Darbhanga

Darbhanga is one of the largest cities in the Indian state of Bihar and a municipal corporation, and an important city of North Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of Darbhanga district and Darbhanga division. The name is said to come from Dwar Banga, the door of Bengal, which is why it is called the gateway to Bengal. It was the capital of the Darbhanga Raj, an estate established in the sixteenth century that includes the Anandbagh Palace, and it is popularly called the Cultural Capital of Bihar and the Heart of Mithila, with strong Maithili, Sanskrit, Urdu and Hindi traditions. Darbhanga is a medical centre of North Bihar with Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital. The 2011 census recorded 296,039 people in the urban agglomeration, and the city lies at an average elevation of 52 metres.