Bhagalpur Travel Essentials

Rating:

 
3.0 /5 (20 ratings) Rate This Destination

Weather:

Ideal duration: 1-2 days

Best Time: November to Mid March Read More

Planning a Trip? Ask Your Question

"The Silk City of Bihar"

Bhagalpur Tourism

This historically significant city of Bhagalpur lies on the southern banks of the river Ganges. Bhagalpur, also known as the silk city, it is the 3rd largest city of Bihar. Bhagalpur is well known for being a major educational centre, apart from being the commercial and political centre. The city nurtures the species of National Aquatic Animal of India, the Gangetic Dolphins with the help of the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary. The city’s history submerges in various Mythologies, and the line between them is blurred than any normal instance, making it a fascination to be explored.

Bhagalpur City is located at a distance of about 250 km to the east of Patna, the state capital of Bihar. The most commonly spoken language in Bhagalpur is Angika and Hindi, which are also the official languages of the region. With a fast pace of developments, Bhagalpur is on the way to become a Smart City.  

Top Hotels In Bhagalpur

More on Bhagalpur Travel

History

The History of Bhagalpur starts to unfold from the times of the Sanskrit kingdom of Anga. It is believed that Karna of Mahabharata once ruled Bhagalpur, and later included in the Magadha Kingdom. Bhagalpur has Historical evidence from the period of Ashoka’s Empire with some Caves found in Sultangunj, 20 km from the city of Bhagalpur towards the west. These caves date back to some time between 274 BC and 232 BC. A temple which still exists in Bhagalpur city dates back to the period of the Gupta Dynasty. Bhagalpur was mentioned to be one of the largest trading centres by the Chinese Travellers Faxian and Xuanzang. The Champanala which was formerly known as Champanagar during that era had a Harbour. Boats and coins belonging to the Middle East and the Far East were discovered on the region in an excavation of the 1970s. The Vikramshila Mahavihara was a royal university ranked second only to Nalanda, existed at a distance of 44 km from Bhagalpur city.

The Ancient Ruins of the University that have survived owe the existence to Dharmapala. The region of Bhagalpur served as a centre for Buddhism to flourish during the Medieval ages. Bhagalpur in its course of time was by Akbar and made it a part of the Delhi Empire, and it was later passed to the East India Company by Shah Alam II. Bhagalpur turned out to be a pivotal Trade Centre in the Bengal Province. One of the Darkest memories of the History of Bhagalpur is the 1989 Bhagalpur Violence between the Hindu and the Muslim communities, which was a result of a bombing amidst a Hindu Religious Procession. The clashes of 1989 took lives of more than 1000 people out of which most lives were of the Muslims. Over the following weeks, the region saw burning villages and Mass killings that caused huge loss of lives.

Mythology

Bhagalpur has been used in one too many mythological references in due course of time. Bhagalpur got its name as per one such Mythological reference where it is said to be the derivative of the name Bhagdatpuram which means the City of Good Luck. The Name Bhagdatpuram is believed to have been given to the region which is now Bhagalpur as it was the land of the flourishing Anga kingdom. According to a mythological text, Bhagalpur was the place where Samudra Manthan took place, and the Devatas and the Asuras churned the ocean of milk using Mount Mandara to obtain Elixir.

The Serpent King Vasuki is said to have offered himself to be used as a rope to churn the ocean of milk and the faint impressions of a coil on the Granite hill Mandara located on the way from Bhagalpur to Dumka stand as a proof of this story. One of the Purana says that Lord Vishnu Defeated the demon Madhu and placed the hill which is now known as Mandara, over him. The conch shell, Panchajanya, which marked the start of the war of Mahabharata is believed to have been obtained from the Shankha Kunda. Kalidasa refers to Vishnu’s foot marks on Mount Mandara in his epic Kumarasambhava. The Hill happens to have numerous sculptures of Hindu Gods cut into its Rocks. A belief among the Jains depicts that the 12th Tirthankara, Vasupujya attained Nirvana at the peak of the same hill.

Best Time to Visit Bhagalpur

How to Reach Bhagalpur

How to Reach Overview

Bhagalpur is well connected to major cities of India via Road and Railway lines. The nearest airport is in Patna which has regular flights connecting the whole country. Transportation in the Bhagalpur city and around it is made easy by the auto rickshaws, taxis and local buses.

How to reach Bhagalpur by road

Bhagalpur is well connected to major cities such as Patna, Kolkata, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Munger, Gaya etc. by many National and State Highways.

How to reach Bhagalpur by train

Bhagalpur can be reached easily via train to the Bhagalpur Junction Railway Station (BGP). There are more than 50 pairs that stop at this station making it the 3rd busiest Railway station in Bihar. Bhagalpur is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ajmer, Kanpur, Patna, Guwahati, Surat, and Munger among the major cities.

Bhagalpur Photos

Bhagalpur

FAQs on Bhagalpur

What is the best time to visit Bhagalpur?

The best time to visit Bhagalpur would be from the early winters in November to mid of March. The temperature stays below 24ºC during this time and deems comfortable for travellers compared to the hot summer. The highest temperatures are reached during June and can reach up to 44ºC. The nights during winter can also be harsh sometimes with temperatures reaching as low as 6ºC.

Read More

What is the best way to reach Bhagalpur?

Bhagalpur is well connected to major cities of India via Road and Railway lines. The nearest airport is in Patna which has regular flights connecting the whole country. Transportation in the Bhagalpur city and around it is made easy by the auto rickshaws, taxis and local buses.

Read More

What are the things to do in Bhagalpur?

The top things to do in Bhagalpur are Vikramshila, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, Mandar Parvat, Kuppaghat Ashram, Ajgaivinath Temple, Budhanath Temple. You can see all the places to visit in Bhagalpur here

What are the places near Bhagalpur?

The top places near to Bhagalpur are Gangtok which is 274 km from Bhagalpur, Darjeeling which is located 227 km from Bhagalpur, Janakpur which is located 185 km from Bhagalpur, Kolkata which is located 339 km from Bhagalpur, Nalanda which is located 155 km from Bhagalpur

Have a Question on Bhagalpur?

Ask a question from the travellers who have
experience.

Bhagalpur Reviews

Your rating
See 16 Hotels