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Mithila (), also known as Tirhut, Tirabhukti and Mithilanchal, is a geographical and cultural region of the Indian subcontinent bounded by the Mahananda River in the east, the Ganges in the south, the Gandaki River in the west and by the foothills of the Himalayas in the north. It comprises certain parts of Bihar and Jharkhand states of India and adjoining districts of the Koshi Province, Bagmati Pradesh and Madhesh Province of Nepal. The native language in Mithila is Maithili, and its speakers are referred to as .
Mithila is commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha. Until the 20th century, Mithila was still ruled in part by the Raj Darbhanga. In Buddhists annals, it is also known as Miyulu.
Mahavira spent 6 varshās (monsoon seasons) at Mithilā. Akampita Swāmi, one of his 11 Ganadhara, was born in Mithilā. Additionally, as per ancient Śvetāmbara texts, a branch of ancient Jaina ascetics was known as "Maithiliya" after Mithilā, signifying its historical importance as a center of Jaina scholarship.
Vividha Tirtha Kalpa, a 14th century CE Śvetāmbara Jaina text by Ācārya Jinaprabhasūrī, describes Mithilā as a major Jaina pilgrimage center. The scripture locates Mithilā in the Tirhut division region near the confluence of the Bāna Gangā and Gandaki River rivers. It also mentions a village called "Jagai", where temples dedicated to Mallinatha and Naminatha existed. The site is also connected to Sita marriage, "Sakulla Kunda". Some researchers suggest that "Jagai" may be an abbreviation of Jagadishpur, near present-day Sitamarhi. In their pilgrimage parties of 17th century CE and 18th century CE respectively, Panyās Saubhāgyavijaya and Panyās Vijayasāgara mention the location of the Jaina pilgrimage of Mithilā near present-day Sitamarhi in Bihar. The temples fell into disrepair, possibly due to a lack of Jaina population. The only remnant was the footprints of Mallinatha and Naminatha. These footprints were later preserved in Bhagalpur. Based on historical evidence and research, initiatives to restore Mithilā’s lost Jaina heritage were launched. A two-storey temple along the Sitamarhi-Dumra road was constructed. In 2015, the foundation was laid by Ācārya Mahendrasāgarasūrī of Kharatara Gaccha. In 2020, the ritualistic installation of idols was conducted by Ācārya Piyushsāgarasūrī of Kharatara Gaccha and Ācārya Vinayasāgarasūrī of Tapa Gaccha.
Tughlaq had attacked and taken control of Bihar, and from the end of the Tughlaq dynasty until the establishment of the Mughal Empire in 1526, there was anarchy and chaos in the region. Akbar (reigned from 1556 to 1605) realised that taxes from Mithila could only be collected if there was a king who could ensure peace there. The Maithil Brahmins were dominant in the Mithila region and Mithila had Maithil Brahmin kings in the past.
Akbar summoned Rajpandit Chandrapati Thakur to Delhi and asked him to name one of his sons who could be made caretaker and tax collector for his lands in Mithila. Chandrapati Thakur named his middle son, Mahesha Thakura, and Akbar declared Mahesha Thakura as the caretaker of Mithila on the day of Ram Navami in 1557 AD.
Lakshmeshwar Singh (reigned from 1860 to 1898) was the eldest son of Maharaja Maheshwar Singh of Darbhanga. He, along with his younger brother, Rameshwar Singh received a western education from Government appointed tutors as well as a traditional Indian education from a Sanskrit Pandit. He spent approximately £300,000 on relief work during the famine of 1873–74. He constructed hundreds of miles of roads in various parts of the Raj, planting them with tens of thousands of trees for the comfort of travellers, as part of generating employment for people effected by famine. He constructed iron bridges over all the navigable rivers
He built, and entirely supported, a first-class Dispensary at Darbhanga, which cost £3400; a similar one at Kharakpur, which cost £3500; and largely contributed to many others.
He built an Anglo-vernacular school at a cost of £1490, which he maintained, as well as nearly 30 vernacular schools of different grades; and subsidised a much larger number of educational institutions. He was also one of the founders of Indian National Congress as well as one of the main financial contributors thereto. Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh is known for purchasing Lowhter Castle for the venue of the 1888 Allahabad Congress session when the British denied permission to use any public place. The British Governor''
On the occasion of the Jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria, Lakshmeshwar Singh was declared as a Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, and was promoted to Knight Grand Commander in 1897.
He was also a member of the Royal Commission on Opium of 1895, formed by British Government along with Haridas Viharidas Desai who was the Diwan of Junagadh. The Royal Opium Commission consisted of a 9-member team of which 7 were British and 2 were Indians and its chairman was Earl Brassey.
Seven major rivers flow through Mithila: Gandaki River, Koshi River, Mahananda River, Bagmati River, Kamala River, Balan River, and the Budhi Gandak. They flow from the Himalayas in the north to the Ganges river in the south. These rivers regularly flood, depositing silt onto the farmlands and sometimes causing death or hardship.
Jhijhiya and Dhunuchi are the Cultural Dance of Mithila. Jhijhiya is performed in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani and their Neighbour Districts on the other hand Dhunuchi is performed in Begusarai, Khagaria, Katihar, Naugachia during Durga Puja and Kalipuja with Shankha-Dhaak Sound.
Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year in Mithila. Chhath, Durga Puja and Kali puja is celebrated as perhaps the most important of all the celebrations of Mithila.
The Paag dates back to pre-historic times when it was made of plant leaves. It exists today in a modified form. The Paag is wore by the whole Maithil community. The colour of the Paag also carries a lot of significance. The red Paag is worn by the bridegroom and by those who are undergoing the Upanayana. Paag of mustard colour is donned by those attending wedding ceremonies and the elders wear a white Paag.
This Paag now features place in the popular Macmillan Dictionary. For now, Macmillan Dictionary explains Paag as “a kind of headwear worn by people in the Mithila belt of India.”
On 10 February 2017, India Posts released a set of 16 commemorative postage stamps on "Headgears of India". The Mithila Paag was featured on one of those postage stamps.
This language is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian subcontinent, mainly spoken in India and Nepal and is one of the 22 recognised Indian languages. In Nepal, it is spoken in the eastern Terai and is the second most prevalent language of Nepal. Tirhuta is formerly the primary script for written Maithili. Less commonly, it was also written in the local variant of Kaithi. Today it is written in the Devanagari adopted script.
This painting as a form of wall art was practiced widely throughout the region; the more recent development of painting on paper and canvas originated among the villages around Madhubani, and it is these latter developments that may correctly be referred to as Mithila Painting .Carolyn Brown Heinz, 2006, "Documenting the Image in Mithila Art," Visual Anthropology Review, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 5-33
The people of Mithila can be split into various caste/clan affiliations such as Maithil Brahmins, Maithil Kayasthas, Kandu, , , Koeri, Baniyas, Kamatas, , , Paswan, Kujras, Manush and many more.
Among the four names, Madhesh Pradesh (Madhesh Province) was chosen and finalized on 17 January 2022. The name was finalized with 80 percent majority in the Provincial Assembly. Janakpur was named as the capital of the province.
Geography
Mithila is a distinct geographical region with natural boundaries like rivers and hills. It is largely a flat and fertile alluvial plain criss-crossed by numerous rivers which originate from the Himalayas. Due to the flat plains and fertile land Mithila has a rich variety of biotic resources; however, because of frequent floods people could not take full advantage of these resources.
Culture
Men and women in Mithila are very religious and dress for the festivals as well. The costumes of Mithila stem from the rich traditional culture of Mithila. Kurta and Dhoti with a Mithila Painting bordered gamucha which is the Symbol of Passion, Love, Bravery and Courage are common clothing items for men. Men wear Gold ring in their nose which symbolizes prosperity, happiness and wealth inspired by Lord Vishnu. Also wear Balla on their wrist and Paag on their Head. In ancient times there was no colour option in Mithila, so the Maithil women wore white or yellow Saree with red Border but now they have a lot of variety and colour options and wear Laal-Paara (the traditional red-boarded white or yellow sari) on some special occasions, and also wear Shakha-Pola with lahthi in their hand. In Mithila culture, this represents new beginnings, passion and prosperity. Red also represents the Hindu goddess Durga, a symbol of new beginnings and feminine power. During Chhaith, the women of Mithila wear pure cotton dhoti without stitching which reflects the pure, traditional Culture of Mithila. Usually crafted from pure cotton for daily use and from pure silk for more glamorous occasions, traditional attire for the women of Mithila includes Jamdani, Banarisi and Bhagalpuri and many more.
Mithila Paag
The Paag is a headdress in the Mithila region of India and Nepal worn by Maithil people. It is a symbol of honour and respect and a significant part of Mithila culture.
Languages and dialects
People of Mithila primarily speak in Maithili and its various dialects including Thēthi and its perceived dialects Bajjika, and Angika while also being well versed in other languages like English language, Hindi language and Nepali language for official or administrative purposes.
Maithil Cuisine
Maithil cuisine is a part of Indian cuisine and Nepalese cuisine. It is a culinary style which originated in Mithila. Some traditional Maithil dishes are:
Madhubani Painting
Madhubani art or Mithila painting is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal.
It was traditionally created by the women of different communities of the Mithila region. It is named after Madhubani district of India which is where it originated.
Yatra in Mithila
Main festivals
People
Maithili language speakers are referred to as Maithils and they are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group. There are an estimated 75 million Maithils in India alone. The vast majority of them are Hindu.
Demands for administrative units
Proposed Indian state
There is an ongoing movement in the Maithili speaking region of India for a separate Indian state of Mithila.
Proposed Nepalese province
There was a movement in the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal for a separate province. Province No. 2 was established under the 2015 Constitution, which transformed Nepal into a Federal Democratic Republic, with a total of seven provinces. Province No. 2 has a substantial Maithili speaking population and consists most of the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal. It was demanded by some Mithila activists that Province No. 2 be named 'Mithila Province'.
On 23 December 2021, four different names for the Province No. 2 were presented by the various parties of the Provincial Assembly of Madhesh Province. The four names were ‘Madhesh Pradesh’, ‘Janaki Pradesh’, ‘Madhya Madhesh Pradesh’ and ‘Mithila Bhojpura’.
Notable people
The following are notable residents (past and present) of Mithila region.
Ancient
Historical
Modern
See also
Notes
Bibliography
Umakant Premanand Shah (1987). 9788170172086, Shakti Malik Abhinav Publications. . ISBN 9788170172086
External links
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