A Bihari is the one who is honest and friendly person to all. - Ajay Sinha - Sept. 7, 2006

I can eat Pasta in 5 star hotel time to time and will go to Thelawala for Litti or for 'Gup-Chup' or for 'Bhutta'. Chinese noodles of Maurya Hotel or Chow-Mien being sold at the entrance gate of Patna Market are born equal. I just prefer to be fit as per the place, people and specially per my size of pocket ;). I believe, Bihari = Always in Masti Mode. And, people who live in Masti mode are generally honest to their near and dears and so far, I am carrying this mission of being a Bihari. Helping others if capable is a fundamental characteristic of a true Bihari. I am sure every Bihari will agree with this definition.

Being a Bihari, I never get depressed or low for failures of my life because as a Bihari, I am pretty sure that I will overcome one day. I like to be... "When work, work like donkey. When enjoy, enjoy like monkey!" Any question? - Naren Singh, Bristol, USA - Sept. 7, 2006

BIHARIS can be identified by the following bundle of qualities :

B = BOLD
I = INTELLIGENT
H = HAPPY
A = AFFECTIONATE
R = RESPECTFUL
I = INTERFERING

The proportion varies from individual to individual. However, as they say, anything in excess is bad. Too much salt, too much sugar, too much exercise, too much rest etc., etc.... Similarly, some of the above qualities are in excess in some individuals making them either

- Criminals (too bold),

- Jokers (too happy),

- People with badhazmi of intelligence creating new scams (too intelligent),

- Biharis are affectionate people - they mix easily with others and do not carry airs. They are caring parents. However, some are too affectionate and get easily heart broken and resort to violence to settle scores (too affectionate).

- Biharis are respectful people and they demand respect too -Address a Bihari stranger as "Tum" instead of "Aap" and he will elaborate my point to you (too respectful),

And finally Biharis are excellent nose pokers -stand in a queue with a Bihari and, if you do not watch out, he will extract plenty of information from you, your salary, the details of your family, details about your ancestors, your entire family tree etc. (too interfering).

Forget the extremes, Biharis with proper proportion of the above qualities are very interesting people. Far better than people of other states. Biharis can be spotted all over the globe and, may he be anywhere on the planet, the endearing part is "angrezi patloon ke niche se Bihari dhoti hamesha jhankti hai (words like ek tho, do tho or nimbu for nibu, addition of 'WA' after nouns the use of the famous ethi or ethia etc.)". - Rajesh Chaubey - Sept. 7, 2006

That's a nice question "What Does it Mean to be a Bihari?"

It's a sense of belonging and inheriting a culture and heritage of this region called Bihar. Even though I may be Maithil, I still feel a sense of sharing and a bonding with someone who may be from any part of Bihar such as Chhapra or Gaya. Words cannot define an experience, but I will try nevertheless.

It's an unique combination of following characteristics:

Courage, naiveté, resistance to injustice, rooted earthly culture wherever he/she may be, respect for women, working hard for what one believes in.

Some of our friends may want to add other attributes such as casteism, power games, hypocrisy of status and ego-nourishment, etc. These negative attributes of heritage (or rather a junk baggage) we are carrying is part of the periphery, not the centre of our being.

Unfortunately, some of us (may be out of weakness, fear of ridicule or greed of praise) that they don't want to be associated with Bihar. It takes courage to face this truth that our motherland is poor, and to see in the eye of this reality.

I personally never liked Maithili songs before, which seems too slow and difficult to understand, but when I heard them again after many years, I realized how much I have missed all these days. - Ranjit Kumar - Sept. 7, 2006

So far, we have a consensus over Biharis being down-to-earth, social, adaptable, honest, and mast (cool) people. I am eager to see comments from many others including those who make their appearance only when there is an article on contentious issues. Here is another one from my side. A Bihari is one who is more comfortable with ‘Laghuttam Samaapvartya’ and ‘Mahattam Samaapvartak’ than LCM and HCF. Of course, this does not apply to my friends who did not study in Bihar Board schools. I am not questioning their Biharihood. All X are Y does not mean all Y are X. I am just trying to find the constituents of the Y as a whole.

I add another characteristic which has been missed so far, Biharis have an affinity towards challenges, and they struggle not just for survival but to excel. Biharis want to do things extraordinarily. They hate being ordinary. One can love or hate Biharis, but no one can ignore them. Rajeshji, about the Biharis at the extreme ends, I have a bit different a view. It’s not the problem that they are at extreme; the problem is the direction they choose to be in. Example of too bold is Randhir Verma as well, too happy Shekhar Suman.

I once found a Bhojpuri song “Bayaria hey Bhauji bara neek laage”. I played it to one of my friends in US (He is a Bengali, according to some definitions). All along the song, he was just shaking his head like he is playing the dholak himself, with these exclamations of delight, “Arey gajab!”, “Garda!”, “Hila dihis hai!”. He is Bihari, in my definition.- Kumod Jha - Sept. 7, 2006

Bihar has a rich history, since the inception of first republic Vaishali in 500 B.C. and always had a unique identity especially till 16th century, when Babur established Mughal dynasty in Delhi. Except for a brief period of Sher Shah Suri, Bihar gradually started to lose its sheen and unique identity by merging itself as a part of bigger empires and later on, Bengal province. During British Raj, the significance loss was complete and Bihar became a satellite province of Bengal till 1912 when Bihar and Orissa were carved out of Bengal. In 1935, Bihar and Orissa became separate provinces. It was further divided in 2000 in Jharkhand and Bihar. So if we call someone a Bihari because he/she was born in Bihar, then it gives a 'hydra' like identity. One day a Bihari, next day you are not because a new state has come out of its womb. To me tagging the definition of Bihari by geography appears diabolical. Just because a person is born in Bihar does not make him a Bihari. We find such people all around us who deny being Bihari even though they hail from here. George Orwell was born in Motihari but he was as English as tea. Likewise a person who is not born in Bihar can be a Bihari by inculcating the values it stand for.

The meaning and the practice of being Bihari has been distorted all-round today. Even the nomenclature of Bihar is from Vihar which had completely different, peaceful and progressive outlook about it. It is nothing but an irony that today the image of Bihar is anything but like it was intended to be. I have spent my childhood in rural areas in Bihar and have fond memories of it. I have seen people hard-working on their limited land, very resilient about the vagaries of monsoon, neck-deep in troubles but still maintaining their innocence, helpful attitude. As I have grown up, I have become more and more cynical today about the whole aspect of being a Bihari. I find the whole meaning has changed now. Its more about how stupid a person can be, how corrupt a person can be and how much a person can be devoid of any morals. When I was in Bombay, I used to see people calling a Bihari because he was being so stupid and the term just seemed apt to describe such person and behaviour. I think its a collective responsibility of all of us Biharis to do something about it because its a collective failure that it has brought the meaning to such a low.

To me, being Bihari means upholding the high moral values, progressive and democratic outlook, peaceful co-existence and a quest for knowledge. The more apt question seems, " Do we deserve to be a Bihari ?" - Ravindra Kumar - Sept. 7, 2006

I once had an occasion to be in Orange County, south of LA. My relative took me to an Indian shop and we were looking for mustard oil. I saw a packet, but he was not impressed, saying this is double refined. The owner of the shop, a Punjabi, came out of the counter and asked if we were Biharis. We were pleasantly surprised and said yes. He took a packet from a hidden corner saying aap log kaccha tel aloo mein dalte ho na - ye lijiye jhaans wala hai. So that dear friends, is another definition of a Bihari - one who cherishes the raw pungent aroma of mustard oil in his aloo ka chokha. - Thakur Vikas Sinha, Powai, Mumbai - Sept. 7, 2006

Well said, Mr Ravindra! The purpose to start this discussion was to find out the qualities we associate with the term ‘Bihari’ and then do some introspection to see if we meet our own definition. If there is a negative image associated with this term, we have to think if we ourselves are contributing towards it? Let’s be proud of our collective identity and share the collective responsibilities to bring the image up. Love Biharis (anyone with such characteristics irrespective of where they were born or who they are) and spread Biharism. Thanks to everyone who shared their views on this topic. - Kumod Jha - Sept. 8, 2006

Being a Bihari is to be associated with the region that nurtured one of the most ancient civilisations on this earth. This is the region that gave the world the beautiful religion of Buddhism that spans the globe from the snow-capped mountains in Laddakh and Tibet to the sun-kissed beaches of Thailand, Vietnam and Java and Mount Fuji in Japan, spanning continents and nations. Every one in the world knows Bihar (or Vihara the "land of the monasteries") which nurtured Lord Buddha and spread his message to the world, dominating the hearts and minds of half the then world's population for a millennium.

Being a Bihari is to be associated with the mighty Magadhas whose sophisticated military prowess and civilisation challenged the mighty Greek general Alexander the Great. The great Western civilisation and super power of the era the Greeks, were humbled by us Biharis.

Being a Bihari is to be associated with great Sufi Muslim philosophers and saints such as Yahya Maneri and Makdhoom Chishti of Rajgir and Nalanda who spread the message of freedom of thought and tolerance. Their tombs today are the places of pilgrimage for millions regardless of faith caste or creed.

Being a Bihari is to be associated with freedom fighters who were the torch bearers for India's liberation who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their motherland. Rana Kunwar Singh, Peer Ali, Birsa Munda, are names that make a Bihari feel proud.

Being a Bihari is to be associated with 20th century freedom fighters who led India's march to freedom: Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Shafi Daudi, Hasan Imam, Sachidanand Sinha.

Being a Bihari is to be associated with the basic love of freedom as exemplified by the movement against the British enforcing indigo planting which was taken up by Mahatma Gandhi as his first campaign against tyranny. The same tradition held good when Lok Nayak Jay Prakash led his revolt against the Emergency in 1975 ending forever the fear that India would see a dictatorship.

I am proud to be a Bihari. I deliberately speak with a Bihari accent when speaking in Hindi, often surprising the Delhi and UP wallahs when switching from English. When they ask if I am from Bihar I echo the statement by TV personality Shekhar Suman: "Hayeeay hain Bihari" - Reza Sami - Sept. 8, 2006

Great to read about Aloo ka chokha! Here is an incident from Patna Science College around 1981. It was a physics class on "sound". The professor gave problem on harmonics. While we "self styled better educated" guys were scratching our pens and heads, a distinctly Maithili accented voice piped up from the back benches "chaunsathwan aur painsathwan". The Bengali professor was very happy "Yes that is the right answer - 64th and 65th". It was humbling and a learning experience for me.

A Bihari is one who works diligently, honestly and humbly like this boy from a remote village. There is no pomp and show, only pure knowledge. - Shitanshu, Mumbai - Sept. 8, 2006

Discussion on this topic is now closed.