Bihar

Area :94,163 square kilometers.
Capital :Patna
Population :8,28,78,796
Language :Hindi,Other dialects like Bihari

Climate :The cold weather commences early in November and comes to an end in the middle of March. The climate in the cold weather is pleasant. The hot weather then sets in and lasts till the middle of June. Like other parts of the northern India,Bihar also experiences dust-storms,thunder-storms and dust raising winds during the hot season. The highest temperature is often registered in May which is the hottest month in the state. The rainy season commences after summer and continues till the end of September.

People :The majority of the people in Bihar are Hindus while there are sizeable minorities of Muslims and Christians.

Bihar is mixture of the various castes. Their exist a distinction among the people strongly due to the caste-system. Brahman,Bhumihar,Rajput,Banias and Kayastha are the dominant castes while the lower castes include the Koiri,Kurmi,Kahar and Ahir. Caste rivalries and prejudices are numerous in Bihar.

The tribal population of Bihar include the Asurs,the Mundas considered to be the most ancient of the about 30 tribes in the region and the Santhals,the predominant and the most prosperous of the tribes of Bihar.

Economy :Bihar is known to be the richest mineral output (40%) in the country. The state is the world's chief supplier of mica and the country's largest producer of coal.

Food : The food in Bihar mainly consists of rice as the staple diet along with lentils and fresh vegetables. Along the banks of the states many rivers,fresh fish is a highly prized delicacy. In the tribal belt,wild boar,game birds and sometimes venison is eaten by the locals. While in the cities,food has become more cosmopolitan with a variety of cuisines served in the cafes and restaurants.

Festivals :Apart from the festivals like Diwali,Holi,Dussehra,Navaratri etc. the people of Chattisgarh have their own tribal festivals. There exist a succession of festivals throughout the year which are connected with agricultural operations. Most important festivals among them are Sarhul,Karma and Soharai.

Sarhul is the most popular of all tribal festivals. Sarhul resembles the Vasant-mahotsava of the Hindus and may therefore be described as the spring festival of tribals. Another festival Soharai or Banda parab may be called the harvest festival of tribals. On this occasion domestic animals are worshipped after being washed,anointed with oil and smeared with vermilion. The Karma festival is one which observed by the tribals as well as the non-tribals. On this occasion the tribal youths spend the whole night in singing and dancing. The song sung on this occasion narrate the legends of Karma and Dharma.

History :Buddhism evolved in the region of Bihar. Bihar was inhabited by the people of different races in the history. Great rulers of Bihar in earlier times before the Christian era were Bimbisara,Udayin who founded the city of Pataliputra. Other great dynasties that ruled this region include the famous Mauryan emperors along with the Guptas who under Ashoka had Patiliputra as their capital.

Smaller dynasties like that of the Sungas,Kanva and the Kushanas influenced the regions of Bihar. During the Medieval period Bihar witnessed the Muslim invasion which was followed by the rule of local Rajput clans. The first Muslim conqueror was Mohammad Bin Bakhtiar Khalji. The Tughluqs and then the Mughals followed the Khalijis.

With the downfall of the Mughals,the Nawabs from Bengal exercised their rule. In 1764 after the Battle of Buxar The East India Company came to power over Bihar. In 1911 the two states of Orissa and Bihar were separated from Bengal. In 1936,they became separate provinces.

After the India's independence Bihar became a part of the Indian Union. And on November 15th,2000,a separate state Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar comprising mainly forest tracks of Chhotanagpur plateau and Santhal paragana.

Assam

Area :78,438 square kilometers.
Capital :Dispur
Population :2,66,38,407
Language :Assamese,though Bengali is spoken in the Barak Valley.

Climate :The climate of Assam is characterised by its extreme humidity. The most distinguishing feature of the climate of Assam is the copious rainfall between March and May at a time . The neighbourhood of Cherapunji and Mawsynram are known to receive the highest rainfall in the whole world.

The seasons may be divided into the cold season and the rainy. The cold weather lasts from October to February and the rest of the year is rainy. The southwest monsoon begins from middle of June.

People :The Assamese have Mongolian -Tibetan,Aryan and Burmese ethnic origins who penetrated into Assam through different routes and contributed in their own way towards the unique fusion of a new community which came to be known as Assamese.

The population of Assam comprises of the migrants from Burma and China who came into Assam after the mongoloid migration. Thus Assam presents a fusion of Mongol-Aryan culture. Numerous Mongoloid races inhabit the hills and plains of Assam including Nagas,Mikirs,Bodos or Boros,the Mizos or Lushais of Mizoram and the Lalungs.

Minerals :Coal,oil and gas,limestone and sillimanite

Economy :Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Rice is the staple diet of the people and cultivation of rice is the main occupation of those engaged in agriculture. Different pulses,jute,tea and fruit cultivation are the other agricultural crops. Sugarcane,potatoes,cotton,oil seeds,coconut and arecanut cultivation is also practiced on a substantial scale apart from the horticulture.

Assam is an important producer of silk of different kinds and known for weaving of silk products into saris and fabrics.

Food : People of Assam eat non-spicy foods and even bland at times. Rice is the staple diet and other supplimentary food includes lentils,fish curry,meat curry along with herbs and vegetables. The curry is generally seasoned with ginger,garlic,cardamom,cinnamon,onions and sometimes lemon.

Sweets made during the festivals are usually made of rice paste. 'Pitha' is a paper-thin pancake stuffed with sweet coconut paste or sweet black sesame seed paste.

Culture :Talking about the culture of Assam,its literature and music are interwoven in the social fabric and transcend barriers of class and caste. A wedding,birth,death,festival,sowing of crops,departure for foreign lands or return of the prodigal is incomplete without the folk songs.

Festivals :Assamese Hindus observe the Durga puja,the Daul Utsava called Fakuwa,the Janmashtami,the Saraswati,Lakshmi and the Kali pujas. The Muslims observe the Id and the Muharram.

The national festivals of the Assamese,irrespective of caste,creed or religion are the Bihus. It is intimately connected with agriculture. Deul of Barpeta,is another festival celebrated by Assamese. Deul is Doul Yatra which synchronizes with Holi. Devaddhvani is another noteworthy festival held once a year at Kamakhya. It is connected with Manasa the serpent goddess or Maroi puja.

History :Assam was called 'Kamarupa' or 'Pragjyotish' in the period of the Epics. The early history of Assam is believed to be of the Varman dynasty from 400 AD to 13th century. The Ahoms ventured into Assam in about 1228 A.D. By 15th century the kingdoms of Ahom and Koch were established. This period witnessed a change in all walks of life in Assam.

At the end of 18th century the Ahom Kingdom collapsed and the Burmese got the control over Assam thus invoking British intervention to subdue the Burmese. After a conflict between the Burmese and the English,peace was restored by the treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. But the British continued to remain in power until 1947.

After the Independence of India,in 1947,Assam witnessed several separation of territories. In 1948,Arunachal Pradesh were separated. In 1963 Nagaland was separated followed by Meghalaya in 1972 and Mizoram in 1987.

Arunachal Pradesh

Area :83,743 square kilometers.
Capital :Itanagar
Population :10,96,702
Language :Tribal dialects-Hill Miri,Monpa,Nishi,Sherdukpen,Mishmi,Apatani,Wancho,Dafla,Khamti.

Climate :The climate of Arunachal Pradesh varies according to altitude. In the upper regions the winters are cold and humid while the summers are short.

Minerals :Dolomite,limestone,graphite,quartzite,kainite,mica,iron and copper

People :Arunachal Pradesh has majorly Mongoloid and Tibeto-Burmese tribes and sub-tribes,with their own languages,clothes,headgear,customs and traditions. Tribals constitute seventy nine per cent of the total population. The major tribes are Daflas,Monpas,Adis,Akas,Apatanis,Mishmis,Nishis,Noktey,Wangchu and Sherdukpens.
Food : The food in Arunachal Pradesh is non-spicy and generally bland. Dishes are seasoned with bamboo shoots and local herbs. While they eat plenty of leafy vegetables and maize,they are basically meat eaters who also have lots of fish and eggs. "Apong" is the local drink made from rice and millet.

Economy :Arunachal Pradesh is predominantly an agricultural state. The forest-products are the next source of economy. Among the crops grown here are rice,maize,millet,wheat,pulses,sugarcane and oilseeds. Arunachal is also ideal for horticulture and fruits like pineapple,orange,lemon,plum,pear,cherries,and peaches are grown in orchards.

Its major industries are sawmills,plywood,rice mills,fruit preservation units,and handloom handicrafts.

History :In 1826 the British annexed Assam when they extended their influence into the northeast region of India. Till the year 1912,the region now called Arunachal Pradesh was administered from Assam by the Britishers.

Even after India's independence till 1962 Arunachal Pradesh was constitutionally a part of Assam and was administered by the Ministry of External Affairs until 1965 and subsequently by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Governor of Assam. Arunachal Pradesh became a Union Territory in 1972 and then,a full-fledged state in February 1987.

Andhra Pradesh

Area :2,75,068 square kilometers.
Capital :Hyderabad
Population :7,61,11,243
Language :Telugu and Urdu.
Climate :The climate of Andhra Pradesh is hot and humid.
People :The people of Andhra Pradesh speak Telugu and are tall,with thick and protruding noses,with straight hair and yellow skin. The other inhabitants of the Andhra Pradesh include the tribal communities. The tribal people worship their own pantheon of nature gods and goddesses and continue to revel in their ancient customs and manners. Their languages do not have scripts and are essentially verbal.

There are certain nomadic tribes that include Piccukaguntlu,Balasanta,Saradakandru,Viramushtivaru,Bavanilu,Birannalavaru,Gollasuddulu,Dasarulu,Jangamulu,Kommuvaru etc are Telugu nomads whose main occupation is ballad singing.

Among non-Telugu nomads,Lambadis also called Sugalis are very prominent. Originally they were Rajasthani's who took to a nomadic way of life and moved in batches towards the south of the sub-continent.
Economy : The major Crops that are cultivated are cotton,Millets,Oil seeds,Pulses,Rice,Sugarcane,Tobacco.

The major industries are textile manufacture,sugar-milling,machine tools,pharmaceuticals,cement,chemicals,glass,fertilizers,eletronic equpt,heavy electrical machinery,aircraft parts and paper making.

Minerals : Andhra Pradesh is an important producer of asbestos and barytes. Other important minerals are copper ore,coal,iron and limestone,steatite,mica and manganese.
Culture : The classical dance form of Andhra Pradesh is Kuchipudi that originated in Kuchelapuram.
History : Andhra Pradesh has been the home of the Pre- Dravidian dark coloured inhabitants. Andhra region witnessed the rule of Chandragupta Maurya during which it established itself as an independent kingdom. However after Ashoka,the Mauryan empire declined.

From 230 B.C. to 200 A.D. the Satavahanas one of the oldest of the dynasties ruled over this region. They held sway over the whole of the Deccan and far into Northern India. By the 3rd century A.D. Ikshvakus overpowered Satavahanas. Andra region was ruled by various other dynasties from 3rd to 6th century like the Pallavas of Kanchi,the Anandas and the Chalukyas exercised their power for many centuries.

The Kakatiyas who were the feudatories of the Eastern Chalukyas came into power by the 12th century. In 1332 A.D. Ulugh Khan established the Reddi Kingdom of Kondavidu called the Velama kingdom. The Vijayanagar Kingdom also ruled independently. The region was dominated by Muslim power at the time of emperor Muhammad Tughlag.

Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah ruled the region from 1518 to 1687 and it was during his rule that the city of Hyderabad came into existence. In 1687 the Mughals overpowered QUtub Shah. Followed were the empires of Nizams who influenced Andhra region before it was ceded to the East India Company. Gradually the whole of Andhra Pradesh except Hyderabad was under the British till 1947. In 1956 Andhra Pradesh was declared as a state.

When India became independent,Telugu-speaking people were distributed in about 21 districts in South India. Twelve of these districts formed part of the Madras Presidency and the other nine constituted the princely state of Hyderabad which was ruled by the Nizam.

The Nizam sought to become an independent ruler even after the British left India but after a brief action from the Indian Union government in 1949,Hyderabad became a part of the India. In the year 1953 the Telugu-speaking areas that were separated from Madras Presidency and thus Andhra Pradesh came into being whose capital was Kurnool. Later,the nine districts that had been ruled by the Nizam were added to the state and the present-day Andhra Pradesh was established on November 1,1956.