An ancient town in the state of Bihar, Siwan has acquired considerable religious and historical significance over many centuries. With numerous mosques and ancient temples in close proximity to each other, the town of Siwan symbolizes harmony between Hindu and Muslim faiths. It was the geographical closeness to the border of Nepal that led to the current name of this town (Siwan means ‘border’ in the Bhojpuri language). It gave rise to a number of prominent political figures of the country—Maulana Mazharul Haq, a celebrated freedom fighter, was a resident of the neighboring place called Ashiana; Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the country’s first president, was born in a place called Zeeradei.
The locals worship the Sun God with great celebration and fan fair. This festival of Chatth Puja occurs twice every year and travelers to Siwan can be a part of this celebration in the month of March or November. Siwan offers a comfortable base for travelers heading to Nepal.
The village of Lakri Dargah gets its name from a tomb constructed in honor of a prominent Muslim saint, Shah Arjan. According to a legend, Shah Arjan was drawn to this place because of its tranquil surroundings. A tomb, with beautiful woodwork, was erected at this village after his death. Believers gather in large numbers each year to pay respect to Shah Arjan on his death anniversary.
Among the largest bazaars in Siwan district, Maharajganj was once famous as the site where freedom fighter Phulena Prasad battled against the British. The traffic-filled streets of Maharajganj are lined today with shops and restaurants.
The locals have a great reverence for Siwan’s Panchmukhi Shivalingam. They believe this five-faced (panch-mukhi) Shivalingam is a ‘swayambhu’–a Shivlingam that rose directly out of the earth. The temple organizes a celebration during the holy festival of Mahashivratri.
Transport in Siwan is a mix of old world and new–from diesel-fueled auto-rickshaws, taxis, and private and government buses to cycle-rickshaws and bullock cart. The town is well connected to neighboring regions of Muzzafarpur, Gorakhpur, Patna, Buxar, Ara, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur.
On a daily basis there are approximately 38 flights that operate at Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport.IndiGo and Air India are the most popular airline brands that fly frequently to this airport.
Besides flying you can also reach Siwan through train.Siwan Jn, Gautamsthanare some of the most popular train stations in Siwan.On an average about 82 trains pass through Siwan on a daily basis.Chapra to Siwan, Hajipur to Siwan, Muzaffarpur to Siwanare some of the most popular routes to Siwan with 105, 87, 83 trains weekly respectively.
By road Siwan is surrounded by Gopalganj, Barauli, Ballia which are 17.67 km, 18.37 km, 35.05 km away respectively. These places are ideal spots for people to plan their short weekend break.