Bihar is located in the eastern part of India. It is an
important pilgrim center of Buddhists and is the home of Emperor
Ashoka who preached ahimsa (non-violence) and spread the message
of throughout the world. Bihar is bordered by the Himalayan
kingdom of Nepal in the north and the states of Orissa , West
Bengal and Uttar Pradesh . Bihar got its name from the word ,
which means 'Buddhist monastery.' Patna is the capital. To the
south of Patna is Nalanda where a monastic university flourished
from the 5th to the 11th century. Bihar is one of the largest
producers of fruit and the second largest producer of vegetables
in India. After the Indus Valley, Bihar was India's second
cradle of civilization. It was part of the Magadha kingdom and
has many sites associated with the Buddha's early life,
including the site of his enlightenment, Bodhgaya. The south
Gangetic plain is the most fertile region in the world. There is
a treasure trove of mineral deposits such as iron, coal, mica,
bauxite and uranium in Chota Nag