Begusarai Explained

Begusarai
Settlement Type:City
Nicknames:City of Utsab, Cultural Capital of Mithila, Land of Poetry and Welcome Gate of Mithila
Pushpin Map:India Bihar#India3
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Begusarai in Bihar
Coordinates:25.42°N 86.13°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:Mithila
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name1:Bihar
Subdivision Name3:Begusarai
Governing Body:Begusarai Municipal Corporation
Unit Pref:Metric
Elevation M:41
Population Total:252,008
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Language
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Hindi[1]
Demographics1 Title2:Additional official
Demographics1 Info2:Urdu
Demographics1 Title3:Regional
Demographics1 Info3:Maithili (recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India)[2]
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN CODE
Postal Code:851101[3]
Area Code:06243
Area Code Type:Telephone code
Registration Plate:BR-09
Blank1 Name Sec1:Sex ratio
Blank1 Info Sec1:0.91 ♂/♀
Blank2 Name Sec1:Lok Sabha constituency
Blank2 Info Sec1:Begusarai
Blank3 Name Sec1:Vidhan Sabha constituency
Blank3 Info Sec1:Begusarai
Leader Title:MLA
Leader Name:Kundan Kumar
Leader Party:BJP
Leader Name1:Pinki Devi
Leader Title1:Mayor
Image Alt:Clockwise from top left: Naulakha Temple, Kali Mandir, Barauni Refinery, Begusarai Railway Station
Government Type:Municipal Corporation

Begusarai is the industrial and financial capital of Bihar and the administrative headquarters of the Begusarai district, which is one of the 38 districts of the Indian state of Bihar. The district lies on the northern bank of the river Ganges in the Mithila region of India.

Etymology

Begusarai was named after Begu, a man who was the devotee of Bari Durga Maharani and was the caretaker of Sarai, the town's old market.[4]

Geography

Topography

Begusarai is located at .[5] It has an average elevation of 41 metres (134 feet). Begusarai lies in North Bihar and is surrounded by Khagaria in the northeast, Munger in the southeast, Patna in the west, and Samastipur in the northwest.[6]

Begusarai lies in the middle of the mid-Ganga plain and generally has low-lying terrain with a south to south-easterly slope.[7] Begusarai is basically divided into three floodplains: the Ganga floodplain, Burhi Gandak floodplain, Kareha-Bagmati floodplain.

Flora and fauna

In 1989, Begusarai district became home to the Kanwar jheel, or Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary, with an area of 63abbr=onNaNabbr=on.[8]

Demographics

As per the 2011 census, Begusarai Municipal Corporation had a total population of 251,136, of whom 133,931 were male and 117,205 were female with a sex ratio of 875. The number of people under five years of age was 37,966. The literacy rate of people seven years and up was 79.35%.[9]

Religion

Hinduism is the major religion in Begusarai city, with 224,282 followers (89%). Islam is second, with 26,531 Muslims (10.53%). Other religions include 325 Christians (0.13%), 134 Sikhs (0.05%), 31 Jains (0.01%), 29 Buddhists (0.01%), 14 other religions (0.01%), and 662 (0.26%) that did not answer.[10]

Government and politics

Begusarai has traditionally been a communist stronghold and was once referred to as the "Leningrad of Bihar".[11] [12] It is the location of the independence movement veteran, first chief minister, and one of the architects of modern Bihar, Shri Krishna Sinha.

Economy

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. The main crops of the Begusarai district are oilseeds, anise seeds, tobacco, jutes, potatoes, red chilis, tomatoes, and rape-seeds. In fruits, Begusarai has recently become a major contributor in producing litchi, mango, guava, and banana. Basil leaves[13] and pearl[14] farming are also present in the local area. Even today, only the Barauni refinery contributes around Rs 500 crore [15] to the state exchequer yearly. Begusarai also has an inactive airport in Begusarai Ulao.[16] Begusarai had the second highest per capita income in the financial year of 2019–2020 in Bihar, after Patna.

Culture

The culture of Begusarai is the cultural heritage of Mithila. Begusarai is famous for Simaria, a fair of devotional significance every year usually during November in the month of Kartik, according to the Indian Panchang.[17] Men and women in Begusarai dress for the festivals; the costumes of Begusarai stem from the traditional culture of Mithila. Panjabi Kurta and Dhoti have a Mithila Painting bordered Maroon coloured Gamchha, the Symbol of Passion, Love, Bravery, and Courage, are common clothing items for men. Men wear gold ring in their nose, which symbolizes prosperity, happiness, and wealth following Vishnu. They also wear Balla on their wrist. In ancient times, there was no colour option in Mithila, so the Maithil women wore white or yellow sari with a red border. Today, they wear Laal-Paara (the traditional red-boarded white or yellow sari)[18] on some special occasions, as well as Shakha-Pola,[19] with lahthi in their hand. In Mithila culture, this represents new beginnings, passion and prosperity.Red also represents the Hindu goddess Durga, a symbol of new beginnings and feminine power. During Chhaith, the women of Begusarai wear pure cotton dhoti without stitching which reflects the pure, traditional culture of Mithila. Usually crafted from pure cotton for daily use and from pure silk for more glamorous occasions, traditional attire for women of Begusarai includes Jamdani, Banorisi, and Bhagalpuri, among others. Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year in Begusarai, including Chhaith and Durga Puja.

Dance

Dhuno-Naach is the Cultural Dance of Begusarai, Mithila. Dhuno-Naach is performed in Begusarai, Samastipur, Khagaria, Katihar, and Naugachhia during Durga Puja and Kalipuja with Shankha-Dhaak Sounds and Jhijhiya is performed in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani and their neighbour districts.[20]

Painting

In Mithila, painting is a form of wall art and is practiced widely in Begusarai. The artform originated among the villages in Begusarai, Darbhanga, Naugachhia, and Madhubani, while more contemporary paintings known as Begusarai Art, Maduhubani art, Darbhanga Art, and Naugachhia Art are on paper and canvas.[21]

Main festivals

Here is a list of the main festivals of Begusarai:

a ten-day festival, of which the last five are of the most significance.[28] is an important festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. It marks the victory of goddess Durga in her battle against the shape-shifting asura, Mahishasura. Thus, the festival epitomizes the victory of good over evil, though it is also in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation.

Notable people

See also

References

Works cited

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India. nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. 22 January 2019. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141614/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf. 25 May 2017.
  2. Web site: Constitutional provisions relating to Eighth Schedule . 14 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010536/http://mha.nic.in/hindi/sites/upload_files/mhahindi/files/pdf/Eighth_Schedule.pdf . 5 March 2016 . dead .
  3. News: BEGUSARAI Pin Code - 851101, Begusarai All Post Office Areas PIN Codes, Search BEGUSARAI Post Office Address . 16 July 2022 . ABP News.
  4. Web site: How was Begusarai named" www.begusaraionline.in . 19 March 2023.
  5. Web site: Maps, Weather, and Airports for Begusarai, India . www.fallingrain.com . 26 December 2019.
  6. Web site: Welcome to Begusarai !! District. www.begusarai.bih.nic.in. 4 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20080521022638/http://begusarai.bih.nic.in/. 21 May 2008. dead.
  7. The Subsurface Geology of the Indo-Gangetic plains M.B.R Rao, 1973, no:-3, vol-14, Journal of the Geological Society of India, pp-217-242.
  8. Web site: Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment. Protected areas: Bihar. 25 September 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110823163836/http://oldwww.wii.gov.in/envis/envis_pa_network/index.htm. 23 August 2011.
  9. Web site: Cities having population 1 lakh and above . Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011 . 16 April 2012.
  10. Web site: C-01: Population by religious community - Begusarai . censusindia.gov.in . 12 July 2022.
  11. News: ULB launches poll campaign . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023143310/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-23/patna/28051041_1_ml-central-committee-member-united-left-bloc-poll-campaign . dead . 23 October 2012 . N.K."Dhiraj" . The Times of India. 23 March 2009. 23 March 2009.
  12. Web site: Lok Sabha 2019: Why is Begusarai called Leningrad of Bihar?. Begg. Yusuf. India Today. 9 April 2019. 19 June 2019.
  13. Web site: Farming of Basil Leaves In Begusarai. 5 July 2016. Live Hindustan. LiveHindustan.com. 21 August 2016.
  14. Web site: Pearl harvesting made this farmer a role model for others in his village. english.pradesh18.com. 21 August 2016. 26 February 2015.
  15. News: Making of Begusarai was by choice, not accident - Times of India. . 25 April 2014 . 21 August 2016.
  16. Web site: Dum Dum Begushorai,Ulao Airport." Live Hindustan.livehindustan.com . 8 September 2021.
  17. News: Revive Kumbh Mela in eight historic cities . The Times of India. 26 January 2011 . 8 February 2020.
  18. Maithil women wore Red Boarded Yellow or White Saree during Jhijhiya Naach. 27 March 2017.
  19. Web site: Mithila as well as Bengal wearing शाखा पोला" www.jhajistore.com . 12 August 2019.
  20. Web site: मिथिला के दरभंगा में बाल कलाकारों ने झिझिया गीत एवं नृत्य से सभी दर्शकों का मन मोहा "www.bhaskar.com. 19 October 2023.
  21. Carolyn Brown Heinz, 2006, "Documenting the Image in Mithila Art," Visual Anthropology Review, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 5-33
  22. Web site: बेगूसराय, मिथिला में मनाया गया बैसक्खा छ‌इठ"www.livehindustan.com. 8 May 2022.
  23. Web site: Chauth Chand 2022: आज मनाई जाएगी चौठ चन्द्र पूजा, चांद की इस तरह होती है पूजा . 30 August 2022 . Prabhat Khabar . 30 August 2022 . hi.
  24. Web site: 30 August 2022 . Chaurchan Puja 2022 Wishes & Chauth Chandra Puja HD Images: Celebrate This Mithila Festival of the Moon on Ganesh Chaturthi Sharing Chaurchan Photos, Messages & Wallpapers LatestLY . 30 August 2022 . LatestLY . en.
  25. Web site: Jivitputrika Vrat 2020: जीवित्पुत्रिका व्रती महिलाएं आज खोलेंगी व्रत, जानें पारण करने के लिए हर एक शुभ समय और विधि. 11 September 2020 .
  26. Web site: Jivitputrika Vrat 2016 (Jitiya 2016) Date & Hindu Panchang - Indian Astrology. 18 July 2016. 4 September 2016. 25 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170125122123/http://indianastrology.co.in/4117-jivitputrika-vrat-2016-jitiya-2016-date-hindu-panchang/. dead.
  27. News: Agnihotri. Sanjana. All you need to know about Ganga Dussehra. 4 July 2016. India Today. 14 June 2016.
  28. News: Parmita Borah . 2 October 2011 . Durga Puja - a Celebration of Female Supremacy . EF News International . https://web.archive.org/web/20120425051716/http://www.efi-news.com/2011/10/durga-puja-celebration-of-female.html . 25 April 2012 . 26 October 2011.
  29. Christian Roy (2005). Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 192–193. .
  30. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-hindus-around-the-world-celebrate-ram-navami-today-1976344 Hindus around the world celebrate Ram Navami today

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Begusarai".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.