Bihar, 160 km (100 miles) northwest of Calcutta, is one of the 28 states of India. The capital is Patna. The land area is 94,163 sq. km. The population was 82.8 million in 2001, over one-fourth of the entire population of the United States.

Bihar is rich in minerals. More than half of the world 's supply of mica comes from Hazaribagh District, which includes Kodarma, site of the first Mennonite witness in Bihar. The abundance of coal and iron contributes to Bihar's considerable manufacturing. Chakradharpur (City of Wheel Mounting), on the Bengal and Nagpur Railroad, derives its name from its locomotive works.

In 2000 Bihar was divided into two states. The northern part remained Bihar; the southern part became Jharkhand. The Bihar Mennonite Church is primarily located in Jharkhand.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 84-85. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2013 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.