Bihar Sharif
Bihar Sharif is the headquarters of Nalanda district and the fifth-largest sub-metropolitan area in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Its name is a combination of two words: Bihar, derived from vihara (meaning monastery), also the name of the state; and Sharif (meaning noble). The city is a hub of education and trade in southern Bihar, and the economy centers around agriculture supplemented by tourism, the education sector and household manufacturing. The ruins of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located near the city.
Bihar Sharif | |
|---|---|
City | |
Top to bottom: The City Skyline, Tomb of Ibrahim Baya, Mora Talab Temple, View of Hiranya Parvat from NH 20, An institutional block at K. K. University | |
Bihar Sharif Bihar Sharif | |
| Coordinates: 25.197°N 85.518°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Bihar |
| Division | Patna |
| District | Nalanda |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Bihar Sharif Municipal Corporation |
| • District Magistrate | Shashank Shubhankar, IAS |
| • Superintendent of Police, Nalanda | Ashok Mishra, IPS |
| • Municipal Commissioner | Anshul Agrawal, IAS |
| • Mayor | Aneeta Devi |
| Area | |
| • City | 152.94 km2 (59.05 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 23.5 km2 (9.1 sq mi) |
| • Regional planning | 78.53 km2 (30.32 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 55 m (180 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • City | 297,268 |
| • Density | 15,743/km2 (40,770/sq mi) |
| Language | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| • Additional official | Urdu |
| • Local | Magahi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 803101 803118 803216 803111 803113 |
| Telephone code | +916112 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-BR |
| Vehicle registration | BR-21 |
| Loksabha Constituency | Nalanda (29) |
| Vidhan Sabha Constituency | Bihar Sharif (172) |
| Website | nagarseva.bihar.gov.in/biharsharif |
Under the Pala Empire, Odantapuri, a major Buddhist monastic university was built at the site of Bihar Sharif. In the early 14th century, the city was captured by the Delhi Sultanate. Bihar Sharif was later ruled by other Muslim dynasties and then by the British until Indian independence in 1947. The city has important Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim heritage sites and landmarks.
Bihar Sharif is one of the one hundred Indian cities selected to gain funds under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. Bihar Sharif was selected in the preliminary list of 100 cities in July 2015 that were to compete for the Smart Cities project.
According to Ease of Living Index 2020, Bihar Sharif has been ranked as the most livable among cities in Bihar which have population under 1 million. It was ranked 1st in Bihar and 28th among cities with a population under 1 million in India with an overall ranking of 63rd among 111 Indian cities.