Bihar Digital Archive

A busy Diwali night in Patna, with market stalls lit by diyas and lanterns. This Patna Kalam painting, Diwali Night in Patna, dates to around 1820–1830 and is attributed to Sewak Ram. #Patna #Bihar #Diwali #DiwaliCelebration

Dear Readers, Welcome back to The Archive Letter. This issue opens with a postcard an INA officer from Patna sent his mother during the Red Fort trials of January 1946. bihardigitalarchive.substack…

Vishnupad Temple, Gaya, Bihar | 1895 A rare photograph titled “The Vishnupud Temple, Gaya, with Gaywal priests”, taken on 1 April 1895, during the visit of Lord Elgin, the then Viceroy of India, to Gaya and Bodh Gaya. #Gaya #Bihar #GayaJi #VishnupadTemple

A vintage Hindu wedding invitation card dating back to 1942 offers a glimpse into the social traditions and travel practices of that era. Printed by Saraswati Press, Patna, this historic card mentions Belchi then part of Patna district.

Durga Puja, 1809. A watercolour painting in the Patna style by artist Sevak Ram (1770–1830). #Bihar #Patna #DurgaPuja #PatnaKalam

This footage from 1953 shows flood relief work in Saharsa, Bihar, after severe flooding in the Kosi region. Relief camps were set up to help affected families, providing food, drinking water, medicines, and vaccinations. Efforts were also made to support farming and build canals.

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India - 1890s

Sitab Diara, the birthplace of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, was part of Chapra district, Bihar, at the time of his birth. #SitabDiara #Chapra #Chhapra #JayaprakashNarayan #LoknayakJP

According to Mahatma Gandhi, Professor J B Kripalani, though a Sindhi, was more Bihari than a born Bihari. #Bihar #AcharyaKripalani #JBKripalani #MahatmaGandhi

A vintage advertisement for Pradip Lamps, manufactured by Pradip Lamp Works, Patna City, in April 1949. The ad promoted the lamps for their “durability & luminosity” and claimed they were used by electricity supply companies and the Governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The original voice of legendary Hindi poet and patriot Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’, from a rare interview with All India Radio. 🎙️ A voice from history that still resonates today. #RamdhariSinghDinkar

A rare glimpse of two legends of Bihar! This vintage photograph captures the famous Poet Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar presenting a bouquet to Sri Krishna Sinha, the first Chief Minister of Bihar. #RamdhariSinghDinkar #SriBabu #Bihar

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya receiving the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, from the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, in 1955.

September 15, 1954: Bombay’s film artistes took to the streets, braving nine hours of sun and rain to raise funds for flood victims in Bihar, Assam and Bengal. #Bihar #BiharFlood

On August 9, 1958, President Dr. Rajendra Prasad visited the magnificent Brihadisvara Temple at Tanjore, Madras (now Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu), accompanied by Kumaraswami Kamaraj, the then Chief Minister of Madras. #Bihar #DrRajendraPrasad #Madras #TamilNadu #Kamaraj

Photograph of the young Hans Kumar Tiwari, taken in 1938, the year he published his first major literary work, कला (Kala). Published by Yugantar Sahitya Mandir, Bhagalpur City, Bihar, the book marked his early entry into the field of literary criticism.