East India · Bihar
Bhagalpur, Bihar
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia
About Bhagalpur
- Riverside
Where it is
Bhagalpur is a city in eastern Bihar on the southern bank of the Ganges, on the fertile Gangetic plain near the Jharkhand border, linked to the north bank by the Vikramshila Setu bridge.
History
Bhagalpur grew around ancient Champa, capital of Anga, one of the great kingdoms of early India. Around the turn of the 9th century the Pala king Dharmapala founded the Buddhist university of Vikramashila near the city, one of the leading centres of learning of its age. Under British rule Bhagalpur became a divisional headquarters, and its silk trade flourished.
People
Angika, the language of the old Anga country, is spoken alongside Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Santali. Weaving families keep the silk trade alive, and the festival of Bihula-Bishari, honouring the snake goddess Manasa, is celebrated with Manjusha paintings and songs.
Known for
- Bhagalpuri tussar silk
- Ruins of Vikramashila university
- Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary
- Manjusha folk painting
- Katarni rice and jardalu mangoes
Did you know?
The Ganges around Bhagalpur is home to endangered Gangetic dolphins, India's national aquatic animal, which are protected in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary.
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