Sheohar district

Sheohar district
Shivahar
District of Bihar
Location of Sheohar district in Bihar
Location of Sheohar district in Bihar
Country India
State Bihar
DivisionTirhut
Established1994
HeadquartersSheohar
Government
 • Lok Sabha constituenciesSheohar
 • Vidhan Sabha constituenciesSheohar
Area
 • Total
349 km2 (135 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
656,246
 • Density1,880/km2 (4,870/sq mi)
Demographics
 • Sex ratio893
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
PIN
843329
Major highwaysGorakhpur–Siliguri Expressway, SH-54, NH-227, Mehsi–Sheohar Road, Sheohar–Muzaffarpur Expressway
Average annual precipitation720.4 mm
Websitehttps://sheohar.nic.in/
Map

The area of present-day Sheohar has historical connections with the wider Mehsi Pargana region. Historical records of Champaran describe Mehsi and Babra as parganas associated with the Sheohar Raj during the late 18th century. The two parganas were included in the 1791 Decennial Settlement and the arrangement was subsequently confirmed under the Permanent Settlement in 1793. These historical administrative and zamindari relationships predate the creation of the present-day Sheohar district in 1994 and illustrate the historical links between Mehsi and the surrounding territory of northern Bihar.

The district occupies an area of 349 km2 and had a population of 656,246 in the 2011 Census. Agriculture is an important part of the district economy. The district has a predominantly rural population and is affected by seasonal flooding.

The district headquarters, Sheohar, is located about 27 km south of Sitamarhi. It is connected by road with Sitamarhi, Bairgania, Mehsi and Muzaffarpur. Mehsi is located approximately 31 km north-east of Sheohar and forms an important road connection between Sheohar and the Muzaffarpur region. The road network connects Sheohar with neighbouring towns and districts in northern Bihar.

The name Sheohar is traditionally associated with the words Shiva (शिव) and Har (हर), names associated with Shiva. Agriculture is the mainstay of the district. Sheohar is among the flood-affected districts of Bihar, particularly because of flooding associated with the Bagmati and Budhi Gandak river systems. Devkuli is a religious site known for its ancient temple dedicated to Shiva.

As of the 2011 Census, Sheohar was the second least populous district in Bihar, after Sheikhpura.

Geography

Sheohar district occupies an area of 349 square kilometres (135 sq mi). It is bordered by three districts from north and east Sitamarhi, from west East Champaran and from south Muzaffarpur. Belwa Ghat (a panchayat) is sharing bordered by west East Champaran, from where devotees take jal for offer jal at Areraj temple from Bagmati river. Belwa Ghat and Indarwa Khurd is most flooded area of Sheohar District.

Politics

District No. Constituency Name Party Alliance Remarks
Sheohar 22 Sheohar Shweta Gupta JD(U) NDA

Economy

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sheohar one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

Sub-divisions

The district comprises only one sub-division, namely, Sheohar, which is further divided into five blocks: Sheohar, Tariyani, Piprahi, Dumri-katsari, Purnahiya.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901157,686—    
1911162,800+0.32%
1921157,618−0.32%
1931168,264+0.66%
1941185,635+0.99%
1951201,431+0.82%
1961228,420+1.27%
1971258,839+1.26%
1981304,431+1.64%
1991377,699+2.18%
2001515,961+3.17%
2011656,246+2.43%
source:
Religions in Sheohar District (2011)
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 84.19%
Islam
 
 15.14%
Other or not stated
 
 0.67%

According to the 2011 census Sheohar district has a population of 656,246, roughly equal to the nation of Montenegro or the US state of Vermont. This gives it a ranking of 511th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 1,880 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,900/sq mi). Hiramma is a village known for its highest illiteracy rate. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 27.32%. Sheohar has a sex ratio of 893 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 72%. 4.29% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 14.73% and 0.05% of the population respectively.

Languages of Sheohar district (2011)
  1. Other 'Hindi' (68.7%)
  2. Hindi (23.0%)
  3. Urdu (7.78%)
  4. Others (0.55%)

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 22.97% of the population in the district spoke Hindi and 7.78% Urdu as their first language. 68.70% of the population recorded their first language as a dialect classified as Other Hindi on the census. The main language of the region is Bajjika, variously regarded as dialect of Maithili.

Politicians

BJP, alliance of Bjp

References

  1. ↑ History of Champaran (PDF). Indian Labour Archives. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "District Census Handbook: Sheohar" (PDF). Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  3. ↑ "Sheohar District Official Website". Government of Bihar. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  4. ↑ Srivastava, Dayawanti; et al., eds. (2010). "States and Union Territories: Bihar: Government". India 2010: A Reference Annual (54th ed.). New Delhi, India: Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Government of India. pp. 1118–1119. ISBN 978-81-230-1617-7.
  5. 1 2 Ministry of Panchayati Raj (September 8, 2009). "A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme" (PDF). National Institute of Rural Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Table A-02 Decadal Variation in Population Since 1901: Bihar" (PDF). census.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  7. ↑ "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Bihar". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  8. ↑ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-01. Montenegro 661,807 July 2011 est.
  9. ↑ "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2011-09-30. Vermont 625,741
  10. 1 2 "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Bihar". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.