Magahi culture
The culture of Magadh is rich with its distinct language, folk songs and festivals.
The present-day Magadh region split between the states of Bihar and Jharkhand in India.
Around 12 million people speak Magahi as an native language according to the 2011 census of India.
[5] It is spoken in seven districts of Bihar (Gaya, Patna, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Arwal), and in seven districts of Jharkhand (Hazaribag, Chatra, Koderma, Jamtara, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Giridih, Palamu).
[7] Culture of Magadh has been rich since ancient times and the land has produced many important personalities who contributed in India's development.
Buddha and Mahavira got enlightenment on this land and moved around the neighboring places for their religious preaching.
In nineteenth century, during struggle for independence against British, Patna became the centre for Wahabi movement.
The four lions carved on the top of the pillar are chosen as the national symbol of independent India.
Rock-cut caves in the Barabar and Nagarjuni hills in Gaya are examples from Mauryan period.
A glimpse of the folk art of the period can be seen in the Yaksha and Yakshani figures found from Mathura, Pawa, and Patna.
Their radiant spiritual expression carved with grace and refinement makes them masterpieces (Lal ed.
Arthashastra, written by Chanakya, is an important literature of the period for understanding politics and administration in general.
Kavyas such as Meghduta, Raguvansa and Kumarsambhava, dramas such as Abhijnashakuntalam, Mudrarakshasa and Devichandragupta are contribution of Gupta period to Indian literature (Lal ed.
Sanskaar geet like Sohar, Khilona, Khobar, Sumaangali are sung at various occasions like birth, moondan, marriage etc.
In the movie ‘Abhijan’, which was directed by Satyajit Ray, the actress Waheeda Rehman delivered her dialogues in Magahi.
Bhaiyaa was the first film with sound in the cinema of Bihar which was made in Magahi language and released in 1961 directed by Phani Majumdar.
Other famous Magahi films are ‘More Man Mitwa’ directed by Girish Ranjan, Devan Mishri and Handover.
Despite "lacking literature", Magahi language contains an oral repertoire of folk-songs and ballads,[12] some of their subject matter also known to the Nothern part of India.
