Darbhanga
Darbhanga | |
|---|---|
Metropolitan
City | |
| Nickname(s): Cultural Capital of Bihar, Heart of Mithila | |
| Coordinates: 26°10′N 85°54′E / 26.17°N 85.9°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Bihar |
| Region | Mithila |
| District | Darbhanga |
| Established | 01 January 1875 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Darbhanga Municipal Corporation |
| • Mayor | Smt. Anjum Ara |
| • Municipal Commissioner | Shri Kumar Gaurav (IAS) |
| • SP City | Shri Sagar Kumar (IPS) |
| • Member of Parliament | Gopal Jee Thakur (BJP) |
| • MLA | Sanjay Saraogi (BJP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 39.83 km2 (15.38 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 52 m (171 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 296,039 |
| Demonym | Darbhangiya |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| • Additional official | English |
| • Regional | Maithili |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 846001–846009 |
| Telephone code | 06272 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-BR |
| Vehicle registration | BR-07 |
| Sex ratio | 1000:910 ♂/♀ |
| Railway Station | Darbhanga Junction |
| Airport | Darbhanga Airport |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Darbhanga |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Darbhanga, Darbhanga Rural, Bahadurpur, Keoti, Jale, Kusheshwar Asthan, Gaura Bauram, Benipur, Alinagar, Hayaghat |
| Website | darbhanga |
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Darbhanga is the fifth largest city and municipal corporation in the state of Bihar in India, and is considered an important city in North Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and the Darbhanga division. Darbhanga is also referred to as the gateway to Bengal, because it is held that the name Darbhanga has been derived from Dwār Banga or Dari – Banga, meaning the 'door of Bengal'.
Darbhanga was the seat of the erstwhile Khandwala zamidaar dynasty under the Mughals and British India. It is considered an important medical centre of North Bihar as it is the location of the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, and the second AIIMS of Bihar i.e AIIMS Darbhanga is to be constructed here. Similarly by the end of year 2029, it is expected that the city will be equipped with modern infrastructure of metro railway services called as Darbhanga Metro having 18.8 kilometres long metro line with 18 metro stations on it.
Darbhanga is one of the oldest cities in India. Musical, folk art, and literary traditions in Maithili, Sanskrit, Urdu, and Hindi have passed down generations in Darbhanga and constitute the city's strong cultural background. It is popularly known as the "Cultural Capital of Bihar" and the "Heart of Mithila".