The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s2.236.1

c5.s2.236.1

Champâpuri—Same as Champâ. Champânagara, situated at a distance of about four miles, to the west of Bhagalpur. It was also called Mâlinî and Champâ-mâlinî (Matsya P., ch. 48; Hemakosha). It was the capital of ancient Anga, of which the king was Râjâ Romapâda or Lomapâda who adopted Dasaratha's daughter Sântâ (Râmâyana, Âdi, ch. 10). Lomapâda's great-grandson Champâ is said to have founded the town of Champânagara which was formerly called Mâlinî, but it is mentioned in the Mahâbhârata (Vana P., ch. 112) that Champâ was the capital of Lomapâda. At the time of the Mahâbhârata it was the capital of Karna, the ally of Duryodhana. It is also described as a place of pilgrimage in the Mahâbhârata (Vana P., ch. 85). The Karnagad which is included in Champânagara contains the remains of a fort which is pointed out as the fort of Karna, who was brought up at this place. But it has been thought by some that Karnagad in Champânagara and Karnachandâ in Monghyr have been named after Karnasena, king of Karnasuvarna, who had conquered Anga and Banga. There is a temple of Mahâdeva called Manaskâmanânâtha, which is said to have been set up by Râjâ Karna, but which appears to have been built on the site of an ancient Buddhist temple. Just outside the temple on the southern side there are many Buddhist statues. The vestiges of the ramparts of the fort on all sides still exist. Champânagara was visited by Hiuen Tsiang in the seventh century as a Buddhist place of pilgrimage.