Bihar (Bih)
Hin: बिहार bihār
‘Monastery’
From Skt/Pali: vihāra, ‘abode’, ‘(Buddhist) monastery’.
Bihar has a rich Buddhist heritage. It boasts the site of the Buddha’s Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and has many other historic Buddist centres and vihāras dating back to ancient and medieval times [see video: ‘Bihar Buddhist Circuit’].
Viharas in India were originally a monsoon refuge for monks with cells and an open courtyard. Bihar was also the birthplace of both the 2nd-4thC BCE Mauryan and 3rd-6thC Gupta dynasties, dominant empires in north India and beyond.
With 1,000 people per square kilometre Bihar is India’s most densely populated state.
For more on Indian place names and history, see Toponymy on the Ashoka Express and Bihar: Ancient capital, pilgrims and monasteries
For a journey through tribal India and Sri Lanka, see Headhunting with Marguerite
Administrative Divisions of Bihar
BIHAR PLACE NAMES
Araria (Bihar)
अररिया arariyā ‘Residential Area’ [from planter’s records] City/District,...
Arrah/Ara (Bihar)
Hin: आरा āra 'Forest Town' City, Bihar From Skt: aranya, ‘forest’; and Skt:...
Aurangabad (Bihar)
Hin: औरंगाबाद auraṅgābād ‘Aurangzeb’s City’ City/District, Bihar From...
Bagaha (Bihar)
Hin: बगह bagha ‘Garden’ City, Bihar From Hin/Bih: बग(हा) baga(ha), ‘garden’,...
Begusarai (Bihar)
Hin: बेगूसराय begusrāy ‘Ladies’ Inn’ City/District, Bihar (Bih) From Hin/Urd:...
Bettiah (Bihar)
Hin: बेतिया betiya ‘Cane Town’ City, Bihar From Hin: बेंत bē(n)t, ‘cane’...
Bhagalpur (Bihar)
Hin:भागलपुर bhāglapur ‘City of Fortune’ [Bhagatpur] City, Bihar From Hin/Urd:...
Bihar Sharif (Bihar)
Hin: बिहार शरीफ bihār shariph ‘Exalted Saint’ City/District HQ, Bihar From...
Buxar (Bihar)
Hin: बक्सर baksar ‘Tiger Pool’ City/District, Bihar From Skt/Hin: व्याघ्र...
Champaran (Bihar)
Hin: पश्चिम/पूर्वी चंपारण pashchim/purwi champāran ‘Magnolia Forest’...
Chhapra/Chapra (Bihar)
Hin: छपरा chhapra ‘Thatch’ [Chupra, Chapra, Chopper] City/District HQ, Bihar...
Danapur/Dinapore (Bihar)
Hin: दानापुर dānāpur ‘Poor Town’ [Dinapur, Nizamat, Dinapore] Town, Bihar ...
Darbhanga (Bihar)
Hin/Bih: दरभंगा darbhanga ‘Gateway to Bengal’ City/District, Bihar From...
Daudnagar (Bihar)
Hin/Bih: दाउद नगर dāud nagar ‘Daud Khan’s City’ Town, Bihar Daud Khan, one...
Dehri/Dehri-on-Sone (Bihar)
Bih/Hin: डेहरी आन सोन dehri ān son ‘Threshold’ Town, Bihar From Hin: देहरी...
Gaya/Bodhgaya (Bihar)
गया/बोध गया gaya/bodh gaya ‘Gayasur’s Town’ / ‘Place of Awakening’...
Hajipur (Bihar)
हाजीपुर hājipur ‘Haji’s City’ [Ukkacala] City, Bihar (Bih) From Urd: حاجی...
Jamalpur (Bihar)
जमालपुर jamālpur ‘Jamal’s City’ City/District, Bihar (Bih) Jamalpur was...
Jamui (Bihar)
जमुई jamuī ‘Jambu Tree’ City/District, Bihar (Bih) From Skt: jambu,...
Jehanabad (Bihar)
जहानाबाद jahānābād ‘Jahanara’s City’ [Jahanarabad] City/District, Bihar (Bih)...
Kaimur (Bihar)
कैमूर kaimūr ‘Black Hill’ District/Plateau, Bihar (Bih) From Skt: kr̥ṣṇa...
Katihar (Bihar)
कटिहार katihār ‘Mound’ [Saifganj] City/District, Bihar (Bih) The first...
Khagaul (Bihar)
खगौल khagaul ‘Observatory’ Town, Bihar (Bih) From Hin: khagol, ‘astronomy’,...
Kishanganj (Bihar)
किशनगंज kishnaganj ‘Krishna Grove’ [Krishanakunj] City/District, Bihar (Bih)...
Madhubani (Bihar)
मधुबनी madhubanī ‘Honey Forest’ City/District, Bihar (Bih) From Hin: madhu,...
Motihari (Bihar)
मोतिहारी mōtihārī ‘Pearl Garland’ City, Bihar (Bih) From Hin: mōtī, ‘pearl’;...
Munger (Bihar)
मुंगेर muṅgēr ‘Hammer Hill’ [Mudgagiri, Monghyr] City/District, Bihar (Bih)...
Muzaffarpur (Bihar)
मुजफ्फरपुर mujaphpharapura ‘Muzaffar’s City’ From Muzaffar Khan and Skt:...
Nalanda (Bihar)
नालंदा nālāndā ‘Lotus-Giving’ / ‘Endless Giving (of Knowledge or Charity)’...
Nawada (Bihar)
नवादा navādā ‘New Town’ [Eliot Bazaar] From Skt: nava, ‘new’; vāṭa,...
Patna (Bihar)
पटना paṭanā ‘Port’ [Pataligram, Pataliputra, Patalipatnam]...
Purnia/Purnea (Bihar)
पूर्णियाँ pūrṇiyām̐ ‘Thick Forest’ [Purnea] City/District, Bihar From Skt:...
Rajgir (Bihar)
राजगीर rājagīr ‘King’s Mansion’ [Rājagṛha, Rājagaha] City/District, Bihar...
Saharsa (Bihar)
सहरसा saharasā ‘Thousand Streams’ City/District, Bihar From Skt: sahasra,...
Saran District (Bihar)
सारण sāraṇa ‘Deer Forest’ District, Bihar From Skt: sāraṅga, ‘deer’, ‘spotted...
Sasaram (Bihar)
सासाराम sāsārāma ‘Thousand Groves’ From Skt: sāhasra , ‘thousand’; and...
Sheikhpura (Bihar)
शेखपुरा śēkhpurā ‘Town of the Sheikh’ Town/District, Bihar (Bih) From Urd:...
Shergarh (Bihar)
शेरगढ़ śēragaṛha ‘Sher Shah Suri’s Fort’ Fort, Bihar From Urd/Hin: gaḍh, gaṛh,...
Sitakund (Bihar)
सीताकुण्ड sītākuṇḍa ‘Sita’s Pool’ Pilgrim site, Bihar (Bih) From Sita, heroine...
Sitamarhi (Bihar)
सीतामढ़ी sītāmaṛhī ‘Sita’s Cottage’ City/District, Bihar From Sita, wife of...
Siwan (Bihar)
सिवान sivāna ‘Bier’ City/District, Bihar There are two suggestions for the...
Shahabad (Bihar)
शाहाबाद śāhābāda ‘King's City’ From Urd: shah, ‘king’; and ābād, ‘city’,...
Tirhut Division (Bihar)
तिरहुत डिवीजन tirahuta ḍivījan ‘(On the) River Bank(s)’ Division, Bihar Skt: ...
Vaishali (Bihar)
वैशाली vaiśālī ‘Extensive Land’ Ancient Licchavi capital, Bihar (Bih) From...