MONGHYR
Munger or Monghyr [both:
mung´gir] is situated on the bank of Ganges River.
It is a district administrative center and a grain market.
The city has one of India's largest cigarette factories
and a firearms industry that dates back to the 18th cent.
Munger is famous for its goldsmiths and silversmiths.
HISTORY
The little town has nothing to show today for its long history
except a Mughal fort and a temple, but it was once the capital
of the ancient Anga kingdom. The British conquered Bihar
in the battle of Buxar, which is nearby.
According to tradition the city was founded during the Gupta
dynasty (c.320–545 B.C.). The Muslim leader Mir Kasim
Ali used Munger as a base during his war against the British
in 1764.
The history of Monghyr is, in fact, a chronology of battles.
It begins with the Mahabharata that records the encounter
of Bhim with the ruler of Modagiri (Monghyr's ancient name
as mentioned in the Mahabharata) and concludes with the
defeat of Nawab Mir Qasim in 1763 at the hands of the East
India Company. In between, the pages of history of Monghyr
are riddled with rebellions, sieges and battles fought between
Palas, Pratiharas, Turks, Mughals, Afghans, Marathas and
the English.
When history is not in sharp
focus, it gets besmirched with countless tales and traditions.
True, they confuse us but certainly, they entertain us.
Historians differ on the origin of the ancient fort of Modagiri.
Some of them make us believe that Jarasanda, the king of
Magadha established his capital here as well and confined
thousands of Indian princes on the hills of Nauyagarhi,
whom he wanted to sacrifice in order to appease the gods!
Another account links the fort to Raja Karna of Anga who
established this capital which still retains the name of
Karanchaura where he used to meditate and distribute tons
of gold in charity. Some historians stand by Chandragupta
as the founder of Monghyr, which was called as Gupta Garh
- a name that has been found inscribed on a rock here. Buddhist
tradition refers to Monghyr as Maudgolyagiri, named after
a rich merchant - Maudgala who was converted by Buddha to
his religious order. Ramayana too is replete with references
to Monghyr.
Rampala, a frustrated and helpless Pala king, drowned himself
in the Ganga at Monghyr in 1130 AD. During these four centuries
of Pala rule, Monghyr was their playground. The Pala sculptors
fully used the black basalt from the Kharagpur hills to
create numerous beautiful pieces. Much later in 1643 the
masnad (throne) of the Nawab of Bengal was chiselled in
Monghyr.
Humayun and Sher Shah Suri criss-crossed
Monghyr several times in the course of their decisive battles.
In fact, Sher Shah loved Monghyr because of his early success
here which later paved his way to the throne of Delhi. He
was once wandering here in disguise when a milk woman offered
him refreshment. Pleased with her services, he acceded to
her request for a road among the hills, which is still referred
to as Goalin Khand. Ain-e-Akbari describes Monghyr as the
chief town where Raja Maan Singh had his residence and Raja
Todar Mall remained entrenched in the Monghyr fort when
he came to crush the rebellious Bengal army of the Mughals.
The fortunes of Monghyr
once again surfaced momentarily in 1762 when Nawab Mir Qasim
Ali resolved to shift his capital from Murshidabad to Monghyr
in order to keep an eye on the increasing influence of the
British. The Nawab was popular for his justice and able
administration but his political miscalculations ended in
his defeat and death after a few years.
East India Company acquired
the palace of Nawab Mir Qasim Ali after two days of severe
shelling which rendered Princess Gul and Prince Bahar homeless.
Sheltering themselves in one of the tunnels, they used to
attack the British during the night. The ploy was soon discovered
and the young prince dressed in tiger skin was shot dead.
TOURIST
PLACES
Monghyr Fort (Mirakasim's
fort)
The most famous and important of the monuments at Munger
is the fort, build on a rocky eminence projecting into the
river Ganga which protects it from west and partly from
the north, the other sides being defended by a deep moat.
the fort encloses an area of about 222 acres and has a circuit
of 4 kms. It was build during the time of the early Mohammedan
kings of India
Kashtaharni Ghat
Kharagpur Hills
Hot Springs at Sitakund
Kharagpur hill, an extension of the Vindhyan Range, is rich
in hot springs like Bhimbandh, Rishi Kund and a dozen others.
The easiest to reach is Sita Kund (six km) where Sita, Rama's
consort, is said to have plunged herself after the fire
ordeal to prove her chastity. The hot spring, enclosed in
a masonry reservoir is to be seen to be believed. The water,
besides being burning hot, is crystal clear, with small
bubbles emerging in clusters every now and then. Surprisingly,
there are four other pools (named after Ram, Lakshman, Bharat
and Shatrughan) near Sita Kund temple but their water is
cold.
Tomb of Shah Nafa
The earliest monument is the 15th century tomb of Shah Nafa
that reflects typical Bengali architecture. The 12th century
saint is believed to have come from Iran at the invitation
of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer. Nafa refers to the
aroma of musk emanating from the grave that aroused the
attention of Prince Daniel when he was strengthening the
fortification in 1497. A little distance beyond the southern
gate is an old Chamberlain Memorial Church with an inscription
Ebenezer 1819.
Kharagpur is a small and
picturesque town which is referred to as the Kharagpur Raj
where the old havelis and hammams have given way to modern
mansions. The three-domed Shahi mosque built during the
reign of Shah Jahan in 1656 appears like the Taj built on
the riverside. The Kharagpur lake created by the Maharaja
of Darbhanga in 1877 is a place to spend the evening and
watch the sun leaping through the hills. Nearby are the
various hot springs and waterfalls.
Shivalaya
Around six kilometres from the town is Pir Pahar, near Sita
Kund, which offers an excellent view of Monghyr and its
surroundings.
A good number of tunnels are talked about in Monghyr but
they are all sealed and no one is sure where they end. Some
of the prisoners made good their escape through one of the
tunnels near the prison which was once a part of the palace
complex. Within the enclosure of the Monghyr Jail, one can
still see remains of the torture chamber, palatial rooms,
guard annexe and armoury with 17 feet thick walls!
International Yoga Institute
HOW TO GET
THERE
Monghyr is easily approachable
with important road, rail, and ferry connections.
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