Madhepura
Encyclopedia
Madhepura is a city and a municipality
in Madhepura district
in the India
n state
of Bihar
. Madhepura as it stands now was carved out of Saharsa district
and got the status of revenue district on 9 May 1981. Prior to that, Madhepura was a sub-division under Bhagalpur district
with effect from 3 September 1845. Subsequently, it was on 1 April 1954 that Saharsa district was carved out of Bhagalpur district.
The name Madhepura is believed to have evolved from Gangapur- a village named after Gangadeo, the grandson of King Mithi, who is said to have established state Mithila
. Gangapur village itself is said to be named after King Gangsen of the Sen Dynasty. From 1704 AD to 1892, the Kosi river with its diverse courses remained striding the areas right from Forbisganj to Chandeli Karamchand and Raghuvansha Nagar & thereafter submerging itself into the Ganges at Kursela. As Madhepura stands at the centre of Kosi ravine, it was called Madhyapura- a place centrally situated which was subsequently transformed as Madhipura into present Madhepura. Another view is also there as to its naming as the area is said to have been inhabited by the bulk of Madhavas - clan of Lord Krishna. It was termed as Madhavpur which gradually became Madhavpur into Madhepura. (Extracted from Brihad Hindi Kosh, 5th Edition, Page- 887). In ancient times, Madhepura remained a part of Anga Desh
. It was also governed by Maurya, Sunga, Kanva and Kushan dynasties. It was a part of Mithila province during Gupta Dynasty. The Mauryan Pillar discovered at Kishunganj bears testimony to it. Madhepura remained under the dominance of Bihar rulers during Rajput rule. Present Raibhir village under Singheshwar block was a stronghold of Bhars.
During Mughal
period Madhepura remained under Sarkar Tirhut. A mosque of the time of Akbar is still present in Sarsandi village under Uda-Kishunganj. Sikander Sah had also visited the district, which is evident from the coins discovered from Sahugarh village
reaching plains at Chatra in Nepal
and in India
in the border of Madhubani & Darbhanga and flowing through Supaul & Saharsa negotiates with the Ganges near Kursela covering 254 km. The legend has it that Satyavati, the young sister of Vishwamitra, after being widowed at the demise of her old husband Richik reached heaven and appeared on the earth in the form of struggling and ravaging Kosi river, popularly known as the 'sorrow of Bihar'. (Extracted from Shaiv Avdharna Aur Singheshwar Asthan - Written by Harishankar Shrivastava 'Salav' & Dainik Jagran, Bhagalpur, Nagar Sanskaran, dated 30 July 2003).
Facing the onslaughts of the Kosi river, the history of Madhepura is replete with tales of owes, sorrow and sufferings. Since time immemorial, it has seen several ups and downs perpetuated by Kosi in the form of flood, famine and drought. Floods and droughts have remained the regular feature of the area so much so that the then government had to shift the court and the sub-divisional headquarters from Madhepura to Supaul from 1935 to 1938.
, Lakshmana
, Bharat
& Shatrughan were born one after the other. The Bharat Puran also refers to Singheshwar as Sringeshwar. The area has been identified as Rishi Shring Ashram during Ramayana
period, its vicinity being surrounded by jungle inhabited by deer, leopards, bears, etc. King Yudhishthir is said to have visited the place along with Rishi Lomus during Mahabharat period.
Sheet and Basant both rulers of Kushan dynasty inhabited in this area. The fort of Sheet was located at present Kadamma whereas the fort of Basant was located at present Basantpur, a village under Singheshwar block. Ruins and remains of those forts are still visible. Sri Nagar, a village under Ghailarh block recently carved out of Madhepura block situated at a distance of 22 kilometres west of Madhepura town also present the remains of the two forts of King Sri Deva.
, Madhepura had a population of 45,015. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Madhepura has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 71%, and female literacy is 51%. In Madhepura, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Madhepura district
Madhepura District
Madhepura district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Madhepura town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Madhepura district is a part of Kosi division.-History:...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. Madhepura as it stands now was carved out of Saharsa district
Saharsa District
Saharsa is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar, India. Saharsa town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Saharsa district is a part of a larger territory, the Kosi Division and it became a district on 1 April 1954 and subsequently has become smaller with other districts being...
and got the status of revenue district on 9 May 1981. Prior to that, Madhepura was a sub-division under Bhagalpur district
Bhagalpur District
Bhagalpur district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Bhagalpur town is the administrative headquarters of this district.-Geography:...
with effect from 3 September 1845. Subsequently, it was on 1 April 1954 that Saharsa district was carved out of Bhagalpur district.
History
The history of Madhepura can be traced back to the reign of Kushan Dynasty of Ancient India. The "Bhant” communities living in villages of Basantpur and Raibhir under Shankarpur block are the descendants of the Kushan Dynasty. Madhepura was then part of Maurya Dynasty, a fact asserted by the Mauryan pillar at Uda-kishunganj.The name Madhepura is believed to have evolved from Gangapur- a village named after Gangadeo, the grandson of King Mithi, who is said to have established state Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
. Gangapur village itself is said to be named after King Gangsen of the Sen Dynasty. From 1704 AD to 1892, the Kosi river with its diverse courses remained striding the areas right from Forbisganj to Chandeli Karamchand and Raghuvansha Nagar & thereafter submerging itself into the Ganges at Kursela. As Madhepura stands at the centre of Kosi ravine, it was called Madhyapura- a place centrally situated which was subsequently transformed as Madhipura into present Madhepura. Another view is also there as to its naming as the area is said to have been inhabited by the bulk of Madhavas - clan of Lord Krishna. It was termed as Madhavpur which gradually became Madhavpur into Madhepura. (Extracted from Brihad Hindi Kosh, 5th Edition, Page- 887). In ancient times, Madhepura remained a part of Anga Desh
Anga desh
Anga Desh , or Ang Pradesh exists from very ancient time of Indian History since during 600 BC or even from earlier time. - Geographical Area:Anga Desh consists of the following districts:Eastern Bihar:-Bhagalpur-Munger-Banga...
. It was also governed by Maurya, Sunga, Kanva and Kushan dynasties. It was a part of Mithila province during Gupta Dynasty. The Mauryan Pillar discovered at Kishunganj bears testimony to it. Madhepura remained under the dominance of Bihar rulers during Rajput rule. Present Raibhir village under Singheshwar block was a stronghold of Bhars.
During Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
period Madhepura remained under Sarkar Tirhut. A mosque of the time of Akbar is still present in Sarsandi village under Uda-Kishunganj. Sikander Sah had also visited the district, which is evident from the coins discovered from Sahugarh village
Madhepura and River Kosi
As such Madhepura district stands on the heaps of ravages caused by the mythological river Kosi originating at a height of 5400 meters in the Himalayas and crossing TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
reaching plains at Chatra in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the border of Madhubani & Darbhanga and flowing through Supaul & Saharsa negotiates with the Ganges near Kursela covering 254 km. The legend has it that Satyavati, the young sister of Vishwamitra, after being widowed at the demise of her old husband Richik reached heaven and appeared on the earth in the form of struggling and ravaging Kosi river, popularly known as the 'sorrow of Bihar'. (Extracted from Shaiv Avdharna Aur Singheshwar Asthan - Written by Harishankar Shrivastava 'Salav' & Dainik Jagran, Bhagalpur, Nagar Sanskaran, dated 30 July 2003).
Facing the onslaughts of the Kosi river, the history of Madhepura is replete with tales of owes, sorrow and sufferings. Since time immemorial, it has seen several ups and downs perpetuated by Kosi in the form of flood, famine and drought. Floods and droughts have remained the regular feature of the area so much so that the then government had to shift the court and the sub-divisional headquarters from Madhepura to Supaul from 1935 to 1938.
Religious connections
The place has remained the meditation ground of Lord Shiva and other Gods. Sri Hari Shankar Shrivastav 'Salav', a distinguished historian, finds the area of Madhepura part of Singheshwar as the place of adoration and experiment of Vivandak and his son Rishya Shringa. The name of village Satokhar standing on the western embankment of one of the tributaries of Kosi west of Singheshwar at a distance of 5 km has been derived from Sanskrit word Sapta Pokhar - Seven Ponds, said to have been created 'Yajna Shala' by Rishi Shring for Putreshthi Yajna (Sacrificial ceremony for a son's birth). Rishi Shring at the request of his wife Santa, the adopted daughter of Rompad, agreed and performed the Yajna to precipitate God to bless King Dashratha with sons. Consequently, the wives of Dashratha were impregnated after taking medicated Khir prepared by Rishi Shring and their sons RamRama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, Bharat
Bharata (Ramayana)
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
& Shatrughan were born one after the other. The Bharat Puran also refers to Singheshwar as Sringeshwar. The area has been identified as Rishi Shring Ashram during Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
period, its vicinity being surrounded by jungle inhabited by deer, leopards, bears, etc. King Yudhishthir is said to have visited the place along with Rishi Lomus during Mahabharat period.
Sheet and Basant both rulers of Kushan dynasty inhabited in this area. The fort of Sheet was located at present Kadamma whereas the fort of Basant was located at present Basantpur, a village under Singheshwar block. Ruins and remains of those forts are still visible. Sri Nagar, a village under Ghailarh block recently carved out of Madhepura block situated at a distance of 22 kilometres west of Madhepura town also present the remains of the two forts of King Sri Deva.
Philanthropy
Post independence, Madhepura has witnessed several philanthropic activities by its sons. One of the prominent examples can be seen in the village of Rajni Bhavangama of Bihariganj Block of Udakishanganj Sub-Division where several bighas of lands for Primary Health Center, Middle School, Bhola Paswan Shastri College had been donated by Late Mahavir Lal Das and his wife Late Sumena Devi.Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Madhepura had a population of 45,015. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Madhepura has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 71%, and female literacy is 51%. In Madhepura, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Educational institutions
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