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Ashoka Pillars and Buddhist Sculptures
The finest monolithic pillars of Ashoka is the lion crowned pillar
at Lauriya, Namdangarh in Champaran, which consists of a polished block of
sandstone 10.1 metres long with a capital nearly 2.13 metres in length.
Two other inscribed pillars are found at Rampurwa and Laurya at Basark. All
four were set up on the imperial road from Pataliputra to Nepal. The edicts of the
emperor are inscribed on rock at the Dhauli Hill in Orissa and on a hill near
Sasaram in Bihar.
 Buddhistic statuary of a later date is common in the
Gaya
district with the exception of Graeco-Buddhistic sculptures of Gandharva. These
images are the only class of Indian Buddhist art that has come down
through ages in a fair state of completeness. At Bodh
Gaya, the oldest Buddhist memorial is a stone railing ornamented with friezes, panels
and bosses, which display considerable artistic skill. The temple is 55 metres
high. It is a modern restoration carried out by the Government. It has a large
collection of Stupas which the pilgrims to this holy land left as memorials
for their visit. The stupa was originally a copy in brick or stone of an earthen
sepulchral tumulus and ending with the ornamented spire of the medieval period.
Islamic Monuments
Islamic architecture has Minar domes,
vaults and arches with an exclusive
use of mortar and concrete. The mausoleum of Magdum Shah Daulat at Maner, 29
kilometers west at Patna reminds of the historic Mughal
buildings at Delhi and Agra. Expressive of the mature artistic taste
of the designer of the mausoleum are its excellent carvings. Its Hindu symbols
are of elephants, bulls and lotuses carved on its walls. The old Patna collectorate building and the building with
dorie and ionic columns, facing
south in the Patna college are survivals of the medieval structures raised by the
Dutch
traders at Patna. The buildings at Bankipur and Padri-ki-Haveli are
constructed in the Gothic style of architecture. The famous granary, Golghar,
built in 1786 is something unique. The Sultan palace
on the Gardiner Road, Patna is a twentieth-century representative of Muslim
architecture .
Modern architecture
In the nineteenth century, Pucca (strong) houses, large in size
with
backed bricks, mortar, lime, molasses and timber began to be constructed.
The poorer section of the people used Gilaba rather than lime and mortar
and country tiles for their roofs. From about the twentieth century, cement and sand
began to be used in places of mortar and lime. People began to project
porticos and balconies unsupported by pillars. Construction of buildings even at marshy places
became possible and gigantic
structures with deep iron foundations have come up in Bihar.
Domestic arts
The Maithils (people of Mithila) succeeded to some extent in preserving their
rich art traditions. Their Brahmins and Kayasthas and their women folk continued
their traditional practices which kept alive the ordinary domestic arts of
painting earthen pots and mud walls with gods and goddesses.
Bihar has begun to play a vital and active role in promoting cultural forms and in providing opportunities to individual
and
group talents. The Bihari artist has begun to woo his own native folk
forms and to protect not only his national heritage but also his
national identity. The post independence Bihar has many cultural achievements.
Bihar took the lead in establishing the state academy of music, dance and drama even before the National academy was set up. With the
help of All India Fine Arts and Crafts society, Bihar's own Shilpakala Parishad,
organised exhibitions on the regional level. Bihar was first, in organizing and
holding regional festivals such as Vaishali festival. Bihari
craftsmen have excelled in terracotta, bamboo-work, Seenk-work, Kasida, Pottery, stone craft,
textiles etc.
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