Sursand or Sursand Raj is an Indian town in the Mithila region of Bihar once zamindari of Bhumihar zamindars near the Indo-Nepal border. It is about 25 kilometres away from Sitamarhi, the district headquarters, and approximately 5 kilometers away from Bhitthamore.[2]

Sursand
Town
An ancient temple in Sursand
An ancient temple in Sursand
Sursand is located in Bihar
Sursand
Sursand
Location in Bihar, India
Coordinates: 26°39′0″N 85°43′0″E / 26.65000°N 85.71667°E / 26.65000; 85.71667
Country India
StateBihar
RegionMithila
DistrictSitamarhi
Government
 • TypeNagar Panchayat
Elevation55 m (180 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total29,688
Languages
 • OfficialMaithili, Hindi
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationBR-30
Coastline0 kilometres (0 mi)

History edit

The village has the ruins of a fortress known as Sursandgarh, which was constructed during the Mughal period by King Sursen.[3]

According to an account published in the Bengal District Gazetteers,

The name of the place is said to be derived from Sur Sen, a chieftain who once lived there. After his death, it lapsed once more into jungle, until it was reclaimed by two brothers—Mahesh Jha and Amar Jha, the founders of the present Sursand family. These brothers, the story runs, left their home at Ghograha, in the district of Darbhanga, and came to settle at Jadupati, a village belonging to them, 8 miles from Sursand. One day Mahesh Jha went with his astrologer to hunt in the woods at Sursand, and came across the ruins of Sur Sen's fort. The astrologer having told him that the man who made a home there would be a Raja, Mahesh Jha acted on his advice and cleared the jungle. The several branches of the Sursand family sprang from his son, Chaudhri Kelwal Krishna. Amar Jha's branch did not prosper, and his descendants are impoverished. Chaudhri Hirdai Narayan, a descendant of the elder branch, added largely to the family estates.[4]

Gallery edit

 
 
Sursand Palace in ruins

Archaeological geography edit

In the outskirts of the modern town, the area locally known as Garh Devi Sthan has a three-metre high circular mound covering about two acres of ground.[5]

Notable people edit

Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra served as the Union Deputy Minister for Planning from 1954 to 1962.

Schools and College edit

Jawahar Lal Neharu Memorial College, Nawahi, Sitamarhi

References edit

  1. ^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Sursand, India". Falling Rain. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Sursand News, Sursand की ताज़ा ख़बर, Sursand हिंदी न्यूज़ page1". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  3. ^ Mandal, R. B. (1989). Systems of rural settlements in developing countries. Concept Publishing. p. 147. ISBN 9788170222033. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  4. ^ Bengal District Gazetteers. Vol. 34. The Bengal Secretariat Book Depôt. 1907. p. 159.
  5. ^ Archaeological Geography of the Ganga Plain: The Lower and the Middle Ganga. Orient Blackswan. 2001. p. 200. ISBN 9788178240169.

External links edit