Happy TravellerWelcome to Darbhanga, the cultural capital of Bihar and the heart of Mithilaanchal. Located in the northern part of Bihar, Darbhanga is the fifth-largest city and municipal corporation in the state of Bihar in India, and is considered an important city in North Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and the Darbhanga division. Darbhanga was the seat of the erstwhile Khandwala zamidaar dynasty under the Mughals and British India. It is the capital of the proposed Indian state, Mithila. Darbhanga is considered an important medical center of North Bihar as it the location of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, and the second AIIMS of the state is to be constructed here.
Darbhanga is one of the oldest cities in India. Musical, folk art, and literary traditions in Sanskrit, Maithili and Urdu have been passed down generations in Darbhanga and constitute the city’s strong cultural background.
== History ==
The city was the capital of the Darbhanga Raj, an estate established in the 16th century, and contains the Anandbagh Palace. It was constituted a municipality in 1864. Darbhanga is home to the Kameshwara Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University (1961), which is located on the grounds of the palace, and the Lalit Narayan Mithila University (1972). Darbhanga has a museum housing archaeological materials, as well as historical and handicrafts exhibits. Darbhanga has been a centre for music since the late 18th century and has produced multiple well-known dhrupad (an ancient form of Indian classical music) musicians. A major rail and road junction, Darbhanga trades in agricultural produce, mangoes, and fish. In addition to food processing, the city has a light manufacturing industry. Darbhanga is situated on a vast alluvial plain, with low-lying areas containing marshes and lakes. Grains, oilseeds, tobacco, sugarcane, and mangoes are important crops in the region.
== Demographics ==
The 2011 Census of India recorded Darbhanga as an Urban agglomeration with a population of 296,039 while the surrounding district has 3 million people. It is the 5th largest city in Bihar in terms of the urban population. The city has 196,573 males (52.6%) and 183,552 females (47.4%). Darbhanga has an average literacy rate of 79.40%, with male literacy at 85.08% and female literacy at 73.08%. However, as per the document published on 6 March 2021 by the office of District Magistrate Darbhanga, the urban population of Darbhanga stands 380,125.
== Geography ==
Darbhanga is located in the northern part of Bihar. It lies between 25.53 degrees – 26.27 degrees N and 85.45 degrees – 86.25 degrees E at an average elevation of 171 feet (52 m). Darbhanga district covers an area of 2,279 sq km. Darbhanga is bounded by Madhubani district on north, by Samastipur district on south, by Saharsa district on east and by Sitamarhi district and Muzaffarpur district on west. Being located in Mithilanchal, Darbhanga district has a vast fertile alluvial plain devoid of any hills. It has a gentle slope from north to south direction having depression on the center. Darbhanga experiences humid subtropical climate. This city experiences three main seasons which are winter, summer and rainy season. May is the hottest month when temperature reaches up to 43 degrees C. Darbhanga district receives average 1142.3 mm rainfall and almost 92 % of the annual rainfall is received during monsoon.
== Climate ==
Darbhanga has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa).
== Transport ==
=== Railways ===
Darbhanga Junction lies on the East Central Railway. It is connected directly to all the major cities of India. Laheriasarai Railway Station is the second major station of Darbhanga and works as an important railway station for people living in south Darbhanga. There are daily and weekly trains available for New Delhi, Patna, Secunderabad, Kolkata, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Howrah, Amritsar, Pune and other major cities.
=== Darbhanga Airport ===
Darbhanga also has its own commercial airport which is connected with all the major cities of India. Darbhanga Airport (IATA: DBR, ICAO: VE89) is a civil enclave at the Darbhanga Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force, 6 kilometres from Darbhanga City near the NH 527B and NH 27 East-West Corridor Expressway which passes through Darbhanga. The civil enclave is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The foundation stone for the project was laid by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and then Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu in the presence of state Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha on 24 December 2018. Commercial flights started on 8 November 2020.
=== Roadways ===
Darbhanga is connected to other parts of India by NH 27, NH 527B and Bihar State highways 50, 56, 88 and 75. Darbhanga is also connected to Samastipur, Madhubani and Sitamarhi. The East-West Corridor expressway, which connects Porbandar in Gujarat to Silchar in Assam, passes through Darbhanga. The Amas–Darbhanga Expressway NH 119D is an approved 4/6-lane wide access-controlled expressway in India. Once completed, it will be the first expressway in the state of Bihar. NH 119D connects Amas village in Gaya district to Bela Nawada village in Darbhanga district.
== Education ==
Notable educational institutions include:
=== Medical colleges ===
All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Darbhanga( Under Construction )
Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital
Mithila Minority Dental College and Hospital
=== University ===
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Regional Centre
Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
Lalit Narayan Mithila University
Maulana Azad National Urdu University
=== Engineering and technology colleges ===
Darbhanga College of Engineering
Womens Institute of Technology
Government Polytechnic, Darbhanga
=== Colleges ===
C. M. Science College, Darbhanga
Kunwar Singh College
Marwari College
Millat College
=== Schools ===
D.A.V. Public School
Darbhanga Public School
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya
Jesus & Mary Academy
Madonna English School
Rose Public School
Delhi Public School
== Tourism ==
Darbhanga has various tourist attractions and is among the oldest cities of Bihar. Tourist spots include:
Chandradhari Museum
Darbhanga Fort
Maharajadhiraja Lakshmishwar Singh
