Bhagalpur

Bhagalpur, on the southern bank of the Ganga in eastern Bihar, is a river town and a centre of trade and culture. In ancient times the area is associated with Champa (near today’s Bhagalpur) in the Anga region, giving the city deep roots in eastern Indian history. In the early medieval period, the Ganga corridor around Bhagalpur gained importance under the Pala age, when the Buddhist university of Vikramshila was founded at Antichak, about 38 km away, by King Dharmapala, linking the region to wider networks of learning. Over time, Bhagalpur grew as a market town on river routes between Bengal and central Bihar. Under British rule it was organised with a Nagarpalika in 1864, reflecting expanding urban administration. In 1981, Bhagalpur’s civic body was upgraded to a municipal corporation, marking a new phase of urban governance. Through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it remained a district headquarters and transport-linked trading hub, while local craft traditions strengthened. Bhagalpur’s identity became especially tied to textiles: Bhagalpuri (Tussar) silk and weaving earned it the popular title “Silk City.” Today, the city’s layered past is visible in its riverfront life, nearby archaeological heritage at Vikramshila, and the continuing reputation of its handloom traditions.