Short answers, pulled from the story.
Bihar takes its name from the Sanskrit and Pali word vihara, meaning abode, which referred to Buddhist monasteries. The region once had so many Buddhist viharas that it became defined by them, and the name stuck through the ancient and medieval periods.
According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha attained enlightenment at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, which is located in Bihar's Gaya district, about 96 km from Patna. The Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Mauryan Empire, India's first empire, originated from the Magadha region of present-day Bihar in 321 BCE and was founded by Chandragupta Maurya, who was born in Magadha. Its capital was Pataliputra, the city now known as Patna. Emperor Ashoka, also born in Pataliputra, is considered among the most accomplished rulers in world history.
Nalanda Mahavihara, the most ancient university of the Indian subcontinent, was active from the third century BCE until it was destroyed by the forces of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji in 1200 CE. Nalanda International University was re-established in 2014 with investment from Japan, Korea, and China.
Before 1990, Bihar's politics were dominated by Forward Castes who used their position to block land reform, preventing redistribution of land to lower-caste farmers. The implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendations in 1989-90 shifted power toward Other Backward Classes, and by the 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, the main caste divide was between rival groups of Backward Castes rather than between Forward and Backward Castes.
Mithila painting, also called Madhubani art, is a traditional style from the Mithila region of Bihar practised primarily by women and passed down through generations. It traditionally depicted deities, celestial objects, and scenes from ancient epics on the plastered walls of mud huts during festivals, births, and marriages.