This article is about the historical and cultural region in India and Nepal. For the proposal to create a state of Mithila in India, seeMithila (proposed Indian state). For other uses, seeMithila.
Mithila is commonly used to refer to theVideha Kingdom, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha.[6][7] Until the 20th century, Mithila was still ruled in part by theRaj Darbhanga.
Mithilā is one of the most significant pilgrimage sites inJainism. Apart from its association withMahavira, the 24thTirthankara, it is also known for its association withMallinatha, the 19th Tirthankara, andNaminatha, the 21st Tirthankara. As per theŚvetāmbara canon, the first four of thefive significant events of the life ofMallinātha andNaminātha happened at Mithilā. The fifth one, which is the attainment ofnirvana, happened atSammet Shikharji.[8]
Mahavira spent 6varshās (monsoon seasons) at Mithilā.[9]Akampita Swāmi, one of his 11ganadharas, was born in Mithilā.[10] Additionally, as per ancientŚvetāmbara texts, a branch of ancient Jaina ascetics was known as"Maithiliya" after Mithilā, signifying its historical importance as a center of Jaina scholarship.[11]
Vividha Tirtha Kalpa, a 14th century CEŚvetāmbara Jaina text byĀcāryaJinaprabhasūrī, describes Mithilā as a major Jaina pilgrimage center. The scripture locates Mithilā in theTirhuta region near the confluence of theBāna Gangā andGandaki rivers. It also mentions a village called"Jagai", where temples dedicated toMallinātha andNaminātha existed. The site is also connected toSita's marriage,"Sakulla Kunda". Some researchers suggest that"Jagai" may be an abbreviation ofJagadishpur, near present-daySitamarhi. In their pilgrimage parties of 17th century CE and 18th century CE respectively,Panyās Saubhāgyavijaya andPanyās Vijayasāgara mention the location of the Jaina pilgrimage of Mithilā near present-day Sitamarhi inBihar.[12]The temples fell into disrepair, possibly due to a lack of Jaina population. The only remnant was the footprints ofMallinātha andNaminātha. These footprints were later preserved inBhāgalpur.[13] Based on historical evidence and research, initiatives to restore Mithilā’s lost Jaina heritage were launched. A two-storey temple along the Sitamarhi-Dumra road was constructed. In 2015, the foundation was laid byĀcāryaMahendrasāgarasūrī ofKharatara Gaccha. In 2020, the ritualistic installation of idols was conducted byĀcāryaPiyushsāgarasūrī of Kharatara Gaccha andĀcāryaVinayasāgarasūrī ofTapa Gaccha.[14]
Mithila first gained prominence after being settled byIndo-Aryan peoples who established theVideha kingdom.[15] During the LaterVedic period (c. 1100–500 BCE), Videha became one of the major political and cultural centers of Ancient India, along withKuru andPanchala. The kings of the Videha Kingdom were calledJanakas.[16] The Videha Kingdom was incorporated into theVajjika League, which had its capital in the city ofVaishali, and is also in Mithila.[17]
Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq leading his troops in the capture of the city of Tirhut. Depicted by eyewitness Muhammad Sadr Ala-i in his workBasātin al-uns, published ca.1410. Istanbul, Topkapi Palace Museum Library, Ms. R.1032.[18]
From the 11th century to the 20th century, Mithila was ruled by various indigenous dynasties. The first of these was theKarnats of Mithila,[19] theOiniwar Dynasty and the Khandwala Dynasty, also known asRaj Darbhanga. The Malla dynasty and Licchavi dynasty of Nepal are also Maithil in origin. The rulers of the Oiniwar Dynasty and the Raj Darbhanga wereMaithil Brahmins. The Oiniwar Dynasty originated from the villageOini in the Samastipur district of the Mithila region. It was during the reign of the Raj Darbhanga family that the capital of Mithila was shifted toDarbhanga.[20]
Tughlaq had attacked and taken control of Bihar, and from the end of theTughlaq Dynasty until the establishment of theMughal Empire in 1526, there was anarchy and chaos in the region.Akbar (reigned from 1556 to 1605) realised that taxes from Mithila could only be collected if there was a king who could ensure peace there. The Maithil Brahmins were dominant in the Mithila region and Mithila had Maithil Brahmin kings in the past.[citation needed]
Akbar summoned Rajpandit Chandrapati Thakur toDelhi and asked him to name one of his sons who could be made caretaker and tax collector for his lands in Mithila. Chandrapati Thakur named his middle son,Mahesh Thakur, and Akbar declaredMahesh Thakur as the caretaker of Mithila on the day ofRam Navami in 1557 AD.
Lakshmeshwar Singh (reigned from 1860 to 1898) was the eldest son of Maharaja Maheshwar Singh of Darbhanga. He, along with his younger brother, Rameshwar Singh received a western education from Government appointed tutors as well as a traditional Indian education from aSanskritPandit. He spent approximately £300,000 on relief work during thefamine of 1873–74. He constructed hundreds of miles of roads in various parts of the Raj, planting them with tens of thousands of trees for the comfort of travellers, as part of generating employment for people effected by famine. He constructed iron bridges over all the navigable rivers
He built, and entirely supported, a first-class Dispensary at Darbhanga, which cost £3400; a similar one at Kharakpur, which cost £3500; and largely contributed to many others.
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh
He built an Anglo-vernacular school at a cost of £1490, which he maintained, as well as nearly 30 vernacular schools of different grades; and subsidised a much larger number of educational institutions. He was also one of the founders ofIndian National Congress as well as one of the main financial contributors thereto. Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh is known for purchasing Lowhter Castle for the venue of the 1888 Allahabad Congress session when the British denied permission to use any public place. The British Governor[who?] commissionedEdward Onslow Ford to make a statue of Lakshmeshwar Singh. This is installed atDalhousie Square inKolkata.
Mithila is a distinct geographical region with natural boundaries like rivers and hills. It is largely a flat and fertilealluvial plain criss-crossed by numerous rivers which originate from theHimalayas. Due to the flat plains and fertile land Mithila has a rich variety of biotic resources; however, because of frequent floods people could not take full advantage of these resources.[21]
Seven major rivers flow through Mithila:Gandak,Kosi,Mahananda,Bagmati,Kamala,Balan, and theBudhi Gandak.[22] They flow from the Himalayas in the north to theGanges river in the south. These rivers regularly flood, depositing silt onto the farmlands and sometimes causing death or hardship.[citation needed]
Men and women in Mithila are very religious and dress for the festivals as well. The costumes of Mithila stem from the rich traditional culture of Mithila.Kurta andDhoti with aMithila Painting borderedMaroon coloured Gamchha which is the Symbol of Passion, Love, Bravery and Courage are common clothing items for men. Men wear Gold ring in their nose which symbolizes prosperity, happiness and wealth inspired byLord Vishnu. Also wear Balla on their wrist andMithila Paag on their Head. In ancient times there was no colour option in Mithila, so the Maithil women wore white or yellow Saree with red Border but now they have a lot of variety and colour options and wearLaal-Paara (the traditional red-boarded white or yellowSaree)[23] on some special occasions, and also wearShakha-Pola[24] with lahthi in their hand. InMithila culture, this represents new beginnings, passion and prosperity. Red also represents the Hindu goddessDurga, a symbol of new beginnings and feminine power. During Chhaith, the women of Mithila wear pure cotton dhoti without stitching which reflects the pure, traditional Culture of Mithila. Usually crafted from pure cotton for daily use and from pure silk for more glamorous occasions, traditional attire for the women of Mithila includes Jamdani, Banarisi and Bhagalpuri and many more.
Jhijhiya andDhuno-Naach are the Cultural Dance of Mithila. Jhijhiya is performed in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani and their Neighbour Districts on the other handDhuno-Naach is performed in Begusarai, Khagaria, Katihar, Naugachia during Durga Puja and Kalipuja with Shankha-Dhaak Sound.Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year in Mithila.Chhaith,Durga Puja andKali puja is celebrated as perhaps the most important of all the celebrations of Mithila.
The Paag dates back to pre-historic times when it was made of plant leaves. It exists today in a modified form. The Paag is wore by the whole Maithil community. The colour of the Paag also carries a lot of significance. The red Paag is worn by thebridegroom and by those who are undergoing thesacred thread rituals. Paag of mustard colour is donned by those attending wedding ceremonies and the elders wear a white Paag.
This Paag now features place in the popular Macmillan Dictionary. For now, Macmillan Dictionary explains Paag as “a kind of headwear worn by people in the Mithila belt of India.”[25]
Paag
On 10 February 2017,India Posts released a set of 16commemorative postage stamps on "Headgears of India". The Mithila Paag was featured on one of those postage stamps.
TheMithilalok Foundation was (in 2017) a social service organization whose flagship programme was Paag Bachau Abhiyan (Save the Paag Campaign). NOTE - it is not clear (as at April 2024) whether this campaign or the Foundation still exist.[26]
People of Mithila primarily speak in Maithili and its various dialects includingThēthi[27] and its perceived dialectsBajjika,[28] andAngika while also being well versed in other languages likeEnglish,Hindi andNepali for official or administrative purposes.[citation needed]
This language is anIndo-Aryan language native to theIndian subcontinent, mainly spoken inIndia andNepal and is one of the 22recognisedIndian languages. In Nepal, it is spoken in the easternTerai and is the second most prevalent language of Nepal.Tirhuta is formerly the primary script for written Maithili. Less commonly, it was also written in the local variant ofKaithi. Today it is written in theDevanagari adopted script.
Maithil cuisine is a part ofIndian cuisine andNepalese cuisine. It is a culinary style which originated in Mithila. Some traditional Maithil dishes are:
Traditional Pickles, made of fruits and vegetables which are generally mixed with ingredients like salt, spices, and vegetable oils and are set to mature in a moistureless medium.
Madhubani art or Mithila painting is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal.It was traditionally created by the women of different communities of the Mithila region. It is named afterMadhubani district of India which is where it originated.[29]
This painting as a form of wall art was practiced widely throughout the region; the more recent development of painting on paper and canvas originated among the villages around Madhubani, and it is these latter developments that may correctly be referred to as Mithila Painting.[30]
Sitamarhi Dham Parikrama - It is a Hindu religious circumambulation of the sacred religious destinations around the region of Sitamarhi Dham in Mithila. It is associated with the birth anniversary known as Janaki Navami of Goddess Sita in Mithila.
Indra Puja - Indra Puja is a festival celebrated in Mithila and only place where indra is worshipped , festival that honors Lord Indra and his wife Shachi. It is celebrated to ensure a good harvest season.
Saama-Chakeba: includes folk theater and song, celebrates the love between brothers and sisters and is based on a legend recounted in thePuranas.
Jur Sital - Jur Sital or Maithil New Year is the celebration of the first day of the Maithil new year
Vivaha Panchami: Hindu festival celebrating the wedding of Rama and Sita. It is observed on the fifth day of the Shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in the Agrahayana month (November – December) as per Maithili calendar and in the month of Margashirsha in the Hindu calendar.
Durga Puja: a ten-day festival,[33][34] of which the last five are of the most significance.[35] is an important festival in theShaktism tradition of Hinduism.[36][37][38]It marks the victory of goddess Durga in her battle against the shape-shiftingasura,Mahishasura.[39][40][A] Thus, the festival epitomizes the victory of good over evil, though it is also in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation.[42][43]
Kali Puja: dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon dayDipannita Amavasya of the Hindu month Kartik
Saraswati Puja: marks the preparation for the arrival ofspring. The festival is celebrated by people ofDharmic religions in theSouth Asian countries in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation forHolika andHoli, which take place forty days later.[44]
Maithili language speakers are referred to as Maithils and they are anIndo-Aryanethno-linguistic group. There are an estimated 75 million Maithils in India alone. The vast majority of them areHindu.[46]
There was a movement in the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal for a separate province.[49]Province No. 2 was established under the 2015 Constitution, which transformed Nepal into a Federal Democratic Republic, with a total of seven provinces. Province No. 2 has a substantial Maithili speaking population and consists most of the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal. It was demanded by some Mithila activists that Province No. 2 be named 'Mithila Province'.[50]On 23 December 2021, four different names for the Province No. 2 were presented by the various parties of theProvincial Assembly of Madhesh Province. The four names were ‘Madhesh Pradesh’, ‘Janaki Pradesh’, ‘Madhya Madhesh Pradesh’ and ‘Mithila Bhojpura’.[51]
Among the four names, Madhesh Pradesh (Madhesh Province) was chosen and finalized on 17 January 2022. The name was finalized with 80 percent majority in the Provincial Assembly.Janakpur was named as the capital of the province.[52]
This is adynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help byediting the page to add missing items, with references toreliable sources.
H C Verma, Indianphysicist and author of the popular bookConcept of Physics
Ram Narayan Mishra, ThePlenipotentiary for Treaty of trade and transit between the Government of India and His Majesty's Government of Nepal in 1960, Nepalese political leader, democratic freedom fighter in Nepal, a founder member ofNepali Congress Party.
Bindheshwari Prasad Mandal was an Indian parliamentarian and social reformer who served as the chairman of the Second Backward Classes Commission (popularly known as theMandal Commission).[57]
C. K. Raut, formerly US-based computer scientist, author and political leader of Nepal.[58]
^In the Shakta tradition ofHinduism, many of the stories about obstacles and battles have been considered as metaphors for the divine and demonic within each human being, with liberation being the state of self-understanding whereby a virtuous nature & society emerging victorious over the vicious.[41]
^Michael Witzel (1989),Tracing the Vedic dialects in Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes ed. Caillat, Paris, pages 13, 17 116–124, 141–143
^Witzel, M. (1989). "Tracing the Vedic dialects". In Caillat, C. (ed.).Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes. Paris: Fondation Hugot. pp. 141–143.
^Hemchandra, R. (1972).Political History of Ancient India. Calcutta: University of Calcutta.
^Burkert, C. (2012)."Defining Maithil Identity". In Gellner, D.; Pfaff-Czarnecka, J.; Whelpton, J. (eds.).Nationalism and Ethnicity in a Hindu Kingdom: The Politics and Culture of Contemporary Nepal. London, New York: Routledge. pp. 241–273.ISBN9781136649561.Archived from the original on 20 August 2017.
![Map of the Mithila region of India & Nepal[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMithila_Region_of_India_and_Nepal.png)
