Madhubani

Madhubani District Map

Madhubani (मधुबनी) is a town and district in Bihar.

Location

Madhubani lies 26 km northeast of Darbhanga town. Madhubani Town is located at 26.37°N 86.08°E.

Origin of name

The word "Madhuban" means "forest of honey" from which Madhubani is derived.

उच्छेट

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...उच्छेट (AS, p.87) मधुबनी से 15 मील दूर एक छोटा-सा क़स्बा है। स्थानीय लोककथा के अनुसार महाकवि कालिदास को सरस्वती का वरदान इसी स्थान पर प्राप्त हुआ था तथा वे कवि बनने से पूर्व इसी ग्राम के निकट रहते थे। दुर्गा का एक प्राचीन मंदिर जिसे कालिदास की अधिष्ठात्री देवी माना जाता है, उच्छेट में वह मन्दिर आज भी है।

Sub-Divisions

Madhubani district comprises the following Sub-Divisions: Madhubani, Jaynagar, Benipatti, Jhanjharpur, Phulparas

Blocks include Jainagar, Khajauli, Pandaul, Rahika, Bisfi, Benipatti, Basopatti, Babubarhi, Rajnagar, Madhepur, Khutauna, Jhanjharpur, Ghoghardiha, Ladania, Madhwapur, Harlakhi, Laukahi, Andharatharhi, Lakhnaur, Phulparas, Kaluahi, Mansapur, Karmauli, Sisbar, Sijolia, Garatol, Bishanpur, Barhampur, Mahrail.

Sites around Madhubani

• Panchobh=Ancient Site and an inscribed Copper Plate (12th century A.D.). The village of Panchobh is situated 9.5 kilometers to the west of Laheria-Sarai, an important town in the district. The extensive site is dotted with mounds over an area about 1.5 kms in length. Sikdar first reported the site and the copper plate (in Patna Musuem) in 1919. The examiner who speculated the inscription on the copper plate examined that the king Samgramagupta was a local ruler descended either from the Imperial Gupta dynasty or the later Guptas of Magadha.

• Ahirari=Hindu Temple. The village is situated 24 kms north-west of Darbhanga. The temple is locally called Ahalyasthana, associated with the well-known legend of the sage Gautama and his wife Ahalya as told in the epics and the Puranas. The main object of worship in the shrine is a flat stone said to contain the foot-prints of Sita, wife of Rama
• Lehra=Ancient Site and Tanks (15th Century AD). The village is situated about 21 kms east of Darbhanga. The remains include a large site, covering nearly 13 bigha of land, scattered with bricks and three large tanks. The site is said to represent the palace of Raja Siva Singh, the most famous of the last Hindu kings of Tirhut, (early 15th century A.D.). It is believed that he excavated the three tanks. The largest of the tanks is called as Ghoddaud
• Sihaul=Fort (18th Century AD). This is situated near Son bursa i.e. in the northern part of the district. The old fort was erected by the Maharaja Amar Singh, one of the ancestors of the Sonbursa Raj family in the 18th century.

• Berautpur=Fort. The village is about 19 kms to the north of Madhubani and contains ruins of a small fort or gadhi spread over almost two thirds of an acre. Only traces of its walls and rooms were visible till the beginning of this century. Inside, in a hollowed out recess, a cylindrical pillar is seen which the local people worship as Shiva. The local Telis or oilmen claim that Raja Beraut (i.e. King Viriita) who flourished at about the time of the Mahabharta war belonged to their caste and had built the fort.

• Bangaon=Stupa (2nd Century BC to 2nd Century A.D.). The famous monument is a mound locally called Gorhi Dih or Fishermen's Mound. It is situated about 3 kms west of the village. It may represent remains of a large stupa with some monastic buildings attached to it. 58 punch-marked silver coins, a gold leaf, a broken copper bangle and 10 carnelian beads were discovered here in 1917 in an earthen vase inside a small brick chamber (i.e. perhaps a relic chamber) of the stupa.

• Khajuri=Building or Castle. Remains of a large house, apparently fortified, at Khajuri.

• Barantpura=Fort. The village is about 19 kms to the north of Madhubani and contains ruins of a small fort or gadhi spread over almost two thirds of an acre. Only traces of its walls and rooms were visible till the beginning of this century. Inside, in a hollowed out recess, a cylindrical pillar, believed to be Siva is worshipped by the local people. The local Telis or oilmen claim that Raja Beraut (i.e. King Virata) of the Mahabharata war, who flourished at about the time belonged to their caste and had built the fort.

• Kandaha=(Bhagalpur)-Sun temple-15th century A.D. Situated 13 kms to the west of Sahasra. Jayaswal first discovered the antiquity of the place in 1934. There exists here an ancient temple of the Sungod, which has undergone repairs; the doorframe of the original temple still survives in situ along with the enshrined image. On the doorframe was found a Sanskrit inscription recording construction of the temple by a Brahmin named Varnsadhara.

• Champanagar=Fort, Jain Temple, Mosque. The city of Champa, as capital of the ancient kingdom of Anga, is found frequently mentioned in ancient Indian literature. King Karna of the Mahabharata is said to have ruled from here. A western suburb of the town of Bhagalpur is at present known as Champanagar, near which is a large hillock or flat-topped mound, called as Karanagadh. The mound of Karangadh, as seen by Buchanan, was a square rampart, without works, but surrounded by a ditch. Champanagar is considered by the Jains as one of their sacred places of pilgrimage. In the Kalpa-Sotra Champa is mentioned as one of the places where the last Tirthamkara Mahavira stayed for three rainy seasons in the course of his religious wanderings.

• Khojpur=Siva Temple (13th Century A.D.). It contains an inscription on a pedestal of the image of Durga which is worshiped by the villagers. It records installation of the image and is dated 147 in the Lakshmana Sena era, i.e. in 1253-54 A.D.

• Andhra=Temple. A stone image, possibly indicating existence of a temple at the spot or in the vicinity, was found here with an inscription on it recording its installation by Sridhara, a minister of Nanya of the Kshatra family.

• Bhawara=Mosque (16th Century A.D.). The village is almost a kilometre to the south of Madhubani. The mosque is now in ruins with only a front wall and six arched openings having survived. It is locally said that it was built by Ala-ud-din Hussain, one of the last independent kings of Bengal (1493-1518). South of the village are the remains of a fort built by Raghu Singh.

• Saurath=Ancient site, temple and tank. The village is situated about 8 kms to the northwest of Madhubani and about 37 kms northeast of Darbhanga. It was first reported in 1880-81. The village contains a Siva temple and a tank nearby which it is said were the works carried out under orders of the Maharaja of Darbhanga in the middle of the last century. But besides these the village contains two ancient mounds of which the one near the village is in the shape of a cross roughly 70' x 50' and about 5' high. The other mound is situated away and is said to be thickly covered, in parts, with broken bricks and pottery. This latter mound is quite extensive covering an area of about 2.5 sq. kms and the local people say that it represents the remains of an ancient city.Ancient site, temple and tank The village is situated about 13 Kms to the northwest of Madhubani and about 37 Kms northeast of Darbhanga. Garrick first reported in 1880-81. The village contains a Siva temple and a tank nearby which is believed were the works carried out under orders of the Maharaja of Darbhanga* in the middle of the last century. The village contains two ancient mounds of which the one near the village is in the shape of a cross roughly 70' x 50' and about 5' high. The other mound is situated 1.5 Kms away and is said to be thickly covered, in parts, with broken bricks and pottery. This latter mound is quite extensive covering an area of about 2.5 sq. Kms and the local people say that it represents the remains of an ancient city.

• (previously Darbhanga Distric constituted the present districts of Darbhanga, Madhubani and Samastipur)

• Jaynagar=The village is situated close to Lakhisarai railway station. Bachanan who describes the ruins in his journal first visited it. Later both Cunningham and Begler noticed the ruins; while the latest descriptive reference to the place appears to be of Samaddar in 1919 or so.

• Singia=Fort. The village is situated about 32 Kms north-east of Rusera. The District Gazetteer states that this village is situated 3 Kms north of the Karai River; while 3 Kms to the south of the river is an old fort called as Mangalgagh. The fort is a large enclosure about 2 Kms in circumference, surrounded by mud walls, 30 or 40 feet high, and by a deep ditch. Local tradition says that the Raja Bal of Balrajpur attacked this fort and destroyed Raja Mangal after blowing down the gates. The fort has not been explored by any archaeologist.

• Darbhanga=Tanks (14th century A. D.). There are number of large tanks bearing names like Ganga Sagar, Dighi, Harahi, Lakshmi Sagar among others, varying in length from 1000 to 200 feet. According to one local tradition the tanks were excavated by the Muslims rulers to secure a raised ground for soldiers' quarters while another local legend attributes the excavations to the famous Raja Seva Singh of Mithila who flourished at the end of the 14th century A. D.

• Nehra=Ancient Site and Tanks ­ (15th century A.D.).

The village is situated about 21 kms east of Darbhanga. The remains which were first found by Hunters include a large site, covering nearly 0.68 hectares, scattered with bricks and three large tanks. The site is said to represent the palace of Raja Siva Singh, the most famous of the last Hindu kings of Tirhut (flourished in early 15th century A.D.). It is believed that he excavated the three tanks. The largest of the tanks is called as Ghoddaud.

Reference

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