Bahraich
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Bahraich is a small town in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Located on the Saryu River, a tributary of river Ghaghra, Bahraich is 125 km north-east of Lucknow, the state capital. The towns of Barabanki, Gonda, Lakheempur and Sitapur share local boundaries with Bahraich. A factor which makes this town important is the international border shared with the neighboring country, Nepal.
Bahraich got its name from the Arabic word bahr which means a large body of water. Situated on the bank of river Ghaghra, it was named Bahraich. Although a small town, Bahraich happens to be a very old town of India. It was inhabited around the 10th century.
Some people also believe that Bahraich got its name from 'Brahma'. It is believed that there was an ancient Brahma Temple here ( not present now), thus giving the city the name - Brahmaich, thus, Baharich.
The main occupation of the residents of Bahraich is agriculture. In the British period, Bahraich was a famous market for grains and pulses. Even today, it is famous for agricultural products like pulses, wheat, rice, corn, sugar, and mustard. Also, there are dense forests in Nanpara and Bhinga region which account for herbs and timber.
Bahraich is very famous because of the mausoleum (Dargah) of Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud, a famous eleventh century Islamic saint and soldier. His Dargah is a place for reverence for Muslims and Hindus alike. It was built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. It is believed that people taking bath in the water of this Dargah become free of all skin diseases. The annual festival (Urs) at the Dargah is attended by thousands of people coming from far-off places of the country.
Roughly 50 km from Bahraich, there are remains of an ancient Buddhist monastery. This place is known as Shrawasti and it is one of the most popular destinations around Bahraich. Other places of interest are the Temple of Junglee Nath, Kailashpuri Barrage, Chittaura Jheel and Kartaniya Ghat Alligator Breeding center.
Bahraich hosts the biggest Wildlife Reserve of the state of Uttar Pradesh - Kartarniya ghat wildlife reserve[citation needed]. Other Places of Interest include Shravasti which is also Holy Place for Buddhist and Jains, Lord Buddha spent fourteen years of his life preaching Buddhism. Shravasti is visited by tourists from Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka & China.
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