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Sitamarhi | |
|---|---|
City | |
   Clockwise from top: Goddess Sita,Janaki Sthan Mandir, Bagahi Math | |
  Sitamarhi Location in Bihar, India | |
| Coordinates:26°36′N85°29′E / 26.6°N 85.48°E /26.6; 85.48 | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Bihar |
| District | Sitamarhi |
| Elevation | 56 m (184 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 106,093 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| • Additional official | Urdu[2] |
| • Regional languages | Bajjika[3] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 843302, 843301, 843331,843323, 843325 (Sitamarhi)[4] |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-BR |
| Vehicle registration | BR-30 |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Sitamarhi |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Sitamarhi |
| Website | sitamarhi |
Sitamarhi is the headquarters of theSitamarhi district inTirhut Division.[5] The city was named in honour ofSītā, wife ofRāma, who was born in Sitamarhi according toHindu legends.[6]
In 1875, a subdivision for Sitamarhi was created within theMuzaffarpur district.[7] Sitamarhi was detached from Muzaffarpur and made a separate district on December 11, 1972.[8] The district headquarters is located inDumra, five kilometres (3 mi) south of Sitamarhi's main temple.[9]
Sitamarhi has an average elevation of 56 metres (184 ft).[10]
Pupri,Bairgania,Sursand andBhitthamore are all towns on theIndo-Nepal border not far from Sitamarhi.
Sitamarhi dates back to the time of theRamayana epic, which describes it as the place whereKing Janaka found the goddessSita.[11]
A temple dedicated to Sita is located at Punaura Dham Sitamarhi.[12] A rock-cut sanctuary from theMauryan period is also found near Sitamarhi.[13]
Several cultural events occur annually in Sitamarhi: Dumra hosts festivities forRama Navami each spring; a ceremony commemorating the marriage of Ram and Sita happens every year inJanaki Sthan;[14] and the winter festival ofSama Chakeva celebrates brother-sister relationships.[15][16]
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.[17]
| Religion in Sitamarhi (2011)[18] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion | Percent | |||
| Hinduism | 80.06% | |||
| Islam | 17.23% | |||
| Buddhism | 1.28% | |||
| Jainism | 0.45% | |||
| Christianity | 0.14% | |||
| Sikhism | 0.01% | |||
| Others | 0.22% | |||
Sitamarhi is a part of theTirhut 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][19] 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.[20] 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.[21]
National Highway 77 connects Sitamarhi toMehsi,Muzaffarpur andPatna, and other roads connect the city to adjoining districts.National Highway 227 runs towards Sheohar in the west and the border townBhitthamore in the east. State highways link Sitamarhi toMadhubani district in the east.[22]
Sitamarhi Junction railway station is a five-platform station on theDarbhanga–Raxaul–Narkatiaganj line, which was converted to broad gauge in February 2014. Another broad-gauge track connects Sitamarhi toMuzaffarpur. Direct train services are available from Sitamarhi Junction to cities includingNew Delhi,Kolkata,Varanasi,Lucknow,Guwahati,Hyderabad,Kanpur, andMumbai.[23][24]
The nearest airport to Sitamarhi is theDarbhanga Airport, about 82 kilometres (51 mi) away.[25]
Sitamarhi is connected to cities in and around Bihar by state-owned transport services. Many private buses (both AC and non-AC[definition needed]) operate between Sitamarhi andPatna.[26]