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Arrah (also transliterated as Ara) is a city and a
municipal corporation A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally owne ...
in Bhojpur district (formerly known as
Shahabad district Shahabad district or Arrah district, headquartered at Arrah (now part of Bhojpur District, Bihar) was a Bhojpuri speaking district in western Bihar, India, making the western border of Bihar with Uttar Pradesh. In 1972, the district was split in ...
) in the
Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...
of
Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
. It is the headquarters of Bhojpur district, located near the confluence of the
Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
and
Sone The sone () is a unit of loudness, the subjective perception of sound pressure. The study of perceived loudness is included in the topic of psychoacoustics and employs methods of psychophysics. Doubling the perceived loudness doubles the sone v ...
rivers, some from
Danapur Danapur is a Indian satellite town and one of the 6 sub-divisions (Tehsil) in Patna district of Bihar state.Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
.


Typonym

According to a Jain inscription found at Masarh village near the town, Arrah is mentioned there as ''Aramnagar'' ( transl. City of Aramas). That "Aramnagar" later become "Arrah". According to mythologies, the word "Arrah" or "Ara" is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Aranya'', which means forest. It suggests that the entire area around modern Ara was heavily forested in the old days. According to mythology, sage
Vishwamitra Vishvamitra ( sa, विश्वामित्र, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mant ...
, the Guru of
Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
, had his 'Ashram' somewhere in this region. Rama killed the demon Taraka somewhere near Arrah. Arrah has also historically been known as Shahabad, a name given to it by
Babur Babur ( fa, , lit= tiger, translit= Bābur; ; 14 February 148326 December 1530), born Mīrzā Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad, was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his ...
in 1529, when he camped here after his victory against the Afghans of Bihar. The name "Shahabad" means "city of the king" and was used in the former
Shahabad district Shahabad district or Arrah district, headquartered at Arrah (now part of Bhojpur District, Bihar) was a Bhojpuri speaking district in western Bihar, India, making the western border of Bihar with Uttar Pradesh. In 1972, the district was split in ...
.


In Mythologies

Arrah has a mention in
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
. According to mythology, sage Vishwamitra, the Guru of
Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
, had his ''
Ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...
'' somewhere in this region. Rama killed the demon Taraka somewhere near Arrah. In
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
it was the home of the powerful demon called ''Bakra'', whose daily food was human being supplied either by villages of ''Bakri'' or Chakrapur (or Ekchakra), as Arrah was then called.
Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...
came to Ekchakra during their wandering and they were entertained by a Brahmin whose turn it was to supply a human for the demon. On hearing this,
Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
decided to go himself to the demon as he has eaten a Brahmin's salt, and killed the demon.


History


Ancient

This place is also described by
Xuanzang Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
as the place, where the ''Demons of the Desert'' abused their strength and power and feasted on blood and flesh of man. In ancient India, it was the part of
Magadha Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
. In 684BC Arrah was the part of the region ruled by
Haryanka dynasty The Haryanka dynasty was the third ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India, which succeeded the Pradyota dynasty and Barhadratha dynasty. Initially, the capital was Rajagriha. Later, it was shifted to Pataliputra, near the pres ...
. During
Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta Maurya (350-295 BCE) was a ruler in Ancient India who expanded a geographically-extensive kingdom based in Magadha and founded the Maurya dynasty. He reigned from 320 BCE to 298 BCE. The Maurya kingdom expanded to become an empi ...
Arrah was the part of the great
Magadh Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
empire. The
Pillars A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression (physical), compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column i ...
of
Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, ...
are found at the
Masarh Masarh or Masar is a village situated 10 km west of Arrah in Bhojpur district of Bihar. It is an important historical site for Jains and Hindus. Etymology Masarh is derived from the word Mahāsāra. A 600 old Jain inscription in the temp ...
village in Arrah tow

During 200 CE it was part of Gupta dynasty. Bhojpuri Folktales of Chandragupta II, Vikramaditya like Singhashan Battishi, Baital pachisi are still famous in the town and other Bhojpuri speaking area. It was also the part of
Pala Empire The Pāla Empire (r. 750-1161 CE) was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffi ...
and Chero empire.
Bihiya Behea or Bihiya is a nagar panchayat town and Block in Bhojpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. The Behea block comprises 76 rural villages, along with the town of Bihiya itself and 22 uninhabited villages. As of 2011, the population of th ...
and Tirawan were the capitals of Chief Ghughulia and Raja Sitaram Rai respectively.


Medieval

In 14th century Chero lost Western Bihar along with Arrah to
Ujjainiya The Ujjainiya Parmār (also spelled as Ujjaini or simply Ujjainiya) are a Rajput clan that inhabits the state of Bihar. They are considered to have played a prominent role in the political history of medieval Bihar with many of their strongholds ...
Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
s under the leadership of Hunkar Shahi. They named the territory "Bhojpur" on the name of their ancestor Raja Bhoja. In 1607, a number of Chero chiefs combined to launch a spirited attack against Ujjaniniyas. One of the descendants of Sitaram Rai, Kumkum Chand Jharap drove out Ujjainiyas from the Bhojpur region and captured major parts of the territory. In 1611, Ujjainiyas defeated Cheros and recaptured the lost region again.
Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri ( ps, شیرشاه سوری) (1472, or 1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān ( ps, فرید خان) , was the founder of the Sur Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He standardized the silver coin ...
also defeated Chero during the early 16 century and made Sasaram its capital after defeating the Mughals. In 1604 Chieftain Narayan Mal got a land grant from
Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...
. After that
Raja Horil Singh Raja Horil Singh was a prominent chieftain in the Indian state of Bihar in the 18th century and belonged to the Ujjainiya Rajput clan. He ruled in Mathila then moved to Dumraon. He was notorious for engaging in feuds with his own clansmen and ass ...
shifted the capital to Dumrao and established
Dumraon Raj Dumraon Raj was a medieval chieftaincy and later a zamindari estate in erstwhile Shahabad district of Bihar (now in Buxar district). The total area under this zamindari was 4,85,000 acres which is equivalent to 1963 Square Kilometer. They were a ...
. Babur pitches his camp in Arrah in 1529 A.D and took control over it.


Modern

After the
Battle of Buxar The Battle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October 1764, between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, led by Hector Munro, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, Nawab of Bengal till 1764; the Nawab of Awadh, Sh ...
the British took control over Arrah. Arrah was one of the centres of revolt in 1857. During the
Indian rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
, a group of 18 British civilians and 50 Indian soldiers was besieged in the ''Little House at Arrah'', by a band of 2500–3000 armed soldiers and around 8000 others under the command of 80-year-old Veer Kunwar Singh, the Zamindar of adjacent Jagdishpur. A British regiment, dispatched to their assistance from
Danapur Danapur is a Indian satellite town and one of the 6 sub-divisions (Tehsil) in Patna district of Bihar state. but the group withstood the siege for eight days until they were relieved by other
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
troops. In 1911 the king of England George V visited Arrah and prayed at the Holy Saviour Church. Between 1901 and 1911 the town suffered severely due to Plague. As a result, the population in 1911 became 38,549 which was 46,170 in 1901.


Geography

Arrah is located at the elevation of 192 m from the sea level at the bank of
Son river Son River ( hi, सोन नदी, also spelt Sone River) is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district of Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges River near Pat ...
,
Ganga River The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
and Gangi River. Arrah lies at the confluence of the
Ganga The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
and the
Son River Son River ( hi, सोन नदी, also spelt Sone River) is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district of Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges River near Pat ...
, other small rivers that flow in the town are
Gangi River Gangi is a very dirty perennial river with more human waste than water. A tributary of Ganga which mainly flows near the Arrah town of Bihar in India. It originates from Keshavpur, which is from Arrah and again meets the Ganga in the Buxar dis ...
, Badki Nadi and Chhotki Nadi. The Ganga river acts as northern boundary of the town and due alluvial deposit the area is very fertile and considered as best wheat growing area of Bihar.The eastern boundary of the town is the Son river which separates and Bhojpuri and Magahi speaking regions of Bihar. During the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
Arrah was the part of Bengal presidency. The land of the city is fertile and most used for cultivation with very low forest cover. The main crops that are grown here are rice, mango and mahuaa.


Climate

The climate is characterised by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
sub-type for this climate is "
Cwa CWA or Cwa may refer to: Organisations * CWA Constructions, a Swiss manufacturer of gondolas and people mover cabins, a division of Doppelmayr Garaventa Group * Catch Wrestling Association, a former German professional wrestling promotion * Contin ...
" (Humid Subtropical Climate).


Demographics

As per the 2011 census,
Arrah Municipal Corporation Arrah Municipal Corporation or Arrah Nagar Nigam, AMC, is the civic body that governs Arrah, a city of Bihar in India. Arrah Municipal Corporation consists of democratically elected members, is headed by a Mayor (India), Mayor, and administe ...
had a total population of 261,099, out of which 139,319 were males and 121,780 were females. It had a sex ratio of 874. The population below 5 years was 34,419. The effective literacy rate of the 7+ population was 83.41 per cent.


Languages

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
is the official language with
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''
Bhojpuri Bhojpuri (;Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries
, Oxford U ...
is the most commonly spoken language, followed by Hindi and
Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''


Administration

The Arrah sub-division (
Tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
) is headed by an IAS or state Civil service officer of the rank of Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM).


Blocks

The Arrah Tehsil is divided into 8
Block Block or blocked may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Block programming, the result of a programming strategy in broadcasting * W242BX, a radio station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina, United States known as ''96.3 ...
s, each headed by a Block Development Officer (BDO). List of Blocks is as follows: # Arrah #
Agiaon Agiaon is a village and corresponding community development block in Bhojpur district of Bihar, India. As of 2011, its population was 4,801, in 835 households. The total block population was 148,373, in 23,117 households. Demographics Agiaon is ...
#
Barhara Barhara, also spelled Badahar, Barahara, or Barahra, is a village and corresponding community development block in Bhojpur district, Bihar, Bhojpur District of Bihar, India. It is situated on the bank of the river Ganges. By the time of July–A ...
#
Koilwar Koilwar (also spelt Koelwar) is a nagar panchayat town and corresponding community development block in Bhojpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. As of 2011, the population of Koilwar town was 17,725, in 2,893 households. It lies on the A ...
# Udwant Nagar #
Sandesh Sandesh may refer to: *Sandesh (confectionery), a Bengali sweet prepared in Bangladesh and India *Sandesh (magazine), ''Sandesh'' (magazine), a children's magazine in West Bengal *Sandesh (Indian newspaper), ''Sandesh'' (Indian newspaper), a Gujara ...
#
Sahar Sahar may refer to: People * Sahar (name), Arabic feminine name or Hebrew unisex name * Sahar (singer), Iranian singer, musician and dancer. * Sahar Aslam, former Scottish international cricketer. * Sahar Ansari, Urdu poet and linguist from Karachi ...
#
Garhani Garhani is a village and corresponding community development block in Bhojpur district, India, Bhojpur district of Bihar, India. As of 2011, its population was 5,597, in 959 households. The total block population was 103,262, in 16,427 households. ...


Civic administration

Arrah is the headquarters of the Bhojpur district. On 1 June 1865, the town constituted into a municipality which later became municipal corporation, which currently divides the city in 45 wards. Each ward elects its ward commissioner and, the Mayor is chosen through indirect election in which ward commissioners from respective wards cast their votes. Police in Arrah is headed by a
Superintendent of Police Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories ...
, who is an
Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service ( IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became independent from the British Raj. Along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS ...
(IPS) officer.


Culture

Arrah's native language is
Bhojpuri Bhojpuri (;Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries
, Oxford U ...
, a language derived from
Magadhi Prakrit Magadhi Prakrit (''Māgadhī'') is of one of the three Dramatic Prakrits, the written languages of Ancient India following the decline of Pali and Sanskrit. It was a vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan language, replacing earlier Vedic Sanskrit. Hist ...
. Bhojpuri festivals and cuisine is followed here. Food of
Bhojpuri cuisine Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common amongst the Bhojpuri people of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and are less hot in term of spices used, but could be hotter and spicier according to indivi ...
includes Litti-Chokha, Makuni (
Paratha Paratha () is a flatbread native to South Asia, prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad a ...
stuffed with roasted gram flour), Dal Pitthi, Pittha, Aaloo Dum, Jaaur (Kheer) and main snack and sweets are Khurma (sweets made of
Chhena Chhena () or chhana () are a style of cheese, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from water buffaloDalby, A 2009, ''Cheese: A Global History'', Reaktion Books, p. 73, Kapoor, S & Kapoor, A 2006, ''Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil Vegetarian C ...
), Thekua, Pudukiya, Patal ke Mithai, Anarsa, Gargatta and Laktho. Some of the drinks are Satuā, Amjhor, Taadi and Māthā. Khurma and Belgrami are the native sweets of this place. The festivals celebrated here are Holi, Durgapuja,
Chhath Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival historically native to the Indian subcontinent, more specifically, the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,West Bengal, Jharkhand, and the Nepalese provinces of Madhesh and Lumbini. Prayers during Chhath ...
, Diwali, Teej, Jiutiya, Gai Dadh (
Govardhan Puja Govardhan Puja (), also known as Annakut or Annakoot (meaning a “mountain of food”), is a Hindu festival in which devotees worship Govardhan Hill and prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to Krishna as a mark of gratitude. For Va ...
), Jamdutiya, Eid, Christmas, etc.


Economy

The city has industry area located near Koilwar. The mineral which is abundant here is sand of Son river. The alluvial deposits of Ganga river is considered suitable for brick making, the city mainly produces the revenue through building materials like sand and bricks. In last three year, 300 million
tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000  kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s of sand has been mined which has produced a royalty of ₹2800 crores.


Tourism

Arrah is a holy place for Jains and there are 44 Jain temples in the city. There is a centuries-old Jain temple of Parashanatha in the
Masarh Masarh or Masar is a village situated 10 km west of Arrah in Bhojpur district of Bihar. It is an important historical site for Jains and Hindus. Etymology Masarh is derived from the word Mahāsāra. A 600 old Jain inscription in the temp ...
village. Some notable places of Arrah are:


Aranya Devi Temple

This is a temple of Aranya Devi (Forest Goddess). She is said to be the deity goddess of Ara town. Here one statue is of Adi Shakti and the second is established by the Pandavas. The temple is very old and draws many devotees every day. It is situated at the top of stone boulders.


Maulabagh Mosque

This Masjid was built in 18th century by John Deane, the collector of Shahabad. He had a
Mohammedan ''Mohammedan'' (also spelled ''Muhammadan'', ''Mahommedan'', ''Mahomedan'' or ''Mahometan'') is a term for a follower of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet. It is used as both a noun and an adjective, meaning belonging or relating to, either Muham ...
wife with whom he lived 20 years with 6 children. After his death in 1817, he was buried in the outer garden of Maulabagh Mosque (called as Bibi Jaan ke Hata or Handa) where his tomb can still be seen. This mosques is also mentioned by British officers in their writings.


Koilwar Bridge

Koilwar Bridge Koilwar Bridge, (officially Abdul Bari Bridge) at Koilwar in Bhojpur spans the Sone river. This 1.44 km long, 2-lane wide rail-cum-road bridge connects Arrah with Patna, the capital of Bihar state in India. The bridge is named after Indian ...
connects Arrah and Patna, and is the oldest railway bridge of India. It was built in 1862 and is 157 years old.


Ramna Maidan

Ramna Maidan Babu Veer Kunwar Singh Ramna Maidan is located in Arrah, Bhojpur District, Bihar, Bhojpur District, Bihar. It is one of the largest urban parks in Arrah and is spread across 60 acres of land. Currently the ground is undergoing major restoration w ...
, located in Arrah, Bhojpur District, Bihar, the one of the largest urban parks in Arrah, It is spread across 60 acres of land.


Arrah–Chhapra Bridge

Arrah–Chhapra Bridge Arrah–Chhapra Bridge ( bho, आरा-छपरा पुल) or Veer Kunwar Singh Setu ( bho, वीर कुँवर सिंह सेतु) is the longest multi-span extradosed bridge in the world with a main bridge length of . The b ...
is also called Veer Kunwar singh Setu which connects Arrah and
Chhapra Chhapra is a city and headquarters of the Saran district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated near the junction of the Ghaghara River and the Ganges River. Chhapra grew in importance as a river-based market in the 18th century when th ...
is the world's longest multi span
extradosed bridge An extradosed bridge employs a structure that combines the main elements of both a prestressed box girder bridge and a cable-stayed bridge. The name comes from the word ''extrados'', the exterior or upper curve of an arch, and refers to how the "s ...
in the world with a length of 1920m.


Maharaja College, Ara

The present Maharaja college premises is an important historical site.


Masarh

Masarh Masarh or Masar is a village situated 10 km west of Arrah in Bhojpur district of Bihar. It is an important historical site for Jains and Hindus. Etymology Masarh is derived from the word Mahāsāra. A 600 old Jain inscription in the temp ...
is a village 10 km from Arrah, the Lion capitals of Mauryan period have been found here. Masarh has been identified by Cunningham with Mo-ho-so-lo of the Chinese pilgrim Huen Tsang,


Arrah House

Arrah House Maharaja College is a constituent college of Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah in the Bihar State of India.Maharaja College Official Website https://maharajacollege.ac.in/ It was founded on 13 September 1954. It is one of the oldest co-educa ...
is a small British building in the premises of Maharaja College.


Holy Saviour Church

Holy Saviour Church is a church in Arrah, built by the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
in 1911, when King of United Kingdom
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...
visited the city.


Education

Schools in Arrah are either government-run or private schools. Schools are affiliated by
Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...
and
Bihar School Examination Board The Bihar School Examination Board (abbreviated BSEB) is a statutory body under section 3 of Bihar School Examination Act - 1952 which is functioning under Government of Bihar devised to conduct examinations at secondary and senior secondary s ...
.
Veer Kunwar Singh University Veer Kunwar Singh University was established on 22 October 1992 with its headquarters at Arrah, under the ''Bihar University Act 1976''
s amendment Act 9 of 1992 S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. History ...
It is named after Kunwar Singh, the well-known national hero and distinguish ...
is located here.
Harprasad Das Jain College Harprasad Das Jain College or Jain College or H.D. Jain College is a constituent college of Veer Kunwar Singh University situated in Arrah town of Bihar. It was founded in 1942 and was the first institution of higher learning set up in Western ...
, Maharaja Collage, and
Jagjiwan College Jagjiwan College is a constituent college of Veer Kunwar Singh University in Chandawa in Arrah, Bihar, India. Established in 1959, the college is named after Indian independence activist and former Deputy Prime Minister, Jagjivan Ram Jagjivan ...
are some of the premier institutions for higher education.
Jain Siddhant Bhawan Jain Siddhant Bhawan (also known as Shree Dev Kumar Jain Oriental Library) is a Jain Oriental library in Arrah. It has a good collection of old palm leaf manuscripts. History It was established by Dev Kumar Jain in 1903. One day he saw a person ...
is a Jain Library in Arrah which is illustrious for collecting centuries older manuscripts in various languages. In 2018, Bihar government has opened Government Engineering Colleges in each district of Bihar under the Department of Science and Technology.
Government Engineering College, Bhojpur Government Engineering College, Bhojpur is a government technical institute in Bihar, India. It is affiliated with Bihar Engineering University. The institute offers full-time Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree programs in Electrical Engine ...
runs in the campus of Bakhtiyarpur College of Engineering and its own campus will be completed by 2020.


Sports

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
is the most popular sport, however other sports such as volleyball, basketball, and athletics are also played.
Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Arrah, Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar ...
is the stadium situated in the
Ramna Maidan Babu Veer Kunwar Singh Ramna Maidan is located in Arrah, Bhojpur District, Bihar, Bhojpur District, Bihar. It is one of the largest urban parks in Arrah and is spread across 60 acres of land. Currently the ground is undergoing major restoration w ...
which hosts various cricket, football, and hockey tournaments. Other grounds in the town are Ramna Maidan, Maharaja college ground, Airport Ground, and Jain Collage Ground. From 5–7 December 2019, East Zone Inter University
Kabaddi Kabaddi is a contact team sport. Played between two teams of seven players, the objective of the game is for a single player on offence, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their ...
championship took place in the premises of Maharaja College in which 47 universities of 12 different states participated.


Popular culture


In folk tradition

* There is a very famous Bhojpuri saying about this place, Ara jilā Ghar Bata ' kawan bāt kē da'r bā" ( trans. If you belong to Arrah, there is nothing to fear). * Arrah also has mentions in many Bhojpuri Folk songs like
Arrah Hile Chhapra Hile Baliya Hilela "Arrah Hile Chhapra Hile Baliya Hilela" is a famous Bhojpuri folk song, It gained popularity in 1977 when it was recreated in the first colored Bhojpuri movie Dangal. The song was sung by Manna Dey and written by Kulwant Jani. This song became ...
.


Films and songs

* Some shots of the feature film ''
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
'' were shot in Arrah near the
Koilwar bridge Koilwar Bridge, (officially Abdul Bari Bridge) at Koilwar in Bhojpur spans the Sone river. This 1.44 km long, 2-lane wide rail-cum-road bridge connects Arrah with Patna, the capital of Bihar state in India. The bridge is named after Indian ...
. * Shots of the first Bhojpuri film ''
Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo ''Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo'' (English: O Mother Ganga I will offer you a yellow cloth) is a Bhojpuri film released in 1963 directed by Kundan Kumar. It was the first-ever Bhojpuri film, and starred Kumkum, Ashim Kumar and Nazir Hussain ...
'' were shot at Arrah railway station. * The story of the Bollywood film ''
Anaarkali of Aarah ''Anaarkali of Aarah'' (''Anārakalī ŏph Ārā'') is a 2017 Indian film written and directed by debutant Avinash Das. The movie has Swara Bhaskar playing the lead role of a small-town erotic folk dancer in Arrah in Bihar. The movie revolves a ...
'' was based on a dancer of Arrah and her confrontation with the Vice chancellor of Bir Kuber University (originally Veer Kunwar Singh University).


Books

* English book
Two Months In Arrah ''Two Months In Arrah'' is a book written on the Siege of Arrah in 1857, whose writer is J.J. Halls, an assistant surgeon in the Bengal Army of 1857, who was posted at the civil station of Arrah and was one of the defenders in the siege. The ac ...
, written in 1857, by a surgeon in British army named J.J. Halls, is an account of the
Siege of Arrah The siege of Arrah (27 July – 3 August 1857) took place during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Indian Mutiny (also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857). It was the eight-day defence of a fortified outbuilding, occupied by a combination of 18 ...
.


Notable people


Villages

Arrah block contains the following 115 villages: Village Durg Tola 50 hectares population 500


See also

*
Arrah House Maharaja College is a constituent college of Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah in the Bihar State of India.Maharaja College Official Website https://maharajacollege.ac.in/ It was founded on 13 September 1954. It is one of the oldest co-educa ...
*
Masarh lion The Masarh lion is a stone sculpture found at Masarh, a village near Arrah town in the Bhojpur district in the Indian state of Bihar.Page 88: "It is carved out of Chunar sandstone and it also bears the typical Mauryan polish. But it is undoubtedly ...
*
Arrah–Chhapra Bridge Arrah–Chhapra Bridge ( bho, आरा-छपरा पुल) or Veer Kunwar Singh Setu ( bho, वीर कुँवर सिंह सेतु) is the longest multi-span extradosed bridge in the world with a main bridge length of . The b ...
*
Koilwar Bridge Koilwar Bridge, (officially Abdul Bari Bridge) at Koilwar in Bhojpur spans the Sone river. This 1.44 km long, 2-lane wide rail-cum-road bridge connects Arrah with Patna, the capital of Bihar state in India. The bridge is named after Indian ...


References


External links


Official Website of Bihar State
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Bhojpur district, India