Mandan Bharti Dham is a historically significant site and a residential location associated with the Indian Vedic philosopher Mandana Mishra.[1] It is situated in Mahishi village, within the Saharsa district in the Mithila region of Bihar, India. This site holds great reverence as a Hindu pilgrimage destination. Notably, it was the location where a significant Shastrartha (philosophical debate) occurred between two eminent Indian scholars, Adi Guru Shankaracharya and Mandana Mishra, within the Sanatana tradition.[2] In this Shastrartha, the wife of Mandana Mishra was chosen as the impartial judge to adjudicate the philosophical discourse. Moreover, this location served as an educational center for the study of the Mimansa Shastra in the Ancient Mithila University. The Mimansa Shastra is one of the six schools of Indian philosophy.[3][4]
| Mandan Bharti Dham | |
|---|---|
| Native name मंडन भारती धाम (Maithili) | |
| Location | Mahishi Village, Saharsa District, Mithila region, Bihar |
| Founded | Mandana Misra |
| Built for | Teaching of Mimansa Shastra |
| Architectural style(s) | Hinduism |
History
editIt is said that a university was once located here whose Chancellor was Mandan Mishra. In the 8th-9th century, Adi Guru Shankaracharya came to Mahishi to debate with Mandan Mishra on Advaita Vedanta.[5][1] It is said that the debate continued for 42 days.[6] Alan Thraser, the scholar of Harvard University did his PhD on Mandan Mishra's work Brahmasiddhi in 1972. It was later published by Motilal Banarasi Das Prakashan. In 2015, the state government of Bihar declared it as a protected religious site. The initiative for declaring the site as protected religious site was initiated by the state archeological department. The site was also inspected by the local chapter of the Archeological Survey of India.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b "Mandan Dham". Bihar Tourism.
- ^ "Mandan Bharti Dham, Mahishi | Saharsa District | India". Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ Nadkarni, Vithal C. (2009-05-29). "It's a question of perception". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ Jha, Bishwambhar (2010). "Education in Early Mithila: A Reappraisal". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 71: 160–164. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44147484.
- ^ "मंडन धाम में तोते भी करते थे संस्कृत में बातें -". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "मंडन धाम पर मंदिर का होगा निर्माण... पत्नी भारती ने शंकराचार्य को कामशास्त्र के इन सवालों से किया था परास्त - Temple will be constructed at Mandan Dham... Wife ubhay Bharati defeated Shankaracharya with these questions of Kamashastra". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "Bihar declares Mandan Dham in Saharsa a protected site". Biharprabha News | Connecting Bihar with the entire World. Retrieved 2023-10-27.