaspur. In Chhattisgarh, NTPC has a thermal plant with the capacity of 2100 MW at Sipat, Bilaspur, while CSEB's units have a thermal capacity of 1240 MW and hydel capacity of 130 MW. Apart from NTPC and CSEB, there are a number of private generation units of large and small capacity. The state government has pursued a liberal policy with regard to captive generation which has resulted in a number of private players coming up.[45] As per a study made by the Power Finance Corporation Ltd., New Delhi, the state has potential of 61000 MW of additional thermal power in terms of availability of coal for more than 100 years and more than 2500 MW hydel capacity. To use this vast potential, substantial additions to the existing generation capacity are already under way.[45] Steel sector The steel industry is one of the biggest heavy industries of Chhattisgarh. Bhilai Steel Plant, Bhilai operated by SAIL, with a capacity of 5.4 million tonnes per year, is regarded as a significant growth indicator of the state. More than 100 steel rolling mills, 90 sponge iron plants and ferro-alloy units are in Chhattisgarh. Along with Bhilai, today Raipur, Bilaspur, Korba and Raigarh have become the steel hub of Chhattisgarh. Today, Raipur has become the center of the steel sector, the biggest market for steel in India.[46]

Aluminium sector The aluminium industry of Chhattisgarh was established by Bharat Aluminum Company Limited, which has a capacity of around one million tonnes each year.[46] Natural resources
Forest

Forests occupy 41.33% of the total area (as per the latest report by the Indian Forest Service) and the rich forest resources include wood, tendu leaves, honey and lac.

Flora of Kabirdham District

Indian Luna Moth in Chhattisgarh Forest

Ventilago in Biodiversity Rich Chhattisgarh Forest

Mahua

Tendu Patta (Leaf) Collection

Mineral deposits

Chhattisgarh is rich in minerals. It produces 20% of the country's total cement produce. It ranks first in the nation for coal production and second in reserves, third in iron ore production and first in tin production. Limestone, dolomite and bauxite are abundant. It is the only tin-ore producing state in the country. Other minerals include corandum, garnet, quartz, marble, alexandrite and diamonds.

Maikal Hills in Chhattisgarh

Mineral Wealth from Chandidongri, Chhattisgarh

Information and technologies

In recent years, Chhattisgarh is also getting exposure in information technology (IT) projects and consultancy. Its government is also promoting IT and has set up a body to take care of the IT solutions. The body, known as CHIPS, is providing large IT projects such as Choice, Swan, etc.
Major companies

Major companies with a presence in the state include:

Metal: Bhilai Steel Plant, Jindal Steel and Power, BALCO Oil: Indian Oil Corporation Engineering: Simplex Casting Ltd Real estate: CHPL-Dream-Homes Chouhan Housing Pvt Ltd Mining: NMDC, SECL Power : NTPC,Lanco,KSK Chanmpa,Vandana Vidyut,CSPGCL.[citation needed]

Exports[47]
Chhattisgarhs total exports were US$ 353.3 million in 2009-10. Nearly 75 per cent of exports comes from Bhilai and the remaining from Urla, Bhanpuri and Sirgitti. The major exports products include steel, handicrafts, handlooms, blended yarn, food and agri-products, iron, aluminium, cement, minerals and engineering products. CSIDC (Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited) is the nodal agency of the Government of Chhattisgarh for export promotion in the state.

Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh, situated in the heart of India, is endowed with a rich cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity. The state is full of ancient monuments, rare wildlife, exquisitely carved temples, Buddhist sites, palaces, water falls, caves, rock paintings and hill plateaus. Most of these sites are untouched and unexplored and offer a unique and alternate experience to tourists, compared to traditional destinations which have become overcrowded. For tourists who are tired of the crowds at major destinations will like the Bastar district, with its unique cultural and ecological identity. The green state of Chhattisgarh has 41.33% of its area under forests and is one of the richest bio-diversity areas in the country.

Panoramic view of Chitrakot Falls, Jagdalpur

Waterfalls
Beautiful waterfalls in Chhattisgarh are Akuri Nala and Amrit Dhara waterfalls, Gavar Ghat waterfall, Ramdaha waterfall in Koriya district, Tiger point waterfall at Mainpat in Sarguja district and Chitrakot and Tirathgarh waterfalls in Bastar district.

Hot spring
Known as Taat Pani, (taat means hot, pani means water) the hot spring flows in balrampur district. This hot spring flows throughout the year. It is reputed to have medicinal properties due to high amount of sodium in it. and ntpc national thermal power corp is developing a geothermal power plant here which is described as first geothermal power plant of India.

Caves
Gadiya mountain in Kanker district, Kotumsar cave and Kailash Gufa in Bastar district, Ramgarh and Sita Bengra in Sarguja district and Singhanpur cave in Raigarh district with pre-historic paintings are very famous.

National parks and wildlife sanctuaries

Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Bilaspur district, Gamarda Reserve forest at Sarangarh in the Raigarh district, Indravati National Park and Kanger Ghati National Park in the Bastar district, Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in the Mahasamund district,[48] Udanti Wildlife

Sanctuary in the Raipur district,[49] and Sitanagi Wildlife Sanctuary in the Dhamtari district[50] are good places for eco-tourism.

Archaeological sites
Archaeological sites worth seeing are Barsoor in Dantewada district, Malhar and Ratanpur in Bilaspur district, Sirpur in Mahasamund district and Surguja in Surguja district. A small picnic spot with waterfall on the extremity of Satpura ranga along with a stone inscription of c. 1st century CE is found at Damau dhara in Janjgir-Champa district.

Temples
Famous and ancient temples in Chhattisgarh are Bhoramdeo temple near Kawardha in Kabirdham district, Rajivlochan temple at Rajim and Champaran in Raipur district, Chandrahasini Devi temple at Chandrapur, Vishnu temple at Janjgir, Damudhara (Rishab Tirth) and Sivarinarayana Laxminarayana temple in Janjgir-Champa district, Bambleshwari Temple at Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon district, Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada district, Deorani-Jethani temple at Tala gram and Mahamaya temple at Ratanpur in Bilaspur district, Laxman temple at Sirpur in Mahasamund district, Uwasaggaharam Parshwa Teerth at Nagpura in Durg district, Pali with Lord Shiva temple and Kharod with Lakshmaneswar temple. Giraudhpuri is a religious place for the Satnamis. They are the followers of Satnam Panth. Sirpur is proposed world heritage site and Malhar are of historical significance, as they were visited by Xuanzang, the Chinese historian.Mama- bachha temple at Barsoor.

Dams
Hasdev Bango Dam (105 km from Bilaspur), Khudiya Dam, Lormi and Khutaghat Dam, Ratanpur, Gangrel Dam and Murrum Silli Dam, Dhamtari are some dams which are found in Chhattisgarh.

Education
According to the census of 2011, Chhattisgarh's literacy, the most basic indicator of education was at 71.04 percent. Female literacy is at 60.59 percent.

Absolute literates and literacy rate

Data from Census of India, 2011.[51] Description 2001 census 2011 census Total 11,173,149 15,598,314 Male 6,711,395 8,962,121

Female % Total % Male % Female

4,461,754 64.66 77.38 55.85

6,636,193 71.04 81.45 60.59

Universities
Main article: List of educational institutions in Chhattisgarh Bastar Vishwavidyalaya, is one of the new universities erected at the same time as Sarguja university. Bastar University is bifurcated from Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur.

Premier institutes in Chhattisgarh

There are four premier Professional Institutes in the state of Chhattisgarh. Indian Institute of Management Raipur (IIM RP) Main article: Indian Institute of Management Raipur The Indian Institute of Management Raipur,(Hindi: , ) is a Premium Business School in the state of Chhattisgarh. It is the tenth Indian Institute of Management in the country.[52] The first batch of Post Graduate Programme of the institute was inaugurated by Dr Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh on October 11, 2010. National Institute of Technology Main article: National Institute of Technology Raipur National Institute of Technology, Raipur is an important technical university located in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Originally founded in 1956 as Govt. College of Mining & Metallurgy, this institute is one of the oldest of its kind in India. Currently it is one of the 20 National Institutes of Technology, which have been accorded Institute of National Importance status by the NIT Act of the Indian Government. The institute offers 2 undergraduate (B.Tech. and B.Arch.) and 2 post graduate programmes M.Tech. and M.C.A. in 11 engineering disciplines and architecture. All India Institute of Medical Science(AIIMS) Main article: AIIMS Raipur Raipur has a new AIIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences. It will be a huge leap in availability of top notch medical education and remarkable milestone in the availability of health services in Chhattisgarh.[53]

Hidayatullah National Law University Main article: Hidayatullah National Law University It is one of the national law schools established in India. It was established by the Government of Chhattisgarh under the Hidayatullah National University of Law, Chhattisgarh, Act (Act No.10 of 2003). HNLU being one of the centres for legal education in India offers opportunities for the students to interact with academicians, lawyers, Judges, firms, banking and other related institutions. The University offers B.A. LL.B. (Hons.). L.L.M. and Ph. D. degrees. It is a residential University and is sixth in the series of National Law Schools in India.

Other universities
Guru Ghasidas Central University Main article: Guru Ghasidas University Formally known as Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, is a Central University located in Bilaspur, established under Central Universities Act 2009, No. 25 of 2009. Formerly called Guru Ghasidas University(GGU), established by an Act of the State Legislative Assembly, was formally inaugurated on June 16, 1983. It covers almost the entire spectrum of the higher education requirements of the local people. It has several University Teaching Department (UTDs) on its campuses and about 125 colleges affiliated to it.[54] Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University Main article: Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University(RSU) is Chhattisgarh's largest and one of the oldest institution of higher education, founded in 1964. There are 5000 students enrolled for variety of courses offered by the departments who are steered under the guidance of more than 100 faculty members. Jurisdiction of RSU covers entire central and southern part of Chhattisgarh. There are 180 educational institutions affiliated to the University. The University plays a major role in the educational, cultural and economic life of the region.[55] Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University (PSSOU) Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur, was established by the Chhattisgarh legislature and was granted the assent of the state's governor on 20 January 2005. Dr. T.D. Sharma joined this university as the first Vice-Chancellor on 2 March 2005, while Dr. Sharad Kumar Vajpai took office as Registrar on 15 March 2005.[56] Sarguja University Sarguja Vishwavidyalaya was established and incorporated by Chhattisgarh Vishwavidyalaya Adhiniyam No. 18 of 2008. The territorial jurisdiction of the University is the entire Sarguja

division comprising the revenue districts of Koriya, Sarguja, and Jaspur. It started functioning from September 2, 2008. In 2005, the Guru Ghasidas University in Bilaspur started a branch campus in Ambikapur by permission of the State Higher Education Department, with two diploma courses: Pharmacy (30 students) and Post Graduate Computer Application (30 students). It was hoped that the branch could be upgraded to a university by the Government as soon as necessary infrastructures were developed. This came true in 2008: the state government allotted 220 acres of land near Ambikapur Ramanujganj Road just 10 kilometers away from Ambikapur town. Sarguja is a fast growing industrial area, having a large number of small industrial units. The jurisdiction is the nerve centre of business, especially coal, forestry, and natural resources, including medicinal trees. The region has a very rich historical and cultural heritage. The first effort of Open Theatre was made in Ramgarh. Relics and old temples with statues and building built-up by various dynasties are found in surrounding areas. The whole division is full of natural beauty, flora and fauna, tribal and folk culture. The university is situated in a tribally enriched, socially and economically challenged area of Chhattisgarh State. At present the university is partially residential and fully one, having its jurisdiction spread over the Sarguja revenue division. At present the university has 42 affiliated colleges offering various courses in arts, science, commerce, education, law, management, and social science. Ambikapur town is a Municipal Corporation and is well connected with all parts of the country by road and rail also. Recently this town is connected with Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur and Anuppur of SECR. The railway station is 4 km away from town. Frequent local transport is available for reaching the university. The nearest railway zone and main railway is Bilaspur in SECR, 235 km away. Raipur, the capital of Chhattishgarh is 350 km away which is the nearest airport.[57] Dr. C. V. Raman University Dr. C.V. Raman University was inaugurated on October 14, 2007 by Hon. Shri Suresh Pachouri (Minister of State for Personnel and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India), in the presence of Senior Ministers of GoCG - Shri Amar Agarwal (Minister of Commerce) and Dr. Krishnamurti Bandhi (Minister of Higher Education), Shri Santosh Kumar Choubey (Chancellor), Dr. A.S. Zadgaonkar (Vice Chancellor) along with other Members of the Parliament and MLAs of various constituencies. The Dr. C.V. Raman University, Chhattisgarh is a premium University that maintains a unique pedagogy and innovative teaching methodology. The cool serene ambience of the campus provides an ideal academic environment for the students, away from the concrete jungle of the city. Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University (CSVTU) is a public university located in the city of Bhilai. The university was established on 21 January 2005. The University incorporates the purpose of ensuring systematic, efficient and qualitative education in engineering and technological subjects including Architecture and Pharmacy at Research at Postgraduate, Degree and Diploma level.

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See also
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Notes

Goa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation).

Goa
State

Seal

Location of Goa in India

Map of Goa

Coordinates (Panaji):

152956N

734940ECoordinates: Country Established Capital Largest city Districts Government Governor Chief Minister Legislature Parliamentary constituency High Court

152956N 734940E India 30 May 1987 Panaji Vasco da Gama 2 Bharat Vir Wanchoo Manohar Parrikar (BJP) Unicameral (40 seats) 2 Bombay High Court Goa

Bench Area Total Area rank Population (2011) Total Rank Density Time zone ISO 3166 code HDI HDI rank Literacy Official languages Website 3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi) 28th 1,457,723 25th 390/km2 (1,000/sq mi) IST (UTC+05:30) IN-GA 0.779 (high) 3rd (2005) 87% (3rd) Konkani www.goa.gov.in

^* Konkani is the sole official language but Marathi is also allowed to be used for any or all official purposes.[1][2][3]

Goa i/o./ is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole.[4] It was ranked the best placed state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators.[4] Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese, who first landed in the early 16th century as merchants and conquered it soon thereafter. Goa is a former Portuguese province; the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961.[5][6] Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.

Contents

1 Etymology 2 History 3 Geography and climate o 3.1 Geography

3.2 Climate 4 Subdivisions o 4.1 North Goa o 4.2 South Goa o 4.3 Municipalities 5 Flora and fauna 6 Economy 7 Transport o 7.1 Air o 7.2 Road o 7.3 Rail o 7.4 Sea 8 Demographics 9 Languages 10 Tourism o 10.1 Historic sites and neighbourhoods o 10.2 Museums and science centre 11 People and culture o 11.1 Dance and music o 11.2 Theatre o 11.3 Konkani cinema o 11.4 Food 12 Architecture 13 Sports 14 Government and politics 15 Media and communication 16 Education 17 See also 18 Citations 19 References 20 Further reading 21 External links

Etymology
In ancient literature, Goa was known by many names such as Gomanta, Gomanchala, Gopakapattam, Gopakapuri, Govapuri, Govem, and Gomantak.[7] The Indian epic Mahabharata refers to the area now known as Goa, as Goparashtra or Govarashtra which means a nation of cowherds. Gopakapuri or Gopakapattanam were used in some ancient Sanskrit texts, and these names were also mentioned in other sacred Hindu texts such as the Harivansa and the Skanda Purana. In the third century BCE, Goa was known as Aparantha, and is mentioned by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. The Greeks referred to Goa as Nelkinda in the 13th century. Some other historical names for Goa are Sindapur, Sandabur, and Mahassapatam.[8]

History

Main article: History of Goa

Rock cut engraving at Usgalimal Goa's history goes back 20,00030,000 years. The rock art engravings exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India.[9]:p.254Upper Paleolithic or Mesolithic rock art engravings have been found on the bank of the river Kushavati at Usgalimal.[10] Petroglyphs, cones, stone-axe, and choppers dating to 10,000 years ago have been found in many places in Goa, such as Kazur, Mauxim, and the Mandovi-Zuari basin.[11] Evidence of Palaeolithic life is seen at Dabolim, Adkon, Shigao, Fatorpa, Arli, Maulinguinim, Diwar, Sanguem, Pilerne, and Aquem-Margaon etc. Difficulty in carbon dating the laterite rock compounds poses problems in determination of exact time period.[12] These discoveries have shed light on Goa's prehistory. Its ancient name was Revti Dweep.

Gold coins issued by the Kadamba king of Goa, Shivachitta Paramadideva. Circa 11471187 AD. The Sumerians inhabited Goa around 2200 BC which was followed by several waves of IndoAryan people and the Dravidians from the Deccan.[13] The early Goan society underwent radical changes when the migrants amalgamated with the aboriginal locals, forming the base of early Goan culture.[13] In the 3rd century BC, Goa was part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor, Ashoka of Magadha. Buddhist monks laid the foundation of Buddhism in Goa. Between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, Goa was ruled by the Chutus of Karwar as feudatories of the Satavahanas of Kolhapur (2nd century BCE to the 2nd century CE), Western Kshatrapas (around 150 CE), the Abhiras of Western Maharashtra, Bhojas of the Yadav clans of Gujarat, and the Konkan Mauryas as feudatories of the Kalachuris.[14] The rule later passed to the Chalukyas of Badami, who controlled it between 578 to 753, and later the Rashtrakutas of Malkhed from 753 to 963. From 765 to 1015, the Southern Silharas of Konkan ruled Goa as the

feudatories of the Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas.[15] Over the next few centuries, Goa was successively ruled by the Kadambas as the feudatories of the Chalukyas of Kalyani. They patronised Jainism in Goa.[16] In 1312, Goa came under the governance of the Delhi Sultanate. But, the kingdom's grip on the region was weak, and by 1370 they were forced to surrender it to Harihara I of the Vijayanagara empire. The Vijayanagara monarchs held on to the territory until 1469, when it was appropriated by the Bahmani sultans of Gulbarga. After that dynasty crumbled, the area fell to the hands of the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, who established as their auxiliary capital the city known under the Portuguese as Velha Goa.

The Se Cathedral at Old Goa, an example of Portuguese influence.

Coat of Arms of Goa as a Portuguese enclave 19351961. In 1510, the Portuguese defeated the ruling Bijapur sultan Yousuf Adil Shah with the help of a local ally, Timayya. They set up a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa). This was the beginning of Portuguese rule in Goa that would last for four and a half centuries, until 1961. In 1843 the Portuguese moved the capital to Panjim from Velha Goa. By the mid-18th century, Portuguese Goa had expanded to most of the present-day state limits. Simultaneously the Portuguese lost other possessions in India until their borders stabilised and formed the Estado da ndia Portuguesa or State of Portuguese India, of which Goa was the largest territory. After India gained independence from the British in 1947, India requested that Portuguese territories on the Indian subcontinent be ceded to India. Portugal refused to negotiate on the

sovereignty of their Indian enclaves. On 19 December 1961, the Indian Army began military operations with Operation Vijay resulting in the annexation of Goa, Daman, and Diu into the Indian union. Goa, along with Daman and Diu, was organized as a centrally administered union territory of India. On 30 May 1987, the union territory was split, and Goa was made India's twenty-fifth state, with Daman and Diu remaining a union territory.

Geography and climate

Geography

Goa coastline at Dona Paula Goa encompasses an area of 3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi). It lies between the latitudes 145354 N and 154000 N and longitudes 734033 E and 742013 E. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau. The highest point is the Sonsogor, with an altitude of 1,167 meters (3,827 feet). Goa has a coastline of 101 km (63 mi). Goa's main rivers are Mandovi, Zuari, Terekhol, Chaporakushavati river and the Sal. The Mormugao harbour on the mouth of the River Zuari is one of the best natural harbours in South Asia. The Zuari and the Mandovi are the lifelines of Goa, with their tributaries draining 69% of its geographic area. These rivers are some of the busiest rivers in India. Goa has more than forty estuarine, eight marine and about ninety riverine islands. The total navigable length of Goa's rivers is 253 km (157 mi). Goa has more than three hundred ancient tanks built during the rule of the Kadamba dynasty and over a hundred medicinal springs. Most of Goa's soil cover is made up of laterites which are rich in ferric aluminium oxides and reddish in colour. Further inland and along the riverbanks, the soil is mostly alluvial and loamy. The soil is rich in minerals and humus, thus conducive to plantation. Some of the oldest rocks in the Indian subcontinent are found in Goa between Molem and Anmod on Goa's border with Karnataka. The rocks are classified as Trondjemeitic Gneiss estimated to be 3,600 million years old, dated by the Rubidium isotope dating method. A specimen of the rock is exhibited in the Goa University.

Climate

Dudhsagar Falls on the Goa-Karnataka border. Goa features a tropical monsoon climate under the Kppen climate classification. Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 C (95 F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Most of Goa's annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September. Goa has a short winter season between mid-December and February. These months are marked by nights of around 21 C (68 F) and days of around 28 C (84 F) with moderate amounts of humidity. Further inland, due to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few degrees cooler. During March 2008 Goa was lashed with heavy rain and strong winds. This was the first time in 29 years that Goa had seen rain during March.
[hide]Climate data for Goa Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
30.3 (86.5) 27.5 (81.5) 24.7 (76.5) 28.9 (84) 26.5 (79.7) 24.1 (75.4) 28.8 (83.8) 26.4 (79.5) 24.0 (75.2)

Month Average high C (F) Daily mean C (F) Average low C (F) Precipitatio n mm (inches)
Avg. precipitation days Mean monthly sunshine hours

Jan

Sep

Oct

Nov
32.8 (91)

Dec Year
32.4 31.28 (90.3) (88.3)

31.6 31.5 32.0 33.0 33.0 (88.9) (88.7) (89.6) (91.4) (91.4) 25.6 26.0 27.6 29.3 29.7 (78.1) (78.8) (81.7) (84.7) (85.5) 19.6 20.5 23.2 25.6 26.3 (67.3) (68.9) (73.8) (78.1) (79.3)

29.5 31.6 (85.1) (88.9)

26.7 27.7 27.6 26.5 27.26 (80.1) (81.9) (81.7) (79.7) (81.08) 23.8 23.8 22.3 20.6 23.21 (74.8) (74.8) (72.1) (69.1) (73.78)

0.2 0.1 1.2 11.8 112.7 868.2 994.8 512.7 251.9 124.8 30.9 16.7 2,926 (0.008 (0.004 (0.047 (0.465 (4.437 (34.181 (39.165 (20.185 (9.917 (4.913 (1.217 (0.657 (115.2) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.8 4.2 21.9 27.2 13.3 13.5 6.2 2.5 0.4 90.1

313.1 301.6 291.4 288.0 297.6

126.0

105.4

120.9

177.0 248.0 273.0 300.7

2,842. 7

Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN),[17] Hong Kong Observatory[18] for data of sunshine hours

Subdivisions

Talukas of Goa. Talukas in purple shades belong to North Goa district, and orange denote South Goa district. Main article: Districts of Goa The state is divided into two districts: North Goa and South Goa. Each district is governed by a district collector, an administrator appointed by the Indian government.

North Goa
Panaji is the headquarters of North Goa district. North Goa is further divided into four subdivisions Panaji, Bicholim, Mapusa and Ponda; and six taluks Tiswadi (Panaji), Bardez (Mapusa), Pernem, Bicholim, Sattari (Valpoi), and Ponda.

South Goa
Margao is the headquarters of South Goa district. South Goa is further divided into three subdivisions Margao, Mormugao (Vasco da Gama), and Quepem; and six taluks Mormugao, Salcete (Margao), Quepem, Canacona (Chaudi), Sanguem, and Dharbandora.

Municipalities
Goa's major cities include Vasco da Gama, Margao, Panaji, Mapusa and Ponda. Municipal Corporation (1): Panaji Municipal Councils (13): Margao, Mormugao (including Vasco da Gama), Pernem, Mapusa, Bicholim, Sanquelim, Valpoi, Ponda, Cuncolim, Quepem, Curchorem, Sanguem, and Canacona.

Flora and fauna

Main article: Flora and fauna of Goa Equatorial forest cover in Goa stands at 1,424 km2 (549.81 sq mi),[7] most of which is owned by the government. Government owned forest is estimated at 1,224.38 km2 (472.74 sq mi) whilst private is given as 200 km2 (77.22 sq mi). Most of the forests in the state are located in the interior eastern regions of the state. The Western Ghats, which form most of eastern Goa, have been internationally recognised as one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world. In the February 1999 issue of National Geographic Magazine, Goa was compared with the Amazon and Congo basins for its rich tropical biodiversity[citation needed]. Goa's wildlife sanctuaries boast of more than 1512 documented species of plants, over 275 species of birds, over 48 kinds of animals and over 60 genera of reptiles.[19] Rice is the main food crop with pulses, ragi and other food crops are also grown. Main cash crops are coconuts, cashewnuts, arecanuts, sugarcane and fruits like pineapples, mangos and bananas.[7] The State has a rich forest cover of more than 1,424 km. Goa's state animal is the Gaur, the state bird is the Ruby Throated Yellow Bulbul, which is a variation of Black-crested Bulbul, and the state tree is the Asan.

Rice paddies are common in rural Goa. The important forests products are bamboo canes, Maratha barks, chillar barks and the bhirand. Coconut trees are ubiquitous and are present in almost all areas of Goa barring the elevated regions. A large number of deciduous vegetation consisting of teak, sal, cashew and mango trees are present. Fruits include jackfruits, mangos, pineapples and 'black-berry' ('podkoam' in konkani). Goa's forests are rich with medicinal plants. Foxes, wild boars and migrating birds are found in the jungles of Goa. The avifauna includes kingfishers, mynas and parrots. Numerous types of fish are also caught off the coast of Goa and in its rivers. Crabs, lobsters, shrimps, jellyfish, oysters and catfish form some of the piscine catch. Goa also has a high snake population, which keeps the rodent population under control. Goa has many famous National Parks, including the renowned Salim Ali bird sanctuary. Other wildlife sanctuaries include the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Molem Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Madei Wildlife Sanctuary, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary located on the island of Chorao.

Goa has more than 33% of its geographic area under government forests (1224.38 km) of which about 62% has been brought under Protected Areas (PA) of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park. Since there is a substantial area under private forests and a large tract under cashew, mango, coconut, etc. plantations, the total forest and tree cover constitutes 56.6% of the geographic area.

Economy
Gross State Domestic Product (in millions of Rupees)[20] Year 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2010 3,980 6,550 12,570 33,190 76,980 150,000 GSDP

Train carrying iron ore to Marmagao Port, Vasco

Commercial area in Panaji. Goa's gross state domestic product for 2007 is estimated at $3 billion in current prices. Goa is one of India's richest states with the highest GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole and one of its fastest growth rates: 8.23% (yearly average 19902000).[21] Tourism is Goa's primary industry: it handles 12%[22] of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the climate. In the summer time (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays. The land away from the coast is rich in minerals and ores and mining forms the second largest industry. Mining in Goa focuses on ores of iron, Bauxite, manganese, clays, limestone and silica. The Marmagao Port handled 31.69 million tonnes of cargo last year, and accounts for over 39% of India's Iron Ore exports. The leaders in the Goan Iron Ore industry include Sesa Goa (now owned by Vedanta Resources) and Dempo. Rampant mining in areas rich in Iron Ore and other minerals is now threatening the forest cover as well as posing a health hazard to the local population. Mining corporations are also indulging in illegal mining in some areas without proper permits. Agriculture, while of shrinking importance to the economy over the past four decades, offers part-time employment to a sizeable portion of the populace. Rice is the main agricultural crop, followed by areca, cashew and coconut. The fishing industry provides employment for about forty thousand people, though recent official figures indicate a decline of the importance of this sector and also a fall in catch, perhaps coupled with the fact that traditional fishing has given way to large-scale mechanised trawling. Medium scale industries include the manufacturing of pesticides, fertilisers, tyres, tubes, footwear, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, wheat products, steel rolling, fruits and fish canning, cashew nuts, textiles, brewery products. The Goa government has recently decided to not allow any more special economic zones (SEZs) in Goa. This is in stark contrast to policy followed by other states of India. SEZs are known to bring tax revenues for the government and employment option for local citizens since industries flock there for lower tax rates as compared to other areas. Currently there are 16 planned SEZs in Goa. This decision was taken by state government after strong opposition to SEZs by political parties and Goa Catholic Church.[23] Goa is also notable for its low beer, wine and spirits prices due to its very low excise duty on alcohol. Another source of cash inflow into the state comes from many of its citizens who work abroad and remit money to their families.

Transport
Air
Goa International Airport, is a civil enclave at INS Hansa, a Naval airfield located at Dabolim near Vasco da Gama. The airport caters to scheduled domestic and international air services. Goa has scheduled international connections to Doha, Dubai, Sharjah and Kuwait in the Middle East by airlines like Air Arabia, Air India, GoAir, Indigo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, JetKonnect and Qatar Airways.

The airport also handles a large number of chartered flights during the 'winter season', typically between November and May from the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands and Russia. The Chartered flights are operated by European carriers like Monarch Airlines, Thomson Airways, Thomas Cook Airlines, Condor Flugdienst and Arkefly amongst others. Goa's estimated 700 annual international charter flights account for around 90% of the India's international charter tourist flights. It is estimated that about 150 to 200 thousand international tourists arrive at Dabolim on chartered flights. Another international airport at Mopa in Pernem has been proposed due to land constraints at Dabolim. However, options to move the Navy away from Dabolim to increase capacity are being looked at. The move to develop Mopa as a second airport has led to a number of local agitations, principally supported by a number of politicians from Salcete and South Goa. Unlike Dabolim, which is centrally located in the state, the Mopa site is situated at a relatively remote northern end of Goa. Mopa Airport was first proposed by the local Congress government, but now also has the backing of the incumbent government led by Manohar Parrikar.

Road

Most of Goa is well connected by roads.

Government-run Kadamba buses at a bus station in Goa Goa's public transport largely consists of privately operated buses linking the major towns to rural areas. Government-run buses, maintained by the Kadamba Transport Corporation, link major routes (like the PanjimMargao route) and some remote parts of the state. The Corporation owns 15 bus stands, 4 depots and one Central workshop at Porvorim and a Head Office at Porvorim.[24] In large towns such as Panjim and Margao, intra-city buses operate. However, public transport in Goa is less developed, and residents depend heavily on their own transportation, usually motorised two-wheelers and small family cars.

Motorcycle Taxi or "Pilots" Goa has four National Highways passing through it. NH-66 (ex NH-17) runs along India's west coast and links Goa to Mumbai in the north and Mangalore to the south. NH-4A running across the state connects the capital Panjim to Belgaum in east, linking Goa to cities in the Deccan. The NH-366 (ex NH-17A) connects NH-66 to Mormugao Port from Cortalim. The new NH-566 (ex NH-17B) is a four-lane highway connecting Mormugao Port to NH-66 at Verna via Dabolim Airport, primarily built to ease pressure on the NH-366 for traffic to Dabolim Airport and Vasco da Gama. NH-768 (ex NH-4A) links Panjim and Ponda to Belgaum and NH-4. Goa has a total of 224 km (139 mi) of national highways, 232 km (144 mi) of state highway and 815 km of district highway. National Highways in Goa are the narrowest compared to other parts of the country and will remain so for unforeseeable future, as Goa state government has requested and got special approval(exemption) for narrow national highways in the state compared to other parts of the country. In Goa, highways will be 45-meters wide, where as in other states National Highways are minimum 4 lane, 60-meters wide, grade separated highways as well as 6/8 lane access-controlled expressways.[25][26] Hired forms of transport include unmetered taxis and, in urban areas, auto rickshaws. Another form of transportation in Goa is the motorcycle taxi, operated by drivers who are locally called "pilots". These vehicles transport a single pillion rider, at fares that are usually negotiated. Other than buses, "pilots" tend to be the cheapest mode of transport.[27] River crossings in Goa are serviced by flat-bottomed ferry boats, operated by the river navigation department.

Rail

Margao railway station Goa has two rail lines one run by the South Western Railway and the other by the Konkan Railway. The line run by the South Western Railway was built during the colonial era linking the

port town of Vasco da Gama, Goa with Belgaum, Hubli, Karnataka via Margao. The Konkan Railway line, which was built during the 1990s, runs parallel to the coast connecting major cities on the western coast.

Sea
The Mormugao harbour near the city of Vasco handles mineral ore, petroleum, coal, and international containers. Much of the shipments consist of minerals and ores from Goa's hinterland. Panjim, which is on the banks of the Mandovi, has a minor port, which used to handle passenger steamers between Goa and Mumbai till the late 1980s. There was also a short-lived catamaran service linking Mumbai and Panaji operated by Damania Shipping in the 1990s.

Demographics
See also: Goans

[show]Population Growth
A native of Goa is called a Goan in English, Goenkar in Konkani, gos or goesa in Portuguese and Govekar in Marathi. Goa has a population of 1.344 million residents, making it India's fourth smallest (after Sikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh). The population has a growth rate of 14.9% per decade.[30] There are 363 people for each square kilometre of land.[29] Goa is the state with highest proportion of urban population with 49.76% of the population living in urban areas.[31] The literacy rate of Goa is over 87%.[32] The sex ratio is 960 females to 1000 males. The birth rate is 15.70 per 1,000 people in 2007.[33] Goa also is the state with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes at 0.04%.[34] According to the 2001 census, out of a total population of 1,343,998 people, 886,551 (65.7%) were Hindus, 359,568 (26.6%) were Christians, 92,210 (6.8%) were Muslims, 970 (0.07%) were Sikhs, 649 (0.05%) were Buddhists, 820 (0.06%) were Jains and 353 (0.026%) belonged to other religious communities.[35]

Hindu-Christianity Unity Memorial at Miramar Beach. Religion in Goa[35] Hinduism Christianity Islam 65.7% 26.6% 6.8%

Others

0.9%

Languages
See also: Konkani, Marathi, and Portuguese The Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987 makes Konkani in the Devanagari script the sole official language of Goa, but provides that Marathi may also be used "for all or any of the official purposes". Portuguese was the sole official language during Portuguese colonial rule. It is now, however, mostly spoken by only the elderly and educated populations and is no longer an official language. The Government also has a policy of replying in Marathi to correspondence received in Marathi.[36] Whilst there have been demands for according Konkani in the Roman script official status in the state, there is widespread support for keeping Konkani as the sole official language of Goa.[37][38] Konkani is spoken as a native language by about 61% of the people in the state but almost all Goans can speak and understand Konkani. Other linguistic minorities in the state as per the 2001 census are Marathi (19%), Kannada (7%), Hindi (5%), and Urdu (4%).[39] Languages in Goa Konkani Marathi Kannada Hindi Urdu Others 61% 19% 7% 5% 4% 4%

Tourism
See also: Tourism in Goa

Fontainhas, Panjim Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity inland. In 2010, there were more than two million tourists reported to have visited Goa, about 1.2 million of whom were from abroad.[40] With the rule of the Portuguese for over 450 years and the consequential influence of Portuguese culture, Goa presents a somewhat different picture to the foreign visitor than other parts of the country. The state of Goa is famous for its excellent beaches, churches, and temples. The Bom Jesus Cathedral, Fort Aguada and a new wax museum on Indian history, culture and heritage in Old Goa are other tourism destinations.

Palolem Beach.

Historic sites and neighbourhoods

Goa has two World Heritage Sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica[41] and churches and convents of Old Goa. The Basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, regarded by many Catholics as the patron saint of Goa (the patron of the Archdiocese of Goa is actually the Blessed Joseph Vaz). The relics are taken down for veneration and for public viewing, as per the prerogative of the Church in Goa, not every ten or twelve years as popularly thought and propagated. The last exposition was held in 2004. Goa also has the Sanctuary of Blessed Joseph Vaz in Sancoale, Pilar monastery which holds novenas of Venerable Padre Agnelo Gustavo de Souza from November 10 to 20 November yearly. There is also a claimed Marian Apparition at the Church of Saints Simon and Jude at Batim Ganxim, near Pilar, where a number of Goans and non resident Goans visit. There is also the statue of the bleeding Jesus on the Crucifix at the Santa Monica Convent in Velha Goa. There are a number of churches (Igorzo), like the Baroque styled Nixkollounk Gorb-Sombhov Saibinnich Igorz (Church of the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception) in Panjim, the Gothic styled Mater Dei (Dv Matechi Igorz/ Mother of God Church in Saligao and each church having its own style and heritage, besides Kopelam/ Irmidi (Chapels). The Velhas Conquistas regions are also known for its Goa-Portuguese style architecture. There are many forts in Goa such as Tiracol, Chapora, Corjuem, Aguada, Reis Magos, Nanus[disambiguation needed], Mormugao, Fort Gaspar Dias and Cabo de Rama. In many parts of Goa, mansions constructed in the Indo-Portuguese style architecture still stand, though in some villages, most of them are in a dilapidated condition. Fontainhas in Panaji has

been declared a cultural quarter, showcasing the life, architecture and culture of Goa. Some influences from the Portuguese era are visible in some of Goa's temples, notably the Shanta Durga Temple, the Mangueshi Temple and the Mahalasa Temple, although after 1961, many of these were demolished and reconstructed in the indigenous Indian style.

Museums and science centre

Goa also has a few museums, the two important ones being Goa State Museum and the Naval Aviation Museum. The Aviation museum is one among three of its kind in the India, the other two being in Delhi and Bengaluru. Also, a place not well known to tourists is the Goa Science Centre, which is located in Miramar, Panjim.[42] The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is also located in Goa at Dona Paula.[43]

People and culture

Main article: Culture of Goa

Shanta Durga temple at Kavlem. The tableau of Goa showcases religious harmony by focusing on the Deepastambha, the Cross, Ghode Modni followed by a chariot. Western royal attire of kings and regional dances being performed depict the unique blend of different religions and cultures of the State. The festival of music and dance, Shigmo Mel or the Holi and Spring celebrations, signify unity in diversity.[44] Prominent local festivals are Chavoth, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Shigmo, Samvatsar Padvo, Dasara etc. The Goan Carnival and new year celebration is known to attract a large number of tourists.

Dance and music

Traditional Goan art forms are Dekhnni, Fugdi, Corridinho, Mando, Dulpod and Fado.[45] Goan Hindus are very fond of Natak, Bhajan and Kirtan.[citation needed] Many famous Indian Classical singers hail from Goa, including Kishori Amonkar, Kesarbai Kerkar, Jitendra Abhisheki and Pandit Prabhakar Karekar.[citation needed] Goa is also known as the origin of Goa trance. While Goa trance has achieved widespread popularity itself, it also heavily influenced later forms of music such as psytrance.[citation needed]

Theatre
Natak, Tiatr and Zagor are the chief forms of Goa's traditional performance arts. Other forms are Ranmale, Dashavatari, Kalo, Goulankala, Lalit, Kala and Rathkala.[citation needed] Stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata along with more modern social subjects are narrated with song and dance.[46][47] Traditional drums like Pakhawaj, Ghumot,taso, Dhol, Cymbals, Tabla are part of the show and give the background score[citation needed]

Konkani cinema
Konkani cinema is an Indian film industry, where films are made in the Konkani language, which is spoken mainly in the Indian states of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka and to a smaller extent in Kerala. Konkani films have been produced in Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala.[48] The first full length Konkani film was Mogacho Anvddo, released on April 24, 1950, and was produced and directed by Jerry Braganza, a native of Mapusa, under the banner of ETICA Pictures.[49][50] Hence, 24 April is celebrated as Konkani Film Day.[51] Konkani film Paltadcho manis has been included in the worlds best films of 2009 list.[52] Konkani films are eligible for the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Konkani. The most commercially successful Konkani film (as of June 2011) is O Maria directed by Rajendra Talak.[53] In 2012, the whole new change adopted in Konkani Cinema by introducing Digital Theatrical Film "The Victim" directed by Milroy Goes.[54] Some old Konkani films are Sukhachem Sopon, Amchem Noxib, Nirmonn, Mhoji Ghorkarn, Kortubancho Sonvsar, Jivit Amchem Oxem, Mog ani Moipas, Bhuierantlo Munis, Suzanne, Boglantt, Padri and Bhogsonne. Ujwadu is a 2011 Konkani film directed by Kasargod Chinna and produced by KJ Dhananjaya and Anuradha Padiyar.

Food
Rice with fish curry (Xit kodi in Konkani) is the staple diet in Goa. Goan cuisine is famous for its rich variety of fish dishes cooked with elaborate recipes. Coconut and coconut oil are widely used in Goan cooking along with chili peppers, spices and vinegar giving the food a unique flavour. Goan food can be divided into Goan Catholic and Goan Hindu cuisine with each showing very distinct tastes, characteristics and cooking styles. Pork dishes such as Vindaloo, Xacuti, chorisa and Sorpotel are cooked for major occasions among the Goan Catholics. An exotic Goan vegetable stew, known as Khatkhate, is a very popular dish during the celebrations of festivals, Hindu and Christian alike. Khatkhate contains at least five vegetables, fresh coconut, and special Goan spices that add to the aroma. Sannas, Hitt are variants of idli and Polle,Amboli,Kailoleo are variants of dosa;are native to Goa. A rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish known as bebinca is a favourite at Christmas.

The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni; cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms.[55] Goa also has a rich wine culture.[56][57] See also: Goan cuisine, Music of Goa, and Goa literature

Architecture

Goan-Portuguese villa The architecture of Goa is a combination of Indian, Islamic and Portuguese styles. Since the Portuguese ruled for four centuries, many churches and houses bear a striking element of the Portuguese style of architecture. Goan Hindu houses do not show any Portuguese influence, though the modern temple architecture is an amalgam of original Goan temple style with Dravidian, Hemadpanthi, Islamic, and Portuguese architecture.[58] The original Goan temple architecture fell into disuse as the temples were demolished by the Portuguese and the Sthapati known as Thavayi in Konkani were converted to Christianity though the wooden work and the Kavi murals can still be seen.[59] (see:Goa:Hindu temples and deities by Rui Gomes Periera).

Sports
Football is the most popular sport in Goa and is embedded in Goan culture.[60] Its origins in the state are traced back to 1883 when the visiting Irish priest Fr. William Robert Lyons established the sport as part of a "Christian education".[60][61] On 22 December 1959 the Associao de Futebol de Goa was formed, which continues to administer the game in the state under the new name Goa Football Association.[60] Goa, along with West Bengal and Kerala[60] is the locus of football in the country and is home to many football clubs in India's I-League. The state's football powerhouses include Salgaocar Sports Club, Dempo Sports Club, Churchill Brothers, Vasco Sports Club and Sporting Clube de Goa. The state's main football stadium, Fatorda stadium, is located at Margao and also hosts cricket matches.[62] A number of Goans have represented India in football and six of them, namely Samir Naik, Climax Lawrence, Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, Bruno Coutinho, Mauricio Afonso, and Roberto Fernandes have all captained the national team. Goa has its own state football team and league, the Goa Professional League. It is probably the only state in India where cricket is not considered as important as any other sports.

Goa also has its own cricket team. Dilip Sardesai remains the only Goan to date to play international cricket for India.[63] For more details on this topic, see Goans in sports.

Government and politics

In the Parliament of India, Goa has two seats in the Lok Sabha, one representing each district, and one seat in the Rajya Sabha. Goa's capital is Panaji, known as Panjim in English and called Pangim in Portuguese, and known in the local language as Ponnje is the administrative capital of Goa lying on the left bank of the Mandovi near Panaji. Goa's legislative assembly building is located in Porvorim the seat of the Goa assembly, which lies across the Mandovi River. The state's judicial hierarchy relates to Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay, which is the capital of Goa's neighbouring Maharashtra state), as the state comes under the Bombay High Court. A bench of the High Court is present in Panaji. Unlike other states, which follow the British Indian model of civil laws framed for individual religions, the Portuguese Uniform Civil Code, based on the Napoleonic code, has been retained by the Goa government. Goa has a unicameral legislature consisting of a forty member Legislative Assembly, headed by a Chief Minister who wields the executive power. The ruling government consists of the party or coalition garnering the most seats in the state elections and enjoying the support of a simple majority of the House. The governor is appointed by the President of India. The governor's role is largely ceremonial, but plays a crucial role when it comes to deciding who should form the next government or in suspending the legislature as has happened in the recent past. After having stable governance for nearly thirty years up to 1990, Goa is now notorious for its political instability having seen fourteen governments in the span of the fifteen years between 1990 and 2005.[64] In March 2005 the assembly was dissolved by the governor and President's Rule was declared, which suspended the legislature. A by-election in June 2005 saw the Congress coming back to power after winning three of the five seats that went to polls. The Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the two largest parties in the state. In the assembly poll of 2007, Congress-led coalition won and started ruling the state.[65] In the recent 2012 Vidhan Sabha Elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party along with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party won a clear majority, forming the new government with Manohar Parrikar as the Chief Minister. Other parties include the United Goans Democratic Party, the Nationalist Congress Party.[66]

Media and communication

Main article: Media in Goa Goa is served by almost all television channels available in India. Channels are received through cable in most parts of Goa. In the interior regions, channels are received via satellite dishes. Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster, has two free terrestrial channels on air.

DTH (Direct To Home) TV services are available from Dish TV, Tata Sky & DD Direct Plus. The All India Radio is the only radio channel in the state that broadcasts on both FM and AM bands. Two AM channels are broadcast, the primary channel at 1287 kHz and the Vividh Bharati channel at 1539 kHz. AIR's FM channel is called FM Rainbow and is broadcast at 105.4 MHz. A number of independent FM radio channels are available, Big FM at 92.7 MHz, Radio Mirchi at 98.3 MHz, and Radio Indigo at 91.9 MHz. There is also an educational radio channel, Gyan Vani, run by IGNOU broadcast from Panaji at 107.8 MHz. In 2006, St Xavier's College, Mapusa, became the first college in the state to launch a campus community radio station 'Voice of Xavier's'. Major cellular service operators include Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar, Idea Cellular, Uninor, Reliance Infocomm, Tata DoCoMo and BSNL CellOne. Local publications include the English language O Heraldo (Goa's oldest, once a Portuguese language paper), The Gomantak Times and The Navhind Times. In addition to these, The Times of India and The Indian Express are also received from Mumbai and Bangalore in the urban areas. The Times of India has recently started publication from Goa itself, serving the local population news directly from the state capital. Among the list of officially accredited newspapers are O Heraldo, The Navhind Times and The Gomantak Times in English; Sunaparant in Konkani (Devanagari script); and Tarun Bharat, Gomantak, Navprabha, Goa Times, Sanatan Prabhat, Govadoot and Lokmat (all in Marathi). All are dailies. Other publications in the state include Goa Today (English, monthly), Goan Observer (English, weekly), Vauraddeancho Ixtt (Roman-script Konkani, weekly) Goa Messenger, Vasco Watch, Gulab (Konkani, monthly), Bimb (Devanagari-script Konkani).

Education
Main article: Education in Goa

Goa University According to the 2011 census, Goa has a literacy rate of 87% with 90% of males and 84% of females being literate.[67] Each taluka is made up of villages, each having a school run by the government. Private schools are preferred to government run schools. All schools come under the Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education whose syllabus is prescribed by the state Education department. There are also a few schools run by the all-India ICSE board or NIOS board. Most students in Goa complete their high school using English as the medium of

instruction. Primary schools, on the other hand are largely run in Konkani and Marathi (in private, but government-aided schools). As is the case in most of India, enrolment for vernacular media has seen a fall in numbers in favour of English medium education. As per a report published in The Times of India, 84% of Goan schools run without an administrative head.[68] After ten years of schooling, students join a Higher Secondary school, which offers courses in popular streams such as Science, Arts, Law and Commerce. A student may also opt for a course in vocational studies. Additionally, many join three-year diploma courses. Two years of college is followed by a professional degree. Goa University is the sole university in the state located in Taleigao and all Goan colleges are affiliated to it. There are five engineering colleges and one medical college in the state. Goa Engineering College, National Institute of Technology, Goa are government funded colleges whereas the private engineering colleges include Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda, Shree Rayeshwar Institute of Engineering and Information Technology, Shiroda, and Padre Conceicao College of Engineering, Verna. There are three Medical institutions viz. Goa Medical College (Govt. funded), Shri Kamaxidevi Homeopathical Medical College and Hospital and Bharatiya Sanskriti Prabodhinis Gomantak Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya. In 2004, BITS Pilani started its second Campus, BITS Pilani Goa Campus at Zuarinagar near Dabolim. The National Institute of Technology Goa was started in 2010. There are also colleges offering pharmacy, architecture and dentistry along with numerous private colleges offering law, arts, commerce and science. There is also two National Oceanographic Science related centres, NCAOR and the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Vasco and Panjim.

Goa Medical College, previously called Escola MdicoCirrgica de Goa The best known schools in Goa include Our Lady of the Rosary High School at Dona Paula, Vidya Prabhodini at Porvorim, K.B. Hedgewar High School, the Progress High School, Don Bosco High School, People's High School, Mushtifund High School in Panjim, Sunshine Worldwide school in Old Goa, Shiksha Niketan and Nisha's Playschool in Torda, A. J. De Almeida High School in Ponda, S.S.Samiti's I.V.B.D. High school in Dhawali-Ponda, Vidya Bharati, Mahila And Nutan English High School in Margao, Manovikas in Margao, Sharada Mandir School in Miramar, St. Joseph's Institute in Vasco da Gama and Rosary High School in Navelim.

Among the best known colleges in Goa include Shri Damodar College of Commerce and Economics, V.V.M's R.M.Salgaocar Higher Secondary School in Margao G.V.M's S.N.J.A higher secondary school, Don Bosco College, D.M's college of Arts Science and Commerce, St Xavier's College, Carmel College, Chowgule College, Dhempe College, Damodar College, MES College, S. S. Samiti's Higher Secondary School of Science and Rosary College of Commerce & Arts. In addition to the engineering colleges, there are government polytechnic institutions in Panjim, Bicholim and Curchorem, and aided institutions like Father Agnel Polytechnic in Verna and the Institute of Shipbuilding Technology in Vasco da Gama which impart technical and vocational training.[69] Many residents, however, choose to take up courses in other states as the demand for a course in Goa is more than that available. Goa is also well known in India for courses in marine engineering, fisheries, hotel management and cuisine. The State also hosts one of the best business schools in the country the Goa Institute of Management which is autonomous and was founded in 1993 by Romuald D'Souza. Portuguese is taught as a part of the school curriculum, often as a third language in some schools. The Goa University also offers Bachelors and Masters degrees in Portuguese.

See also
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