PURNEA DISTRICT
The name Purnea is an altered form of the old name Purania. This name as stated in the locality has been derived from the word purain that means the Lotus, the local plant, which is said to have grown thickly on the beds of the river Kosi and Mahananda, where swamps and marshes have been formed. This derivation has been ascertained by O’Malley also in the old gazetteer. Another derivation is from the word Pur Aranya, which means the abode of forests. W.W. Hunter and Buchanan have mentioned the name of Purnia.
Purnea is famous for the Oldest temple of Mata Puran Devi, which is hardly 5 km away from the main city. The name of Town Purnia also as per with Goddess Puran Devi.
In 1912, Bihar and Orissa were carved as separate provinces out of the old Bengal Province and Purnia became the district of the new provincial unit. Purnia district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar. Purnia has seen three districts partitioned off from its territory Katihar in 1976, and Araria and Kishanganj in 1990.
Purnea district has four subdivisions,namely, Purnia, Banmankhi Baisi and Dhamdaha; and they are further composed of fourteen blocks namely East Purnea, Krityanand Nagar, Banmankhi, Kaswa, Amaur, Bainsi, Baisa, Dhamdaha, Barhara Kothi, Rupauli, Bhawanipur, Dagarua, Jalalgarh and Srinagar.
How To Reach
By Air(Airport):-
Purnea Airport also known as Chunapur Airport, located within the cantonment area, has non-scheduled flight services on the Kolkata-Patna – Purnia route twice a week. It has been operated by Bangalore-based The Spirit Air Private Limited. The nearest commercial airport is about 150 km away at Bagdogra, is located in about 16 km west of the city of Siliguri in the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India.
By Rail :-
Purnea is strategically located in the katihar Jogbani broad gauge line of the North East Frontier Railway. Another broad gage line of East Central Railway (ECR) connects Purnia with Saharsa via Banmankhi.
By Road :-
National Highway – NH31, ,NH 57, NH 107 and NH131A give access to the other states and cities, State Highway – 60,62,65,77 & 90 and Other road – Purnea Srinagar Road, Baisi Amour Road, Amour Bahadurganj Road, NH-31 Town Portion,Banmankhi Rupauli Road connect the neighbouring cities and villages . The east-west corridor connecting Silchar in Assam to Gujarat passes through Purnia. It is a modern six-lane highway constructed by NHAI.
Purnia is 290 km from Patna.
Popular tourist destinations
PURNIA EAST BLOCK
Gulabbag Mela:- Gulabbagh Mela (fair) is held every year in the month of December near Purnia town. There are two legends about Gulabbagh. According to one legend there was one well known PIR (saint) in the area named Gulab Sahab on whose name the Mela started in olden age. The other legend is that there was one Raja P.C. Lal who was in love with a beautiful dancing girl Gulabo on whose name the place was named Gulabbagh and later on Gulabbagh Mela started here.
Panchmukhi Mandir :- Panchmukhi mandir in located between the purnea city, It is also a very famous and great temple.
Kamakhya Mandir :- Kamakhya Mandir is situated at the border of three village namely – Rahua, Majra Bhabanipur and Kalyanpur. It is only 8 kilometres from the district headquarter. Ganga-Darjeeling Road :- This road joints Gulab Bagh – Line Bazar- Tatma Toli – Flower Mill- Polytechnic Chowk of British Purnia and at that time, It was the Outer Circle of Purnia, that’s why Khazanchi Haat Thana (Naka) is still there on this road. The most peculiar thing above all is that, after more than 50 years of independence this road has a Wooden-Bridge or Kaath Pool on Purnia – Khuski Bagh Road, and not surprisingly ; This Bridge is the single Wooden Bridge in NH-31.
Temple of Goddess Puran Devi:- Located about 3 kilometres from the main town. There is the temple of Puran devi. Goddess Puran Devi is a type of the venerated goddess Kali. As per legend, five centuries prior, there was a Nawab named Shaukat Ali, the landowner. At that point, this region was called Alamganj. There was additionally a holy person named Hathinath. Once, the holy person was cleaning up in the lake, when a man conveyed an elephant to that place. He discourteously approached the holy person to clear a path for the elephant. The holy person said the elephant should hold up. The man said the elephant had a place with the Nawab and moved the elephant into the water. The holy person, extremely furious, culled its tusks. The elephant passed on, while the man fled the scene. From that point onwards, the tusks have been saved deliberately in a sanctuary room. Nawab Shaukat Ali bowed before the holy person with deference. He gave his whole land for the sanctuary.
Anglican Church :- It is situated at Girja Chowk . Established by Protestant christian in nineteenth century.
Roman Catholic Church :- It is situated near station.The foundation of this new church was there until 1934, when it was badly affected by the Bihar Earthquake. The church was dismantled again.
Coumblin :- The Nuns of Loretto convent of Darjeeling had come to Purnia near about 1882 and had opened a day school as well as a boarding school for children in Purnia district. When the Jesuit Mission of Bengal took over the Purnia Mission from the Capuchin Mission, the school was closed and the nuns returned to Darjeeling. This house still stands and is known as the Coumblin. It is one of the oldest houses in Purnia town and is now occupied by the Allisons.
Mata Asthan (Choonapur):- This village is situated on the bank of ‘Kari Koshi’ a tributary of Kosi River. Chunapur is a very old village situated 3 km west of Purnea. The village came into limelight when the government of India constructed a huge aerodrome for strategic purposes known as Chunapur Aerodrome. It is also famous for the oldest temple of Mata Asthan . Sarboday Asram Ranipatra :- The Sarvodaya Ashram of Ranipatra was set up in 1952 and it got registered under Societies Act in 1955. Very next year, it took over the work of the KVIC. Under the aegis of KVIC, the ashram has been running various projects to ensure economic stability for the villagers and promote khadi products according to the vision of Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi Smarak :- It is situated in campus of Purnia Mahavidyala.
Deorhi ( Garbanili):- Still has the ruins of Kala Bhawan the ancient Darbar (Palace) of Raja Kalanand Singh, where his successor still lives.
Dargah of Hazrat Mustafa Jamalul Haque Bandagi, Chimni Bazar :- An “Urs” in the form of Mela ( village fair) is organised on 7th day after Eid-Ul-Azha and continues up to 3 days every year .
Dargah and Khanquah Alia Mustafia :- The ‘Dargah and Khanquah Alia Mustafia’ is located hardly 7 km away from main city. It is also famous for spirituality, communal harmony and Suffism. Its history goes 400 years back, when Hazrat Bandagi came from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh visiting several Khanqahs and Dargahs from all over India such as the Pandawa Sharif, the Bihar Sharif, etc. The Dargah is playing a major role to spread culture, education, kindness, secularism and spiritual spirits in the North East Bihar since its establishment.
Old Kabristan:- The kabristan constructed By Christun in nineteenth century.The monument in the shape of a traditional tombstone marks the grave of Aather Henari Farbis is here, from whom Forbesganj got its name .
KRITYANAD NAGAR BLOCK
Kajha Kothi :- It is located 15 KM towards west from District head quarters Purnia, 7 KM from Krityanand Nagar and 261 KM from State capital Patna. This Place has constructed by British in year1775 and from here they saw the cultivation of neel.
Temple of Mata Asthan(Adampur):- Mata Mandir is the very popular Devi Durga Mandir in Adampur Purnia. In Navratra people comes from different place. It is situated near the air force station, and very popular name is “matasthan”.
BARHARA KOTHI BLOCK
Barhara Kothi:- It is 2 km south of NH. Badrah Kothi is near the Badhra block colony .
According to historians, English administrator Max Ilte started cultivating Neel in 1400 acres of land in 1769 by pressuring the farmers in the Barhora Kothi block of Purnia district. Nile, which was grown in the farm, was heated by putting it in a big pan in front of the bungalow and pure neel was prepared. This is the reason that Max Ilte’s Kothi(Barhara Kothi) was called as ‘Neel Kothi’. Neil Kothi is no longer left, but some of the walls are reminiscent of Neil Kothi.
Even today there are big Kadahs in Neel Kothi. He said that the stove which was used to heat Neel Kadah can also be seen in this Kothi today. Neil Kothi, however, has now been ruined, but people who come here still have the curiosity to see this Kothi.
Baba Barneshwar (Barhara Kothi) :– It is situated at a distance of 2 KM south of NH .It is a block Headquarter. Here there is Famous temple of the Lord Shiva. Name of this famous temple is Baba Barneshwar.
DAGARUA BLOCK
Kamalpur:- It is one of the village of Barhara Kothi. It is very famous for Kokaful, like Lotus.
Lalbalu :- A wide stretch of maidan runs 14 km from Purnia to the east with a small Idgah at one end, on which the devout Muslims assemble for their prayers. Once at this maidan, there was a fight between the mutineers and a band of loyalties led by Commissioner Yule of Bhagalpur in the Sepoy Mutiny days of 11th December 1857.
DHAMDAHA BLOCK
Sakligarh :- The village situated about 5 km north of Dhamdaha and at a short distance from Banmankhi bazar. Remains of a fortification from the Kushan period was discovered by ASI in year73-74. It has ruins of an old fort called Sakligarh traditionally believed to be associated with the demon king Hiranyankashyap . A polished Maurayan column rising 2.5 m above the ground level, with a socket at the top (dia 90 cm) was also noticed adjacent to a brick stupa outside of the fortified area. The site has also yielded Kushan terracottas .
Narsingh Avtar Shtamb or Prahalad Khamb:-
This is a monolith known as Manikthan near the ruins of Sikaligh believed to represent the pillar from which Lord Narsingh emerged and killed Hiranyankashyap.The pillar is of thick inelegant shape . The stone is light reddish granite of such fine texture as to appear almost like sandstone. It is no longer erect, but is inclined at an angle of about 65 degrees.
Sarsi :- It is situated at a distance of 29 km to the northeast of Purnia. There is a temple of Lord Shiva and an Idgah for Muslims. There is a ruined Kothi of an Indigo planter. Sarsi Kothi was famous indigo centre under the Europeans
BANMANKHI BLOCK
Dhimeshwarnath Temple(Dhima):- Located in Village Dhima about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the main town (Banmankhi) and 34 kilometres (21.1 mi) from the District town(Purnia). It is the temple of Loard Shiva
Chakla :- It is located 7 KM from Banmankhi, 35 KM towards west from District head quarters Purnia and 246 KM from State capital Patna This place is famous for manufacture of wheels of bullock carts. People of chakla depends on labourship for bread and but.
AMOUR BLOCK
Amaur:- It is situated 40 km north of Purnia., noted for as the former sat of Amaur estate established about 150 years ago. The village has a Durgasthan and a temple.
KASBA BLOCK
Banaili Easte:- It is situated north – east of Kasba block headquater, noted as the seat of former Banaili . The village contains ruins of an old temple and a fortress and has been a seat of Sanskrit learning and Maithili culture.
Maa Rani Sati Mandir (Kasba):-
JALALGARH BLOCK
Jalalgarh Fort :- It is a ruined fort situated 21 km to the north of Purnia close to the Jalalgarh railway station, at a distance of 1.6 km southeast of the Purnia- Araria road.It stands on what was formerly an island in the old channel of the Kosi river, and is a very conspicuous ruin in good preservation. It is a large quadrangular structure with lofty walls and was evicted primorily to serve as a frontier post to protect the border against invasion from Nepal. According to the chronicle of the Khagra family, it was built for this purpose by the first Raja of Khagra, Saiyad Muhammad Jalal-ud-din on who the title of Raja was conferred by Jahangir (1605-27), and according to other accounts, by the Nawab of Purnia, Saif Khan, in 1722. It appears, however, to have been in existence before the later date. According to the Riyazu-s-salatin, the Raja of Birnagar had a force of 15,000 cavalry and infantry, and other inhabitants of that part of chakwar, tribe etc. were refractory and of plundering propensity, and used to annoy the travellers.
BHAWANIPUR BLOCK
Barahsthan :- It is situated in the Village Bhawanipur . It is famous for a temple which was setup in 1948 after a stone of Baraha , an incarnation of Lord Vishnu was discovered while ploughing a field. A fair in every year is hon the occssion of Kartik Purnima.
Maa Bhuwan Devi Asthan(Bhawanipur):- It is situated about 40 km south – west of Purnia on Purnia -Rupauli road., noted for a temple known as Maa Bhuwan Devi Asthan. The present building was constructed by the Dharbhanga raj in 1928.
Pir Baba Mazar(Bhawanipur):-