Bihar is a state of the Indian union situated in the eastern
part of the country. Its capital is Patna. Etymologically,
the name Bihar derives from the Sanskrit Vihara which means
abode. The Buddhist Vihara, which was the abode of the Buddhist
monks, dotted the area in the ancient and medieval periods.
To Bihar's north is the Kingdom of Nepal. On its other
three sides Bihar is surrounded by the Indian states of
Uttar Pradesh to the west, Jharkhand to the south and West
Bengal to the east. Bihar lies in the very fertile Gangetic
plains. Culturally, it is a part of the Hindi heartland
of India.
Bihar is mainly a vast stretch of very fertile flat land.
It has several rivers: Ganga, Son, Bagmati, Kosi, Budhi
Gandak, and Falgu to name a few. Central parts of Bihar
have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills. The
Himalayan Mountains are to the north, in Nepal. To the south
is the Chota Nagpur plateau, which was part of Bihar until
2000 but now is part of a separate state called Jharkhand.
Bihar is mildly cold in the winter (the lowest temperatures
being around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius). Winter months are
December and January. It is hot in the summer (40 to 45
degrees Celsius). April, May and the first half of June
are the hot months. The monsoon months of June, July, August,
and September see good rainfall. October, November, February,
and March are very pleasant months for climate.
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