Sahebganj is a popular place located in the Sahebganj district of Jharkhand state. The place is surrounded by Rajmahal his in the southern part, Ganges river in the northern part, Bengal on the west side, and the eastern part is covered by one of the oldest universities of the area Vikramashila. It is is a class –II town. Sahibganj is situated in the northernmost part of Jharkhand. It is also working as the administrative headquarter of the district.
Sahibganj is the combination of two words that is Saheb and Ganj means the place of masters or Guardians.it is believed that the place got its name from a number of English and other Europian people who used to live in this place since very long, Peoples from Bihar, Bengal, refugees from Bangladesh used to live here in search of jobs or employment.
The history of the place is ancient and interesting. At first, Sahibganj was a part of Santal paragana, and Dumka was its headquarter. So the history of the place is somehow directly or indirectly linked with the history of a duke, Deoghar,pakur, and godda. In 1854 -55 a magical movement occurred in the leadership of Santal rebellion by Sido and Kaun brothers due to which santal pargana became a separate district. It was controlling Bhagalpur, Birbhum. Santal Parganas along with some other parts of Lakhisarai, Hazaribagh, Jamui, Bhagalpur, and Saharasa was famous as Jungle Terai by the British.
Certain evidence clearly indicates the persistence of the place during the time of Malers. The first set in the Hills of Rajmahal.they are often called malli as per the notes of Greek Ambassador Selukus Nikater. After that Chinese visitor, Hiuen Tsang lived some times in the Rajmahal hills. He also stated about the Teliagarhi Fort. After the 13th century, the uninterrupted history of Sahibganj is available. During that difficult period, Teliagarhi was the main gateway for Muslim rulers and traders.
After getting permission from Shah Shuja, the British got the ticket to trade in this area. Then the clever Bristish planned and ruled over the entire area. They also played very beautifully against the rebellion of the local tribal community, and with the help of their army, they suppressed the rebellion. In 1837 Mr. Pontent became the deputy collector and was the revenue administrator of the area. Although the majority of the people were very happy during that period he could not provide proper justice to the common people. The majority of santal came to sahibganj from Birbhum, Bankura, Rohtas in between 1790-1810. In 1790 the permanent settlement for the land tax resulted in the general extension of tillage and moreover majority of Santals were paid to work in the low land, as per the report of William W. Hunter. They were very innocent and hard workers. They were just like prey for the traders. As per the report of P.C. Roy, the traders, used to give their land to the santal for cultivation and collected heavy rent from them n exchange without doing any work. The local administration was very corrupt, so the Baniyas and Mahajans used to cheat common Santal people. The assistant Superintendent Naib Sazwals were very greed, and the policemen were also very corrupt. So the in order to get the proper justice in the civil and criminal court walked towards Bhagalpur or Jangipur. But these poor people did not get justice, and if they got, it was very costly for them. There was also another system kamuti in which if anybody cannot pay the tax at the proper time, then they have to repay it by using physical labor. The local Maharajas took advantage of it and used them to lay railway tracks in the dense forest. All these inhuman things made the santal feel insecure, so they started a rebellion in 1855.they also got their appropriate leader in Bhoganadih village. But their leader Kanu got killed during the process, and Sido got arrested and hanged without committing any mistakes.
The people of Sahibganj were very patriotic and started rebellion from 1921. The place also played a major role in the salt satyagraha. In 1930 they also boycotted foreign cloths and other goods.the 1942 movement was very prominent here also.
Moti Jharna: The name of the place itself gives an indication of the beauty of the place. Moti means pearls. This beautiful place, with its running water, will provide a great view and happiness to the tourists. Different flowers can be seen in the place, enhancing the beauty of the area.
Shivagadi temple: This is a core place for the worship of lord shiva. The temple will bound anyone with its magical spell as it is built inside a cave. the temple became very much crowded during Shivratri time and decorated beautifully with lights.
Teliagarhi Fort: This place is a magnificent beauty of architecture and a wonder of engineering marvel during that time.This a perfect place to know the history of the place and art culture and tradition of the tribal community here.
Spices are rarely used in the recipes of the region. Rice is considered the staple food of the region. They used to make a different kind of rice and rotis, litti choka, Pani puri, pitha, dhuska, Kera dudhauri, Dhuska is a famous dish prepared with mashed rice and pulse and usually served with aloo dum or mutton curry.
The place is very well connected with the major cities of India through air, roadway, railway and water transport. Sahibganj is on the Sahibganj loop so good connectivity. River Ganga also acts as a mode of transportation for different goods. Now a bridge is also under construction on the river Ganga. This bridge will serve as a core connectivity center to connect Jharkhand with the Northeastern part and south region. The region has got perfect road connectivity as it is connected with the Grand trunk road.
The natural beauty of the city is unmatched with its waterfalls and scenic view. Sahibganj is a perfect getaway from the monotonous life. Being close to nature will help you cleanse your mind and body. The people here are very amiable. The best time to plan a visit is in November-February. It will hardly take two days to explore the city. The backpackers can have a budget plan of 2.5-3 thousand. They can find pocket-friendly accommodation as per their suitability. For Mid-range travelers, the expenses would be around 3.5-4 thousand. Decent housing with other necessities is readily available. And for luxury tourists, the budget can go up to 4.5-5 thousand. They can rent a car with driver to be at their service the entire stay. For souvenirs, the local market has some handicrafts and other gift products.