Ajgaivinath Temple

The origin of the temple is shrouded in mystery. According to the legend lord Shiva took a bow known as Ajgav and so the place came to be known as Ajgaivinath. It is commonly said that Kalapahar failed to demolish Ajgaivinath temple, but he could destroy the Parvati temple on the neighbouring hill and built a mosque there. Formerly, this hill must have been bigger and spacious. The high floods and the constant strong currents of the Ganga must have worn away the decaying granite rocks of the hill. The present village Jahangira to the west of Sultangang still keeps alive the memory of the Ashram of Jahnu Muni. The name of Jahangira appears to be the distorted form of Jahnugiri (the hill of Jahnu) or Jahnu griha (the abode of Jahnu).

During the rule of the Mauryas, Guptas and Palas many works of art and architecture were raised at Sultanganj. The area has yielded ancient relics like stupas, seals, coins, terracotta and Hindu and Buddha images. Many carvings can still be seen in the Sultanganj hills. A number of small images along with a copper image of Lord Buddha about seven feet high were excavated here. A Buddha image found in Sultanganj is now in Birmingham Museum.

A large number of antiquities covered from krishnagarh at Sultanganj have been preserved in Patna Museum. They indicate a very high standard of Hindu religiosity and culture. The fact that some of the images and other antiquities are Buddhistic reiterates that the area was very important from Buddhistic point of view as well. Most of the antiquities have been identified with the medieval period.

Through various vicissitudes, Sultanganj continued in importance in the later centuries. It is peculiar that a place which has the famous Shiva temple known as Ajgaivinath, which is quite old, should have a name which has a clear Muslim impress. It is all the more so when it is remembered that Ajgaivinath temple is one of the three famous Shiva temples in Bihar & Jharkhand, the two other being Basukinath and Baidyanath temples.