Saga of an Ancient city that even lost its Original name !

An Account of an Ancient Pilgrimage destination connected with the Legend of the Ganga’s Rebirth !

If one were to travel along the Ganga from Munger to Bhagalpur, both in Bihar, a prominent rocky island, seen in the close vicinity of a rocky hill on the banks, is sure to attract attention. Mysterious in appearance with remnants of sculptures from the distant past, which are visible from a distance, it stands as a mute witness to the turbulences of time, being located near the vast remains of an ancient city, which even forgot and lost its original nomenclature in due course. Now known as Sultanganj, it perhaps serves as one of the best examples of continuity, since, having faced tremendous adversities, it still managed to retain its ancient status as a favoured pilgrimage destination, though only with vestiges of the past splendour, believed to have originated due to its association with the legend of the Ganga’s rebirth. My fascination with the ancient remains at the site dates back to the the early months of 2005, when, as a young Indian Police Service (IPS) probationer, I had been posted for District Practical Training in Bhagalpur. In those nostalgic days, learning the various dimensions of field policing was the first and foremost task in my mind, since the time available seemed less and many concepts had to be assimilated deep within, for survival through the long years of police service ahead. However, as I toured around in the vicinity, successive encounters with considerable ancient remains lying almost unattended at several places in the region, always attracted my attention towards them.

To be continued....