Patna, March 22 -- Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday inaugurated the three-day Bihar Diwas celebrations in the state capital, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the people of Bihar and lauded the state's progress under Kumar's leadership.
Bihar, which was carved out of the Bengal Presidency on March 22, 1912, is marking its foundation day with a series of cultural and public events across the state. The main programme in Patna began at the historic Gandhi Maidan, where Kumar lit a ceremonial lamp and released balloons to formally open the celebrations.
The state government has organised a range of programmes over three days, including folk music performances, traditional dances and exhibitions highlighting Bihar's rich cultural heritage, history and art. Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were among those present at the inauguration ceremony.
Meanwhile, PM Modi wrote a detailed letter to Kumar, congratulating him and the people of the state on Bihar Diwas. The Chief Minister shared the Prime Minister's letter on social media.
In his message, the PM praised Kumar's "personal commitment towards the welfare of all sections of society" and said that Bihar had witnessed "a huge transformation" under his leadership. He also expressed pride that the Centre had been able to contribute to the state's development.
The Prime Minister highlighted Bihar's glorious past, referring to the teachings of Gautam Buddha, the governance of Chandragupta Maurya guided by Chanakya, and the role of the Champaran Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi. He also mentioned prominent figures such as Rajendra Prasad, Jagjivan Ram and Jayaprakash Narayan.
Modi further noted that the conferment of the Bharat Ratna on Karpoori Thakur by the NDA government had been widely appreciated.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.