Musaharniya Dih
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मुसहरनिया डीह | |
| Location | Paston Navtoli Village, Andhra Tharhi, Madhubani district, Mithila region, Bihar |
|---|---|
| Region | Mithila region |
| Type | Archaeological Site |
| History | |
| Founded | Either Pala Dynasty or King Harisimhadeva |
| Cultures | Hinduism and Buddhism |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Public place |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Buddhist Vihāra and Karnat Dynasty's Royal Palace |
Musaharniya Dih ( Maithili: मुसहरनिया डीह ) is an archeological site in Madhubani district of the 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 Hari Singh Dev of the Karnat dynasty in Mithila.[1][2]
The archeological site is located at Navtoli Paston village which is just four kilometers away from Andharathadhi block headquarter. There are some mounds on the site.[3] Apart from two big mounds, there are four small mounds. While ploughing and spading near the site, small statues of Buddha and used earthen pots are found around. Some of them sculptures are kept in the local Vachaspati Museum.[2] 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."[4] 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.[4] 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.[5][6]