AngDesh - History & Developement of Ang Pradesh / ang Desh (present Bhagalpur), Its Language Angika, Art & Culture, Literature, Tourism and other aspects.

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.