Darbhanga, city, northern Bihar state, northeastern India. It lies just to the east of the Baghmati River, a tributary of the Ganges (Ganga) River.
The city was the capital of the Darbhanga raj, an estate established in the 16th century, and contains the Anandbagh palace. It was constituted a municipality in 1864. Darbhanga is the seat of Kameshwara Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University (1961), which is located on the grounds of the palace, and Lalit Narayan Mithila University (1972). There is a museum containing archaeological materials as well as historical and handicraft exhibits. Darbhanga has been a centre for music since the late 18th century and has produced many well-known dhrupad (an ancient form of Indian classical music) musicians. A major rail and road junction, Darbhanga trades in agricultural produce, mangoes, and fish. In addition to food processing, there is some light manufacturing.
Darbhanga is situated on a vast alluvial plain, with low-lying areas containing marshes and lakes. Grains, oilseeds, tobacco, sugarcane, and mangoes are important crops in the region. Pop. (2001) city, 267,348; (2011) 296,039.