Patna: President Pratibha Patil Tuesday hailed the glorious history of Bihar and a birth place of
several legendary persons who made pioneering contributions to
various walks of life, including science, culture, religion
and even in the field of governance.
It was the auspicious land of Bihar where the ancient
ruler Chandragupta Maurya laid the foundation of the Maurya
dynasty which was said to the golden period the country, she
said at the legislative council's centenary celebrations at
the state legislature premises here.
He (Maurya) was succeeded by an equally illustrious
son Chandragupta-1 who set up the Gupta dynasty in which some
of the greats from the world of literature and science like
Kalidas, Aryabhatt, Varasmihir, Vishnu Sharma, Vatsayayan and
Pushpadutt were born, Patil said.
The state had several centres of academic excellence
like Vikramshila and Nalanda universities during ancient times
visited by students and intellectuals from across the world
for studies and research, the President said.
Bihar was also a land of religions as the Maharishi
Valmiki composed the epic Ramayana in this state only, while
the founder of Jain religion Mahavir was born in Vaishali,
while Lord Buddha received enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, she
said.
The Sikhs and followers of Sufism too have great
affection for Bihar as the tenth Sikh Guru Govind Singh was
born in Patna and his birth place Patna Sahib was a pilgrimage
centre for the followers of Sikh religion from the country and
abroad, Patil said.
Similarly, the Sufi saint Hazrat Maneri was also born
in Bihar and made pioneering contributions in spreading the
message of peace, amity and brotherhood during his lifetime,
she said.
Even during the modern era, Bihar produced a great
freedom fighter in Babu Kunwar Singh who valiantly
participated in the first war of Independence against the
British colonial rulers in 1857 and subsequently the father of
the Nation Mahatma Gandhi visited Champaran in 1917 to lead
another battle cry against the foreign rule from here, Patil
said.
Paying a glowing tribute to the state and its people,
she quoted Gandhi as saying in 1947 at a prayer that it was
Bihar that had given him national identity 30 years ago.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 16:24