BIHAR:Architecture

Islam brought to India the minars, domes, vaults and arches and an exclusive use of mortar and concrete. The mausoleum of Maqdum Shah Daulat at Maner, west of Patna, reminds us of the historic Mughal buildings at Delhi and Agra. Expressive of the mature artistic taste of the designer of the mausoleum are its excellent carvings; its Hindu symbols of elephants, bulls and lotuses (which are not Islamic symbols) carved on its walls. The old Patna Collectorate building and the building with Doric and ionic columns facing south in the Patna College are but survivals of the medieval structures raised by the Dutch traders at Patna, however, is a twentieth-century representative of Muslim architecture.
Modern Architecture
In the nineteenth century, pucca houses with baked bricks, large in size, and mortar, lime, molasses and timber began to be constructed. The poorer section of the people used gilaba, rather than lime and mortar, and country tiles for their roofs. From about the twenties of the present century, cement and sand began to be used in place of mortar and lime. With the advancement of architectural knowledge, such as the principle of load distribution, people began to project porticos and balconies unsupported by pillars. Construction of buildings even at marshy places has now become possible and gigantic structures with deep iron foundations have come up in Bihar in recent years.