sitamarhi

Sitamarhi has an average elevation of {{convert|56|m|ft}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/34/Sitamarhi.html|title=Maps, Weather, and Airports for Sitamarhi, India|website=Fallingrain.com|access-date=21 September 2018}}

Pupri, Bairgania, Sursand and Bhitthamore are all towns on the Indo-Nepal border not far from Sitamarhi.

Sitamarhi dates back to the time of the Ramayana epic, which describes it as the place where King Janaka found the goddess Sita.{{Cite web |title=Punaura Dham |url=https://www.drishtiias.com/state-pcs-current-affairs/punaura-dham |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=Drishti IAS |language=en}}

A temple dedicated to Sita is located at Punaura Dham Sitamarhi.{{cite book |last1=Chakrabarti |first1=Dilip K |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OEZe-wAIiKIC&q=sitamarhi+history&pg=PA207 |title=Archaeological Geography of the Ganga Plain: The Lower and the Middle Ganga |publisher=Orient Blacksawn |year=2001 |isbn=9788178240169 |location=New Delhi |page=207 |access-date=20 March 2013}} A rock-cut sanctuary from the Mauryan period is also found near Sitamarhi.{{cite book |last1=Sen |first1=S N |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&q=sitamarhi+history&pg=PA166 |title=Ancient Indian History And Civilization |publisher=New Age International |year=1999 |isbn=9788122411980 |page=166 |access-date=20 March 2013}}

Several cultural events occur annually in Sitamarhi: Dumra hosts festivities for Rama Navami each spring; a ceremony commemorating the marriage of Ram and Sita happens every year in Janaki Sthan;[https://www.britannica.com/place/Sitamarhi Sitamarhi], Encyclopedia Britannica (2014), Quote: "A large Ramanavami fair, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama, is held in spring with a considerable trade in pottery, spices, brassware, and cotton cloth. A cattle fair held in Sitamarhi is the largest in Bihar state. The town is sacred as the birthplace of the goddess Sita (also called Janaki), the wife of Lord Ram." and the winter festival of Sama Chakeva celebrates brother-sister relationships.{{cite web|title=Festivals of Bihar|url=http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/festivals.htm|publisher=Government of Bihar|access-date=8 October 2016|archive-date=11 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911103056/http://gov.bih.nic.in/Profile/festivals.htm|url-status=dead}}[Mithila kaa Itihas (Hindi Book), Author: Dr. Ram Prakash Sharma, Publisher: Kameshwer Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University, Darbhanga, Page No.: 460]

As of the 2011 Census, Sitamarhi District has a total population of around 106,093. There are around 56,693 males and 49,400 females. 69,507 people are literate, including 39,537 males and 29,070 females. The average literacy rate is 52.04% in total, 60.64% for males, and 42.41% for females. The sex ratio is 899, and the child sex ratio is 872.{{cite web|url=https://www.census2011.co.in/census/metropolitan/168-sitamarhi.html|title=Sitamarhi District Population Data – Census 2011|website=census2011.co.in}}

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| title=Religion in Sitamarhi (2011){{cite web|title=Census 2011 India|url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in|website=census2011.co.in|access-date=28 July 2021}}

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| left1=Religion

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{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|80.06}}

{{bar percent|Islam|green|17.23}}

{{bar percent|Buddhism|dodgerblue|1.28}}

{{bar percent|Jainism|darkkhaki|0.45}}

{{bar percent|Christianity|yellow|0.14}}

{{bar percent|Sikhism|brown|0.01}}

{{bar percent|Others|black|0.22}}

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Sitamarhi is a part of the Tirhut Division. Currently, Sitamarhi consists of three sub-divisions and seventeen blocks. Its headquarters are located at Dumra, five kilometers south of Sitamarhi. The District Magistrate is the top-most official of revenue and civil administration and is assisted by ADM{{Definition needed|date=September 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/the-fineprint/district-collector-magistrate-development-commissioner-what-to-call-an-ias-officer/1273328/|title=District Collector, Magistrate, Development Commissioner: what to call an IAS officer?|author=Nootan Sharma|date=2022-12-21|publisher=The Print|access-date=2023-05-31}} and other district officers.

The district has been divided into three subdivisions: Sadar, Pupri, and Belsand. Each is headed by sub-divisional officers either from the IAS (Indian Administrative Service) or BAS (Bihar Administrative Service). Sub-divisional officers are under the direct authority of the District Magistrate. Subdivisions are divided into 17 development blocks where BDOs (Block Development Officers) are charged with carrying out development and welfare projects.{{Cite web |title=Who's Who {{!}} Welcome to Sitamarhi District {{!}} India |url=https://sitamarhi.nic.in/about-district/whos-who/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |language=en-US}} Sitamarhi district has 845 revenue villages. The district's judicial system is headed by the District and Sessions Judge, who is in turn assisted by other Judges and Munsiff magistrates posted at district and sub-division levels.{{Cite web |title=Who's Who {{!}} Welcome to Sitamarhi District {{!}} India |url=https://sitamarhi.nic.in/about-district/whos-who/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |language=en-US}}

• Sita Kund
• Urvija Kund
• Janaki Sthan
• Janaki Janmsthali Mandir
• Punaura Dham
• Haleshwar Sthan
• Manokamna Dham, Bariyarpur{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Kumari Bua, Sundargama{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Hanuman Mandir, Sundargama{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Kali Mandir, Sundargama{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Paakar Tree, PanthPakar{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Gaya Babu Temple Complex, Dayanagar{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Shiv Mandir, Dhangar{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Baudhi Devi, Dhangar{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Shiv Temple, Anhari{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

National Highway 77 connects Sitamarhi to Mehsi, Muzaffarpur and Patna, and other roads connect the city to adjoining districts. National Highway 227 runs towards Sheohar in the west and the border town Bhitthamore in the east. State highways link Sitamarhi to Madhubani district in the east.{{Cite news |date=2020-09-12 |title=Rs 1,034 crore OK'd for national highways projects in Bihar |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/rs1034cr-okd-for-nh-projects-in-state/articleshow/78066900.cms |access-date=2023-05-14 |issn=0971-8257}}

Sitamarhi Junction railway station is a five-platform station on the Darbhanga–Raxaul–Narkatiaganj line, which was converted to broad gauge in February 2014. Another broad-gauge track connects Sitamarhi to Muzaffarpur. Direct train services are available from Sitamarhi Junction to cities including New Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Mumbai.{{Cite web |title=Trains Darbhanga - Sitamarhi: times, prices and tickets starting from ₹ 47.32 {{!}} Virail |url=https://www.virail.in/en/train-darbhanga-sitamarhi |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=www.virail.in}}{{Cite web |last=Shandilya |first=Tushar |title=14006/Lichchavi Express - Anand Vihar Terminal to Sitamarhi NR/Northern Zone - Railway Enquiry |url=https://indiarailinfo.com/train/-train-lichchavi-express-14006/981/7322/4588 |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=indiarailinfo.com}}

The nearest airport to Sitamarhi is the Darbhanga Airport, about {{convert|82|km|mi}} away.{{Cite web |title=Trains Darbhanga - Sitamarhi: times, prices and tickets starting from ₹ 47.32 {{!}} Virail |url=https://www.virail.in/en/train-darbhanga-sitamarhi |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=www.virail.in}}

Sitamarhi is connected to cities in and around Bihar by state-owned transport services. Many private buses (both AC and non-AC{{Definition needed|date=May 2024}}) operate between Sitamarhi and Patna.{{Cite web |title=BSRTC |url=https://bsrtc.co.in/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=bsrtc.co.in}}

• Harnandan Prasad, ICS, zamindar, commissioner and vice chairman of Sitamarhi
• Ramcharitra Rai Yadav, freedom fighter, veteran socialist leader, and former member of both the Bihar Legislative Assembly and the Indian Legislative Assembly
• Ramesh Thakur, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Jainandan Prasad Yadav, Indian politician and former member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly
• Thakur Jugal Kishore Sinha, former Member of Parliament, freedom fighter, and founder of the co-operative movement{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
• Ram Dulari Sinha, former Union Minister, freedom fighter, and the first female governor from Bihar
• Devesh Chandra Thakur, deputy leader of the Bihar Legislative Council
• Prabhat Jha, politician and journalist
• Nawal Kishore Rai, former Member of Parliament
• Sanjay Prasad IAS, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer
• Sitaram Yadav, former Member of Parliament
• Ram Kumar Sharma, former Member of Parliament
• Sunil Kumar Pintu, former Member of Parliament
• Vikash Jha, journalist and author
• Gaurav Sharma, author

{{reflist}}

• [https://sitamarhi.nic.in/ Main site]
• [http://sitamarhi.bih.nic.in/District Portal of Sitamarhi]{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• [http://tirhut-muzaffarpur.bih.nic.in Official website of Tirhut Division]

{{Tirhut Division}}

Category:Cities and towns in Sitamarhi district

Category:Sitamarhi district

Category:Places in the Ramayana