Syed Altamash Ahmad

The whole mountain of Umga situated in the Aurangabad district of Bihar is filled with surprising elements. From time to time many historians came to this mountain and gave different theories about the origin of the temples built here. It is believed that there were 52 temples initially but some of them got demolished over time and some by the invaders. Now there are about 5-6 temples left in good condition. One can still find so many ruins of temples and other structures all over the mountain. The main temple of Umga called the Sun Temple is still standing in a dilapidated condition following the rules of the Nagara style. As per the first inscription discovered by Markham Kittoe in 1847 the main Umga temple was built in 1496 by Bhairavendra. But the other ruins and idols indicate that it's way older than we think. There is a temple in a U-shaped cave 500 meters from the main Umga temple, known as the Umangeshwari cave temple. The deity Umangeshwari is believed that represents pr...

  This is one of the places which was not on my list during my Aurangabad tour. I saw this magnificent building in a town called Sundarganj in the Aurangabad district of Bihar when I was on my way to Maligarh fort.  Due to the lack of written history about this place, I asked the locals but they did not seem to know much about the origin. I found mixed reviews and the most common was that it wasa Kachahri (Court) built by the Zamindars Bengal. They sold this place after the abolition of the Zamindari system.    Raghwant Narayan Singh of Raipur and some other landlords of the nearby village bought it and made it their residence.  In 1996 this place was administered as a primary school called Saraswati Shishu Laxmi School. But the school closed in 2008 after the death of its headmaster.  Now this place is used by people to gamble and get intoxicated.

  The structures you are seeing in these pictures are not just some regular ruins. It is said to be more than 1500 years old and has archaeological values. Pachar village in the Rafiganj subdivision of Aurangabad district is said to be the part of ancient Jethian route from where once Buddha traveled to Somnath. Due to this belief, in ancient times monks built many structures near this village like stupas, monasteries, viharas, temples, etc. In 2007, Vikas Chauhan a resident of Rafiganj discovered this Buddha Vihara, from which many statues of Buddha were found. The bricks found here are believed to be from the Gupta period. Hal fway up the hill, there is an ancient Jain temple. where an idol of Parasnath is placed in a cave that belongs to the Pala period. There are many archaeological remains are in the villages of Rafiganj where the Archaeological Survey of India needs to focus. 

The village Siris is located in Barun, a subdivision of the Aurangabad district in Bihar. It has played an important role during the Mughal period as well as the British period.  Siris was a pargana during the reign of Sher Shah Suri (1540-1545 AD) and the Mughal Empire (1526-1761 AD). Later, it goes into the hand of one of the earliest freedom fighters of India Raja Narayan Singh (18th century).  On the west of the village, there is a historical mosque. The middle arch of the mosque contains an inscription written in the Persian language which says it was constructed in 1660 by Shamshuddin Muhammad during the Subedari of Kamgar Khan and the reign of Aurangzeb.  It is a three-domed mosque surrounded by 8 beautiful minarets, built on a raised platform bounded by a low masonry wall.

         "The first film made in Bihar" Today, India is the biggest film industry in the world which produces more than 1,800 films every year. Indian movies are liked all over the world and regional cinema plays a vital role in it. Satyajit Ray is the best example, who introduced Bengali cinema to the world. Even though when he became so famous he didn't stop working for his regional industry and used it as his identity.  But when we talk about Bihari cinema we can't even think of 10 movies that have contributed to Indian cinema in any way. We can't imagine any Bhojpuri films without vulgarity and illogical stories these days. Although some people are working hard to give recognition to Bihari cinema. With their creativity, they are breaking all the stereotypes. Still, Bihar is nowhere near achieving that goal. Its struggle to reach that goal with the ignorance of our regional language is truly an uphill battle.  But the Bihari film industry was not a...

In ancient times, Aurangabad was located in the Mahajanapada kingdom of Magadh). Now, the Aurangabad district comes under the Magadh division ( Gaya, Nawada, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, and Arwal). From British India to Mughal India to Ancient India, the Aurangabad district played an important role in all periods with its geographical and commercial aspects. That is why this district has so much historic significance. This ancient mandapa and cave are situated on a mountain popularly called Athgorwa in the town Rafiganj of the Aurangabad district. The place was first taken into account by some Britishers in the 19th century AD, among them Grierson, Theodore, Begler, etc. are prominent. Begler has written about the existence of many caves here. But no one has explained this in detail. Later, in 2007 Vikas Chauhan, a passionate local expert in archaeology discovered this place.  The architecture of the pavilion looks similar to structures found in the mountains of Umga, which is situated ...

This ringing rock is situated at the Jhunjhuna pahad, Pawai, Aurangabad, Bihar. The whole mountain is named after this rock. Because of its unique sound, a lot of people come here for picnics on weekends and struck it with stones and enjoy its melodious sound. Which is still a matter of debate among scientists. Well, It is not the only place you can find this unique geological experience. Ringing rock garden in America is full of these kinds of rocks. And not only in America but some places in India also have these mysterious rocks including this place Bihar and lots of places like Goa, Junnar, Khurda, Krishnagiri etc. Stones do not usually ring, but when these particular stones are struck lightly with a hammer, they will vibrate and make a sound, not unlike that of a bell. Why they do this is still a mystery to science.  However, there are some theories behind this mystery. Some scientists say the "ringing rocks" were under high pressure when they formed.  When the lava soli...