Munger History

8/3/2019 Munger History

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Munger is a town in the Mithila region ofBihar.

Understand

Munger town is the headquarters of Munger district, in the Indian state of Bihar. Historically,

Munger is known for its manufacturing of iron articles such as firearms and swords. It is ancientcity of Mahabharata legend Karna, the eldest son of Kunti and Sun Lord.

Get in

Rail There are many railway stations here Monghyr,Lal darwaza or Purab sarai but JamalpurJunction(JMP) railway station is the main station having trains from each and every city of East

and north india and also from Mumbai,Bangalore,Nagpur,Guwahati etc. It is on the Gaya-

Sahibganj and NewDelhi-Howrah(Kolkata) rail route. The station is located about 6 km from

Ganga Darshan campus, which encompasses Bihar Yoga Bharati University. The main train

connections include Vikramshila Express, Surat-Bhagalpur Tapti Ganga Express, FarakkaExpress, Bhagalpur-Muzaffarpur Jansewa Express and Jamalpur-Howrah Express. Traveling

south-west, Kiul Junction Railway Station is the main station next to Jamalpur. Going east,Bhagalpur Junction Railway Station is the nearest main station.

Air: Nearest airport is patna(Jai prakash narayan airport(PAT)) 170 km connected from all major

indian cities. Gaya airport(GAY) 185 km away is connected with international destinatins such

as Kathmandu, Bangkok,Colombo, Rangoon etc

Road: Buses are available from all town in Bihar and major town in East India but Railway is

preferred. Chartered cars is available from anywhere in India.

Water: Munger being on the banks of river Ganges is connected by waterways with hugli,

Allahabad,Kanpur,Varanasi, Patna,Haridwar, Bhagalpuretc.

Get around

CHANDIKA ASTAHAN

On the sky of religion, Munger is one of the Bright Star. one out of the Sixty-four shakti peeths

is situated in Munger. On the Northeast corner of Munger, Chandi Asthan is just 2 one kilometer

away from the Munger town. Being a Siddhpith Chandi Asthan is considered to be one of the

most sacred and sanctified temples, as important as Kamakshya temple near Gauhati. Legendarystories says that it was to save the world from the anger of Lord Shiva, as he took the corpse of

Sati and began dancing in the Tandav Mudra, as a result of which the earth began to shake andthe whole creation was about to destroy, Lord Vishnu managed to cut Satis corpse in 64 pieces

by his Sudarshan Chakra.

The same legend says that the left eye of the Sati fell at Munger, which subsequently developed

in to a place of worship of the Divine Mother Chandi.Among the different shakti piths Chandi
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Asthan is famous for the cure of eye troubles.Another legend connected with Chandi Asthan is

regarding Raja Karna, who used to worship Chandi Mata every day and in turn the Goddess gave

him 11/4 paunds ( 50 Kilograms or sava man) gold for distribution at Karanchaura. The RajaKarna is said to be a different person from the well known hero of the mahabharata and was a

contemporary of raja Vikrama. The architecture of the temple gives the view of an inverted

couldran on the northan side of the temple close to the Ganga and very close to it on the easternside in the Samashan or cremation site. During the 10 days of Doorga Puja all roads lead to

Chandi Asthan on on the 8th day (Astami day) Yogis, Sannyasis and Tantriks come here from

Kamakshaya to perform their Tantric Siddhis. It is still a place where goats are sacrificed onevery Tuesday.

Kastaharni Ghat

In the sixth century after Christ, a Hindu sage, named Mudgal Muni, appeared in the city and

established two shrines, one at a rock at Kashtaharini Ghat.

In the 26the Adhyaya (chapter) of Adi Kanda of the valmikis Ramayana, it is mentioned thatboth Ramchandra and his brother Lakshmana on their way back from the encounter with Taraka,

the demoness, took rest at the spot. The relaxation they had, gave rise to the name of

Kashtaharini Ghat stands.

Munger has always been a paradise for pilgrims, saints and devotees. And the one place, whichattracts most of them, is a bathing venue at Ganga river , called Kastaharni- Ghat, which literally

means: The Bathing place which expels all pains. It is believed that - One who takes a dip in

this ghat receives solace and cure from bodily pains. Religiously, it has got great importance, as

it has northern flow, which is referred as Uttar Vahani Ganga.

Being a pilgrimage it is believed that on his return journey from Mithila to Ayodhya aftermarrying Sita, Sri Ram Chandra and company took a dip in this water to relieve themselves from

fatigue. This is also the place people like to visit in Morning and evening to catch the gloriousglimpse of Sunrise and Sunset.

Pir Shah Nafah Shrine

There is an inscription on the entrance of the Dargah which speaks:

Bari Aalee Teri Sarkar Hai Nafah-Shah;

Mashaa-Allah Sakhi Darbar Hai Nafah-Shah.

In the present fort area the oldest building inside the fort is a sacred Muhammdan shrine built on

an elevated piece of ground near the southern gate. It is said that it was a mazar of a Pir or Saintwhose name is still unknown. He is said to have traveled from Persia to Ajmer and from there

came down to Munger under the instructions from Khwaza Moin-Uddin Chisti- the famous Sufi

Saint and Lived at Munger for many years and also died here in 596 A.H, corresponding to 1177A.D. He was buried in an obscure place near the ramparts and with the lapse of years exact burial


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place was forgotten. Ultimately, in 1497 A.D. when the ramparts of the fort being repaired by the

Governor, Prince Danyal.

It was he who ordered a mosque to be built over that place. So since 1497 the particular place hasbeen known as the Dargah of Shah Nafah, nafah being a Persian word meaning pod of musk.

Over the gateway there is an inscription set up by Prince Danyal and a round the Shrine are manyold tombs in a delapitated state. There is a popular tradition that Prince danyal got a divine dream

about the exact location of the Dargah of Shah Nafah. A hint was given to him that the Dargahexisted where the earth gave out the fragrance of Nafah (Kasturi).

It is significant to note that the Dargah attracts not only the Muslims but also the Hindus of the

town. The offering of Chaddar and holding a musicial programme has become an annual feature

on 1st of January every year. The dargah is said to be the protector of the town and a place ofwish fulfillments. All those who pass through the road bow their heads in remembrance of the of

the Great Saint.

Sita Kund

The one Place, which puts Munger on the one of the most visited place, is known as Sita-Kund. This place has always been the one, which creates a lot of inquisitiveness among the

visitors, as well as it gives a lot of pleasure too. The place is situated 4 miles east of the Munger

town. It contains hot springs known as Sita Kund, besides this there is a Hindu temple and to thenorth is a reservoir of cold water, known as Ramkund, while to the west there were three more

polls called after the three brothers of Ram, namely Lakshman Kund, Bharat Kund, and

Satrughan Kund.

It has a very interesting ancient story about this place, which belongs in the period of Ramayana.

According to which Sita after being rescued form Lanka, Ram to satisfy all public opinion askedSita to prove her chasti and she gladly agreed to the Agni Pariksha (the fire ordeal). She came

out of the fire test uncatched and imparted to the pool in which she bathed, the heat of her bodywhich she had absorbed from the fire. The hot spring is now an enclosed and grilled reservoir

and is visited by a large number of pilgrims on the full moon day of Magh. The water is

beautifully clear and transparent and sends up numerous bubbles from its rocky bed. Various

explanations of this phenomenon have been suggested, such as Deep seated thermodynamicsaction and variation of under ground volcanic activities.

Whatever be the nature of this and scientific exploration, it draws the attraction of foreign

travellers and very briefly it is a curious phenomenon. On all accounts, it is a must watch in

Munger.

MANPATHAR (SITA CHARAN)

Very close to Kastaharni Ghat there is another place of interest called. Manpathar. It is a rock in

the bed of river about two miles away from the fort. The Rock contains the impression of two

feet, which is supposed to be the feet of Sita when she touched the rock in crossing the Ganga. Itis 250 meter long and 30 meter wide. There is a small Mandir at that place.


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UCHESWAR NATH

In Kharagpur area, there is a very important temple of Lord Shiva which is famous as Ucheswar

Nath . It is also important for Santhals and a public fair is held here,where is Santhal boys and agirls marry, according to their tribal custom.

GURUDWARA AT PIPARPANTI

Patna, the state capital of Bihar, is an important place of pilgrimage for the Sikhs also, since it

was at Patna City that the famous 10th Guru Govind Singh jee was born. Since then the place

remained an important place of Sikh pilgrims from all over the country. It is perhaps not knownthat the father of Guru Govind Singh, Sri Teg Bahadur jee, the 9th Guru, and, the famous martyr,

en route to his journey to Assam to settle a dispute, had chosen to stay, at Munger in a temple on

the Piparpanti road just opposite the Dak- Bungalow for a few days on Magh 1724 Vikrami. RajaRam Singh was selected by Aurangzed during his 10th year of his rule to lead a contingent of

army to Assam, had met Guru Teg Bahadur at Munger. He requested the Guru Teg Bahadur to

accompany him to Assam and he agreed to go there along with him. It is on record that from herehe had written a letter to his wife, who was then at Patna awaiting the delivery of a son, who

subsequently, became famous as Guru Govind Singh jee. This temple converted into gurudwara

is gaining importance for the local Sikh population.

Besides the Munger Gurudwara, there is another big Gurudwara at Jamalpur, which serves theplace of pilgrimage and Sikh congregation on days of important Sikh festivals like annual

Baishakhi Day and others. At Jamalpur one of the important roads is also known as Gurudwara

road.

Goenka Sivalaya ( Machchli Talab)

In the chain of beautiful temples Goenka Shivalay is one of the brightest name. Being one of theoldest, it is one of the acknowledged places for Hindu pilgrims. The Shiv temple is built in the

midst of a big water tank, which is full of big and beautiful fishes. A rock-solid bridge road of

white marble joins it from the main campus. Around the temple a very beautiful garden withflowers and greeneries are kept fully maintained. On festive days specially associated with Lord

Shiva, the campus remains full of visitors and gives the impression of a mini mela.

BAPTIST MISSION

Munger has also been famous from the point of view of charistianity with a large number of

christian population here.According to the district Gazetteer of 1909 the Bapitist Mission is saidto have been established at Munger in 1860, and the translation of Hindi New Tastament at

present in use in different churches is the work of one of the Munger Missionaries. This hindi

translation was published from Calcutta in 1884. There is a reference to one Bapitist Missionarynamed Andrew Leslie who came to India in 1824. and was posted at Munger and died in 1870.

Incidentally, it may be maintained that another Bapitist Missionary called John Parsons, who was

associated with the Hindi translation of the New Testament came to India in 1840 was stationedat Munger and died in 1869. The cemetery towards Sita kund has the grave of Revered Johan


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parson and it is mentioned on grave that he had made the Hindi translation of THE NEW

TESTAMENT. This received persons was born at Loporton,Sommerset (England).The

inscription of the grave, thus, indicates that it was probably persons and not A.Leslie who madethe first hindi translation of new Testament which is in the use.

The cemetery has also the grave of Hershchell Dear born at Dobrz-you (Russian Poland) whospent most of his life ar Munger he died in October 1887 at Mussoorie.his remains where

brought and buried at Munger Dear was famous for his charities for the different institutionsexisting at that time.This cemetery has also the grave of major General charles Murray.Born in

London in 1827 he had served the Gwalior Campaign (1843-44), Punjab Campaign (1848-49),

Battle of Chaianianwala , Kohat Expendition Insurrection of 1857 and Bhutan wars. CharlsMurray was a resident in Munger from 1871 till his death in Munger in 1893 both Mr. Dear and

Murray contributed largely to the development of Munger and some of the existing residential

quarters in the fort area remind us of there name and contributions.

SRI KRISHNA VATIKA

Named after the Proud Son of Munger and the First Chief Minister of the Bihar state Dr. Sri

Krishna Sinha, Srikrishna Batika, is a very beautiful enclosed garden just opposite to

Kashtaharni Ghat. To have the pleasure of both a green place and the holy river Ganga this is one

of the Must Visiting place for the peoples coming to Munger.

Sri Krishna Vatika is also one of the most interesting as well as adventurous venue available in

Munger as it has two Surangs (tunnels). Some efforts in the past had been made to pass

through the tunnels also known as- Mir Kasims Surang but these have only proved to be life

taking. There are some tombs of Gul and Bahar, wards of Mir Kasim Ali.

It is said that Princess Gul and Prince Bahar used to hide under the tunnels by the riverside inorder to weak vengeance upon the British officers. They used to clothe themselves with tiger

skins during the nights. Once Bahar, on his rounded in a dark might was caught sight of by aBritish officer who instantaneously shot the Prince dead. The truth was reveled next morning and

the Prince was said to have been buried by the darga of Pir Shah-Nafah-Gul. The Prince was

found dead in a mans attire by the side of her brothers tomb, where she was also buried. The

officer, responsible for Bahars and incidentally Guls death ordered for a daily salute of guns inthe evening to mourn the loss of these children.

PIRPAHAR

Three miles east of the town is a hill called Pirpahar, from the top of which a fine view of thesurrounding country is obtained. The hill is called after an old Muhammadan Saint or Pir, whosename is no longer remembered, though devotees occasionally come to worship at his grave.

There are two old tombs side by side at the foot of the hill, on one of which there is an

inscription to the foot of the hill, on one of which there is an inscription to the memory of oneMary Anne Beckett, who died in 1832, while the other has a damaged inscription showing, till a

few years ago, that it is in memory of a person named DOyly; the portion containing the name

has now disappeared. The former is somewhat unconventional in form and character, consisting
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of a mausoleum surrounded by four walls open to the sky, and has a memorial tablet inserted in

the northern wall, with the uncommon and not unaffecting inscription Be still, she sleeps. It is

not known who Mary Anne Beckett was, but several legends are current about the manner inwhich she met her death. One is to the effect that she was a young girl who was killed when

riding down the hill; another is that she threw herself down the hill owing to some love trouble;

while another account says that she was the Kashmirian wife of a Colonel Beckett. Nothing isknown about the person to whom the other tomb was erected, but Sir Warren Hastings DOyly,

formerly Collector of Munger, to whom a reference was made, states that it is possible that he or

she was a relative of a DOyly, who was formerly an indigo planter in the district. Theinscription which is now obliterated shows that he or she died in 183-, i.e., between 1830and

1840.

On the top of the hill there is an old house which may be identified with the residence which,

according to the Sair-Ul-Mutakharin, was erected for himself by Ghurghin Khan, the Armemiangeneral of the Nawab Kasim Ali Khan. This is referred to in the Sair-Ul-Mutakharin as the house

on the hill of Sitakund, though the sacred springs of Sitakund are two miles away and we learn

that when Vansittart, the Governor of the East India Company, visited Munger in 1762, it wasassigned to him for his residence. Thirty years later it appears to have been known as Belvedereand a pleasing description of it is given by Mr. Twining in Travels in India a Hundred years

ago. Former Collectors of Munger resided in this house, which commands one of the finest

views one can obtain along the Ganga. Both house and hill are now the property of the sons ofthe late Babu Upendra Nath Mandal of Chandernagore. Close by, on the summit of another small

hill, is a house belonging to Babu Ram Lal Mukerji, a public-spirited Bengali gentleman, who

placed a large sum at the disposal of Government for the relief of the distressed in times offamine and flood.

BHIMBANDH

A village in the Kharagpur subdivision, within the Kharagpur police-station with an area of 4137

acres. It is situated about 12 miles south-west of Kharagpur and four miles north of Guddih.

Close to the village are some hot springs, called Tatal-pani (Tapta-pani) with are by far the finestin the district. The District Gazetteer of Monghyr published in 1926 quoted Captain Sherwill

The first spring is situated about 300 yards to north of village immediately under a small

detached Hill named Mahadeva, from whose base the water issued in a fine stream attemperature of 1470 Fahrenheit . A few hundred yards farther to the north, at foot of the

hornstone hill Damadama, we came upon a region of hot springs. Hot water appeared to be

spouting from the ground in every direction; the principal spring, of which there are eight or ten,had uniform temperature of 1450, all rising within a space of about 300 yards square.

Across numerous hot streams are, of course, many foot-paths used by the cultivators round about

Bhimbhand, but nowhere at the point of crossing did one find water above 1200, and even the

temperature made the men and woman hurry the stream when fording from bank to bank. To theEuropean skins the hit of 1100 was intolerable, nor could of the party walk coolly across any of

the fords at that temperature without being severely scalded not blister. Luxuriant crops of rice

raised by the aid of the streams large fields being fed by the water, but at a reduced temperatureby leading it in devious courses to the cultivated land. The united waters of all these hot springs


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are conveyed pool of cold water under an over-hanging rock in that river, called Bhimkund,

which is sacred to the Bhima and is visited by pilgrims. These springs, rising at about 300 feet

above sea-level are the principal source of the Man itself. The highest temperature recorded byDr. Buchanan on the 21st March, 1811, was 150`. Sherwill in September of 1847, Waddell in

January of 1890, and Schulten in August of 1913, observed temperatures of 147`, 146.2`, and

148` respectively; but Mr. V.H. Jackson considers that there are twelve sources in the Mahadevagroup and at least nineteen in the Damadama group; and the hottest of them may not have been

observed; readings taken between 1912 and 1919 varied from 145.5` to 146` in the Mahadeva,

and from 148` to 148.8` in the Damadama series.

Buchanan noticed that water of the Man, near the springs, was warmer than the atmosphere; andin one place where bubbles were rising in the stream his thermometer registered 98`. Mr. Jackson

has traced this to a second series of hot springs along the course of the river, commencing

immediately below the Bhimkund and extending for more than a quarter of a mile before theoutflow of the first series is reached. Their position varies to some extent from year to year after

rains; but when they can be observed above the stream level their temperature is fairly uniform,

though not higher than General Cunningham identified the Mahadeva Hill with one mentionedby Hiuen Tsiang in the seventh century A.D. as the site where Buddha overcame the YakshaVakula. Hiuen Taisang describes the place as a small solitary double- peaked hill, or, according

to another translation, a hill with successive crags heaped up situated on the western frontier of

Hiranya Parvata, a tract held by recognized authorities to coincide the approximately with thehilly portion of this district.

To the west was six or seven hot springs, the water of which was extremely hot. Colonel

Waddell has shown, however, that there are good grounds for doubting this identification and

that the natural features of the country do not agree with the description of the Chinese pilgrim.He points out that the hill is not on the western but the southern frontier of Hiranya Parvata; and

that the hot springs are not to the west of the hill, but actually upon the hill itself and on itseastern and north-eastern slope. There are no remains of any kind except those of a small brickshrine about four feet square housing a linga; there is no history of there ever having been any

remains; and the situation is so remote that had they ever existed, it is scarcely possible that

every trace of them would have been swept away.

KHARAGPUR LAKE

Kharagpur is perhaps best known for a large reservoir constructed by Maharaja of Darbhanga. It

is formed by a damp built, two miles west of Kharagpur across the Man river, which at this point

debauches through a narrow gorge in the hills. To the south-west the gorge widens out into a

valley hemmed in on all sides by low but abrupt hills, and here a large reservoir has been formedby the accumulation of the river water and of the drainage from the hills and valleys.

About a mile or two above the dam is picturesque waterfall called PANCHKUMARI or the

five princess. In the neighborhood is a hill also called PUNCHKUMARI. The legend about this

hill speaks of five daughters of the Raja of Kharagpur, who took refuge there when there fatherwas taken prisoner to Delhi.


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About 2 miles south-west of the Panchkumari fall, not far from Karmantari village, is a group

of hot springs known as Lakshmikund, which emerge from crevices in rocks on the west side of

a narrow torrend bed, some distance above and not far north of the lake, into which theydischarge. These springs are most conveniently reached from Kharagpur, eight miles to the north

east, by taking a boat across the lake. In 1917 Mr. V.H. Jackson found that the temperature of the

eleven Principal out flows was over 146, while the temperature at the largest watch 151.30 whichis higher than the maximum temperature recorded in the Bhimbhand or Janamkund groups,

which these springs closely resemble. As at both of the later groups of springs, there is another

series of springs lower down, which are distinctly cooler.

MALNIPAHAR

A hill in the Kharagpur subdivision, situated in the Kharagpur Hills about seven miles north-eastof Bhimbandh. There are several springs, known as Janamkund, at the bottom of the hill, which

form the source of the Anjan River. One spring, which issues at all seasons of the year directly

from a crevice in the rock, is apparently that of which the temperature was tested by Buchanan in

1811. Mr.V.H.Jackson, making tests at different seasons, has found that its temperature variesfrom 147.2` to 149`. A second series of springs, the existence of which was suspected by

Buchanan, was discovered in 1912. These occur along the bed of the Anjan for about 150yards,at a quarter of a mile from the source. Their highest temperature yet observed is 140.

MARUK

A hill in the Kharagpur subdivision, situated in Kharagpur Hills 13 miles south of Munger. An

interesting account of the hill is quoted in an article on the Kharagpur Hills by Captain Sherwill.

The origin of the name Maruk is not known, but it is probably so called after the maharuk tree(Ailanthus Excelsa). An ideal picnic spot but hardly used.

SAFIABAD- MIRZA

Mirza Safiy retitled Saif Khan, was the husband of Malka Banu, eldest sister of Mumtaz Mahal,

the lady of the Taj. When Saif Khan became the Governor of Bihar in 1628 A.D. he undertookconstruction of public utilities. Peter Mundy speaks very highly of them. The inception of

safiabad township near Jamalpur and Safiasarai and a big well in Munger are commonly

attributed to saif Khan.

MULLAH MOHAMMAD SAYYID GRAVE

The historians of Aurnagzebs region mention one Mullah Muhammad Sayyid, who wrote underthe nom-de-plume of Ashraf . He was a poet of repute and enjoyed the favours of Prince

Azim-us-shan, Aurangzebs grandson. He was also the teacher of Zebunnissa Begam, the

daughter of Aurangzeb and a renowned poetess. The poet died at Munger in 1672 on his way toMecca and was buried there. His grave is within the fort.

SHAH MUSTAFA SUFIS GRAVE, DILAWARPUR


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The quarter known as Dilawarpur conatins the residence of a leading Muhammadan family

known as the shah family. It trace back its descent to Hazrat Maulana Shah Mustapha Suh, a man

of great learning. Who was a native of Seistan in Persia. The fame of his learning reached theears of Akbar, who invited his to his court in Delhi, where Akbar marcired south to crush the

rebellion of the Afghans in Bihar and Bengal, he was accompanied by Shah Mustapha Sufi, who

distinguished himself in the field and made it clear that he possessed supernatural powers.Hearing of the holy life led by a saint of Munger, called Hazrat Shah Allaabad Arafin, and of the

miracles he wrought, he gave up the idea of worldy career and came to Munger to meet the saint.

As soon as Shah Mushtapha Sufi looked upon the saint, he become insensible, and when herevived, found himself in possession of divine secrets. He became the disciple of the Hazrat, who

made him Sajjada-nashin, and on his death in 1050 A.H. (1650 A.D.) he was buried in

Dilawarpur. Where his tomb may still be seen. His descendants still reside at Dilawarpur.

HAHA PUNCH KUMARI

It is on the western side of Rameshwar Kund. It is a waterfall coming from the hills with straight

drop. The natural scenery is beautiful. This fall is named after the five girls of Hindu Raja ofKharagpur whose daughters committed suicide by jumping from the hill top to escape capture by

the Muslim invaders.

RAMESHWAR KUND

It is situated in Kharagpur police-station and on the north-west corner of the Kharagpur lake. The

legend goes that during the Muslim invasion one of the Generals camped at this site and dug the

earth for water and accidentally a hot water sprig came out.

RISHIKUND

A hot spring in the Munger subdivision situated about six miles south of Sitakund at the head ofa picturesque little valley between two ridges of the Kharagpur Hills. It has been made a place of

worship and a reservoir, about 140 feet square, has been built to collect the water. The bottom is

in some places sandy, in others rocky; and the water seems to issue all along the western sidefrom numerous crevice in the rock. Bubble rise from the whole extent of the pool near the hill,

and where the gas issues from among sand is forms cavities like minute craters. According to

observations taken by Buchanan on the morning of the 8th April, 1811 the thermometer in the airstood at 720 in the water were it issued from the crevice of a rock, it rose to 110o, and one of the

cavities to 114o.

MELAS

At Rishikund at Kharagpur police-station every year in the Malmas, a big mela is held which

has a religious sanctity.

At Deogarh in Kharagpur police-station there is a hill. On the top of the hill is Sheio Mandir. A

big mela is held in Fagun on Shivaratri day and it continues for three days.


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At Rangnath in Kharagpur police-station also a big mela is held at Shivaratri day for two days.

At Rangnath in Tarapur police-station a big mela is held on Shivaratri day and it continues for

five days. This village is situated on the road to Bhagalpur.

In Munger town Dashara Mela is held on a gigantic scale and about a lakh of people congregatehere on the occasion from different parts of the district

At Kastaharinighat in Munger town on Maghi Purnima day a big mela is held.

At Sitakund in Mufassil police-station every year a big mela is held on the occasion of Maghi

Purnima. It is started that it is held since the days of Ram.

DESTINATIONS - NEIGHBORING TOWNS

SRINGIRIKH

One of the peaks of the Kharagpur group of hills, situated 20 miles to the south-west of Munger

so situated in Lakhisarai district of Munger Commissionary. The hill is named after the famous

Rishya Sringa of the Ramayana, who performed a yajna sacrifice at the instance of kingDasharatha in order that the latter might have offspring. It is a much frequented place of

pilgrimage especially on the Sivaratri day in February. There is a spring here in a gorge among

the hills, which issues in six or seven places from below a high cliff of quartzite and forms a

considerable stream lower down. A small reservoir has been constructed at the foot of the cliff,and is used for bathing. It is believed to have miraculous properties the story being that whoever

goes into it, whether child or adult, short or tall, finds the water only waist deep.

The water is hardly lukewarm; colonel Waddell recorded 90.50 in January of 1890, whereas Mr.V.H.Jackson found the temperature to be 86.7`F in March and 87.1`F in October of 1909. Thereis also a temple dedicated to Mahadeo, a small square structure about 15 feet high, with a

pyramid over it. It is said to have been built in the 30s by a Marwari, to whom children were

born after he had worshipped here. The emblem of the deity enshrined in the temple is anordinary linga brought from Banaras. Another linga outside is said to have been the image

originally worshipped. Several years ago the story goes; a mad man removed it from the temple

and threw it into a stream, and it was discovered only after a long search. Near it is a femalefigure, about four feet high, carved in relief on black stone, holding in her hands two long

flowers which give support to two small elephants. The smaller female figures, carved on the

same block, stand at the two lower corners on either side of the bigger image. These images are

probably Buddhistic but are now worshipped by Hindus, the bigger image as Parvati, the smallerones as Gaura and Sandhya. General Cunningham states that he found several figures here, both

Buddhistic and Brahmanical and two inscriptions, one of which was Buddhistic. The temple is

about six miles from Kajra Railway Station, but is more easily accessible from MananpurRailway Station. Eight miles to the south-west. An ideal place for hiking or picnic but seldom

used. Now it lies in present nearby Lakhisarai District of Munger Commissionary.

LACHHUAR


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A village in the Jamui District situated about five miles west of Somaria and four miles south of

Sikandara. It contains a large Jain temple and dharmasala built in 1857 by Raj Dhanpat singh

Bahadur of Murshidabad, for the benefit of Jain pilgrims, who visit some places in the adjacenthills. The nearest are three mikes south of Lachhaur and are marked Muth Boodhroop and

Muth Purusnath on the Indian atlas sheet. They are two small shrines picturesquely situated in

the valley between two parallel ranges of hills. In each of these shrines is a small statue ofMahavira, one of which dates back to Sambat 1505, while the other appears to be older. The

temples themselves, however, are of recent date. Some Jains hold Lachhaur to be the birth place

of Mahabir Swamin ,the 24th Tirthankar of the Jains.

Lachhaur is said to have been several centuries ago the residence of Puran Mal Raja of Gidhaur,who built the temples mentioned in the account of Simaria. On the outskirts of the village there is

a temple dedicated to kali.

SIMULTALA

It is just over 1000 feet above sea-level, and its healthy climate and picturesque surroundingshave made it a popular health resort with Bengalis. It is situated on undulating ground, partly

gravel and partly sand, and owing to the slope is rapidly drained. To the north and west are pretty

little hills of diverse shapes; and the climate is always coller than in the low alluvial lands of the

district.

In 1894 Mr.Surendra Nath Banerji, Editor of the Bengalee, came with his family to Simultala

and occupied one bungalow. He saw the adventages of the place as a sanatorium and health

resort.

The first masonry house was built in 1897,and a number of others were erected in the next ten

years. Simultala has a wide reputation among the Bengali community as sanatorium for the cureof malicious fevers and diseases of the lungs, and many people come here for a change , the

season beginning about the month of October and continuing till the close of the cold weather.

Simultala used to attract a large number of visitors twice in the year. Calcutta doctors used toprescribe a change at Simultala for recouping health. The price control measures scared away the

visitors and during this period there was a certain amount of criminal activities. The high prices

of the essential commodities made the employment of the caretakers and malis of the housesrather expensive.

A visit to Simultala now has a depressing effect because it shows lakhs and lakhs of rupees lying

waste in beautiful untenanted houses falling into disrepairs.

About four miles in the south-west corner of Simultala there is one Haridiya fall which serves as

a sight scene place for the changer coming to Simultala.

Do


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Visit Yog Ashram The first and only one of its kind a yoga university having students from all

over the world. Bihar School of Yoga

Official Web Site [www.yogavision.net]

email:[email protected]

Address:

Ganga Darshan,

Munger, Bihar,

India

Phone: 06344-22430

Fax: 06344-23169

cable: YOGASHRAM

Bihar School of Yoga (BSY) was established in 1964 as the headquarters of International YogaFellowship. It aims to impart yogic training to householders and sannyasins alike. Since the first

Yoga Teacher Training Courses which was held in 1968, the school has grown into a reputable

International Training center of great renown.

The yoga School is situated at Ganga Darshan, which is built over a large hill overlooking the

Utter vahini Ganga. Here, amidst an atmosphere of natural beauty, surrounding by scenicgardens,, green paddy fields and a majestic 180 degree panoramic sweep of the river Ganga, a

new vision of yogic life is inspired.

The techniques of integral Yoga taught here are a synthesis of all approaches to personal

development. Yoga Teachers Training, Yoga Health Management, Individual Sadhana, Hriya

Yoga, Mantra Meditation and other advance courses are conducted by trained sannyasins on a

group or individual basis for day and life residential students.

The Bihar School of Yoga has always been known for its excellent sannyasa training and was

one of the first institutions to initiate and train female and overseas sannyasins on a large scale.

The institution houses a well-stocked Yoga Research Library with a large collection of books

and data where most of the schools publication of Yoga, health techniques and research arecompiled. Ashram graphics, the modern printing press, prints all the BSY publications. It has a

wide range of equipment's and is staffed and managed by the sannyasins and disciples of the

ashram who do everything from typesetting to dispatch.


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Conventions, tours, seminars, workshops and lectures help spread the yogic message from door

to door and from shore to shore. In addition to these, trained sannyasins are ever ready to

conduct organized conventions, seminars and lecture tours throughout all the India and theworld. This provides a solutions for the Yoga minded people who find it impossible to undertake

a journey to Munger or any of the branch ashrams.

Bihar Yoga Bharati (World's First Yoga University)

Official Web Site [www.biharyogabharati.net]

email: [email protected]

Address: Ganga Darshan,

Fort Area, Munger,

Bihar - 811201,

India

Phone: 91+6344+22430

Fax: 91+6344+20169

Paramhamsa Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, in order to preserve and regenerate the totalscope of yogic science by combining academic and scientific methodology with a spiritual

vision, established Bihar Yoga Bharati (BYB) as a charitable educational institution at Munger in

the year 1994.

BYB offers scholars, scientist, doctors and yoga aspirants from all over the world a goldenopportunity to work together to formulate on scientific basis for the growth, expansion and rapid

integration of Yoga into modern society.

Bihar Yoga Bharati is the first university of its kind to impart a comprehensive Yogic education

with provision for MA, M.Sc., Mphil, Phd, DSc, Dlitt. The Undergraduate department offers afour month certificate course and a one year Diploma course in Yogic Studies. The postgraduate

department offers a One year diploma in Yoga Ecology and Two year Master Course, MA in

Yoga philosophy, MA/MSc in yoga psychology and M.Sc. in Applied Science.

Bihar Yoga Bharati offers complete, academics, yogic education and training in the traditionalGurukul or ashram environment. This combination of academics training and residential ashram

lifestyle, helps the student imbibe the Yogic principles in an integral way. It ensure that, along

with an intellectual yoga education, each student imbibes the spirit of seva (selfless services),samarpan(dedication) and karuna ( Compassion) for humankind.

Buy


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GUNS:

Very cheap and good quality guns. Amazing but true at one side this town gives you peace in

Bihar School of Yoga but violence in its awesome gun factories. It also has cigarette factories.=

Eat

Biharis are fond of food

Litti chokha, Murga bhat(chicken and rice)

various places to eat are:

shivam, rimjhim, madras coffee house, sudha

many other resturents are there .

its a saying at every corner you can find a man eating something at a place of eating,

Dont forget to have a delicious break fast here that is puri sabji and jalebi.

Munger is also famous for jalebis, rasgullas and creamchops.

At once don't forget to have a nice meal at Yoga Ashram(BSY).

And always have an egg roll in the evening at any road side joint.

Drink

Lassi is a very healthy dring you can get it anywhere in munger.

But alcoholic drinks should be taken with great care dring only the drinks whose names you haveheard. taari can be usefull if consumed early morning before sunrise and never never buy a brink

in a plastic bag. Instead of glass bottle its kept in plastic ones.

Sleep

Raj Palace Hotel is located in Rajiv Gandhi Chowk, near Taxi Stand, Munger. The hotel is 175km away from Patna Airport. The nearest railhead is Jamalpur Railway Station, which is 8 km

away. The nearest Bus station is Munger Bus Depot and it is 0.2 km away.

Rooms & Amenities Raj Palace Hotel has 38 rooms, out of which 14 are A/c rooms, 20 are Non

A/c rooms, 3 are Deluxe rooms and the remaining 1 is a Suite. The hotel also providessightseeing packages to the tourists.


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In-room facilities: Room Service, Hot/cold water, Television

Other amenities: Doctor on call, Travel desk/Car rental, Car parking, Laundry service,

Conference hall, STD facility,

Pickup and drop, Price per day: From Rs. 400 To Rs. 1500

Address: Rajiv Gandhi Chowk

Munger

Bihar - 811201

India

Raj Hans Hotel is located near Town Hall, opposite to Taxi Stand, Munger. The hotel is 175 km

away from Patna Airport. The nearest railhead is Jamaalpur Railway Station, which is 8 kmaway. The nearest Bus station is Munger Bus Depot and it is 0.2 km away.

Rooms & Amenities

Raj Hans Hotel has 20 Non A/c rooms. The hotel also provides sightseeing packages to the

tourists.

In-room facilities: Room Service, Hot/cold water, Television

Other amenities: Doctor on call, Car parking, Laundry service, STD facility

Price per day: From Rs. 200 To Rs. 300

Address : Townhall Road, Chowk Bazaar Munger Bihar - 811201 India

Contact

100 in any case of emergency. You can trust strangers here.

My visit There

Munger is a district town in Bihar in eastern India.

I first visited Munger in April,08 on invitation of ITC to be one of their representatives in

Institute Management Committee of ITI, Munger. The 2nd visit was on 30th June,08. After the

meeting at ITI was over, I took a break to have a look at the scenic spots of Munger. I had a planto visit a near-by hill-top and the Fort area. Light was fading and what I could manage was 30 to

40 minutes on the hill top. Reportedly, both Rabindranath and Saratchandra, the famous Bengali


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writers , found a quiet area on this hill top to sit down and pen their writings.But, there was no

plaque or Notice Board to be found on this hill giving a visitor more details.

What drew my interest was a ruin of a Military quarters ,built by Mir Qasem, king of Bengal andBihar between 1760 and 1764 AD.

Later, on my way to Lakkisarai station on the morning of 1st July,08, I passed through the Fort

area, which is tight on the bank of the Ganges. Here , I saw the underground tunnel Mir Qasem

had constructed, joining the Fort with the Military barrack I saw the previous evening.

On my return to Calcutta, I searched the Internet to learn more about Munger and its history.

I learnt that Munger first got a major position in the history of Eastern India.Muhammad Bin

Bakhtiyar Khalji was probably a Turkish slave and later became a Turkish general.He

approached India in 1193 AD . His influence in Delhi started after his remarkable campaigns in

Bihar and Bengal. The fortress of Munger was captured by him and in early 13th century and

thus started the Muslim rule of eastern part of India.Later, during the period of Akbar, hisgeneral Todar Mal established his HQ at this place in the 17th century.Shuja was Sultan of this

area when he started his rebellion against his brother Auranghjeb.

Later during the 18th century, Munger became capital of Mir Qasem's capital when he decided toshift out of Murshidabad. He was offered the throne by the Britishers of the East India Company.

He made a handsome payment to the Britishers and built up a good army through re-adjustment

of land revenue. But, he did not get along with the Britishers for long and lost his kingdom.

The Military barrack's ruin I saw is known by the nos of rooms and doors it had: 56 rooms and

52 doors. First floor of the brick structure is nearly roofless..A few vertical pillars stand.Ground

floor rooms are sealed with brick walls for safety.The connection of the tunnel I wrote aboutearlier in this hub cannot be seen as a group of workers are chipping away the rock around tomake stone chips! Three boys, playing in the building , took me around and help me to climb

down as the staircase was dark after the sun went down.

On this hill, there was a big Pir-baba's tomb and a large mansion converted to Doordarshan's set-

up. Right in front of the staircase leading up to the Pir-baba's tomb, I found a grave with no clueabout its age . Its prominence led me to believe, the person buried here might have had important

connection with the Pir-baba.At the foot of the hill, while I was taking snaps of a decades old

banyan tree and Hanumanji's idol, I met an old man who looks after the Pir-baba set-up. Herevealed his identity at the very last minute when I was about to return to ITC.I could have spent

a few minutes with him, learning about the history of the buildings on the hill.

Next morning,I started from the Guest House a little early to spend some time at the Fort area. I

could see only a bit of it. The morning sky was very cloudy.The light was not helpful forphotography. The river was full. But, capturing the expanse and the rush of water were not

possible in the dim light condition.I saw another Pir-baba's tomb, the boundary wall of a very

large college of Yoga ( a must visit during the next trip to Munger) , the end of the tunnel MirQasem got constructed from this river-bank to the hill I was strolling around yesterday. On a


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slight elevation, next to the staircase of this tunnel,there was the grave of Mir Qasems daughter.

The whole area was covered with thick undergrowth and it was raining.therefore, I could not

go up and take photographs of this relic. Whatever photographs I took this morning, however,disappointed me.

But, on the whole, I enjoyed this brief introduction to this place which has a big place in thehistory of Muslim rule of India.I wish Bihar Tourism had devoted a bit more attention to the

potential of Munger developing as a torist spot.Apart from the Military history, it offers breath-taking view of the Ganges, which, I could not capture in my camera.

If a visitor of Munger has time , s/he can visit Bhimbandh sanctuary ,50 km away from the

town.There are hot springs and dense forest.WEll, I have learnt about it from Internet site of

Bihar Tourism.Please view

Munger History

Documents

Transcript of Munger History