Indian Community • Chicago
Bihari Community in Chicago
33,820 Hindi speakers in Chicago metro • 3,536 in Naperville • 2,587 in Bolingbrook • 2,626 in Buffalo Grove–Vernon Hills • Devon Avenue as North Indian hub since 1970s
Indian Community Guide → Indian Community in Chicago → Bihari Community in Chicago
Last updated: March 2026 • Full Indian Community guide for Chicago →
Why Bihari Families Choose Chicago
The Chicago metro’s appeal for Bihari professionals is structural: the I-88 technology and research corridor stretching through Naperville, Aurora, and Bolingbrook has drawn Indian IT and engineering professionals since the 1990s. Motorola Solutions in Schaumburg, Zurich North America in Schaumburg, and the dense cluster of tech services firms along I-88 have recruited thousands of South Asian engineers — and Bihari-origin tech workers followed the same pull.
The suburban school districts in DuPage and Will counties — Naperville Unit District 203, CUSD 308 (Oswego), Valley View (Bolingbrook/Romeoville) — have consistently high academic rankings and draw Indian families who prioritize education. Bolingbrook is particularly notable: 5.5% of its 74,000 residents claim Indian ancestry (2022 ACS), making it one of the denser Indian suburban communities in the Midwest.
Devon Avenue in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood provides what the suburbs cannot: a fully immersive Hindi-speaking commercial environment. For newly arrived Bihari immigrants, Devon is where you buy familiar groceries, eat North Indian food, find a Hindi-speaking accountant, and connect with others from your region. It is not a Bihari enclave — it serves all of South Asia — but the Hindi-medium character of the strip makes it immediately accessible for Bhojpuri and Maithili speakers.
Critically: Chicago has forest preserves with lakes in every direction. Chhath Puja requires open water and open sky. The Chicago metro — with Whalon Lake in Bolingbrook, McDowell Grove in Naperville, and Busse Lake near Schaumburg — offers the natural infrastructure that Chhath demands, in the same suburban zones where the Bihari community has concentrated.
Where Bihari Families Live in Chicago
Unlike the Telugu or Gujarati communities in Chicago, which have denser geographic clusters, the Bihari community is spread across the I-88 suburban corridor and integrated into broader Indian-American neighborhoods rather than forming dedicated Bihari enclaves. The diffuse settlement reflects the community’s relative size and the absence of a single founding institution that would anchor a specific suburb.
Naperville — Largest Hindi-Speaking Concentration
The Naperville PUMA has 3,536 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022) — the largest in the Chicago metro. Naperville’s Indian community is broadly diverse, with South Indians (Telugu, Tamil) making up a significant share alongside North Indian families. The Bihari presence here is part of a larger Hindi-belt minority. Route 59 and the Naperville town center corridor have Indian grocery stores, restaurants, and service businesses. School districts in Naperville are among the strongest in Illinois, which is a primary draw for families.
Bolingbrook — Dense Indian Suburb with Lake Access
Bolingbrook (Will County, 2,587 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022) in the PUMA) is one of the more distinctively Indian suburban communities in the Chicago metro, with 5.5% of its population claiming Indian ancestry. The proximity to Whalon Lake and Springbrook Prairie Reservoir in the Forest Preserve District of Will County makes Bolingbrook a natural location for Chhath Puja celebrations — these public lakes have the open water access the festival requires. Bolingbrook residents have shorter commutes to DuPage and Will County tech employers than they would from Chicago proper.
Buffalo Grove / Vernon Hills — North Shore Tech Corridor
Buffalo Grove and Vernon Hills (Lake County border, 2,626 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022)) represent the pharmaceutical and biotech corridor along I-294 and I-94 — Abbott Laboratories and Baxter International have significant presences here. Indian professionals in life sciences have settled this corridor heavily. It is a less-visible part of the Bihari community story than the I-88 corridor but represents a meaningful cluster of Hindi-speaking families in the north suburbs.
Devon Avenue (West Ridge) — Urban Cultural Hub
Devon Avenue’s West Ridge neighborhood has 1,431 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022) in the PUMA — a smaller residential count than the suburbs, but Devon is everyone’s commercial hub. Bihari families from Naperville, Bolingbrook, and Schaumburg all drive to Devon Avenue for groceries, religious goods, and restaurant meals. The neighborhood’s Hindi-medium businesses and North Indian-dominated food scene (Sabri Nihari, Ghareeb Nawaz, Uru-Swati, Pak Sweets) make it the closest thing to “home” for first-generation Bihari immigrants in Chicago. Patel Brothers here has operated since 1974.
Bihari Community Organizations — Chicago
The Chicago Bihari community is less institutionalized than the Gujarati, Telugu, or Punjabi communities in the same metro — which have dedicated organizations with annual budgets, permanent staff, and purpose-built cultural programs. The Bihari community primarily organizes informally through WhatsApp and Facebook groups, with the national BJANA body serving as the connective institutional tissue.
Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA)
Website: bjana.org | Email: contact@bjana.org
Social: @bjanaus on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram
Founded: 1975 | Membership: Free | Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit
BJANA is the oldest and most established Bihari organization in North America, headquartered in Edison, NJ, with a DC Metro chapter (bjanadcmetro.org). Chicago-area members connect through the national organization. BJANA’s 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee in May 2025 drew 700+ participants from across North America, Europe, and India, featuring Dr. Kris Singh (founder, Holtec International), Rohit Prasad (SVP Amazon, creator of Alexa), and Anand Kumar (Super 30, Padma Shri) — a window into the tier of professional achievement represented by the Bihari diaspora. Free membership is open to all; contact BJANA directly to connect with Chicago-area members.
Bhojpuriya and Awadhi Association of North America (BAANA)
Website: baanausa.org | Email: info@baanausa.org
Founded: 2007 | Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit
BAANA covers the exact cultural geography of the Bihari community — its mission names Bhojpur, Mithila, Magadh, Purvanchal, Awadh, and Santhal regions. Headquartered in Texas with primary chapters in DFW and Houston, BAANA does not have a confirmed Chicago chapter, but Chicago-area Biharis may participate in national events or connect via the website.
India Association of Greater Chicago (IAGC)
Website: iagc.world | Founded: 2016
Mission: Non-partisan, secular community organization for all Indian-Americans in the Chicago metro
IAGC is a broad umbrella organization that provides community infrastructure for Indian subgroups — including those, like the Bihari community, who do not yet have dedicated Chicago chapters. It organizes cultural events, independence day celebrations, and community service activities accessible to the entire Indian diaspora including Hindi-belt families.
Houses of Worship
The Chicago Bihari community has no dedicated Bihari mandir — Chhath Puja, the community’s defining religious event, happens outdoors at lakes, not in temples. Bihari Hindus attend the broadly North Indian temples in the metro, particularly those with Hanuman and Shiva as central deities (both prominent in Bihar’s religious life).
Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC)
Address: 10915 Lemont Road, Lemont, IL 60439
Phone: (630) 972-0300 | Website: htgc.org
Founded: July 4, 1986
The largest Hindu temple complex in the Chicago metro, with two temples on one campus: the Ganesha-Shiva-Durga Temple (built in Kalinga / North Indian architectural style, directly relevant to Bihari temple traditions) and the Sri Rama Temple (Chola / South Indian style). The North Indian–style Ganesha-Shiva-Durga temple is the primary draw for Bihari worshippers. Located 28 miles from downtown Chicago; serves the entire Chicagoland Indian diaspora. Events calendar at htgc.org.
Hanuman Mandir of Greater Chicago
Address: 3623 W Lake Ave, Glenview, IL 60026
Website: hanumanchicago.org
Features a 23.5-foot monolithic marble Hanuman statue weighing over 23 tons — a landmark for North Indian devotees, for whom Hanuman is a central deity with particular intensity in Bihari and UP Hindu practice. Daily Maha Aarti at 9:30 AM, 12 PM, 5:30 PM, and 8:00 PM. Sunderkand recital every Tuesday and alternate Saturdays. Sunday School for children (Hindi language, Ramayana, Mahabharata). Drive-thru darshan available. Located in the north suburbs, accessible from the Buffalo Grove and Schaumburg clusters.
Gayatri Gyan Mandir
Address: 5N371 IL Route 53, Itasca, IL 60143
Website: gayatrigyanmandir.org
The first Gayatri Mandir in North America affiliated with All World Gayatri Parivaar (AWGP) and Shantikunj, Haridwar. The Gayatri Pariwar movement has deep roots in Bihar and UP — families familiar with AWGP centers in India will find this center immediately recognizable. Regular activities include daily Prarthna and Aarti, Yagna, Yoga, and Bal Sanskar Kendra (children’s moral education). Located in Itasca in the northwest suburbs.
Chhath Puja at Chicago Metro Lakes
Chhath Puja is almost certainly celebrated in the Chicago metro by the Bihari community, given the size of the Hindi-speaking population and the nationwide pattern of Chhath celebrations wherever Bihari diaspora concentrates. The Chicago metro’s forest preserve lakes make ideal sites — Whalon Lake (Forest Preserve of Will County, near Bolingbrook), McDowell Grove Forest Preserve (Naperville), and Busse Lake / Ned Brown Preserve (near Schaumburg / Hoffman Estates) are natural candidate sites based on settlement patterns. Chhath 2026 falls on November 15, 2026. To find the Chicago-area Chhath event, connect with BJANA (bjana.org) or watch for announcements in the Bihari and Hindi-speaking community Facebook groups for Chicago.
Bihari Food & Devon Avenue Grocery
No dedicated Bihari cuisine restaurant — serving litti chokha, sattu paratha, thekua, or dal pittha — was found in the Chicago metro. This is consistent with the national pattern: dedicated Bihari restaurants are rare outside of NJ, NYC, and DC. The community cooks at home and uses Devon Avenue’s North Indian restaurants as the closest available proxy.
Sabri Nihari — Devon Avenue
Address: 2502 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60659
Website: sabrinihari.com
Open since: 1996 | Michelin Bib Gourmand 2017
Devon Avenue’s most celebrated North Indian restaurant. Signature dishes: nihari (slow-braised meat stew that shares a culinary lineage with Bihari meat traditions), seekh kabab, palak ghosht, paya (trotters), chicken biryani, and mix grill platter. Not specifically Bihari, but the hearty, meat-forward North Indian menu aligns closely with Bihari food culture. A landmark restaurant for the entire Chicago South Asian community.
Ghareeb Nawaz — Devon Avenue
Location: Devon Avenue, Chicago (West Ridge)
Hours: Open 24/7
A community institution: 24-hour North Indian and Pakistani food at low prices. Known for generous portions of dal, rice, biryani, parathas, and curries. The budget option on Devon that the community returns to at all hours.
Patel Brothers — Devon Avenue (Groceries)
Address: 2610 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60645
Website: patelbros.com
On Devon since: 1974 (50 years in 2024)
The original Patel Brothers — the flagship store that grew into America’s largest Indian grocery chain (52 locations, 20 states). For the Bihari community, this store stocks the essential pantry ingredients: sattu (roasted chana flour), mustard oil (Kachi Ghani), chana dal, wheat flour and jaggery (for thekua), and all standard festival ingredients. During Chhath season (October–November), thekua-making ingredients are especially well-stocked. Patel Brothers on Devon is the definitive Indian grocery source for all of Chicago.
Key Bihari pantry items available at Devon/Schaumburg Indian grocers: sattu (roasted gram flour), mustard oil (Kachi Ghani), chana dal, maize flour, wheat flour + jaggery + ghee for thekua, and all standard festival ingredients. The Schaumburg area also has Indian grocery stores (Raj Palace Indian Grocery) serving the northwest suburban community.
Language & Heritage Schools
Bihar is linguistically rich: Bhojpuri (western Bihar), Maithili (northern Bihar / Mithila region), Magahi (Magadh region), and standard Hindi are the languages of the Chicago Bihari diaspora. All fall under “Hindi” in US Census classification. Bhojpuri is spoken by approximately 60 million people globally — one of the world’s major regional languages, despite its classification as a dialect in some contexts.
- Hanuman Mandir Sunday School (Glenview) — Weekly classes in Hindi language, Ramayana, and Mahabharata for children. Hanumanchicago.org. A practical starting point for second-generation cultural education in the north suburbs.
- Shivalya Hindu Cultural Center Weekend School — 318 W Grand Ave, Suite 201, Chicago. Weekend school covering music, arts, religion, and Hindi language for children. Verify operating status directly before attending (shivalya.org).
- Bhojpuri language resources — Bhojpuri-language music is widely consumed via YouTube and streaming platforms. The late Sharda Sinha’s Chhath geet recordings are played at every community Chhath gathering worldwide. Contemporary artists Pawan Singh, Khesari Lal Yadav, and Dinesh Lal Yadav “Nirahua” are popular in the diaspora. Bidesia — Bihar’s folk theater tradition exploring the separation of migration — resonates deeply for the diaspora experience.
- BJANA Youth Programs — BJANA’s annual events (Holi, Diwali, Chhath) are the primary transmission vehicles for Bihari folk traditions to the second generation; Chicago-area members participate through the national organization.
Arts, Culture & Community Events
Chhath Puja — Chicago Metro Lakes (Annual, October/November)
Chhath Puja is the defining religious event of Bihari identity — a four-day sun worship festival that no other Indian community celebrates with the same intensity or form. The 36-hour fast, the sunrise and sunset arghya (offering) at an open water body, the singing of Chhath geet led by the late Sharda Sinha’s recordings, the communal preparation of thekua and sattu prasad — these mark Chhath as uniquely Bihari in the Indian immigrant calendar. In Chicago, the community gathers at forest preserve lakes in the I-88 corridor and north suburbs each October (2026 date: November 15). To find this year’s Chicago gathering, connect via BJANA (bjana.org) or community Facebook groups. Chhath Puja 2026: November 15, 2026.
Madhubani Art — Bihar’s Visual Identity
Madhubani painting — traditional folk art from Bihar’s Mithila region, characterized by intricate geometric patterns depicting mythology, nature, and daily life — is one of Bihar’s most globally recognized cultural exports. In the diaspora, Madhubani has become an identity marker for the second generation: vibrant, exportable, and distinctly Bihari. BJANA’s 2025 Golden Jubilee featured a dedicated Madhubani exhibition alongside Sohrai art (traditional Jharkhand tribal painting). Chicago-area families interested in Madhubani art can explore BJANA’s cultural programming and community workshops.
Devon Avenue North Indian Cultural Life
Devon Avenue hosts the broader North Indian cultural calendar accessible to Bihari families: Holi celebrations, Diwali markets, Navratri events, and the general South Asian commercial and religious infrastructure that makes Devon the cultural heartbeat of Chicago’s Indian community. Bihar Diwas (March 22, Bihar’s statehood anniversary) may be observed informally through community gatherings or BJANA-organized events for Chicago-area members.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-Year Estimates) • Community organization websites and direct verification • Local school district enrollment data • Zillow and Apartments.com (rent estimates) • Glassdoor and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (salary data) • Redfin (home price data). Community population estimates reflect available Census language data combined with organization-reported figures. Read our full research methodology →