Heritage

Eastern region of India consists of state like Bihar Jharkhand West Bengal. Kolkata the capital of west Bengal is the largest city of the region. The state of west Bengal shares cultural and linguistic a strong cultural and linguistic affiliation with India’s neighbor Bangladesh and formed the ethno- linguistic region of Bengal before the independence of India. Thee region sits on the very fertile terrain of Indo- Gangetic plains and its delta region. Thus the heritage of the region dates back to 2nd century BC and has the oldest mountain range of Indian sub-continent.

In the ancient period Bihar was considered to be the center of learning, culture and art in the Maurya period. Patliputra became the center of power under Chandra Gupta Maurya. It is also place which had the first university of the world, Nalanda University in the medieval period. The state of Bihar flourished under the Gupta until the Khiljis came and raided the state and established the rule of Sher Shah Suri in Sasaram. With the battle of Buxar in the colonial period British obtained the ruling rights of Bihar. There are several traditional styles of painting practiced in Bihar. One is Mithila painting, a style of Indian painting used in the Mithila region of Bihar. Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that were passed down from generation to generation in the families of the Mithila region, mainly by women. Painting was usually done on walls during festivals, religious events, and other milestones of the life cycle, like birth, Upanayanam(the sacred thread ceremony), and marriage. Mithila painting is also called Madhubani art. It mostly depicts human beings and their association with nature. Common scenes illustrate deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati from ancient epics. Natural objects like the sun, moon, and religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings.

Orissa although one of India’s more remote regions is also one of its most distinctive. Sun Temple at Konark Bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Konark is a monumental representation of the Sun God (Surya)’s chariot. Patachitra is traditional painting on cloth carried out by a dynasty of painters depicting religious scenes from local legends and Hindu epics. Organic vegetables and minerals are crushed, boiled and filtered to obtain bright natural colours. The copper and zinc alloy are of medicinal value and are tied up with notions of purity. Bell metal products; a mix of copper and tin are finished through beating and casting. Dhokra; the ancient technique of lost-wax casting is still practiced in Odisha.

West Bengal also puts itself in the map of the Eastern India in terms heritage. From the templesof Bishnupur and the Palace of Cooch Behar in the ancient times and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in the colonial times to the cultural trove of Shantiniketan every part of West Bengal shows has a heritage to share.