Darbhanga#Airport

{{See also|Raj Darbhanga}}

The city was the capital of the Darbhanga Raj, an estate established in the 16th century, containing the Anandbagh Palace. It was constituted as a municipality in 1864. Darbhanga is home to the Kameshwara Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University (established 1961), which is located on the grounds of the palace, and the Lalit Narayan Mithila University (established 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.{{Cite web|title=Darbhanga {{!}} India|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Darbhanga|access-date=17 June 2021|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}

Under the British Raj, Darbhanga was a part of Sarkar Tirhut until 1875, when it was constituted into a separate district. Its subdivisions had been constituted earlier – Darbhanga Sadar in 1845, Madhubani in 1866, and Samastipur (then known as Tajpur) in 1867.

The city of Darbhanga is said to have been founded by one Darbhangi Khan, about whom practically nothing is known. It is also held that the name Darbhanga is derived from Dwar Banga or Dar-e-Banga, meaning the 'door of Bengal'. This etymology does not appear to be accurate as the division between Bengal and Bihar has always been held to be further to the east. Nonetheless, the region has a linguistic and cultural affinity with Bengal.{{Cite web|title=History {{!}} Welcome to Darbhanga District {{!}} India|url=https://darbhanga.nic.in/history/|access-date=17 June 2021|language=en-US}}

Excavation at Balirajgarh revealed brick fortifications dating back to the 2nd century BC.{{Cite book|title=Indian Archaeology:A Review|last=A.|first=Ghosh|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|year=1965|location=New Delhi|pages=3–5}}

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 in the north, Samastipur district in the south, Saharsa district in the east, and Sitamarhi district and Muzaffarpur district in the 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 a depression in the centre. Darbhanga experiences a humid subtropical climate. It experiences three main seasons which are winter, summer, and rainy seasons. May is the hottest month when the temperature reaches up to 43 °C. Darbhanga district receives an average of 1142.3 mm rainfall and almost 92% of the annual rainfall is received during monsoon.

{{Geographic location

|North = Madhubani

|West = Muzaffarpur

|Centre = Darbhanga

|East = Saharsa

|South = Samastipur

}}

Darbhanga has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa).

{{Weather box

| location = Darbhanga (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020)

| metric first = Yes

| single line = Yes

| Jan record high C = 32.6

| Feb record high C = 34.1

| Mar record high C = 40.6

| Apr record high C = 43.9

| May record high C = 44.1

| Jun record high C = 43.6

| Jul record high C = 39.3

| Aug record high C = 38.6

| Sep record high C = 38.6

| Oct record high C = 39.4

| Nov record high C = 34.6

| Dec record high C = 31.1

| year record high C = 44.1

| Jan high C = 23.5

| Feb high C = 26.4

| Mar high C = 30.7

| Apr high C = 36.3

| May high C = 37.6

| Jun high C = 35.7

| Jul high C = 33.9

| Aug high C = 33.9

| Sep high C = 33.1

| Oct high C = 32.9

| Nov high C = 30.3

| Dec high C = 26.1

| year high C = 31.7

| Jan low C = 7.3

| Feb low C = 10.2

| Mar low C = 13.4

| Apr low C = 17.2

| May low C = 20.3

| Jun low C = 22.7

| Jul low C = 23.5

| Aug low C = 22.8

| Sep low C = 21.3

| Oct low C = 18.9

| Nov low C = 13.1

| Dec low C = 8.2

| year low C = 16.4

| Jan record low C = 0.0

| Feb record low C = 0.0

| Mar record low C = 4.1

| Apr record low C = 9.4

| May record low C = 10.6

| Jun record low C = 11.0

| Jul record low C = 13.5

| Aug record low C = 14.0

| Sep record low C = 13.5

| Oct record low C = 10.0

| Nov record low C = 7.2

| Dec record low C = 2.6

| year record low C = 0.0

| rain colour = green

| Jan rain mm = 12.0

| Feb rain mm = 12.5

| Mar rain mm = 10.2

| Apr rain mm = 25.2

| May rain mm = 45.2

| Jun rain mm = 164.6

| Jul rain mm = 280.7

| Aug rain mm = 247.5

| Sep rain mm = 197.4

| Oct rain mm = 25.4

| Nov rain mm = 2.5

| Dec rain mm = 3.3

| year rain mm = 1026.5

| unit rain days =

| Jan rain days = 0.9

| Feb rain days = 0.9

| Mar rain days = 0.9

| Apr rain days = 1.8

| May rain days = 2.4

| Jun rain days = 6.8

| Jul rain days = 11.0

| Aug rain days = 10.4

| Sep rain days = 8.7

| Oct rain days = 0.9

| Nov rain days = 0.2

| Dec rain days = 0.4

| year rain days = 45.3

| Jan humidity = 68

| Feb humidity = 63

| Mar humidity = 49

| Apr humidity = 56

| May humidity = 60

| Jun humidity = 70

| Jul humidity = 78

| Aug humidity = 79

| Sep humidity = 79

| Oct humidity = 73

| Nov humidity = 66

| Dec humidity = 67

| year humidity = 67

| source 1 = India Meteorological Department{{cite web

| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climatological%20Tables%201991-2020.pdf

| title = Climatological Tables of Observatories in India 1991-2020

| publisher = India Meteorological Department

| access-date = April 8, 2024

}}

{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205042509/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf

| archive-date = 5 February 2020

| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf

| title = Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)

| publisher = India Meteorological Department

| date = December 2016

| page = M33

| access-date = 18 August 2020}}

| date = November 2011

| source 2 = NOAA (humidity 1971–1990){{Cite FTP |url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/IN/42391.TXT

|title = Darbhanga Climate Normals 1971–1990

|access-date = 18 August 2020

|server = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|url-status = live

}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Religion in Darbhanga city (2011){{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-01 Population by Religion: Bihar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11366/download/14479/DDW10C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

|titlebar=#Fcd116

|left1=Religion

|right1=Percent

|float=left

|bars=

{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|71.76}}

{{bar percent|Islam|green|27.76}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.48}}

}}

{{see also|List of cities in Bihar}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.census2011.co.in/census/city/164-darbhanga.html |title = Darbhanga City Population Census 2011-2022 {{!}} Bihar}} It is the 5th largest city in Bihar in terms of the urban population.{{Cite web|url=https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s3beed13602b9b0e6ecb5b568ff5058f07/uploads/2021/03/2021030687.pdf|title=2021030687.pdf}} 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%.{{Cite web|date=2001|title=Census of India: View Population Details|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/PopulationFinder/View_Village_Population.aspx?pcaid=1384&category=M.Corp.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427193419/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/PopulationFinder/View_Village_Population.aspx?pcaid=1384&category=M.Corp.|archive-date=27 April 2016|access-date=14 January 2016|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|publisher=Government of India}} 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.

{{Pie chart

|thumb = righ

|caption = Languages spoken in Dharbhanga City (2011)[https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16T/DDW-C16-TOWN-STMT-MDDS-2000.XLSX 2011 census data] censusindia.gov.in

|label1= Maithili

|value1= 50.25

|color1 =orange

|label2= Urdu

|value2 = 26.80

|color2 =green

|label3 = Hindi

|value3 = 20.98

|color3 =red

|label4 =  Bengali

|value4 = 0.33

|color4 =yellow

|label5 = Bhojpuri

|value5 = 0.26

|color5 =brown

|label6 = Others

|value6 = 1.36

|color6 =Blue

}} 

File:Darbhangarailwaystation.jpg]]

File:Darbhangastation.jpg

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 {{rws|New Delhi}}, {{rws|Patna|Junction}}, {{rws|Secunderabad}}, {{rws|Kolkata}}, {{rws|Varanasi}}, {{rws|Ahmedabad}}, {{rws|Lokmanya Tilak Terminus}}, {{rws|Howrah}}, {{rws|Amritsar}}, {{rws|Pune}} and other major cities.

File:DBR Airport.jpg

File:Indigo Spicjet.png 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 {{jct|NH|527B|country=IND}} and {{jct|NH|27|country=IND}} 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. After efforts taken by the MP of Darbhanga, Gopal Jee Thakur,{{Cite web |last=शर्मा |first=सुभाष |date=2020-09-05 |title=दरभंगा एयरपोर्ट से जल्द ही उड़ान भरेंगे विमान, MP गोपाल जी ठाकुर ने अधिकारियों से की बात |url=https://www.abplive.com/states/bihar/aircraft-to-fly-from-darbhanga-airport-soon-mp-gopal-ji-thakur-speaks-to-officials-ann-1552623 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=www.abplive.com |language=hi}}{{Cite web |title=सांसद गोपाल जी ठाकुर बोले, आठ नवंबर से 8 करोड़ मथिलावासियों के लिए शुरू होगी हवाई सेवा - MP Gopal ji Thakur said that Air service will start for 8 crore Mathilawas from November 8 |url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/muzaffarpur-mp-gopal-ji-thakur-said-that-air-service-will-start-for-8-crore-mathilawas-from-november8-20779315.html |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Jagran |language=hi}} and the then Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri. Commercial flights started on 8 November 2020.{{Cite web|title=मिथिलांचल के लिए खुशखबरी! दरभंगा एयरपोर्ट का संचालन शुरू, देखिए अंदर की तस्वीरें|url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/bihar/darbhanga/good-news-for-mithila-darbhanga-airport-starts-operating-see-inside-photos-asj|access-date=8 November 2020|website=Prabhat Khabar - Hindi News|date=8 November 2020 |language=hi}}

{{jct|NH|27|country=IND}} which is part of India's East–West highway corridor passes through Darbhanga.

Darbhanga is connected to other parts of India by {{jct|NH|27|country=IND}},{{jct|NH|527B|country=IND}} and Bihar State highways 50, 56, 88 and 75. Darbhanga is also connected to Muzaffarpur, 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{{jct|NH|119D|country=IND}} 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. {{jct|NH|119D|country=IND}} connects Amas village in Gaya district to Bela Nawada village in Darbhanga district.

Notable educational institutions include:

File:D.M.C.H.png

* All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Darbhanga (Under Construction )

• Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital
• Mithila Minority Dental College and Hospital

* Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Regional Centre

• Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
• Lalit Narayan Mithila University
• Maulana Azad National Urdu University

* Darbhanga College of Engineering

• Women's Institute of Technology
• Government Polytechnic, Darbhanga
• Software Technology Park(STPI), Darbhanga

• C. M. Science College, Darbhanga
• Kunwar Singh College
• Marwari College
• Millat College

• D.A.V Public School
• Darbhanga Public School
• Don Bosco School, Darbhanga
• Jesus & Mary Academy
• Madonna English School
• Rose Public School

{{see also|Tourism in Bihar}}

Darbhanga has various tourist attractions and is among the oldest cities of Bihar.

Tourist attractions include:{{multiple image

| perrow = 1

| total_width = 240

| align =

| background color = #ED9D0B

| width =

| image1 = TaramandalDarbhanga.jpg

| image2 = Shyama Mai Temple.png

| image3 = darbhangamuseum1.png

| image5 =

| footer_background = #ED9D0B

| footer_align = center

| footer = Darbhanga Planetarium, Shyama Mai Temple & Chandradhari Museum

| header = Tourist Attractions of Darbhanga

| header_background = #F68A06

}}

• Chandradhari Museum
• Darbhanga Fort
• Maharajadhiraja Lakshmishwar Singh Museum
• Darbhanga Planetarium
• Shyama Mai Temple
• Nargona Palace
• Anand Bagh Palace
• Raj Darbhanga
• Ahalya Sthan
• Gautam Ashram
• Kusheshwar Asthan

All India Radio has a 20 kW medium-wave radio station in Darbhanga which transmits various programmes of mass interest and covers a part of North Bihar as well as the Terai of Nepal.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

Doordarshan has one DD National and one DD News LPT relay transmitters.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

• Imtiaz Ali, Bollywood director
• Kirti Azad, former MP and cricketer
• Ram Gopal Bajaj, Indian actor and academic
• Narayan Das, politician
• Veena Devi, politician and member of the 17th Lok Sabha
• Betty von Fürer-Haimendorf, ethnologist
• Gaṅgeśa (Gangesha Upadhyaya), mathematician and philosopher
• Dharamshila Gupta, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
• Binodanand Jha, former MP
• Gonu Jha Pratyutpannamati
• Dr. Murari Mohan Jha, MLA from Keoti Vidhan Sabha Assembly Constituency
• Parmanand Jha, first vice president of Nepal
• Prabhat Jha, politician
• Bhawana Kanth, first female fighter pilot of India
• Yamuna Karjee, Indian independence activist
• Gul Mohammad Khan, Bangladeshi musician
• Jyoti Kumari, Sirhulli, cyclist and Bal Puraskar recipient 2021{{Cite web|date=26 January 2021|first=Binay Kumar|last=Jha|title=Republic Day: Darbhanga 'cycle girl' Jyoti Kumari gets PM's award|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/darbhanga-cycle-girl-gets-pms-award-ahead-of-r-day/articleshow/80455201.cms|access-date=2 March 2021|website=The Times of India|language=en}}
• Ram Chatur Mallick, musician
• Sultan Ahmed Mirza former MLA
• Ramnandan Mishra, Indian nationalist who fought for India's freedom from British rule
• Sanjay Mishra, Bollywood actor
• Nagarjun, poet, writer, essayist, and novelist
• Ishtiaque Ahmad Qasmi Indian Islamic scholar, mufti and writer
• Tochi Raina, singer, composer, and philosopher
• Tariq-ur-Rehman, cricketer
• Ritviz, electronic singer
• Sanjay Saraogi, MLA
• Nigamananda Saraswati, Hindu monk
• Abdul Bari Siddiqui, MLA
• Kameshwar Singh, Maharaja
• Lakshmeshwar Singh Maharaja
• Rameshwar Singh Maharaja
• Badri Narain Sinha, IPS
• Satya Narayan Sinha, politician
• Surendra Jha 'Suman', poet, freedom fighter, politician, essayist, literary critic, journalist, publisher and academician
• Aishwarya Sushmita, model and actress
• Gopal Jee Thakur, BJP leader and Current Member of Parliament from Darbhanga.{{Cite web |title=Members : Lok Sabha |url=https://loksabha.nic.in/Members/MemberBioprofile.aspx?mpsno=5176 |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=loksabha.nic.in}}
• H. C. Verma, physicist
• Manas Bihari Verma, Padam Shri decorated Aeronautical scientist, LCA Tejas{{cite news| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/former-president-kalams-close-associate-scientist-manas-verma-dies/article34479522.ece | title = Former President Kalam's close associate scientist Manas Verma dies | newspaper = The Hindu| date = 4 May 2021}}
• M J Warsi, linguist
• Ashok Kumar Yadav, MP from Madhubani Lok Sabha constituency
• Hukmdev Narayan Yadav, former MP

• Darbhanga Metro
• Darbhanga AIIMS

{{reflist}}

{{sister project links|voy=Darbhanga}}

• {{official website}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Darbhanga Division}}

{{Bihar}}

{{Indian Air Force}}

Category:Cities and towns in Darbhanga district