About Bihar Day
Bihar Day, or Bihar Diwas, marks 22 March 1912, when the British separated Bihar and Orissa from the Bengal Presidency to form a new province with Patna as its capital. It is a public holiday in Bihar, celebrated since 2010 with a three-day festival at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, and in 2027 it falls on Monday, 22 March 2027.
Why is Bihar Day celebrated on 22 March?
Bihar Day is celebrated on 22 March because on that date in 1912 the Bihar and Orissa divisions were taken out of the Bengal Presidency and made a separate province of British India. Patna became the capital. Until then, Bihar had been governed from Calcutta as part of Bengal.
The new province came out of the British decision to undo the 1905 partition of Bengal and redraw the provinces around it. The anniversary is easy to count: subtract 1912 from the year.
Although the date is old, the public celebration is new. Bihar Diwas was first celebrated on a large scale in 2010, at the initiative of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the state government now declares 22 March a public holiday every year.
Who campaigned for a separate Bihar?
The campaign for a separate Bihar was led by Sachchidananda Sinha, a lawyer from Arrah, together with the journalist Mahesh Narayan. In 1906 the two men published a booklet titled "The Partition of Bengal or the Separation of Bihar", which circulated in India and in England.
Sinha went on to become the first Deputy Speaker of the Indian Legislative Assembly in 1921, and in December 1946, as its oldest member, he presided over the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly. The Sinha Library in Patna, which he built in 1924 in memory of his wife Radhika, is still in use.
How has Bihar's map changed since 1912?
Bihar's boundaries have been redrawn twice since 1912, and both later changes created neighbouring states that have their own formation days.
| Year | Change | Linked day |
|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Bihar and Orissa separated from Bengal as one province, capital Patna | Bihar Day, 22 March |
| 1936 | Orissa separated to form its own province on 1 April; Bihar became a province on its own | Odisha Day, 1 April |
| 2000 | The southern plateau districts became the state of Jharkhand | Jharkhand Foundation Day, 15 November |
This is why Bihar Diwas messages from people in Ranchi or Bhubaneswar can carry a note of shared history. The three states were one province for 24 years.
How is Bihar Diwas celebrated?
Bihar Diwas is celebrated as a three-day state festival at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, starting on 22 March. The Chief Minister opens it by lighting a lamp and releasing balloons, and government departments set up pavilions and exhibitions on the state's history, schemes and crafts. In 2026 the festival ran from 22 to 24 March with folk music, dance and exhibitions.
The 2025 edition, the 113th anniversary, ran under the theme "Unnat Bihar, Viksit Bihar". It included a Vyanjan Mela, a food fair with litti chokha, khurma, balushahi and makhana dishes, and government buildings were lit in blue. Districts hold their own programmes: prabhat pheris, debates, marathons and memorial lectures. Schools hold essay and quiz competitions on Bihar's history.
Bihari associations abroad, in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia and elsewhere, now hold their own Bihar Diwas evenings, usually with food and music from home.
What to write on Bihar Day
A Bihar Day message reads best when it names something the person carries from home. Keep it proud without making it a contest with other states, and don't lean on jokes about Biharis; many people from the state are tired of them.
Do
- Name a specific place, dish, festival or language the person loves.
- For someone who has moved away, acknowledge the distance and the pull of home.
- In a workplace message, keep it simple and inclusive: "Happy Bihar Diwas" works for everyone.
Avoid
- Don't use stereotypes about Bihar or Biharis, even as a joke.
- Don't assume everyone from Bihar speaks Bhojpuri; Maithili, Magahi, Angika, Bajjika, Urdu and Hindi are all home languages there.
Bihar Diwas ki hardik shubhkamnayein. Hope someone at home is making litti chokha today, and saving you a plate.
Happy Bihar Diwas, Maa and Babuji. I miss home more around this time of year. See you at Chhath.
Bihar Diwas ke dher saari badhai. Home is always home, however far the job takes us.
Happy Bihar Diwas. From Nalanda to Patna, your state has given India a lot to be proud of.
Happy Bihar Day. Study hard, eat properly, and call home tonight. They'll be watching the Gandhi Maidan lights.
Bihar Diwas mubarak from all of us. Hope your community evening has good food, good music and at least one sattu paratha.
- Bihar Diwas
- Hindi for Bihar Day
- Litti chokha
- Baked wheat balls stuffed with spiced sattu, served with a mash of roasted aubergine, tomato and potato
- Sattu
- Flour of roasted gram, a staple across Bihar
- Makhana
- Fox nut, grown mainly in the Mithila region of north Bihar
- Chhath
- The festival of the Sun god at the riverbank, held after Diwali and again in Chaitra
How to wish someone on Bihar Day
A Bihar Diwas wish lands best when it is personal: the town someone grew up in, litti chokha or thekua from home, Chhath at the ghat, or the language their family speaks. Many Biharis live far from the state, so a line about home often means more than one about history. Hindi is fine; a few words of Bhojpuri, Maithili or Magahi, if that is the person's language, are warmer still.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + regional language.
When is Bihar Day in 2026 and 2027?
Bihar Day is on 22 Mar every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When did Bihar become a separate state?
Bihar was separated from the Bengal Presidency on 22 March 1912 as part of the new province of Bihar and Orissa. Orissa was split off in 1936, and Bihar became a state of the Indian Union after independence.
Who started Bihar Diwas celebrations?
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government began celebrating Bihar Diwas on a large scale in 2010. Since then the Bihar government has declared 22 March a public holiday each year and holds a three-day festival at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
Who is called the architect of modern Bihar?
Sachchidananda Sinha is often called the architect of modern Bihar, for leading the campaign to separate Bihar from Bengal with the journalist Mahesh Narayan. He later presided over the first sitting of India's Constituent Assembly in December 1946.
Is Bihar Diwas a public holiday?
Bihar Diwas is a public holiday in Bihar, notified each year by the state government. It is not a holiday in other states, though Bihari associations across India and abroad hold their own celebrations.
How do you wish someone Happy Bihar Day in Bhojpuri?
You can say "Bihar Diwas ke dher saari badhai", which means "many congratulations on Bihar Day". In Hindi, "Bihar Diwas ki hardik shubhkamnayein" is the standard greeting.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .