Sursand

Sursand
—  town  —
Sursand Location of Sursand in Bihar and India
Coordinates	26°39′0″N 85°43′0″E
Country	India
State	Bihar
District(s)	Sitamarhi
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation • Coastline	• 55 metres (180 ft) • 0 kilometres (0 mi)

Sursand is a town in Sitamarhi district of Bihar, India

History

The village has the ruins of a fortress, known as Sursandgarh, constructed during the Mugal period by King Sursen.

According to an account published in the Bengal District Gazetteers,

"The name of the place is said to be derived from Sur Sen, a chieftain who once lived there. After his death, it lapsed once more into jungle, until it was reclaimed by two brothers—Mahesh Jha and Amar Jha, the founders of the present Sursand family. These brothers, the story runs, left their home at Ghograha, in the district of Darbhanga, and came to settle at Jadupati, a village belonging to them, 8 miles from Sursand. One day Mahesh Jha went with his astrologer to hunt in the woods at Sursand, and came across the ruins of Sur Sen's fort. The astrologer having told him that the man who made a home there would be a Raja, Mahesh Jha acted on his advice and cleared the jungle. The several branches of the Sursand family sprang from his son, Chaudhri Kelwal Krishna. Amar Jha's branch did not prosper, and his descendants are impoverished. Chaudhri Hirdai Narayan, a descendant of the elder branch, added largely to the family estates."

During the 1857 Indian mutiny, the zamindars of Sursand assisted the British to suppress the movement. The zamindar of Sursand offered a reward of Rs. 30/- for each deserter seized.

Geography

It is located at 26°39′00″N 85°43′00″E at an elevation of 55 m above MSL.

Sursand is located 20 km from the district headquarters in Sitamarhi.

Nearby cities and towns

West: Kunma (5.4 nm), Bathnaha (7.2 nm), Dumra (11.8 nm)

North: Pariharpur (4.4 nm), Bela Muchhpakauni (9.0 nm), Dhamaura (9.6 nm), Sripur (13.3 nm), Sonbarsa (14.0 nm), Malangwa (15.3 nm), Dhalkewar (18.5 nm), Bijalpura (19.5 nm), Pachgachhiya (20.9 nm)

East: Jaleswar (4.6 nm), Madhwapur (7.8 nm), Sahar (10.0 nm), Janakpur (11.1 nm), Harlakhi (14.3 nm), Khirhar (15.6 nm)

South: Charaut (8.3 nm), Bhitamod (5.0 nm) Dhanarhi 7nm

Other nearby places

0.0 nm W Sursand, 2.6 nm NE Halkhori, 3.0 nm N Sisawakataiya, 2.9 nm E Nainhi, 3.4 nm NE Bhatauliya, 3.8 nm NE Ekadarabela, 3.6 nm E Anakar dhanarhi

Transport

National Highway 104 passes through Sursand. It is very near the Indian border with Nepal. The nearest airport is Janakpur Airport approx 16km from Sursand town but Janakpur is in Nepal. In India the nearest airport is Patna Airport.

Border crossing

While India and Nepal have an open border with no restrictions on the movement of people on either side, there are 22 agreed transit and customs posts along the Nepal-India border for the purposes of trade. These are: 1. Pashupatinagar / Sukhiapokhari 2.Kakarbhitta / Naxalbari (Panitanki) 3. Bhadrapur / Galgalia 4. Biratnagar / Jogbani 5. Setobandha / Bhimnagar 6. Rajbiraj / Kunauli 7. Siraha, Janakpur / Jayanagar 8. Jaleswar / Bhitamore, Sursand 9. Malangawa / Sonbarsa 10. Gaur / Bairgania 11. Birganj / Raxaul 12. Bhairahawa / Nautanwa 13.Taulihawa / Khunwa 14. Krishnanagar / Barhni 15. Koilabas / Jarwa 16. Nepalgunj / Rupaidiha (Nepalgunj Road) 17. Rajapur / Katerniyaghat 18. Prithivipur / Sati (Kailali) / Tikonia 19. Dhangadhi / Gauriphanta 20. Mahendranagar / Banbasa 21. Mahakali / Jhulaghat (Pithoragarh) 22. Darchula/Dharchula.

There are six immigration points along the Indo Nepal border for the entry and exit of nationals from third countries. These are: Banbasa, Dhangadhi, Nepalganj, Bhairahawa (Sunauli), Birganj and Kakarbhita.

Culture

People speak Maithili and Hindi.

Major festivals are Durgapuja, Chhath, Dipawali, Holi, Sama-Chakewa, Jursital, Chaurchan etc.

Education

Schools and Collages

Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial College, Barahi (Sursand), affiliated to Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jawahar Nagar, P O Sutihara Via Sursand.

The oldest High school for boys is Saryu High School, Sursand and for girls there are two high schools Shahi High School and Kamla Girls High School. These schools are up to +2 level with Science, Arts, Commerce and many others stream. And there are several Primary and Middle schools are also as well as for religion - schools like maqtabfor muslim students are also available. Darul Ullom Madarsa Nizamia and Darul Ullom Madarsa Rizwania are there for Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages.

Famous people

Maharani Kunwar: In 1870 A.D. Maharani Kunwar of Sursand(Bihar) madethis Ghat. Earlier it was known as “Nagamber ghat”.After picca Constructions it is known as Janaki ghat.It has a little Religious important but people bathsince it is safe and Clean.

Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh (born 18 April 1901) was one of the scions of zamindars of Sursand . Sir CPN Singh was India's first ambassador to Nepal during fifties and later an ambassador to Japan (from 1958) and also the second Governor of Punjab in 1953 and then governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1980 to 1985.

Kumudini Devi (Born 1932) received National Award in 1971 for Sikki arts. She was initiated into the craft by her mother and grandmother. She was the Organiser of Sikki Procurement Centre Vill PO Sursand, Sitamari Muzaffarpur. Kumidini Devi have brought name and fame to Mithila for their Sikki arts. The feminist film-maker Nalini Singh had documented Kumudini Devi work . Sursand had been a sikki centre of excellence during 1970's. However Sikki handicraft at sursand failed late because of the severe weakness of production and marketing.

Nalini Singh (born February 17, 1945), an Indian journalist is from Sursand . She has been the anchor for several current affairs programs on Doordarshan, and is most known for her program, 'Aankhon Dekhi', on investigative journalism.

External links

• About Sursand
• Satellite map of Sursand
• Bengal district gazetteers 1901