Bihar and Jharkhand

Bihar was split into Bihar and Jharkhand in 2000. The southern part of Bihar is now Jharkhand. Both the states are in eastern India with West Bengal towards its east and Uttar Pradesh to the west.

The city of Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand (means Forest Land). The state is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places. Jharkhand is primarily rural, and suffers from what is sometimes termed a resource curse: it accounts for more than 40% of India’s mineral production but 39.1% of its population is below the poverty line and 19.6% of children under five years of age are malnourished.

The city of Patna is the capital of Bihar. During ancient times, the area that is now Bihar was considered the centre of political and cultural power and as a haven of learning. Both Jainism and Buddhism originated in Bihar. Bihar is sacred for the Buddha who walked the earth here and received enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Bihar is also home to the Nalanda, the renowned ancient center of learning and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, since the late 1970s, Bihar has lagged far behind other Indian states in terms of social and economic development. The state government is trying to make significant strides in developing the state. Improved governance has led to an economic revival in the state through increased investment in infrastructure, better healthcare facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a reduction in crime and corruption.

We visited the following cities over a period of 4-5 days. We flew into Ranch where we rented a car. After exploring Ranch, we drove to Bodh Gaya followed by Rajgir – Nalanda – Patna.