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{{Short description|Archaeological site in Bihar, India}}

{{See also-text|[[Pala Dynasty]]|[[Harisimhadeva]]}}
{{Infobox ancient site|name=Musaharniya Dih|native_name=मुसहरनिया डीह|location=Paston Navtoli Village, [[Andhra Tharhi]], [[Madhubani district]], [[Mithila region]], [[Bihar]]|region=[[Mithila region]]|type=Archaeological Site|built=Either [[Pala Dynasty]] or King [[Harisimhadeva]]|cultures=[[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]]|public_access=Public place|architectural_styles=Buddhist [[Vihāra]] and Karnat Dynasty's [[Royal Palace]]|image=|caption=Ruins of the Musaharniya Dih at Pastan Village}}

'''Musaharniya Dih''' ( [[Maithili language|Maithili]]: '''''मुसहरनिया डीह''''' ) is an archeological site in [[Madhubani district]] of the [[Mithila (region)|Mithila region]] in [[Bihar]], India. It is located at Paston village around 40 km distance from the district headquarter. The site is claimed as either Buddhist Mahavihara or ruins of the royal palace of King [[Harisimhadeva|Hari Singh Dev]] of the [[Karnats of Mithila|Karnat dynasty]] in [[Mithila (region)|Mithila]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=पर्यटन स्थलों की भरमार, विश्व पटल पर छाने को तैयार - Plenty of tourist places, ready to dominate the world - Bihar Madhubani General News |url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/madhubani-plenty-of-tourist-places-ready-to-dominate-the-world-22058542.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=Jagran |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-12-15 |title=बौद्ध सर्किट पस्टन मुसहरनिया डीह को सहेजने का आदेश फाइलों में है सिमटा |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/bihar/madhubani/news/buddhist-circuit-preston-musnaraniya-deh-to-save-files-is-in-the-files-020123-3419182.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=Dainik Bhaskar |language=hi}}</ref>

== Description ==
The archeological site is located at Navtoli Paston village which is just four kilometers away from [[Andhra Tharhi|Andharathadhi]] block headquarter. There are some mounds on the site.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2015-06-20 |title=Ruins of Brick Stupa, Madhubani |url=https://kpjri.res.in/ruins-of-brick-stupa-madhubani/ |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=kpjri.res.in |language=en-US}}</ref> Apart from two big mounds, there are four small mounds. While ploughing and spading near the site, small statues of [[The Buddha|Buddha]] and used earthen pots are found around. Some of them sculptures are kept in the local [[Vachaspati Sangrahālaya|Vachaspati Museum]].<ref name=":0" /> According to the local teacher ''Parmeshwar Bhandari'' of Navtoli Middle School "about 7-8 years ago, excavation work was started in this area, in which it was revealed that historical evidence was found, but after a few months, the excavation work was stopped for some reason."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=1200 साल पुराने बौद्ध स्तूप दिखने की ... |url=https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://images.news18.com/ibnkhabar/uploads/2022/04/Buddhist-Stupa-land.jpeg?impolicy%3Dwebsite&width=400&height=300&tbnid=LWDaZWP1sAol-M&vet=1&imgrefurl=https://hindi.news18.com/news/bihar/madhubani-archaeological-department-ignored-importance-of-buddhist-stupa-for-1200-years-in-madhubani-4200345.html&docid=pjJo1BNzPQ_hmM&w=300&h=300&itg=1&source=sh/x/im/can/1&kgs=312657cb283661f5&shem=abme,trie&sfr=vfe |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=www.google.com |language=en-US}}</ref> According to ''Hariom Sharan'', the resident of Navtoli village "Since it is a public place with no restriction from the administration, the people living nearby not only dig up and take away soil from here, but also dig up and take away bricks that contain historical evidence.<ref name=":1" /> In 2017, the Director of the Art and Culture Department had directed the then District Administrator S K Ashok to preserve the bricks and other materials from all the mounds of Paston ''Musaharniya Deeh''. But due to negligence in the protection of site from the government, the evidences of the archeological site are disappearing with unauthorised digging by the local villagers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-18 |title=1200 साल पुराने बौद्ध स्तूप दिखने की उम्मीदों पर पानी! ऐतिहासिक साक्ष्य की ईंटें खोद ले गए लोग |url=https://hindi.news18.com/news/bihar/madhubani-archaeological-department-ignored-importance-of-buddhist-stupa-for-1200-years-in-madhubani-4200345.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=News18 हिंदी |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=उत्तर बिहार में पुरातात्विक स्थलों पर अतिक्रमण और अवैध निर्माण, मिट रही पहचान - Encroachment and illegal construction on archaeological sites in North Bihar |url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/madhubani-encroachment-and-illegal-construction-on-archaeological-sites-in-north-bihar-23212847.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=Jagran |language=hi}}</ref>

== Buddhist Mahavihara ==
The site was first surveyed by Dr. P K Jha, the then head of Bihar Circle of the Archaeological Survey Department of the Government of India. He said that there was once a huge and advanced Buddhist Mahavihara.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=राजनेताओं की उदासीनता से नहीं हो सका रामायण, महाभारत व बौद्ध सर्किट का विकास - |url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/muzaffarpur-due-to-apathy-of-politicians-the-development-of-ramayana-mahabharata-and-buddhist-circuits-not-done-19188802.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=Jagran |language=hi}}</ref> It is said that many Buddhist stupas and Buddhist Vihars were constructed by the kings of the [[Pala Empire|Pala dynasty]] around the surrounding areas of Paston Navtoli village in [[Andhra Tharhi]] block.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-18 |title=1200 साल पुराने बौद्ध स्तूप दिखने की उम्मीदों पर पानी! ऐतिहासिक साक्ष्य की ईंटें खोद ले गए लोग |url=https://hindi.news18.com/news/bihar/madhubani-archaeological-department-ignored-importance-of-buddhist-stupa-for-1200-years-in-madhubani-4200345.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=News18 हिंदी |language=hi}}</ref> According to archaeologist ''Bhairab Lal Das'', about 1200 years ago, the Pala dynasty's kings of Mithila had constructed a Buddha stupa here. According to some historians, travellers coming from [[China]] and [[Tibet]] and going from India to Tibet and China used to stop at this [[Buddhist monasteries|Buddhist monastery]]. There is a mention of [[Bihar]]'s ''Pattan'' village in [[Buddhist texts|Buddhist literature]] written by a famous Chinese traveller whose geographical location, social customs, foods etc. and the surrounding villages are similar to this Pastan village.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-23 |title=बौद्ध स्तूप: उदासीनता का दंश झेल रहा है पस्टन मुसहरनिया का बौद्ध स्तूप - Madhubani News |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/bihar/muzaffarpur/madhubani/news/buddhist-stupa-of-pusten-musharaniya-is-facing-the-brunt-of-apathy-127641082.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=Dainik Bhaskar |language=hi}}</ref> Similarly the distance of [[Janakpur]] from this village mentioned in that literature matches exactly. According to archaeologist Pandit Sahdev Jha, ''Musaharniya Deeh'' of Paston village was the place of stay of Buddhist monks where they come to study. Similarly Retired DSP from the vigilance department Indra Narayan Jha has also considered it as a [[Vihāra|Buddhist monastery]] in his works ''Mithila Digdarshan''.<ref name=":0" /> According to Dr. Shivkumar Mishra, curator of the [[Maharajadhiraja Lakshmishwar Singh Museum|Lakshmeshwar Singh Museum]] of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]], earlier it was a Mahavihara.<ref name=":2" /> At least nine pillars of it are still intact. ''Pravartanpur Sudhavihar'' is mentioned in the verse inscribed on the idol of ''Buddha Bhagwati Tara'' in [[Andhra Tharhi|Andhara Thadhi]]. It is believed that the same ''Pravartanpur'' later became famous as ''Paston''.<ref name=":2" />

== Ruins of Harisingh Deva's Royal Palace ==
According to some scholars, ''Pattan'' itself has been corrupted over time to become Pastan. It is said that the mounds at ''Musaharniya Deeh'' is the ruins of Royal Palace of the King [[Harisimhadeva|Harisimha Deva]] in [[Karnats of Mithila|Karnat Dynasty]] of Mithila. It has also been mentioned in the book ''Mithila Vimarsh Tatva''. Presently there is Harisinghdev Sanskrit Middle and High School named after him.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Madhubani district]]
[[Category:History of the Mithila region]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Bihar]]

Musaharniya Dih - Revision history

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