Madhubani district

History

Madhubani became a district in 1972 when it was split from Darbhanga district. It is believed that Baliraajgadh, an archaeological site which lies in modern-day Madhubani district was the capital of the ancient Mithila Kingdom. In 2019 a meteorite fell at a farm in Mahadeva village in the district, and was later named as Mahadeva Meteorite.

Geography

Madhubani district occupies an area of 3501 km2, comparatively equivalent to the Bahamas' North Andros island. It occupies the Terai region.

Politics

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Economy

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Madhubani one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 38 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme. But in last few years there a lot of changes happened. This city is going to adopt urbanisation.

Places

Saurath, a road side village on Madhubani-Jainagar road, contains a temple known as Somnath Mahadev. It owes its importance to the annual Sabha held by Maithili Brahmins for negotiating marriages. Many Panjikars who keep the genealogical records of the different families reside here and outside. The festival of Durga Puja takes place in the village Gandhwari.

Laukaha is a Town in the district of Madhubani in the Indian state of Bihar. It is close to the border of Nepalese town of Thadi. Laukaha in India and Thadi in Nepal are a part of one of the agreed route for Mutual Trade between India and Nepal. Nepal Government of Nepal has set up a dedicated customs office in the town. and Government of India has set up a Land Customs Station with a Superintendent level officer. So in simple Import and Export are allowed in this location.

There were several Ashramas of the prominent Vedic sages in the region of the Madhubani district during the ancient times. Some of them are Yajnavalkya Ashram at Jagban, Kapil Ashram at Kapileshwar Sthan, Vishwamitra Ashram at Bisaul and Shringi Rishi Ashram at Singiya. Similarly there are several locations in the district which are associated either with Ramayana or with Mahabharata. Girija Devi Mandir at Phulhar is the place where it is believed that Lord Rama and Goddess Sita met each other first time in their lives. Gandiveshwar Sthan is believed to be the place where Arjuna in Mahabharata hid his famous Gandiva bow during the exile period of the Pandavas. Baneshwar Sthan at Barri village is believed to be the place where Arjuna established a Shivalinga known as Baneshwar Nath Mahadev. Similarly Kalyaneshwar Mahadev Mandir at Kalna is associated with Ramayana. It is believed that the Shivalinga of the temple was established by the King Janaka in Mithila.

In the mediaeval periods, some villages of the district were known for the study of Sanskrit literature, Indian Philosophy specially Nyaya Shastra and Vaisheshika Sutra. There are still some remains of the academies established by the prominent philosophers and scholars of the mediaeval periods at different villages in the district. They are Kalidas Dih, Vachaspati Mishra Dih, Ayachi Mishra Dih, Kumarila Bhatta Dih, Bisfi Vidyapati Dih and Musaharniya Dih, etc.

Culture

Main article: Madhubani art

Madhubani art or Mithila painting was traditionally created by the women of various communities in Mithila region of India and Nepal. It originated from Madhubani district of Mithila region of Bihar, and, it is popularly called Mithila painting or Madhubani art. Madhubani is also a major export centre of these paintings. This painting as a form of wall art was practiced widely throughout the region; the more recent development of painting on paper and canvas mainly originated among the villages around Madhubani, and it is these latter developments led to the name Madhubani art being used alongside the name "Mithila Painting."

Subdivisions

Madhubani District consists of five subdivisions. Each subdivision is headed by a subdivisional magistrate, who is responsible for law and order, development, and revenue related work in their respective subdivisions.

1. Madhubani Sadar
2. Benipatti
3. Jhanjarpur
4. Phulparas
5. Jainagar

Blocks and circles

There are 21 blocks and circles in the district and each block is headed by a block development officer and each circle is headed by a circle officer.

1. Rahika
2. Pandaul
3. Rajnagar
4. Babubarhi
5. Kaluahi
6. Khjauli
7. Jainagar
8. Ladania
9. Basopatti
10. Benipatti
11. Bisfi
12. Harlakhi
13. Madhwapur
14. Jhanjarpur
15. Andhrathadi
16. Lakhnaur
17. Madhepur
18. Phulparas
19. Ghoghardiha
20. Khutauna
21. Laukahi

Demographics

According to the 2011 Indian census, Madhubani district has a population of 4,487,379, This gives it a ranking of 37th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 1282 PD/sqkm. Its population growth rate from 2001 to 2011 was 25.51%. Madhubani has a sex ratio of 926 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 58.62%. 3.60% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 13.08% and 0.09% of the population respectively.

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 84.07% of the population in the district spoke Maithili, 12.86% Urdu and 2.92% Hindi as their first language.

References

References

1. "Bihar Economic Survey 2022-23".
2. Law, Gwillim. (2011-09-25). "Districts of India". Statoids.
3. "News18 इंडिया: Hindi News, Latest News in Hindi, Breaking News in Hindi".
4. (2019-07-24). "Suspected meteorite chunk lands in Bihar's Madhubani district".
5. (2010). "India 2010: A Reference Annual". Additional Director General, Publications Division, [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)]], [[Government of India]].
6. (1998-02-18). "Island Directory Tables: Islands by Land Area". [[United Nations Environment Program]].
7. Ministry of Panchayati Raj. (8 September 2009). "A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme". National Institute of Rural Development.
8. ":::Welcome to Madhubani, Bihar:::".
9. "India Nepal Trade Agreement. India-Nepal Foreign Treaty of Trade Agreement.".
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11. "No. {{!".
12. "History {{!}} District Court, Madhubani {{!}} India".
13. "फुलहर व कल्याणेश्वर स्थान होंगे पर्यटन स्थल के रूप में विकसित - Phulhar and Kalyaneshwar places will be developed as tourist places - Bihar Madhubani General News".
14. "बिहार में इस जगह पर अर्जुन ने अज्ञातवास के दौरान छिपाया था अपना गांडीव, यह स्थल आज देश-दुनिया की नजरों से ओझल - At this place in Bihar Arjun had hidden his Gandiv during his exile this place is lost from the eyes of the country and the world today".
15. "बिहार में इस जगह महाभारत के अर्जुन ने बाण से प्रकट की थी गंगा, जानिए आज उसका हाल - At this place in Bihar Arjuna of Mahabharata had revealed the Ganges with arrows know his condition today".
16. (2024-06-16). "राज्य की रक्षा को लेकर राजा जनक के पिता ने लिया था ये फैसला, अनोखी है कहानी".
17. (2014-08-01). "111 feet Vidyapati statue to come up at Bisfi in Madhubani district". The Times of India.
18. "उत्तर बिहार में पुरातात्विक स्थलों पर अतिक्रमण और अवैध निर्माण, मिट रही पहचान - Encroachment and illegal construction on archaeological sites in North Bihar".
19. "बिहार के मधुबनी में महाकवि कालिदास को मां भगवती से मिला था ज्ञान का वरदान - Mahakavi Kalidas got the gift of knowledge from mother Bhagwati in Madhubani of Bihar".
20. "राजकीय वाचस्पति स्मृति पर्व समारोह की सभी तैयारी पूरी -".
21. "कुमारिल भट्ट डीह को मिलेगा पर्यटन केंद्र का दर्जा - Kumaril Bhatt Dih will get tourism center status - Bihar Madhubani General News".
22. "CM hails Ayachi study model". The Telegraph online.
23. (2003). "Madhubani Painting". Abhinav Publications.
24. (30 September 2017). "Madhubani Painting". Abhinav Publications.
25. Carolyn Brown Heinz, 2006, "Documenting the Image in Mithila Art," Visual Anthropology Review, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 5-33
26. "Subdivision {{!}} Madhubani Administration".
27. "Blocks and Circles {{!}} Madhubani Administration".
28. "Table A-02 Decadal Variation in Population Since 1901: Bihar". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
29. (2011). "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Bihar". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
30. (2011). "District Census Handbook: Madhubani". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
31. (2011). "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Bihar". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].