MARHAURA

It is one of the famous city of Chapra with iconic view of Garhdevi Temple, a very famous temple of Chapra witnessing huge crowd specially on the ocassion of Durga Puja. Devotees have strong belief on this temple and often visit the temple to get blessings from the deity.

A Panormic View of the temple

SILHAURI

This is an important place as per the child Episode of Shiv Puran and Ram charitra Manas. The mohbhan of Narad depicts the place to be here. This ancient place is 28 km away from Marhowra. On every Shivratary mela is organized here during which the devotes of Baba Shilanath come to pay their obeisances. A large no. of Devotees from various parts of Bihar and other States come to take the darshan.

GAUTAM STHAN

Ahilya Uddhar sthal

The Ashram of Gautam Rishi is situated 5 km west of Chapra As per religious belief the purification of Ahalya was meted out here. In the great epic Ramayan, there is mention of Gautam Rishi who had cursed his wife who turned into stone. Apparently she became a human again when Lord Rama touched her.

A view of Gautam sthan 

SONEPUR

Internationally famous for the Asia's largest cattle fair held on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela and it attracts visitors from all over Asia. it is also the head quarters of Sonepur Anchal. Sonepur is a Nagar Panchayat and is noted for its Railways platform which is one of the largest in India. So far as religious aspect of Sonepur Mela is concerned, special significance is owing to the temple of shree Hariharnath and the site of the battle of Gaj-Grah and rescue of the former by Hari During Kartik Purnima Ganga Snan or ceremonial bathing in the Ganga is held by Hindus to be unusually efficacious. On the day of full moon (Kartik Purnima) immense crowd assembles and take bath. The Mela commences on that day and lasts for more than a fortnight.

The Shiva temple, Kali temple and other temples and historical religious monuments are situated here and social and economical activities are at the highest peak during the Mela period. People come here to pay their oblation to the lords and thus its importance is not within Sonepur of Bihar rather it is of India and world fame.

HISTORY

Originally, the venue of the fair was Hajipur and only the performance of the puja used to take place at the Harihar Nath temple of Sonepur. However, under the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the venue of the fair got shifted to Sonepur. The temple of Harihar Nath is believed to have been originally built by Lord Rama, on his way to the court of King Janak to win the hand of Mata Sita. It is further said that Raja Man Singh later got the temple repaired. The Harihar Nath temple, as it stands today, was built by Raja Ram Narain, an influential person during the late Mughal period.
Gajendhra Moksha legend is associated with the temple in Sonepur. It involves the story of king Indrayamuna and the Gandharva chief Huhu, who were turned into an elephant and a crocodile respectively by the curse of great sages Agasthya and Dewala muni. One day the elephant's leg was caught by the crocodile.It is said that the location was in Nepal. It is said that both of them fought hard for many years with their herds and while fighting,they came to the place near this temple. But ultimately the King Elephant weakened and took the lotus flower from river in its trunk and prayed to the supreme god Vishnu (Hari) to save him. Vishnu heard his prayer and cut down the crocodile with his Chakra. But the touch of the chakra released Huhu from the curse.Vishnu also released Indrayamuna from his curse and took him to his abode Vaikuntha.
Since Sonepur is situated at the convergence of the sacred rivers Ganges and Gandak, the Hindus regard it as a holy site. One of the purposes of the people visiting the Sonepur Cattle Fair, apart from the fair, is to take a holy dip at the convergence and pay respects at the Hariharnath Temple.

THE FAIR TRADE

Many farm animals can be bought at the Sonepur mela from all breeds of dogs, buffaloes, donkeys, ponies,Persian horses, rabbits, goats and even the occasional camel. Many varieties of birds and poultry are also available. The area that attracts all, however, is the Haathi Bazaar where elephants are lined up for sale. The Sonepur Fair is the only place where such a large number of elephants are traded - although they cannot legally be sold. Numerous stalls are also set up at the grounds of the Sonepur Cattle Fair. One will find a wide variety of goods in these stalls, ranging from garments, to weapons and furniture, toys, utensils andagricultural implements, jewelry and handicrafts. Major attraction is the sight of numerous elephants, beautifully decorated for the purpose of sale.

Stunts Performed in the Fair 

TRANSPORTATION

Sonepur is easily accessible by Roadways and Railways. Moreover, it is only 25 kilometers from Bihar's Capital Patna, which is well connected by Airways, Railways and Roadways to the other parts of the country. During the time of Fair, BSTDC also organizes Ferries from Patna to Sonepur. There are various taxi and car rental services that provide private transport to expats, tourists, with driver to Sonepur mela and back.

AMBIKA BHAWANI TEMPLE(AAMI)

Idol of the Godess

The place is situated about 37 km east of Chapra and 4 km west of Dighwara. It is said that in ancient times there was a Dirgh dwar near Dighwara Railway station and the place came to be known as Dighwara. In Aami there is an old temple known as Amba asthan .This temple is dedicated to Lord Durga. Near the temple there is a garden and a deep and broad well in which water remains all over the year and it never dries up. The believer from far off come to pay oblation in the established in her memory over this Yagya Kunda. The believers from far off come to pay oblation in the Navratra of April and October. Water offered here by lacs of People vanishes in the Kunda.

HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE

This temple is claimed to be a Shaktipeeth.As the legend has it, Durga Saptshati said that when disillusioned with the state of affairs of wordly practices, Raja Surath and Samadhi Vaishya went to the ashram of Medhamuni. He advised them to worship goddess Durga who controls the entire cosmos.

Both went to the riverside and made pinds of clay and worshipped her. Goddess Durga responded to their prayer and appeared to fulfil their wishes.

This is the only place in the country that matches the narration in Durga Saptshati. Shakti Ank of the religious book Kalyan also confirms that this particular place is a shaktipeeth.

The Durga temple alongside a river at Kankhal in Haridwar, too, is said to be the worship place of these two people. However, the idol of Durga is not made of clay there.

Though the temple of Daksha Prajapati is situated at Kankhal, Aami is said to be the yagya sthal — pyre of Prajapati where his daughter Parvati, wife of lord Shiva gave her life after jumping into the fire.

She did it since she could not take the insult of Shiva. The puranas and related ancient stories say that this temple is situated on the pyre place of Daksha Prajapati.

Page 130 of Saran Gudgetier also affirms that this was the place of Raja Prajapati and the prayer spot of Raja Surath and Samadhi Vaishya.

It is said that after Parvati jumped in the pyre, Shiva took her corpse and started a taandav dance to bring the world to an end.

Seeing the dance, Lord Vishnu started cutting parts of Parvati’s body to mellow down Shiva. Wherever Parvati’s body parts fell, those places are considered to be shaktipeeths.

In Aami, the Kati-Pradesh (middle portion) of Parvati fell. Here the idol is in the shape of vulva with nine pinds.

A very strange speciality is that this temple is situated at a place from where Lord Shiva’s Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Vishvanath temple in Varanasi and Vaidyanath Dham in Deoghar are at equal distance.

Main entrance of the temple

ACCESSIBILITY

This Place is quiet accessible through all of the modes of transportation:-

ROADWAYS:- From the state capital Patna it is the place that comes in the route of Chapra, Siwan and Gopalganj. so Buses going to these districts are carrying passenger upto Aami  however it is advised that before boarding to this place one should confirm about the stopage of bus with the bus condutor.
From Hajipur Auto Rickshaw going to Dighwara is also the option. from Dighwara one can get Tanga or Rickshaw as the distance is very short.


AIRWAYS:- Nearest Airport is Patna


RAILWAYS:- Nearest railway station is Dighwara after that option of roadway is there.

Massive Idol of Lord Shiva inside the Premises of temple