Grand festivities mark Bihar Diwas

M I Khan reports on the much-awaited Bihar Divas celebrations that were inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the historic Gandhi maidan on Tuesday in the presence of hundreds of people.

Kumar floated 99 lamps to mark the 99th anniversary of the state. Speaking at the occasion, Kumar said that the state is changing fast, and in a few years, it will be among the list of most-developed states. "Being called a Bihari now is a matter of pride," he said.

Speaking at the occasion, Kumar said that the state is changing fast, and in a few years, it will be among the list of most-developed states. "Being called a Bihari now is a matter of pride," he said.

Bihar Divas marks the day when the British carved out the state from the Bengal Presidency March 22, 1912.  The state will mark its centenary in 2012 with programmes throughout the year. The chief minister said the celebration was planned to help advertise Bihar.

The main entrance gate of Gandhi maidan is around 30 ft high and 80 ft wide, and has images depicting the essence of rural Bihar. Artists have chosen to decorate the gateway with Tikuli and Manjusha art along with Madhubani paintings, all popular art forms of the state.

Apart from screening Bhojpuri films, a theatre festival and street plays are among the programmes planned during the celebrations.  People were also seen thronging to the dozens of stalls serving delicacies of Bihar.