Typically, the very mention of Bihar evokes mirth, Biharis are the butt of frequent jokes, and ‘Bihari Buddhu’ is not a term of endearment. Yet its origins are noble. ‘Bihar’ comes from the Sanskrit/Pali word ‘Vihara’ or abode. The region of Bihar used to be a confetti of Buddhist viharas in which the monks lived. Gautama Buddha first attracted a large following of believers and monks in Bihar. As with Christ’s early followers, adherents of the new faith were mocked and ridiculed for their belief as ‘Bihari Buddhus’.

In similar vein, the storied history of Bihar is an integral part of India’s glorious heritage. The wonderful new Bihar Museum in Patna, whose galleries opened last October, makes it abundantly clear just how much of Bihar is embedded in India’s DNA.

References to Bihar regions like Magadha, Mithila and Vaishali can be found in ancient texts and epics. Magadha was a renowned centre of power, learning and culture for a millennium under the Maurya and Gupta empires. The former included Ashoka the Great; the latter was a golden age for Indian science, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. Bihar has been a major historical centre of learning, home to the universities of Nalanda, Odantapura and Vikramashila established in the 5th-8th centuries. Sher Shah Suri was an early pioneer of secularism and good governance.

Pataliputra (today’s Patna) was a major global capital at the time of the Magadha empires. The world’s first known republic was established in Vaishali by the 6th century BC. Bihar’s key role in the freedom struggle was popularised in the movie Gandhi. Rajendra Prasad was India’s first president and Jayaprakash Narayan carried on the freedom spirit in his opposition to Indira Gandhi’s Emergency.

With a population of over 100 million Bihar is India’s third biggest state, with obvious implications for national politics and development. Its importance to several major Indian religions registers less frequently on the nation’s consciousness. It encompasses sites of great significance to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains – and Takht Sri Patna Sahib for the Sikhs is just across the river on the southern bank of the holy Ganga that bifurcates the state into north and south in a way that is unique.

Buddhism has a worldwide following of over 500 million with significant numbers in southeast and east Asia. That the Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya is well known, the Mahabodhi Temple there is a Unesco World Heritage site and large numbers of devotees and tourists flock there, whose infra-structure has been significantly upgraded (including direct international flights).

For Jains, the 12th and 24th (last) Tirthankaras, Vasupujya and Vardhamana Mahavira, were born in Bhagalpur and Vaishali, respectively. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Sikh Guru, was born in Patna in 1666 and Guru Nanak and Guru Tegh Bahadur also visited.

Then there is Sitamarhi, my home district. In a peaceful rural setting just 5 km west of Sitamarhi lies Sita Kund, the mythological site where Sita was found in an earthen pot as Raja Janaka ploughed his fields. Janaka excavated a tank on the site and after Sita’s marriage, the legend continues, he ordered stone statues of Ram, Sita and Lakhsman to be erected there. In time dense jungles claimed all the lands there until about 500 years ago when the site was rediscovered, the jungle cleared and the stone figures recovered. A temple to Sita was constructed nearby and Janaki Mandir (not the original) is a popular pilgrimage for Hindu devotees.

The state government could vigorously market all these sites to potential tourists from India and abroad. Of course, tourists will not flock to Bihar merely because of a sophisticated promotion campaign. We must first address many physical, social and bureaucratic deficits.

The first requirement is assured public safety and law and order to neutralise the widespread perception that Bihar is synonymous with jungle raj. The state should invest heavily in recruiting and training civic officials and police officers to modern international standards, if necessary by breaking from the colonial-era IPS structure.

We must build a network of modern, clean, efficient and reliable rail, road and air corridors that transport people between destinations in comfort and on time. Patna can serve as the hub of international tourist traffic with a modern, passenger-friendly airport. I was heartened to experience recently the vastly improved roadways in northern Bihar as i toured many sacred Hindu sites in the three adjoining districts of Sitamarhi, Darbhanga and Madhubani.

Third, in line with the PM’s Swachh Bharat initiative, public facilities will have to be built and maintained to world class standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Open air spitting, urination and defecation is revolting, offensive and a public health hazard. Access to public conveniences is an absolute must for tourists. So is a reasonable supply of safe and clean accommodation and food outlets subject to regular inspections of hygiene norms.

All this must then be backed up by a sea change in the VIP culture that puts babus and netas on a pedestal. This grates increasingly even on Indians while foreigners are not used to second class treatment at the hand of public officials prone to petty corruption. Bihar could lead India with an efficient and responsive civil service and police force.

The upgrades to physical, social and administrative infrastructure will also create an attractive investment environment to promote Bihar’s industrialisation. ‘Bihari bhaiyyas’ can then perform ghar wapsi with better quality work back home. Their triumphal homecoming will be the icing on the cake of a religious tourism-led development strategy for Bihar outlined here.