East Champaran district, or Purvi Champaran district is an administrative district in the Tirhut division of the state of Bihar in India. The district headquarter is located at Motihari. Prior to 1971, there was a single Champaran District. On 1 December 1971, it was divided into East and West Champaran (Purvi and Paschimi Champaran). In early days the land of East Chamapran was ruled by different kingdoms as Videha, Sunga, Kanvas. It is also believed that Champaran used to be a major part of King Janak's empire. Mahatma Gandhi started his famous Satyagraha movement from here.

About district

East Champaran District is functioning from 2 November 1972. The headquarter of the district is at Motihari. It is situated at 26° 16′ to 27° 1′ North latitude and 84° 30′ to 85° 16′ East longitudes. Nepal makes its northern boundary, Sitamarhi and Sheohar eastern while Muzaffarpur South and with part of Gopalganj and West Champaran bounds it in western side.

The district occupies an area of and has a population of 5,099,371 (). East Champaran is a part of Tirhut Division. It was earlier part of the Red Corridor.

As of 2011, it is the second most populous district of Bihar (out of 38), after Patna.

East Champaran is the second most crowded district of Bihar. The district gets its name from the union of two words, champa and aranya. Champa alludes to scented blossom trees and Aranya alludes to the home or an encased spot. The name began back in when the district was encircled by a backwoods of magnolia (champa) trees.

Geography

The East Champaran district occupies an area of , comparatively equivalent to Vanuatu's Espiritu Santo.

Gandak, Burhi Gandak and Baghmati are important rivers flowing through this region.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census East Champaran district has a population of 5,099,371, or the US state of Colorado. This gives it a ranking of 21st in India (out of a total of 640).

Administrative divisions

The East Champaran district is divided into 6 Tehsil (sub-division):

  1. Areraj
  2. Chakia
  3. Motihari
  4. Pakaridayal
  5. Raxaul
  6. Sikarahana

Urban development

The rapidly developing urban centres of East Champaran district include Raxaul, Mehsi, Dhaka, Areraj, and Motihari, which serves as the district headquarters. These towns have emerged as important centres of trade, transport, education, municipal administration, and regional connectivity in northern Bihar.

Motihari is centrally located among these urban centres and functions as the administrative headquarters of the district.

Mehsi is considered an important commercial and transport hub in the district and is located at .

Politics

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Literature

Ramesh Chandra Jha was the first person to record the literary history of Champaran. His notable works include Champaran Ki Sahitya Sadhana (चम्पारन की साहित्य साधना) (1958), Champaran: Literature & Literary Writers (चम्पारन: साहित्य और साहित्यकार) (1967) and Apne Aur Sapne:A Literary Journey Of Champaran (अपने और सपने: चम्पारन की साहित्य यात्रा) (1988).

Notable places

Bhimalpur Forest

thumb|300px|Bhimalpur Forest near Mehsi

Bhimalpur Forest is an emerging eco-tourism and biodiversity site located in Bhimalpur village in Mehsi, a town in the East Champaran district of Bihar, India. The forest area lies near the Burhi Gandak River and has gained attention for its greenery, afforestation programmes, and proposed biodiversity park development.

thumb|300px|Gandak Biodiversity Park area in Bhimalpur

The forest has been developed through plantation and environmental conservation initiatives supported by the Government of Bihar and local administrative authorities. Large-scale plantation drives were conducted in the area under afforestation campaigns, including the “Didi Ki Paudhshala” initiative, which contributed to increasing green cover and ecological restoration in the region.

thumb|300px|Burhi Gandak River near Bhimalpur Forest

Bhimalpur Forest is known for its natural scenery, riverine environment, and biodiversity. Wildlife reported from the surrounding region includes nilgai, peafowl, jackals, and several species of migratory birds. The area is being developed as an eco-tourism destination with proposals for boating facilities, walking tracks, medicinal plant zones, nature trails, and visitor infrastructure.

thumb|300px|Afforestation area in Bhimalpur

The forest is situated approximately 7 kilometres from Mehsi town and is considered one of the notable natural attractions of the Mehsi region. Local media reports have described the site as Bihar’s first proposed biodiversity park in a forest area near the Gandak basin.

thumb|300px|Forest landscape in Bhimalpur

Someshwar Nath Mandir, Areraj

Someshwar Nath Mahadev Mandir is a well established temple situated in Areraj. The significant divinity of the heavenly temple is of Lord Shiva. Explorers and pilgrims of Lord Shiva go to the holy place from India as well as from Nepal. The merriments on the event of an occasional reasonable known as Shrawani Mela, during July and August. There are numerous different temples nearby around and thus just Areraj is known as the holy place of East Champaran.

Ashokan Pillar

thumb|Ashoka Pillar

Ashokan Pillar is situated in Lauria Nandangarh, or Lauriya Navandgarh which is a city or town around 14 km from Narkatiaganj and 28 km from Bettiah in West Champaran district of Bihar state in northern India. It is found near the banks of the Budhi Gandak River. Lauriya Nandangarh is a chronicled place which goes under West Champaran district of Bihar.

Kesariya

thumb|Kesariya Baudha Stupa

Kesariya is arranged on the eastern banks of the River Gandak and views the enormous 104-feet-tall stupa, which is viewed as the tallest Buddhist stupa. In like manner, Kesariya orders conspicuous situations in East Champaran the travel industry just as history of Buddhism. The stupa was found in the year 1998.

<gallery widths=180>

File:Motihari station, India, ca. 1906 (IMP-CSCNWW33-OS14-6).jpg|Motihari Railway Station, 1906

File:Henry Bazaar, Motihari, India, ca. 1906 (IMP-CSCNWW33-OS14-10).jpg|Henry Bazaar(1906), Motihari

File:Birth-Place-George-Orwell-Motihari.jpg|Birth palace of George Orwell, Motihari

File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paying homage at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, at Motihari, in Bihar (1).jpg|The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paying homage at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, at Motihari.

File:StonePillar GandhiMuseum.jpg|Stone Pillar Gandhi Museum

File:Lauriya Araraj pillar of Ashoka, Champaran District.jpg|Lauriya Ashoka Pillar, Areraj

</gallery>thumb|Stone pillar at the Gandhi Museum

See also

  • Districts of Bihar

References

  • East Champaran district website
  • Official Website of Tirhut Division
  • Motihari (East Champaran)
  • East Champaran District Info