Bhagalpur Travel Guide
The leavening brush of India’s
ancient history exerts everywhere in Bihar. Bhagalpur today is a
silent town, a low key destination, if at all it finds a mention in
the tourist map. Amidst its bluntness one can feel the past resonating
here. After all, it ranked among the six best Indian cities at one
time.
¤ Legend Associates
Legend, buttressed by a little hard evidence, has it that today’s
Bhagalpur was the Champavati of fifth century B.C. It was a period
when India’s earliest Indian empire was evolving around the
Gangetic plains and Anga was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas (great
states) that flourished. Champavati, the capital of Anga was also
referred to by other ancient names like Malini, Champapuri, champa
Malini, Kala Malini among others.
Athra Veda depicts Anga as an unholy place while Karna Parva condemns
Anga as the land where wives and children were sold. However, at other
places Mahabharat attests to the people of Anga as Sujati (noble
birth) and proclaims the sanctity of Champa as a tirtha (place of
pilgrimage).The epic attributes the foundation of this kingdom to a
prince named Anga. Ramayana, however relates a romantic origin by way
of Madana (Kamadeva or the Love God) cutting off his anga (body) in
this region, out of sheer frustration at Siva’s anger.
¤ Champa Region
Champa, at the confluence of Ganges traces its origin to the
neolithic age when it was lucrative enough for the early settlers to
inhibit the region. Ancient history accounts for no less than 25 kings
who ruled Anga before the Mahabharat war. One such king was Lomapada,
a contemporary and friend of Raja Dasratha, who was invited to witness
the Ashwamedha sacrifice at Ayodhya. He is believed to have averted a
severe famine by performing a sacrifice in conjunction with the sage,
Rsyasringa. The last among these kings was Karna, the illegitimate son
of Kunti who fought the great war as the commander-in-chief of the
Kaurava army, supporting the cause of his mentor, Duryodhana. Various
legends are still attributed to the might of Karna. The pandavas
dubbed Karna as a low born which enraged him and he first encountered
Arjuna in a duel over the acquisition of Draupdi during her
svayambara.
The past seems to be hazy in the post war phase and accounts for
three last kings of independent Anga before it fizzes out of history.
It was the age of Buddha when Brahmadatta, the last independent king
of Anga was killed by Bimbisara who not only avenged his father’s
defeat, regained Magadh but also conquered and annexed this
neighbouring kingdom. Bimbisara resided at Champa as Viceroy and later
his son Ajtsatru was so enamoured by the beauty of this vanquished
city that he shifted his scapital from Rajgir to Champa when he
ascended the thron. Later, when Magadhans picked up a quarrel with
Vaishali they strengthened Pataliputra and made it their new capital.
Champa was a fertile ground for the spread of both, Jainism and
Buddhism. The 12th Jain Tirthankar, Vasupujya was born here and he
spent his life preaching the doctrines of Jainissm. Mahavira spent
three parjjusanas ( rainy seasons) here and the first female convert
to Jainism after his Kevalship (enlightenment) was a princess from
Champa named Chandana.Sudharman, one of the select eleven disciples of
Mahavira who later succeeded the Jain order, was a native of this city
and highly venerated. Ajatsatru went barefoot beyond and city gates to
receive him. Buddha too frequented this place and made numerous
converts. He offered several sermons here, including one on Dana
(charity). It was here that the Buddha was compelled to prescribe the
use of slippers by the monks.
Ashoka’s mother, Subhadrangi, belonged to Champa and he
stationed his son, Mahendra as the Magadhan governor of this
provincial city which continued to prosper despite dynastic changes.
The glory was once again revived by the Pala kings of Bengal (8-12th
century) who not only strengthened the Buddhist cause but have left
behind a distinct stamp on the art form of the period. The Palas are
further credited with the creation of Vikramsila university.
¤ Champanagar Attractions
The great mound in the heart of Champanagar, surrounded by a moat
does not arouse curiosity in absence of lofty structures but
excavations in and around the site reveal the traces of fortified
complex besides an abundance of North Black Polished wares.
Archaeologists have ascertained that the rampart was made of rammed
earth was later (2nd century B.C.) rivetted with burnt bricks. The
mound referred to as Kamgarh or the palace of Raja Karn was overgrown
with Jungles until Augustus Cleveland, the first collector of the
region, got it cleared for hill rangers. Today this elevated ground
houses a century old Sanskrit school beside a famous Manskamna Nath
Mandir in the corner while the vast field continues to be the
playground of the freshly recruited policemen.
On the other end of Karngarh is Ayurvedic college, a Catholic Church
and other intitutions. Down the road is the Royal bridge, remisniscent
of the Mughal forces who marched along this old road, Akbar camped
here twice in 1575 but later the place was written off as the
headquarter of the imperial faujdars (military governors). The Maratha
forces on their way to Bengal in 1743 were confused at Bhagalpur and
had to pay a hefty amount for seeking guidance and shortcuts to their
destination. At the close of 18th century, Bhagalpur was reduced to a
mere pargana in the Monghyr sarkar.
A mile from the Karngarh mound we find four elevations which are
believed to have served as observation towers of the fort. In the NE
is Tilhakothi, the hillock which impressed Collector Cleveland so much
that he erected his residence here. SE of the mound is Shah Janghi in
Nathangar with a shrine on the top with a long picturesque Idgah
facing the tank below. SW of the city was fortified by mud walls
stretching from Bhim Kitta to Shah Janghi while NW elevation on the
river side houses a seventeenth centrury tomb. Little is known about
the person who is buried here in Champanagar but the inscription
suggests its construction in 1622/23 by Khawaja Ahmed Samarkhandi. The
tomb, often referred to as the dargah of Makhdoom Saheb features a
typical Bengali roof.
A Commercial Site
History accounts for Champa as flourishing port city and its
maritime glory continued till the days of the Raj. There are numerous
references to merchant boats and missionary monks sailing from Champa
to far off places like Suvannadipa (S.E.Asia). Emigrants from Champa
to Cochin China are believed to have named their new settlements after
this famous port city. Kalidasa refers to the ripples of the Malaini
river on the banks of which Sakuntala came with her friends. During
medieval days Bhagalpur swords were in great demand as they were noted
for their sharpness and durability. European traders in India often
turned to Bhagalpur which was famous for trade in cloth that fetched
high value in Europe. Even today tussar (coarse silk) is manufactured
and traded here. In the last quarter of the 18th centrury, Bhagalpur
was popular with the European indigo planters who acquired extensive
landed properties ranging from 5 bighas to 281 bighas. Bishop Heber,
who visited Bhagalpur in 1829, observed that the city is in a pretty
situation and said to be one of the healthiest stations in India.
Fa- Hien on his way back to China via the port city of Champa
mentions seeing Stupas, Viharas and Buddhist monks. Huen Tsang refers
to this place as Chen-Po and accounts for various Viharas in ruins. He
further adds to the fertility of the soil and praises the people for
their simplicity, honesty and good manners.
Bhagalpur--As An Important Destination in Medieval History
Bhagalpur, being an important junction between Delhi and Bengal,
continued to be a popular destination throughout the medieval history.
However,the fate of the city swayed between the fortunes of the kings
of Delhi and the rulers of Bengal. Various grandees passed by this
important city and have left their mark. During the Tughlaq period it
was a mint town and was greatly partronised by the Mughals. A number
of educational institutions were popular in medieval Bhagalpur.
Jehangir awarded jagirs for the upkeep of a resident madarsa founded
by Maulana Shahbaz, a scholar and a saint who was an authourity on
Mohammadan law and tradition.
Khanqah-i-Shahbazia--An Institutation
Khanqah-i-Shahbazia was a highly reputed institution with a rich
library and a rallying centre for scholars and men of learning. One of
the five jurists invited by Aurangzeb for the compilation of his
famous Fatwa-i-Alamgiri was Mir Muhammad Raadhi from Bhagalpur. In
1669 he received a daily allowance of three rupees and was later
raised to the rank of an Amir. Sheikh Nizam, another noted theologian
of his times was also welcomed to the Mughal court.
Khangah-i-Shahbazia, Mullachak, adjoining the Bhagalpur Railway
Station continues to be a flourishing seminary under the care of the
13th generation of the descendants of Maulana Shahbaz. The Sajjadah
Nashin (direct descendent) is supposed to spend his life within the
boundries of the Khangah. He leads the prayer, takes care of the
various charitable projects and indulges in spiritual services.
According to tradition they are exempted from appearance in any court
of law.
A visit to the Khangah springs a number of surprises like the oldest
mosque in Bhagalpur wrapped in black dome. The typical Bengali roof
over the medieval tombs houses the Kadam-i-Rasool (foot print of the
prophet) and other memorabilia dating back to the medieval days. The
library of the Khangah is rich in Arabic and Persian theological
works, which includes hand written books dating back to the days of
Maulana Shahbaz. One of the prized collection of the library includes
the Holy Quran transcribed by Murshid Quli Khan, the Nawab of
Murshidabad who was fond of donating his works to various Khangahs and
even setting aside an allowance for their daily broadcast.
¤ The Attractions of Diverse Monuments
Bhagalpur continues to be reasonably rich in monuments. Unlike the
black domes of Shahi Mosque at Mullachak, the 15th century Bikanpur
mosque is sparkling white and so is the medieval Khaligabagh mosque.
At Khanjarpur, one is greeted with the grand tomb of Ibrahim Hussain
Khan, rated, rated as the best Muslim monument in North Biha. Kuppa
Ghat or Mehi Ashram by the river side is an ideal place to spend the
evening. The ashram hides an old subterranean passage leading to
various destinations (they are open to visitors but only when
accompanied by an attendant).
¤ City Attractions
Within the city one can visit Karngarh and the four hillocks,
attractive Jain temples, a Christ Church near the city tower and an
old symmetry in a very ruined shape, Bhagalpur museum besides Burh
Nath temple on the riverside in Jogsar Mohallah. Bhagalpur is equally
famous for Visharhi Asthan, the venue for the Bihula or the Mansa Puja
held every July when the snakes are worshipped. A little distance from
the Visharhi Asthan temple lies the colourful Durga Asthan. Next door
is the Mahashay Deori-a typical Thakur Bari. Mahashay was the
honorific hereditary title given by Akbar in 1664 to Sri Ram Ghosh,
the collector. The Mahashay deori is worth a visit. It revives the
memory of a typical Mughal Zamindar’s residence of deori replete
with open court yard, a temple with a strange deity called Batuk
Bhairab ( Possibly a Buddhist image) which was discovered by the early
Mahashays at Tilhakothi where they used to live during the Mughal
days.
¤ Around Bhagalpur
Sultanganj (25 km) is a real celebration of natural splendour that
thrills our visual sense. Imagine a hill by the bank of the river
capped by a mosque while another rocky elevation in the midst of water
riddled with temples of Shiva, referred to as Ajagaibinatha. The
legend of Ajagaibinatha is associated with Baba Harinath a regular
visitor and fervent devotee of Shiva. On his way to Deogarh, he once
emptied his pot of water to quench the thirst of a dying man. He was
left with no water for Shiva at Deoghar. Consequently, he was
returning to Sultanganj when he heard a voice telling him that Shiva
was pleased by his devotion and he could now worship him at Sultanganj
as well.
The panorama can best be summed up in words of Abdul Latif, the
Mughal Diwan of Bengal who passed by Sultanganj in 1608. He records, "It
has two hillocks, one in the midst of the river and other on the bank,
facing each other, so that there are few places on earth equalling it
in airiness. How can I describe the moonlit nights, which exhilarate
the spirit and freshen the life of man."
If it is monsoon, it is time for the Shravani mela when Sultanganj is
well flooded by the flow of pilgrims and the extra dash of water calls
for the small boats to reach the temples high on hillock. The devotees
of Siva gather here to collect the holy water (called Uttarbahini or
where the Ganges run towards north, instead of usual south) to be
poured on the various Shivlings at Vasukinatha and Baidyanath Dham.
Between the two hills there are smaller granite formations with a
number of interesting Gupta period carvings that are exclusive to
Bhagalpur. These artistic etchings on the rock depict a variety of
Hindu divinites, besides Buddha and Mahavira.
Sultanganj shot to fame in 1861 when a railway engineer, during the
construction of railway track between Calcutta and Varanasi, stumbled
upon a stupa that yielded a mighty bronze statue of Buddha in Abhaya
mudra. The seven feet high bronze dating back to fifth century is now
in Birmingham city museum.
Mandar Hills
Mandar Hills (50 km), steeped in legend and laced with landscape of
extraordinary splendour exposes the 800 feet high granite hill. Mandar
is associated with amritmanthana which suggests that the hill was used
by the gods to churn the ocean to procure amrit. The serpent,
Basukinaga offered to serve as the rope and has left behind an
impression of the coil on the granite hill. It is believed that
panchjanya, the conch shell used in Mahabharat War was discovered here
in the Sank kund. The puranas refer to various sacred places on the
hill which is also believed to be the abode of Vishnu under the title
of Madhusudana or the destroyer of a demon called Madhu who was killed
by Vishnu and then covered by the Mandar hill. Kalidasa’s
kumarasamahava refers to foot marks of Vishnu on the slopes of Mandar.
The hill is replete with relics of bygone ages. Besides inscriptions
and statues there are numerous rock cut sculptures depicting various
Brahmanical images. The hill is equally revered by the Jains who
believe that their 12th Tirthankara attained nirvana here on the
summit of the hill.
Kahalgaon
Kahalgaon (32 km) is made up of three small islands associated with
Jahnu Rishi’s legend associated with the swallowing of the Ganges
when his meditation was interrupted by the rush of water. Later he
released the Ganges through an incision on his thigh at the
intercession of Raja Bhagiratha. Since then the river changed its
course and started flowing from south to north. An incomplete and
unusual rock cut temple worked out on a single granite boulder is of
great interest as such a similar monolithic temple is not to be seen
elsewhere in Bihar. Kahalgaon is the place to watch the dolphins at
play around these islands.
North East of Kahalgaon is Bateshwar Asthan famous for 7th century
rock sculptures referred to as Chaurasi Muni (84 sages). They depict
various scenes from Ramayana.
Mahamud Shah, the last independent king of Bengal died here in 1539.
Kahalgaon is one of the oldest religious and trade centre in Bhagalpur
commanding a picturesque view. Mrs. Warren Hastings cruised to
Bhagalpur from Calcutta and her boat almost capsized near the
Kahalgaon hills.
¤ Resources
Bhagalpur is 223 km from Patna and well connected by train.
Bhagalpur silk is best purchased at Nathnagar.
¤ The Royal University of Vikramsila
The royal university of Vikramsila, 38 km from Bhagalpur ranks next to
Nalanda and owes its origin to Dharmapala (770-810 A.D.), the devout
Pala king who loved to call himself Paramasaugata (chief worshipper of
the Buddha)and was a great patron of Mahayana Buddhism.
Dharmapala was impressed by two things which prompted him to
establish Vikramsila university. Firstly, the rocky hillock anchored
around the confluence of Kosi and Ganga at Vateshwarasthan was not
only a scenic attraction but a popular tantric site as evident from
the presence of a Kali temple (instead of Parvati’s) in front of
Shiva temple, besides various other caves and rock cut sculptures
dating back to the 6\7th century A.D. Secondly, the place was
associated with pilgrimage due to Uttarbahini which drew large crowds
during Varsavardhana.
Unlike Nalanda, sources of information on Vikramsila is confined to
Tibetan texts and they make us believe that Dharmapala in his earlier
birth was an accomplished acharya, Kampilya, who had attained siddhi
or perfection in Mahayana mudra mysticism here and was determined to
build a monastery one day.
¤ Excavations at Antichak
Excavations at village Antichak have exposed a Chaitya complex with
two terraces replete with interesting terracotta panels depicting the
numerous tantric symbols. The Chaitya was possibly the central venue
of the ancient seat of learning and was surrounded on all sides by a
stretch of monastic cells. The university, surrounded by lofty walls
was guarded bay six dwarpandiths who regulated the entry of students
to six different faculties each having 108 professors. A dwarpandith
translates to a gatekeeper but it was a post of high distinction and
he was a scholar of repute who subjected the entrants to a severe
examination. Adjacent to the university stood a Dharmasala to take
care of strangers arriving at odd hours.
¤ Academic Organisation of Vikramsila
The academic organisation of Vikramsila was quite high and the
administrative infrastructure was more or less similar to that of
Nalanda and so was the curriculum except for greater emphasis on
Tantric studies. Buddhism with all its ramification, formed the core
of syllabus. Being a royal university the diploma and titles were
conferred by the king himself who wrote off lofty sums for the upkeep
of the university. There are references to Abbots and professors from
Vikramsila who supervised the affairs of Naland and visited the older
institution.
Among the scholars of Vikramsila, the name of Atisa Dipankar is most
prominent. His portrait not only adorned the university entrance but
was widely known in Ceylon, Sumatra and Tibet where he was revered as
an incarnation of Buddha. Author of more than 200 books, Atisa twice
refused to go to Tibet but he consented at the third invitation from
the Tibetan king and left for alien land along with his select
Buddhism by promoting Lamaism.
The university took off with 200 monks and it was a splendid start
which was soon famous for its disciplined life, high standards of
morality, and administrative excellence. Gradually the number of
students expanded and efforts were made to accommodate a congregation
as large as 8000. He heard of Tibetan monks pouring in heavy numbers
which required a separate hostel for their residence that was
supported by funds from the Tibetan king.
Buddha’s religion by 10th century had come a long way and had
gradually lost its original shape. High ideals of salvation and
universal love for manking had yielded to gross superstitions,
esoteric and immoral practices by imbibing the tantrism. The cult came
to be stigmatised as libidinous phallic necromancy and people thought
that these were the easiest means of attaining emancipation. Various
forms of mysticism like Tantrayana and Vajrayana sprang up and gave
rise to numerous Buddhist deities that went parallel to Brahmanical
pantheon. The resulting melee and the struggle belween Buddhists and
non Buddhists proved a knell for the university as well as the
religious order. Imagine the use of Buddhist deities like Mahakala and
Tara as substitutes for bricks in raising the walls of the university
at a later period !
Following Atisa’s departure to Tibet, Vikramsila’s downfall
gained momentum at the hand of tantrics who indulged in orgies and
debauchery. Women could be freely initiated in the tantric rituals and
strange practices of the worship of female organs was initiated in the
university which was no longer confined to scholars but attracted all
fun seeking princes, nobles and businessmen. Tibetan chroniclers
account for tantric acharyas in Vikramsila who had over 500 consorts
and the produced strange elixirs. Excavations have revealed
underground cellas that were used for esoteric practices. Moreover,
the university had become a rich vault of gold brought in by the
Tibetans which sparked off trouble and next we hear of troops
converting the monastery into a mini fortress and finally the fate of
Vikramsila was sealed forever by the Turks who introduced the torch of
wanton destruction.
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