Bhikhmanga Chowk…Nehru’s statue also gave up in front of this name, know the history

Almost every square of Godda district has its own distinct identity, history and interesting story. In this series, Nehru Chowk, situated on the right side adjacent to the old Collectorate, is still known as Bhikhamanga Chowk among the people. Famous for its unique identity. This square is located very close to the main square of the district. Important places like District Education Department Office, City Council Office, Information Public Relations Office, Fair Ground and Gandhi Maidan are present around it. This is the reason why there is continuous movement of people here from morning till night.

The tea shop situated at this square has a special identity in the entire district. Be it early morning or late night conversation, there is a constant flow of people here. The Bhuja shop adjacent to it is also no less popular. Public representatives, officials, journalists and common people all come here to taste the Bhuja. The interesting thing is that people coming from other districts also stop at this Chowk and eat the famous Bhuja here, as if this Chowk has become a part of the taste tradition of Godda.

There are many stories behind why the Chowk was named Bhikhamanga Chowk. Surjeet Jha, a local resident of Godda, says that earlier this place was named Bhikhari Chowk in honor of Jharkhand’s brave freedom fighter Sheikh Bhikhari, but with time the colloquial language changed its form and it became known as Bhikhamanga Chowk.

Another story is equally popular among the people. It is said that years ago, in the name of getting work done from many nearby government offices, people like brokers and agents often used to sit at the tea shops of this Chowk. They used to claim to take money from people and get their work done. Gradually, people jokingly started calling this square as Bhikhamanga Chowk. This name reached the public’s lips and became a permanent identity.

Kamal Kumar, owner of the local tea shop, says that many years ago the district administration had installed the statue of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru here and officially named it Nehru Chowk, but the interesting thing is that the statue is still there. But people still remember this place by its old name Bhikhamanga Chowk. This is the real identity of this square, which presents a unique confluence of history, taste and local culture.