Mithila Makhana (botanical name: Euryale ferox Salisb.) is a special variety of aquatic fox nut (Euryale ferox) cultivated in Mithila region of Bihar state in India and in Nepal.
In Mithila, Makhana is also termed as Makhan. It is one of the three prestigious cultural identities of Mithila: Pond, Fish and Makhan (Maithili language: पग-पग पोखर, माछ, मखान). It is also used in the Kojagara festival celebrated for newly married couples among the Maithil Brahmins and Kaysaths. [1]
Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour facilitated in getting a geographical indication (GI) tag for Mithila Makhana, which it received in April 2022. [2] [3] [4] [5] Darbhanga MP Gopal Jee Thakur had led these efforts by demanding a GI tag for Mithila Makhana many times in the Parliament of India. [6] [7]
GI has been registered in the name of Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak Sangh, Purnia. [8] [9] The Postal Department of India started a courier service for delivering Mithila Makhana in Bihar from 28 January 2021. [10] [11]
Euryale ferox, commonly known as prickly waterlily, makhana, or Gorgon plant, is a species of water lily found in southern and eastern Asia, and the only extant member of the genus Euryale. The edible seeds, called fox nuts or makhana, are dried, and eaten predominantly in Asia.
Madhwapur is a village cum block in the Madhubani district of the Mithila region in the state of Bihar in India. Madhwapur is a small block with population of 113,459. It situated on the border of Nepal and India. Business is the main backbone of this village. The native language of the village is Maithili. Apart from the native language some people also speak in the languages of Angika, Hindi and Nepali.
Mithila Student Union (MSU) (Maithili : मिथिला स्टूडेंट यूनियन) is a non-political student organisation whose sole purpose is the development of Mithila and Maithils living in India. It is one of the largest student organisations in Bihar. It is a registered organization under the provisions of the Societies Registration Act, 1860 under the Indian constitution. Anup Maithil is the founder president of Mithila Student Union. They mostly keep Mithila Art Boarded Maroon Gamchha on their Sholder which is the Symbol of Passion, Love, Bravery and Courage.
Baliraajgadh is an archaeological site located at Babubarhi block in Madhubani district of Mithila region of Bihar state in India. The site is locally known as Raja Bali ka Garh. The site was first sighted and identified by George Grierson, the then subdivisional officer of Darbhanga in 1884 AD. It is among the three important archeological sites Balirajgarh fort, Telhara and Nalanda in the state of Bihar in India. The site of Balirajgarh is greater than the site of Vikramshila and Vaishali but it has not yet been developed as a tourist place. Balirajgarh Fort is located on the territory of Mithila, 7 kilometers east of Kamlabalan River and 35 kilometers west of Kosi River. It has been claimed by some scholars to be the location of the ancient city of Mithila. The headquarter of the Ancient Mithila University was at the court of King Janaka in Mithila. Therefore, Balirajgadh is also the possible site of the Ancient Mithila University. It is the place from where most of the schools of the ancient Indian philosophy emerged. Nyaya Shastra, Logical sciences, Samkhya Shastra, Mimansa Shastra and many more Indian philosophy emerged from the Ancient Mithila University.
Phulhar is an ancient historical site in Madhubani district of Mithila region of Bihar, India. It is the place where Lord Rama and Goddess Sita first time met. It was a flower garden of King Janaka of Mithila. A very famous temple of Goddess Bhagwati known as Girija Sthan is situated here. This place is mentioned in many Hindu texts of the ancient India. This place has been recognised by the Government of Bihar in 2020 as tourist centre for Hindu pilgrims. This place is related to Lord Rama.
Ugna or Ugna Mahadev is believed to be an incarnation of Shiva as the servant of his devotee, the Maithili poet Vidyapati around the 14th century in Mithila. According to legend, the people of Mithila generally remember and worship Shiva by the name of Ugna, which is among the deity's thousand names.
Yajnavalkya Ashram was a gurukul of the Indian philosopher Yajnavalkya. It is believed that Yajnavalkya got his enlightenment here. It is the place where he wrote many texts of Ancient Indian philosophy. He wrote Shatapatha Brahman, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Yoga Yajnavalkya and many more. Yajnavalkya Ashram is situated at Jagban village of Madhubani district in Mithila region of Bihar.
Mithila State Movement is a movement advocating a separate Mithila state in India. This movement gained momentum in 1902 AD when Sir George Grierson, an official of the British Indian government, prepared a map of Mithila state by conducting a language-based survey. In 1881 AD, the word Mithila was added to the dictionary of the British India government. According to the founder, president Dr. Dhanakar Thakur of the International Maithili Council in the proposed Mithila state, 24 districts of Bihar and six districts of Jharkhand, a total of 30 districts, have been included, which has a population of about 70 million. At the same time, the area is 70 thousand square km.
Sanjay Kumar Jha is an Indian politician, Rajya Sabha MP, National Working President of Janata Dal United, Leader of JDU parliamentary party in Rajya Sabha and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. He served as Minister of Water Resources and Information and Public Relations departments in Government of Bihar He was also Member of Bihar Legislative Council. In February 2024 he elected unopposed as Member of Parliament (India), Rajya Sabha to Janata Dal (United) in place of Bashistha Narain Singh from Bihar.
Bisfi Vidyapati Dih is the birthplace of Maithili poet Vidyapati in Mithila. It is located at Bisfi village of Madhubani district in Bihar. It was also an educational centre of the Ancient Mithila University. Vidyapati used to teach his students here. According to legend, Lord Shiva had incarnated here as Ugna, in the form of a poor servant at the courtyard of his great devotee Vidyapati.
Saharghat is a semi urban panchayat in Madhwapur block of Madhubani district in Mithila region of Bihar, India. It is connected by National Highway 104 and State Highway 75 with different parts of the major cities in the state of Bihar, India and Madhesh Pradesh province of Nepal. The village comes under Harlakhi Assembly constituency and Madhubani Lok Sabha constituency.
Vishwamitra Ashram at Bisaul village of Madhubani district in the Mithila region of Bihar was the residence place related to the Vedic sage Vishwamitra in Ramayana. It is located near the capital city Janakpur of ancient Mithila Kingdom.
Shringi Rishi Ashram at Singiya Village of Madhubani district in the Mithila region of Bihar is an ancient Ashram related to the Vedic sage Shringi in Ramayana. In the campus of Ashram there is a famous Lord Shiva temple known as Shringeshwar Mahadev Mandir.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Darbhanga is an under construction Public hospital and Medical school located at Darbhanga, Bihar, India. It is the second AIIMS of Bihar, being constructed approximately at a cost of 1264 crores. AIIMS Darbhanga was Announced on 28 February 2015 and approved on 15 September 2020, The Government of Bihar handed over the 187 acres of land to the Central Government in 2024.
Kumarila Bhatta Dih is historical place related to the Indian philosopher Kumarila Bhatta in the Mithila region of Bihar.
Dhouns is the name of a river that flows on the plains of the Mithila region of Nepal and India. It is the part of Adhwara group of rivers flowing from Nepal to the western part of the Madhwapur block area in the Madhubani district of Bihar in India.
Jamuni river is a river that flows on the plains of the Mithila region in the Indian subcontinent. It is the part of Adhwara group of rivers flowing through western part of the Madhubani district. It is a perennial river that originates in the Himalayan range of Nepal and merges with Dhouns river at Akharharghat in the Indian states of Bihar.
Koshi Flood 2024 is a big flood caused by the release of approximately 6.61 lakh cusecs of water from the Birpur Barrage of the Koshi river.
Thumhani River is a river that flows on the plains of the western part in the Madhubani district of the Mithila region in Bihar state of India. It is the part of the Adhwara group of rivers in the Indian Subcontinent.
Industrial ruins in Mithila region are the remains of the destroyed and decaying older factories and industrial estates of the region in the state of Bihar in India.