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Bhagalpur division, Bihar

Bhagalpur

The Silk City of India, beside the ruins of Vikramashila.

Headquarters
Bhagalpur
Population (2011)
3,037,766
Area
2,569 km²
Thousands of devotees gathered at Barani Ghat, Bhagalpur, for the morning arghya of Chhath
Photo: Vkumarv, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Bhagalpur on the southern bank of the Ganga is famous for Bhagalpuri tussar silk. The ruins of Vikramashila, one of the great Buddhist monastic universities of the Pala period, lie at Antichak near Kahalgaon.

The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary protects a stretch of the Ganga, and Manjusha art, painted in the Bihula-Bishahari tradition, comes from this region.

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Places to see in Bhagalpur

  • Vikramashila ruins, Antichak
  • Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary

Historical & religious sites

  • Vikramashila Mahavihara

Famous local food

  • Jardalu mango
  • Katarni rice

Art, culture & festivals

  • Manjusha art
  • Bihula-Bishahari tradition

Local products & businesses

  • Bhagalpuri silk
  • Manjusha art (GI tag)
  • Jardalu mango (GI tag)

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Travel information

Official district website

Check official sources for current timings, fees and road conditions before you travel.

News & stories from Bhagalpur

Forgotten History

Vikramashila, Bihar’s other great monastery

Founded by the Pala king Dharmapala, Vikramashila near Kahalgaon was for four centuries one of the most important Buddhist centres of learning…

Bhagalpur