Map of Mithila

• 25.4286.131 Begusarai —

• 26.8013984.502782 Bettiah —

• 25.25873 Bhagalpur —

• 26.1118785.8964 Darbhanga — Cultural capital of Bihar

• 25.6985.225 Hajipur —

• 25.53333387.5833336 Katihar —

• 26.3468586.071557 Madhubani — the arts capital of Mithila, famous for culturally exporting the vivid Madhubani style of painting

• 25.38186.4658 Munger —

• 26.1208985.364729 Muzaffarpur —

• 26.5901885.4942710 Sitamarhi — the birthplace of Mata Sita (wife of Lord Rama)

• 25.8705686.6013911 Saharsa —

• Rajnagar — the nearest small town to Madhubani. This place is famous for the ruins of the Navlakha Palace (one of the famous palaces of Maharaja of Darbhanga), which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1934. Simari Navtola is the closest village to Rajnagar.

• Ratupar — a very remote village and home of the legendary teacher Shri Thakur Singh Das, a renowned freedom fighter and social worker. Still, there is no continuous supply of electricity or piped water and the water is taken from hand pumps or ponds. Farming is the major source of livelihood. The majority of the shops are located in Araria Chowk. Kharowa, Bistol and Nawani are the nearby villages to this chowk. Nawani is the ancestral village of Shri Shobhakant Das. Nawani also is the paternal village of Shri Prakash Kumar Das alias Lallan.

• 25.98659485.1255921 Vaishali — archaeological and Buddhist pilgrimage site

Mithila is bounded by the Mahananda River in the east, the Ganges in the south, the Gandaki River in the west and by the foothills of the Himalayas in the north.

Although most people of Mithila understand Hindi, which is the lingua franca of Bihar, the mother tongue of the region is Maithili, which is more closely related to Bhojpuri and Bengali than Standard Hindi. It is also the basis of Brajabuli, a literary language used by Vidyapati and his peers to write Vaishnava Padavalis (hymns dedicated to Krishna).

Maachh (fish), makhana (Prickly water lily) and paan (betel leaf) are part of the identity of Mithila. Fish is the most popular food in Mithila, used as a main dish on any occasion. Chuda, dahi (yogurt) and chini (sugar) are also important components of the cuisine. Paan is an important refreshment item on every occasion.