About Purnia

Purnia is an important city in the state of Bihar and is the biggest city in North eastern part of Bihar. The city is of strategic importance since it lies close to Nepal. Biratnagar in Nepal is just 92km away. The city has presence of various armed units and paramilitary forces including Indian Army, Border Security Force, Indian Airforce, SSB etc. Spread over 3202 sq.km Purnia lies in the banks of river Kosi. Total area of Purnia district is about 3,229 square kilometers.

Brief History of Purnia

The name of the city of Purnia is derived from Purna-Aranya which means complete jungle. The area was completely forested for much of the century and hence it was named thus. Another legend has it that the name is derived from the word Purain which means Lotus, the flower which grows abundantly in Kosi and Mahananda rivers. The name of Purnia could also have been derived form the 600 year old Mata Puran Devi temple which is located on the outskirts of the city today. The earliest inhabitants of Purnia were the Anas, who were the eastern most tribes known to the Aryans and were probably a part of the Bengal tribes.
During Mughal rule, it was mainly a military province protecting the northern and eastern boundaries of the Mughal state. Purnia is one of the most oldest districts in Bihar. In 1912, Bihar was carved out of the Bengal province and in 1926 before state reorganization it was a contiguous zone of east Pakistan. Purnia originated from the Pundra Kingdom and comprised of Eastern Bihar, west Bengal and Bangladesh. Post independence, it is one of the most important districts in Bihar because of its proximity to the international borders.

Geography of Purnia

Purnia city has an area of 3,202 square km and is located in the north eastern part of Bihar. It lies in the sub-montane alluvial tract of the Gangetic plain and is traversed by numerous rivers including Kosi, Mahananda, Koli and Suwara. The area is mainly level, depressed tract consisting of loamy alluvial soil. The land to the west of Kosi is mainly sandy tract from the alluvial deposits of Kosi river due to frequent course changing of the river.


The northern part is mainly comprised of calcareous deposits. The alluvium brought down by the Himalayan rivers forms a rich basis for agriculture in the region. Purnia enjoys moderate climate and is called Poor man’s Darjeeling, because of its fair weather. Purnia coordinates at 25.78°N and 87.47°E and enjoys moderate climate with temperature ranging from 5°C in the winters to 30°C in summers.

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Population of Purnia

The population of the city of Purnia is 2,543,942. The city fares low on literacy levels and is much lower than the national average at just 35%. There has been a population growth of almost 35% in the past decade. The sex ratio of the city of Purnia is at 915 and is lower than the national average.

Places of Interest in Purnia

Purnia is abound with famous temples and people from all the nearby areas visit the town for worship at these temples. Some of the famous temples here are the Kamakhya temple which is situated on the border of three villages - Rahua, Majra Bhabanipur and Kalayanpur. The temple is known for the divine blessings which is known to cure leprosy patients of their illness. The other famous temple in Purnia is the Puran Devi temple after which the city is named. The village of Dharara about 19 km from Purnia is an important place of interest in Purnia.


Dharara is famous for being the place where Hiranyakasp tried to slaughter his son Prahlada. Forbesganj, near Purnia is another important town of interest. Jalalgarh is a ruined fort situated about 20km from Purnia and is a very important tourist destination in Purnia. It was built by first Raja of Khagra, Saiyad Muhamad Jalaludin. Sarsi, about 29km from Purnia is an important place of interest. During the British period, this place for known for its indigo cultivation and was an important area of indigo production for the Britishers. Read More.......

Transportation in Purnia

Purnia is well connected by air, road and rail. Chunapur Airport is the only airport in Purnia and has non-scheduled flight services twice a week between Kolkata, Patna and Purnia. The nearest commercial airport is at Bagdogra which is 150 km away. Purnia Railway junction lies on Katihar-Jogbani broad gauge railway line of North East Frontier Railway. Another nearest railway junction is Katihar. There are weekly trains to Delhi, Kolkata, Patna and other nearby cities and towns.


The city of Purnia is traversed by various National Highway routes namely NH 31, 57, 107 etc. The east west corridor connected Silchar in Assam to Gujarat runs via Purnia. Many state highways also pass through this city making road travel the easiest way to reach the city. The local transport of the city comprises mainly of the city buses, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws.

Economy of Purnia

Since Purnia lies in the fertile Terai belt of the river Ganges and is well drained region, agricultural crops are grown in abundance in the area. Jute is the main commercial crop cultivated here. During the British era, Indigo was the principal crop cultivated here leading to heavy burden on the local farmers. But since then, agriculture has diversified and now includes food crops, horticulture produce and cash crops like jute. Healthcare is another thriving industry in Purnia. The city has about 400-500 doctor practicing here and healthcare contributes around 800 crore annually to the exchequer. The city has the potential to become the healthcare hub in the region. For More Click Here

Purnia at a glance

Country: India
State: Bihar
District: Purnia
Latitude: 25°-13'-80" ~ 27°-07'-59" N
Longitude: 86°-59'-06" ~ 87°-52'-35" E
Altitude: 171.2 Feet
Rainfall: 1,470.4 mm
Avg temperature: 28C
Languages: Hindi, Maithili, Bengali, Santhali
PIN: 854301
Telephone code: 06454
Website: www.purnea.bih.nic.in/