Sasaram

Sasaram, also spelled as Shahsaram, is a historical city and a municipal corporation region in the Rohtas district of Bihar state in eastern India.

The city served as the capital of the Sur dynasty during Sher Shah Suri's rule over India in the 16th century, and was residence place sub capital of epic monarch Sahastrabahu (Kartivirya Arjuna).

Sasaram and the Kaimur Range contain waterfalls, lakes, rivers and picturesque locations as described by the Ain-I-Akbari. Over 200 waterfalls emerge during the rainy season.

Modern Sasaram city covers the largest sub-metropolitan area of Bihar. Its attractions to visit include the Tomb of Sher Shah Suri (included in UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Tentative list), Tomb of Hasan Khan Suri, Rohtasgarh Fort, Shergarh Fort, Manjhar Kund and Dhua Kund.

Sasaram city is located in the middle of its other sub-towns like Nokha & Kudra, which have a large number of agriculture based industries, and the city is also emerging as an educational hub. It is situated in the middle of other industrial twin towns like Dehri-on-sone, Dalmianagar, Sonnagar, Amjhor, Nokha and Banjari.

The Sasaram city region is the administrative headquarters of Rohtas district. It was carved out from Shahabad district in 1972. This district headquarters is best known for having the highest literacy rate and highest agricultural & forest cover area of Bihar. Sasaram is also the headquarters of a community development block of the same name, with a total population of 358,283 as of 2011, making it the most populous block in Rohtas district.

It is known for the production of cement, fertilizers, stone chips, and for the quarrying industry.

Major languages spoken in this region are Bhojpuri, Hindi, English and Urdu; religions of the population include Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Sikhism, and Jainism.

History
During the Vedic age, Sasaram was a part of the ancient Kashi kingdom. Sasaram's name derives from Sahastrarama, meaning "one thousand groves". Sasaram was once also named Shah Sarai (meaning "Place of the King"), as it is the birthplace of the Afghan king Sher Shah Suri, who ruled over Delhi, much of northern India, present-day Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan for five years as the Sur Empire, after defeating the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Many of Sher Shah Suri's governmental practices were adopted by the Mughals and later the British Raj, including taxation, administration, and the building of a paved road from Kabul to Bengal, also called the Grand Trunk Road.

Sher Shah Suri's 122 ft red sandstone tomb, built in the Indo-Afghan style, stands in the middle of an artificial lake in Sasaram. It borrows heavily from the Lodhi style, and was once covered in blue and yellow glazed tiles, indicating an Iranian influence. The massive free-standing dome also has an aesthetic aspect of the Buddhist stupa style of the Mauryan period. The tomb of Sher Shah's father, Hasan Khan Suri, is also at Sasaram, and stands in the middle of a green field at Sherganj, which is known as Sukha Rauza. About a kilometre to the north west of Sher Shah's tomb lies the incomplete and dilapidated tomb of his son and successor, Islam Shah Suri. Sasaram also has a Baulia, a pool used by the emperor's consorts for bathing.

The fort of Sher Shah Suri at Rohtasgarh is in Sasaram. This fort has a history dating back to the 7th century CE. It was built by Raja Harishchandra, known for his truthfulness in the name of his son Rohitashwa. It houses the Churasan temple, Ganesh temple, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-e-Aam, and various other structures dating back to different centuries. The fort also served as the headquarters of Raja Man Singh during his reign as the governor of Bihar and Bengal under the regime of Akbar. The Rohtas Fort in Bihar should not be confused with another fort of the same name, near Jhelum, Punjab, in present-day Pakistan. The Rohtas Fort in Sasaram was also built by Sher Shah Suri, during the period when Humayun was exiled from Hindustan.

There is a temple of Goddess Tarachandi, two miles to the south, and an inscription of Pratap Dhawal on the rock close to the temple of Chandi Devi. Hindus in large number assemble to worship the goddess. Dhua Kund, a notable waterfall, is located about 15 km from the city.

Rohtas, south of Sasaram, is known to have been the residence of one Satyawadi Raja Harischandra, named for his son, Rohitashwa.

Minor Rock Edict of Ashoka
Sasaram is also famous for an inscription by Ashoka (one of the thirteen Minor Rock Edicts), situated in a small cave of Kaimur hill, near Chandan Shaheed.

The edict is located near the top of the terminal spur of the Kimur Range near Sasaram. There is the Minor rock edict #1 only. Ashoka famously mentions pre-existing stone pillars in the Edict: "...And where there are stone pillars here in my dominion, there also cause it to be engraved.".

"Sahasram_Edict_of_Ashoka.jpg No.1 only).]]
 * 1) Devanampriya [speaks] thus.
 * 2) .................. years since I am a lay-worshipper (upasaka).
 * 3) But (I had) not been very zealous.
 * 4) A year and somewhat more (has passed) since ............
 * 5) And men in Jambudvipa, being during that time unmingled with the gods, have (now) been made (by me) mingled with the gods.
 * 6) [For] this is the fruit [of zeal].
 * 7) ...........cannot be reached by (persons of) high rank alone, (but) even a lowly (person) is able to attain even the great heaven if he is zealous.
 * 8) Now, for the following purpose (has) this proclamation (been issued), (that) both the lowly and the exalted may be zealous, and (that) even (my) borderers may know (it), and (that this) zeal may be of long duration,
 * 9) And this matter will (be made by me to) progress, and will (be made to) progress even considerably; it will (be made to) progress to one and a half, to at least one and a half.
 * 10) And this proclamation (was issued by me) on tour.
 * 11) Two hundred and fifty-six nights (had then been) spent on tour, — (in figures) 256.
 * 12) And cause ye this matter to be engraved on rocks.
 * 13) And where there are stone pillars here (in my dominions), there also cause (it) to be engraved."



Geography
Sasaram is located at 24.95°N, 84.03°W and occupies an area of about 15 km2. It has an average elevation of 110 m. Plateau region of Kaimur Range near Sasaram have average elevation of 210 m.

Climate
Sasaram is surrounded by hills from two sides, its climate is seasonable. The climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is "Cfa" (humid subtropical).

Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Sasaram had a population of 351,408 but in urban agglomeration. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sasaram has an average literacy rate of 80.26%, higher than the national average of 74%; male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 75%. In Sasaram, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Sasaram is the 8th most populous city in Bihar.

Governance
SAHAJ Vasudha Kendra, the first "Common Service Centre", or "eKiosk", in Rohtas District was inaugurated in Jamuhar village on 15 August 2008. The centre is currently planning to start a block information Centre, e-district plan, and Sawan Sasaram.

Lok Sabha constituency
Sasaram is one of the 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Bihar. Manoj Kumar (Sasaram politician) serves as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Sasaram in the Lok Sabha.

Vidhan Sabha constituency
Sasaram is one of 243 constituencies of the Legislative Assembly of Bihar. It comes under Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency.

Economy
The closure of the industries of the Dalmia Group at Dalmianagar resulted in widespread unemployment. Sasaram's economy is mainly driven by agriculture and related industries like rice polishing. The canal irrigation system is also very prominent in this area. Because of the fertile land around the town, it is a local trading center for food grains, agricultural products, and agricultural equipment, the region is known as Dhan Ka Katora, meaning "a bowl of food grains". The rice grown near Sasaram is sold in the markets of Kolkata and New Delhi. The only significant industry is rock quarrying.

Railway
Sasaram Junction station, a major railway station, serves Sasaram. Sasaram's other stations are Shivsagar, Kumahu, Nokha, Karwandiya, Pahleja and Dehri on Sone.

Sasaram station is 101 km away from Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhaya station (less than 1.5 hours) and about 120 km, or two hours journey from Varanasi, and 101 km from Gaya station. Gaya station is 20 km away from Bodh Gaya, the most sacred place in Buddhism. Trains run from Sasaram to Kolkata, Ara, Ranchi, Patna, New Delhi, and Bikramganj.

The trains which stop in Sasaram include Ajmer Seldah, Kalka Mail, Purushottam Express, Mahabodhi Express, Ranchi Garib Rath, Kolkata Mail, Jodhpur Howrah Express, Chambal Express, Shipra Express, Chennai Egmore Express, Nandan Kanan Express, Neelanchal Express and Poorva Express, Jallianwalabagh Express, Durigana Express, Garbha Express, Dikshabhoomi Express and New Delhi-Bhagalpur Express, etc.

A direct weekly AC train had been started from Sasaram to Anand Vihar Terminal in July 2011 (22409/22410 - Sasaram - Anand Vihar Garib Rath Express). However, now this AC train runs between Gaya and Anand Vihar Terminal, still stopping at Sasaram Junction.

Airport
Sasaram has also a small and old airport called Suara Airport. Closest major airports are in Gaya, Bihar (98 kilometers away), Patna, Bihar (157 kilometers away), and Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (120 kilometers away).

Education
Sasaram is the sixth most literate city in Bihar, with Rohtas being the most literate district in Bihar.

There are four government colleges, although many students prefer to go to more developed cities for quality education, such as Bangalore, New Delhi, Pune, Patna, Varanasi and Puducherry, for higher education. A new engineering college has been set up in the region.

This place is also known for preparation of competitive exams at Sasaram Railway junction. According to earlier natives of this city, there was not proper electrification of city around 2007 to 2008, which hampered the studies of students seeking for competitive exams. Indian Railways had a 24-hour power supply at Sasaram junction, leading a small group of students to study there at night under electric lights.

Universities

 * Gopal Narayan Singh University,
 * Veer Kunwar Singh University

Medical colleges

 * Narayan Medical College and Hospital
 * Mahatma Phule Medical College and Hospital, Muradabad, Sasaram
 * Sher Shah Suri Medical Hospital & Training college, Sasaram

Engineering colleges

 * Shershah Engineering College

Government colleges

 * Shanti Prasad Jain College, Sasaram [a facilitation branch of Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah]
 * Shri Shankar College, Sasaram
 * Sher Shah College, Sasaram
 * Rohtas Mahila College, Sasaram

Other colleges

 * Hari Narain Singh Institute of Teachers Education (HNSITE)
 * Sri Shankar Rajkiya Inter College
 * Government Polytechnic, Dehri, Sasaram
 * Jagannath Mishra Law College, Sasaram

Major schools

 * St. Michael's Academy School, Chandravanshi Nagar, Fazalganj, Sasaram
 * M. P. High School, Adda Road, Sasaram
 * Rama Rani Jain Girls High School, Choukhandi Road, Sasaram
 * Bal Vikas Vidyalaya, Tomb Road, Sasaram
 * Bal Bharti Public School, Sasaram
 * D.A.V. Public school, Admapur, Sasaram
 * St. Paul's School, Sasaram
 * St. Xavier's School, Jagdev Nagar, Nooran Ganj, Sasaram
 * G.S. Residential School, Malwar Road, Sasaram
 * St. Jeelani's Public School, Shahjuma, Sasaram
 * Pragya Niketan Public School, Falzalganj, Sasaram
 * Buddha Mission School, Nooranganj, Bauliya Road, Sasaram Rohtas Bihar

Villages
Besides the city of Sasaram itself, there are 171 villages in Sasaram block, of which 144 are inhabited and 27 are uninhabited. As of 2011, the total rural population of Sasaram block is 210,875, in 34,336 households.

Notable people

 * Sher Shah Suri, Emperor of India, conquered the Mughal Empire, defeating 2nd Mughal emperor Humayun.
 * Chhedi Paswan, Member of Parliament, ex-MLA
 * Babu Jagjivan Ram, former Deputy Prime Minister of India
 * Meira Kumar, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha of India
 * Vijay Kumar, Renowned biologist
 * Rameshwar Singh Kashyap, Bhojpuri playwright and author.
 * Akash Deep, Indian cricketer, a squad member of Royal Challengers Bangalore in Indian Premier League.
 * Ritesh Pandey, Bhojpuri actor and singer
 * Kavi Kumar Azad, famous for his role in TV serial Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah as Dr. Hansraj Hathi
 * Jyoti Prakash Nirala, recipient of Ashok Chakra posthumously in 2018