YEARNINGS OF A PROUD BIHARI

The much disdained Bihar was once the heart of India's intellectual and spiritual life. As it goes to the polls, the state yearns for a vibrant present and a great future

-  PRADEEP KUMAR THAKUR

Bihar is often seen as one of India's less developed states.

But, for Biharis, their land is a source of immense pride, built on ancient civilisations, brilliant minds and transformative achievements.

For instance, just 30km from Patna, the village of Taregna—literally “counting of stars”—once stood at the centre of astronomy. Around 499 CE, a young Aryabhata, barely in his twenties, gazed into the cosmos from this humble village. He charted the heavens with simple instruments and a mind centuries ahead of its time.

He unravelled the true nature of eclipses (debunking the belief that they were caused by supernatural forces) and identified earth's axial rotation as the cause of day and night. He calculated the length of a year, with startling precision: 365.2588 days. One can almost picture him under the night sky, scribbling equations by lamplight, stars above and silence around.

Taregna, sadly, is now on the edge of obscurity. A recent visit by a team from IIT Patna's department of cosmology uncovered traces of ancient instruments—Aryabhata's own, perhaps. But a suitable memorial to him is yet to be thought of.

Bihar's post-independence story has often been one of missed opportunities. The state failed to industrialise or build the infrastructure needed for sustained growth. Roads remained poor, irrigation unreliable and power supply irregular. As Punjab capitalised on its agrarian strengths, Bihar lagged behind, its farmlands vulnerable to seasonal extremes.

The soul of Bihar lies in its lush, fertile plains sustained by the rivers Ganga, Sone and Gandak, which occasionally test its resilience through floods.