Tekari

In South Bihar, the representative of several communities was the Tekari family, whose great estate, Tekari Raj, in Gaya, dates back to the early 18th century.^[1] In the Mughal period, Tekari evolved as a rich estate, protected by its kings, who were a part of the Mughal Empire. The royal emblem of the Kingdom of Tekari was a pigeon attacking over an eagle sat on the perch of a tree. Pundits concluded, "this jungle of tetris (tetri, a kind of tree) is the place where the fort should be made," and declared it very lucky. Tetri, vis-à-vis Tekari. (Tekari used to be a popular place name during the Muslim period). It perhaps indicated a place office for local administration and tax collection and residence of local chief. It may also have been a market place.

Maharaja Hit Narayan Singh of Tekari was said to have been "a man of a religious turn of mind... who became an ascetic and left his vast property in the hands of his wife" shortly after inheriting much of the estate in the 1840s.^[2]

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[3] Tekari had a population of 17,615. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Tekari has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 57%. In Tekari, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Sudip Pandey, Bhojpuri actor^[4]