About Motihari – Complete Information About Motihari City

Motihari, Bihar is a historic town well known for its rich cultural heritage and its connection to Champaran Satyagrah Andolan. So, Let's explore about Motihari, a historic and important city of Bihar.

Motihari, the headquarter of East Champaran district, a well known district in North Bihar. Motihari has an important role in the Satyagraha movement. This was the place from where Mahatma Gandhi started the movement.

Motihari was constituted as a municipality in the year 1869. The city trades oilseeds and has sugar milling and cotton weaving industries. The city has a few universities affiliated with the B.R. Ambedkar Bihar University.

Prior to 1st Dec 1977, there was a single district called "Champaran". 1st Dec 1977, the district was divided into 2 parts called (Purvi Champaran) East Champaran and (Paschimi Champaran) West Champaran. Bettiah became the headquarter of West Champaran and Motihari became headquarter of East Champaran.

Motihari is situated 165 KM away from Patna, which is capital city of Bihar and around 80 KM from Muzaffarpur which a well known city in Bihar. Muzaffarpur is famous for "Sudha Milk Dairy" and "Litchi".

Motihari is divided by a jheel called "Moti-Jheel". There is a bridge which connects both the parts of town. On this bridge there are open markets of cloths, fish, plastic items which are available at low cost. Meena Bazaar is a hub for all types of market, ie. electronics, cloths, kitchen items, fruits, vegetables etc.

Lets move to education system in Motihari. Motihari is the second choice for students after Patna in Bihar. Motihari has numerous number of coachings, tuition centers, colleges with high quality of education. Munshi Singh college, L.N.D. College, Zila School, Mangal Seminary are some government institutions which are first choice of students of Motihari.

Moti Jheel is the heart of Motihari. This is a small lake and which divides city in 2 part. Residentials and commercial buildings are placed on the bank of lake. In the lake fishermen and boating scene can be seen all the time.

History of Motihari

Motihari played a crucial role in Indian National Movement. It is Satyagrah Andolan started by Mahatama Gandhi which laid the foundation stone of our Independence. And, this movement was orginated from Motihari. History of Motihari

Geography and Location of Motihari

Motihari is located 80 KM west of Muzaffarpur and approx. 160 KM northwest of the capital city , Patna. The nearest rivers to Motihari are Skirana and Dhanauti.

• North - Nepal is in the Northern direction of Motihari.
• Souht - Muzaffarpur is in the south of Motihari.
• East - Sitamarhi and Sheohar are in the eastern direction.
• West - Gopalganj touches the western part of Motihari.

Culture and Lifestyle in Motihari

The culture of Motihari is mainly influenced by Bhojpuri heritage and its religious diversity, with Hinduism and Islam as a major religions. Culture and Language

• Languages - The official language is Hindi, but localites preferr Bhojpuri in day to day life.
• Arts - Motihari follows the rich culture of Bihar with folk songs and dance.
• Major Religions - Hinduism is the majorly following religion after Islam.
• Urban and Rural Life - Motihari has both urban and major rural population.
• Festivals - The people of Motihari celeberates vibrant festivals with a widen cultural traditions of Bihar. The major festivals are Holid, Diwali, Chhat Puja.
• Famous Temple - Someshawar Nath Temple, Areraj is one of the most famous Shiv Mandir near to Motihari.

Places to explore near Motihari

• Sangrahalay Gandhi: It has in plain view a variety of photos and relics of the Champaran Satyagraha.
• School that Gandhi Ji Established: This school situated in the towns of Barharwa Lakhensen and Madhuban are among other significant locales of interest near Motihari.
• Kesaria Stupa: There's a stupa at Kesaria close to Motihari, which is supposed to be the tallest and the biggest Buddhist Stupa in the world. The Archaeological Survey of India carried out excavations that led to its discovery in 1998. The Stupa's level is 104 feet. However, it is one foot taller than the well-known Borobodur stupa in Java.
• Someshwar Nath Temple: The famous temple is situated in the town of Areraj which is a little bit away from Motihari. The Shiv temple is a popular destination for pilgrims. Numerous old god goddess stone sculptures are kept and worshiped by devotees.

Motijheel - A scenic lake in Motihari city

Motijheel is the centre of Motihari and also this beautiful small lake divides the city into two parts. There is a bridge on this lake which serves to connect the two parts of the city. You can see the sight of boating in this lake anytime. On this bridge, there are open markets for clothes, fish, and plastic items which are available at low cost.

Climate of Motihari

The weather in Motihari remains the same as in other cities in North India.

• Spring -The month of February and March is the pleasant season of the year. There are warm days and cool nights in these months.
• Summer - For Motihari, April to June are the hottest months of the year.
• Rainy - July to September are rainy (Monsoon) seasons in Motihari.
• Winter - The effect of winter in Motihari lasts from October to January month.

Where is Motihari in Bihar?

Motihari is well know town of North Bihar and comes under Tirhut division. Geographically, Motihari is located near to India-Nepal border. This city is well connected by road and rail.

Tourism and Places to Visit in Motihari

Motihari has a historic significance in the Indian National Movement. A well established Meena Bazaar, Hindri Bazaar, Balua Chowk are the key market places in Motihari.

• Gandhi Museum

  A memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and the Champaran Satyagraha movement is located in this city. Those who are interested in modern Indian history must visit this place.

• George Orwell Birthplace Museum

  Visit the birthplace of the renowned author Eric Arthur Blair (pen name George Orwell).

• Kesariya Stupa

  Located near Motihari, Kesariya Stupa is one of the world's tallest Buddhist stupas and a significant historical and religious site. It is located approx. 45-50 KM from Motihari.

• Areraj Mandir

  One of the most holy place near to Motihari is Someshwar Nath Mandir, Areraj. It is situated 28 KM away from Motihari.

Transportation and Connectivity

Motihari is well connected by Rail and Road. The nearest railway station is Bapudham Motihari(Code BMKI) and the nearest airport is Patna which is 150 KM away from Motihari. Apart from this, various local transports are available to roam around and within the city.

How to Reach Motihari?

Motihari is one of the famous cities of Bihar. If you want to reach here from any corner of Bihar, then it is very easy for you. By the way, there is no rail route from the capital city of Patna to Motihari. However, if you want to come to Motihari by road, then NH-27 connects Motihari to Patna, from which you can reach Motihari from Patna in 4 hours. You can use the rail route to come to Hajipur from Patna and then reach Motihari from there.

If you are looking for possibilities of coming to Motihari from outside Bihar, then also you will not have any problem.

By Air route to Motihari

The nearest airport to Motihari is Patna, the capital of Bihar, which is about 150 kilometres away. There are daily flights to Patna from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Bangalore, and Chennai. You can reach Patna by air, and from there you can reach Motihari via the road route by taxi or bus.

By Rail Route to Motihari

Many superfast and express trains from cities like New Delhi and Mumbai pass through Motihari. Some trains run on a daily basis and some trains run a couple of days a week. Some of the main trains connecting New Delhi to Motihari are as follows

• SaptKranti Superfast (12557/ 12558)
• Champaran Hamsafar Exp
• Sadbhawna Exp
• PBR Motihari Exp
• MFP Garibrath

Some of the main trains connecting Mumbai (Bombay) to Motihari are as follows

• LTT-RXL Antyodaya Exp
• Avadh Express

Economy and Development of Motihari

Motihari is primarly rely on agriculture, but the district faces challenges from natural disaster like floods. The city has less industries and factories, on Sugar Mill near to Sugauli is yet to be operational. However, due the connectivity by road and railways, Motihari has shown significance improvement in last few years. Another key pillar for Motihari is the educational institutions and organisations. Student from near by places often visit Motihari for 10th (Matriculation), 12th (Intermediate) and Government Exam preparation.

Villages in Motihari

There are about 72 villages in Motihari subdivision. Below are the list of villages -