Muzaffarpur district The Land ofLychee | |
|---|---|
 Muzaffarpur City Aerial View  Bio Fuel Unit  Sahu Pokhar  P&M Mall  Cancer Hospital  RamaKrishna Mission Seva Sharam  Garibnath Temple  Map oF Muzaffarpur District | |
 Interactive map of Muzaffarpur district | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Bihar |
| Division | Tirhut |
| Headquarters | Muzaffarpur |
| Government | |
| • Lok Sabha constituencies | Muzaffarpur,Vaishali |
| • Vidhan Sabha constituencies | Gaighat,Aurai,Minapur,Bochahan,Sakra,Kurhani,Muzaffarpur,Kanti,Baruraj,Paroo,Sahebganj |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,173 km2 (1,225 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 4,801,062 |
| • Density | 1,513/km2 (3,919/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy |  85% |
| • Sex ratio | 999 |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Major highways | NH 57,NH 28,NH 22,NH 102, NH 527C |
| Website | muzaffarpur |
Muzaffarpur district is one of the thirty-eightdistricts of Biharstate,India. Muzaffarpur district is part of and also the headquarters ofTirhut division. Muzaffarpur district is the financial and un-official capital ofNorth Bihar[1] Tirhut is the ancient name of all of northern Bihar.[2]
Muzaffarpur was a part of the ancientVajjika League, one of the principalmahājanapadas ofAncient India.[3]
The history of Muzaffarpur dates back to the ancient Indian epicRamayana. According to legend, Rajarshi Janak ruled Videha, a region that included present-day easternNepal and northernBihar.Sitamarhi, a place in this region, is sacred toHindus, who believe thatSita, also known as Vaidehi, was born there.
The recorded history of Muzaffarpur begins with the rise of the Vrijjan Republic. The district was later influenced by the Licchavis, a powerful and influential clan. The Vrijjan Republic was a confederation of eight clans, with the Licchavis being the most prominent. The kingdom of Magadh also had matrimonial alliances with the Licchavis in 519 BC.
Muzaffarpur was also influenced byBuddhism andJainism. Vaishali, a center of religious renaissance, was the birthplace of Mahavir, the 24th Jain Tirthankar and a contemporary ofBuddha. Ambarati, 40 km from Muzaffarpur, is believed to be the village home ofAmrapali, the famous Royal court dancer of Vaishali.
In the 14th century, Muzaffarpur came under Muslim rule. The district was later controlled by thePala kings and theSena dynasty. In the 18th century, Muzaffarpur became part of theMughal Empire. The district was laterannexed by theEast India Company in 1764, following their victory at theBattle of Buxar.
Muzaffarpur played a significant role in India'sstruggle for independence. The district was a center of nationalist movement, withMahatma Gandhi visiting the area in 1920 and 1927. The famous bomb case of 1908, in which a youngBengali revolutionary,Khudi Ram Bose along withPrafulla Chaki attempted to assassinateBritish Judge Douglas Kingsford by throwing a bomb at his carriage but he was not inside it. Instead, the carriage was carrying the wife and daughter of barristerPringle Kennedy. For this act he washanged, at Central Jail Muzaffarpur.
Muzaffarpur is a cultural hub of Bihar, known for its rich blend of Hindu traditions. Often referred to as theDeoghar of Bihar, the city has a diverse cultural heritage that has contributed to the birth of many notable personalities.
In 1972, the districts ofSitamarhi andvaishali were separated from Muzaffarpur to form independent administrative units.Times of India (1 January 2025).[4]
Muzaffarpur district is served by riversGandak,Budhi Gandak,Bagmati andLakhandei.
Many streams pass through the district. The area has been prone to floods. The district lies in the fertile region ofGangetic plain. Muzaffarpur district occupies an area of 3,175.9 square kilometres (1,226.2 sq mi),[5] comparatively equivalent toCanada'sMansel Island.[6]
As of 2024, Muzaffarpur has a GDP per capita income of approximately $402.22, contributing around 4.7% to Bihar's total GDP.
The city has emerged as a significant industrial and commercial hub in the state, with key installations such as the NTPCKanti Thermal Power Station, Textile units, and Bag manufacturing clusters. Prominent industries, including Bihar Drugs & Organic Chemicals Ltd and Muzaffarpur Dairy, have played a vital role in boosting the local economy and generating substantial employment.
Muzaffarpur is a major center for wholesale cloth trade and agriculture-based industries, further reinforcing its economic importance. Owing to its commercial influence and strategic location, Muzaffarpur is often regarded as the Economic and Unofficial capital ofNorth Bihar.[7]
TheBihar Industrial Area Development Authority is responsible for industrial development in Muzaffarpur District
Muzaffarpur, located in the northern region of Bihar, India, hosts several important defence and paramilitary establishments, including the Muzaffarpur Military Station, theGroup Centre of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and theSector Headquarters of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Muzaffarpur Military Station, also known as the Muzaffarpur Cantonment, Muzaffarpur Army Area or Station Headquarter Muzaffarpur, is a defence establishment of theIndian Army located in Shrirampuri, near Circuit House Road, in the Muzaffarpur district.
The station provides administrative, logistic, and welfare facilities for serving and retired defence personnel in North Bihar. It is associated with the151 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) – Jat Regiment, which operates under the Territorial Army framework of the Indian Army.[8]
The military station includes an Army Canteen that has served defence personnel and ex-servicemen of theIndian Army,Indian Air Force, andIndian Navy in the region for over a century. It is among the oldest canteens in eastern India, established around 1859–1860, providing subsidized goods and amenities to military personnel. The station also houses an Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Polyclinic, which provides medical care and health services to retired defence personnel and their dependents.[9]
Address: Circuit House Road, Shrirampuri, Muzaffarpur, Bihar – 842001
The Muzaffarpur Sector Headquarters of theSashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is located in Umanagar, Muzaffarpur district, Bihar. It serves as the command centre for SSB operations across North Bihar, overseeing border-security management, internal-security deployments, training, and welfare of SSB personnel.
The sector is headed by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and supervises multiple SSB battalions operating in the region. The headquarters also organizes cultural and sports events to promote morale and community engagement among personnel.
The Group Centre of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Muzaffarpur, commonly known as GC, CRPF, Muzaffarpur, is a major establishment of the CRPF located at Jhaphan, near Uma Nagar, in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar, India.
It functions under the Bihar Sector of the Central Zone of the CRPF and serves as an administrative, logistic, and training base for CRPF units operating across North Bihar. The centre is headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) and provides accommodation, welfare, and operational support to personnel.
Muzaffarpur is a Major Transport Hub in North Bihar as it is well connected with All the Major Cities & Towns of the Country
Muzaffarpur Junction is the major Railway Station of the Muzaffarpur District lies on theEast Central Railway zone. It is connected directly to all the major cities of India.
There are daily and weekly trains available forNew Delhi,Patna,Secunderabad,Kolkata,Varanasi,Ahmedabad,Lokmanya Tilak Terminus,Howrah,Amritsar,Pune and other major cities.[12]
NH 27 which is part of India'sEast–West highway corridor passes through Muzaffarpur. Muzaffarpur is connected to other parts of India byNH 27,
NH 22,
NH 122 andBihar State highways 48 & 4[13]Asian Highway 42 (AH42) passes through Muzaffarpur, India, as part of the National Highway 27 (NH 27) route within the city[14]
Muzaffarpur Metro is a proposed metro railway service in the Muzaffarpur district ofBihar. The proposal was proposed by the department of Urban Development and Housing Development of Bihar Government to provide facility of metro railway services in Muzaffarpur
For this project,RITES has already completed the survey, finalized the station and route for the Muzaffarpur metro, and sent it to the Bihar government for approval.[15][16]
Patahi Airport, located in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, is currently not operational but is slated for development and expansion, with plans for a longer runway and to accommodate 19 Seater aircraft.[17]
Muzaffarpur is also known as the educational hub ofNorth Bihar. According to the Bihar Economic Survey 2024–25, Muzaffarpur is home to a total of 60 colleges. It is also the headquarters ofBabasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University. Additionally, Muzaffarpur houses the first government engineering college of Bihar Government,Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology, which was established in 1954. The city also has a government medical collegeSri Krishna Medical College and Hospital[18]
Apart from these, Muzaffarpur is home to several other notable colleges.
In addition to the mentioned schools and colleges, there are many other schools and colleges in Muzaffarpur.
| District | No. | Constituency | Name | Party | Alliance | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muzaffarpur | 88 | Gaighat | Komal Singh | JD(U) | NDA | |||
| 89 | Aurai | Rama Nishad | BJP | Minister | ||||
| 90 | Minapur | Ajay Kushwaha | JD(U) | |||||
| 91 | Bochahan (SC) | Baby Kumari | LJP(RV) | |||||
| 92 | Sakra (SC) | Aditya Kumar | JD(U) | |||||
| 93 | Kurhani | Kedar Prasad Gupta | BJP | |||||
| 94 | Muzaffarpur | Ranjan Kumar | ||||||
| 95 | Kanti | Ajit Singh | JD(U) | |||||
| 96 | Baruraj | Arun Kumar Singh | BJP | |||||
| 97 | Paroo | Shankar Prasad Yadav | RJD | MGB | ||||
| 98 | Sahebganj | Raju Kumar Singh | BJP | NDA | ||||
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 10,78,094 |
| 1911 | 11,13,058 |
| 1921 | 10,77,631 |
| 1931 | 11,50,419 |
| 1941 | 12,69,186 |
| 1951 | 13,77,181 |
| 1961 | 15,98,346 |
| 1971 | 19,09,059 |
| 1981 | 23,57,388 |
| 1991 | 29,53,903 |
| 2001 | 37,46,714 |
| 2011 | 48,01,062 |
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 84.00% | |||
| Islam | 15.53% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.47% | |||
According to the2011 census, Muzaffarpur district has a population of 4,801,062,[21] roughly equal to the nation ofSingapore[22] or the US state ofAlabama.[23] This gives it a ranking of 24th th in India (out of a total of640). The district has a population density of 1,514 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,920/sq mi). Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 28.14%. Muzaffarpur has asex ratio of 900females for every 1000 males, and aliteracy rate of 63.4%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 15.66% and 0.12% of the population respectively.[21]
At the time of the2011 Census of India, 48.33% of the population in the district spokeHindi, 39.01% of the population recorded their language asBajjika under Hindi7.65%Urdu, 3.54%Bhojpuri, and 1.33%Maithili. .[24]Bajjika[25] and Hindi are the local languages of Muzaffarpur district.[26][27]
There are 16 blocks under Muzaffarpur district:[28]
| Block Name | Population (2011) |
|---|---|
| Musahri | 683,073 |
| Kurhani | 435,676 |
| Baruraj (Motipur) | 406,795 |
| Paroo (Paroo) | 361,662 |
| Minapur | 340,925 |
| Sakra | 306,833 |
| Aurai (Aurai) | 290,545 |
| Kanti (Kanti) | 272,858 |
| Gaighat (Gaighat) | 259,719 |
| Bochaha | 245,659 |
| Katra (Katra) | 244,823 |
| Sahebganj | 241,438 |
| Saraiya | 331,651 |
| Marwan (Marwan) | 164,858 |
| Bandra | 124,057 |
| Dholi (Moraul) | 90,490 |
Mansel Island 3,180km2
Singapore 4,740,737 July 2011 est.
Alabama 4,779,736
Places adjacent to Muzaffarpur district | |
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