Bhagalpur
Bhagalpur, historically known as Champa Nagari, is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern bank of the Ganges river.
It is the third largest city of Bihar by population and also serves the headquarters of Bhagalpur district, Bhagalpur division, and Eastern Range. It is known as the Silk City and also listed for development under the Smart Cities Mission by the Government of India.
It is the only district in Bihar after capital city Patna where three major higher educational institutions, IIIT Bhagalpur, TMBU, and Agriculture University (BAU) are located. Vikramshila Central University is under construction next to the ruins of the medieval Vikramshila Mahavihara. Bhagalpur Railway Station serves the city.
The river around the city is home to the Gangetic dolphin, the national aquatic animal of India, and the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is established near the town. The city holds the largest Manasa Puja and one of the largest processions in Kali Puja, an important part of the cultural heritage of the region.
Getting to Bhagalpur
- 01Bhagalpur Junction ER
From Patna, it takes a decent 6 hours to reach Bhagalpur city.
Worth seeing
The Jain temple at Nathnagar. It is an important pilgrimage centre for Jains. Budhanath Temple. It is an ancient Shiva Temple on the bank of Ganges.
- 01Sultanganj
- 02Mandar Parvat
It is supposed to have concurrent to Patliputra or Patna.
- 03Vikramshila University
Things to do
Participate in "Vish-hari Puja". The religious festival of "Vish-hari Puja" or "the worship of the Snake Queen" or "Manasa Devi, said to be a daughter of lord Shiva and Queen of Snakes" traces its roots back hundreds of years and is still celebrated every year with thousands of believers and snake charmers offering milk to the Nag (the Snake King) and Nageen (The Snake Queen).
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Tisha Mukherjee (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.