Situated on the banks of river Ganges, Bhagalpur district, with Bhagalpur town as its administrative headquarters, is one of the thirty-eight districts of the state of Bihar in India. The district, which is one of the oldest in Bihar, is located in its southern region. It shares borders with Munger, Khagaria, Madhepura, Purnea, Katihar and Banka districts of Bihar and Godda and Sahebganj districts of Jharkhand. Located at a distance of 25 km from Bhagalpur town, Sultanganj presents a natural scenic beauty with a mosque on the hilltop on the bank of river Ganges and a Shiva temple called Ajgaibinath.

Bhagalpur History

The legend of Ajagaibinatha is linked with Baba Harinath, who was a regular visitor and ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. While going to Deoghar, he met a thirsty dying man. He gave all the water to him in order to satisfy his thirst. So he was left with no water for Lord Shiva to be offered at Deoghar. While he was returning to Sultanganj,  he heard a voice telling him that Shiva was contended by his devotion and he could now worship him at Sultanganj as well.

The scene of Bhagalpur can best be described  in the words of Abdul Latif, the Mughal Diwan of Bengal who passed by Sultanganj in 1608. He is quoted as, "It has two hillocks, one in the midst of the river and other on the bank, facing each other, so that there are few places on earth equalling it in airiness. How can I describe the moonlit nights, which enliven the spirit and freshen the life of man."

In the monsoon season, Shravani mela is organized where thousands of pilgrims turn up every year. People have to use small boats to reach the temples located high on the hillock. The devotees of Siva collect the holy water from here to offer on the Shivlings at Vasukinatha and Baidyanath Dham. There are small granite formations between the two hills with a number of excellent carvings of the Gupta period. These carvings are exclusively found in Bhagalpur. These artistic engravings on the rock depict a number of Hindu Divines, including Buddha and Mahavira.

In the year 1861, a railway engineer, who was undertaking a construction work of railway track between Calcutta and Varanasi in Sultaganj, lurched upon a stupa that capitulated a mighty bronze statue of Buddha in Abhaya mudra. The seven feet high bronze statue, which dates back to the fifth century is now in preserved in Birmingham city museum.

Bhagalpur Tourism

Tourist places in Bhagalpur
Mandar Hills
Ruins of Vikramsila
Shri Champapur Digamber Jain Siddha Kshetra
Tilka Majhi
Maharshi Mehi Aashram,Kuppaghat