Champa: Important port of Ancient India

Situated in Bhagalpur district of Bihar, Champa was the capital of ancient Anga in the sixth century BC. It was of great commercial importance. It was a river port from which ships world said down the Ganga and coast to south India and Sri Lanka. These ships returned with jewels and spices which were much in demand in the north India. From Champa seafaring merchants went to distant islands. Champa was also a place of pilgrimage for the Buddhists and the Jaina alike. At a time of the Buddha’s great decease, known as Mahaparinirvana in Buddhist phraseology, Ananda, one of the most famous disciples, said that he regretted that his master was to die in so small a town as Kushinagar and mentioned Champa as one of the six places (others being Sravasti, Rajagriha, Saketa, Kausambi and Kasi) where he considered important enough for his master to die in. This proves that Champa was evidently one of the greatest cities of the 5th century BC.