Bardhaman
Bardhaman
Burdwan | |
---|---|
City | |
![]() Burdwan City at night | |
Nickname: Royal Heritage City of West Bengal | |
Coordinates:23°14′N87°52′E/ 23.233°N 87.867°E | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
District | Purba Bardhaman |
Government | |
• Type | Municipality |
• Body |
|
• Chairman | Paresh Chandra Sarkar[1] |
•Vidhan SabhaMLA | No. 260 Bardhaman Dakshin:Khokan Das (TMC) |
•Lok SabhaMP | No. 39 Bardhaman–Durgapur:Kirti Azad(AITC) |
Area | |
• City | 26.30 km2(10.15 sq mi) |
• Metro | 157.62 km2(60.86 sq mi) |
Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) |
Population (2011)[4] | |
• City | 347,016 |
• Density | 13,000/km2(34,000/sq mi) |
•Metro | 407,000 |
Languages | |
• Official | Bengali[5][6] |
• Additional official | English[6] |
Time zone | UTC+5:30(IST) |
PIN | 713101, 713102, 713103, 713104 713141,713149. |
Telephone code | +91-342 |
Vehicle registration | WB-41, WB-42 |
Website | burdwanmunicipality |
Bardhaman(/ˈbɔːrdəˌmɑːn/,Bengali:[ˈbɔrˌd̪ʱo.man]), officiallyBardhaman Sadar,is a city and municipality in the state ofWest Bengal,India. It is the headquarters ofPurba Bardhaman district,having become a district capital during theperiod of British rule.Burdwan,an alternative name for the city, has remained in use since then.
Etymology
[edit]The history of Burdwan is known from about 5000 BC (the Mesolithic or Late Stone Age).[7]The origin of this name dates back to the sixth century BCE and is ascribed to Vardhamāna orMahāvīra(599-527 BCE), the 24thTīrthāṅkaraofJainism,who spent some time in Astikagrama, according to the Jain scripture ofKalpa Sūtra.This place was renamed asVardhamanain his honour.
History
[edit]During the period of Jahangir this place was named Badh-e-dewan (district capital). The city owes its historical importance to being the headquarters of the Maharajas of Burdwan, the premier noblemen of lower Bengal, whose rent-roll was upwards of 300,000.Bardhaman Rajwas founded in 1657 by Sangam Rai, of a Hindu Khatri family of Kotli inLahore,Punjab,whose descendants served in turn theMughal Emperorsand theBritish government.TheEast Indian RailwayfromHowrahwas opened in 1855. The great prosperity of the raj was due to the excellent management of Maharaja Mahtab Chand (died 1879), whose loyalty to the government especially during the "Hul" (Santhal rebellion) of 1855-56 and theIndian rebellion of 1857was rewarded with the grant of a coat of arms in 1868 and the right to a personal salute of 13 guns in 1877. MaharajaBijaychand Mahtab(born 1881), who succeeded his adoptive father in 1888, earned great distinction by the courage with which he risked his life to save that ofSir Andrew Fraser,the lieutenant-governor of Bengal, on the occasion of the attempt to assassinate him made by freedom fighters of Bengal on 7 November 1908.[8]
Mahtab Chand Bahadur and later Bijoy Chand Mahtab struggled their best to make this region culturally, economically and ecologically healthier. The chief educational institution was the Burdwan Raj College, which was entirely supported out of the maharaja's estate.Sadhak Kamalakantaas composer of devotional songs and Kashiram Das as a poet and translator of the greatMahabharatawere possibly the best products of such an endeavour. Pratap Chandra Roy was the publisher of the first translation in the world to translateMahabharatain English (1883–1896).[9]The society at large also continued to gain the fruits. We find, among others, the great rebel poetKazi Nazrul Islamand Kala-azar-famed U. N. Brahmachari as the relatively recent illustrious sons of this soil.Batukeshwar Duttan Indian revolutionary and independence fighter in the early 1900s was born on 18 November 1910 in a village Oari in Burdwan district. He is best known for having exploded a few bombs, along withBhagat Singh,in the Central Legislative Assembly in New Delhi on 8 April 1929. The city became an important centre of North-Indian classical musicas well.
Geography
[edit]![Map](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,13,23.24722,87.85417,525x350.png?lang=en)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Mapscaleline.svg/52px-Mapscaleline.svg.png)
1mile
(Golapbag campus)
and Qutbuddin Koka
R: temple, mosque, P: park, F: facility, C: university, college, museum, H: historical site
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
Location
[edit]The region has an average elevation of 40 metres (131 ft). The city is situated 1100 km fromNew Delhiand a little less than 100 km north-west ofKolkataon theGrand Trunk Road(National Highway 19) and Eastern Railway. The chief rivers are theDamodarand the Banka.[10]
The first epigraphic reference to the name of this place occurs in a sixth-century AD copper plate found in Mallasarul village under Galsi Police Station. Archeological evidences suggest that this region, forming a major part ofRadh Bengal,could be traced even back to 4000 BCE.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Map_of_purba_bardhaman_district.jpg/300px-Map_of_purba_bardhaman_district.jpg)
Police stations
[edit]Burdwan police station has jurisdiction over Bardhaman municipal area andBurdwan IandBurdwan IICD Blocks. The area covered is 192.15 km2.There are out posts at Barabazar, Muradpur, Keshabganj, Nutanganj and Birhata.[11][12]
Women police station Burdwan has jurisdiction over Bardhaman municipal area andBurdwan IandBurdwan IICD Blocks. The area covered is 192.15 km2.[11][12]
Demographics
[edit]Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1951 | 76,000 | — |
1961 | 109,000 | +43.4% |
1971 | 144,000 | +32.1% |
1981 | 170,000 | +18.1% |
1991 | 246,000 | +44.7% |
2001 | 287,000 | +16.7% |
2011 | 347,016 | +20.9% |
Source:[13] |
In the 2011 census, Bardhaman Urban Agglomeration had a population of 347,016, out of which 177,055 were males and 169,961 were females. 25,069 people were between the ages of 0–6 years. Effective literacy rate for the 7+ population was 88.62%.[4]
Climate
[edit]TheKöppen Climate Classificationsub-type for this climate is "Aw"(tropical savanna climate).
Climate data for Burdwan, India | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.0 (78.8) |
27.5 (81.5) |
34.5 (94.1) |
37.4 (99.4) |
32.6 (90.7) |
34.9 (94.9) |
32 (90) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.4 (90.3) |
32.0 (89.6) |
28.0 (82.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
31.32 (88.38) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) |
15 (59) |
20 (68) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.9 (78.6) |
26.0 (78.8) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
24.7 (76.5) |
17.5 (63.5) |
12.5 (54.5) |
21 (70) |
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 18 (0.7) |
38 (1.5) |
33 (1.3) |
48 (1.9) |
130 (5) |
240 (9.6) |
350 (13.7) |
310 (12.3) |
290 (11.4) |
160 (6.2) |
28 (1.1) |
5.1 (0.2) |
1,650 (64.9) |
Average rainy days | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 123 |
Source: Weather2[16] |
Culture
[edit]Bardhaman has a multi-cultural heritage. Thedeuls(temples ofrekhatype) found here are reminiscent of Bengali Hindu architecture. The old temples bear signs ofHinduism,mostly belonging to theSaktaandVaishnavafollowers.
The KankaleswariKaliis also located in the city of Bardhaman. Bardhaman experienced and survived numerous violent conflicts, due toMughal,PashtunandMarathainvaders. The city of Bardhaman was visited by notables of theDelhi Sultanatefrom Raja Todarmal to Daud Karnani, from Sher Afghan and Kutub-ud-din to Ajimuswan to the future Mughal emperorShah Jahanwhile he was still a rebel. Bardhaman also has a number of Bengali Christians, and although they are a minority, there are many churches in the city.
Foods
[edit]- SitabhogandMihidanaare two famous sweets of Bardhaman, introduced first in honour of the Raj family.[citation needed]
Transport
[edit]Road
[edit]- TheGrand Trunk Roadruns across the city;NH 19(old numbering NH 2) bypasses the city.South Bengal State Transport Corporation(SBSTC) and private operators operate buses from Arambag, Asansol, Baharampur, Bankura,Bolpur,Esplanade,Kirnahar,Purulia, Saltlake and Tarakeswar. It takes around 2–2.5 hours. Bardhaman is well connected by bus with numerous places all around. Most of the buses arrive and leave from Alisha Bus Stand and Nababhat Bus Stand. Burdwan also has a facility of bus service known as Town Service which connects different areas within the city.
- Sadarghat Road also connects Bardhaman with Bankura (indirectly) and Hooghly (directly) district.
Rail
[edit]- The main Howrah-Delhi rail track passes through Bardhaman, and the city is served byBardhaman railway station.The Howrah Rajdhani Express (via Patna) has a scheduled stop at Bardhaman. One can take a local train from Howrah to reach in two hrs. One can also travel along the Sahibganj Loop, which branches off, one station after Bardhaman. The narrow gauge line to Katwa was upgraded to broad gauge in 2013, up to Balgona, which has been extended to Katwa. It is well connected to major cities likeKolkata,Ranchi,Patna,Durgapur,Asansol,Siliguri,Dhanbad.
Rickshaws
[edit]- Cycle rickshaws and E-Rickshaws (Toto) are available for travel within the city.
- Also available mini bus within city and surrounding. Intracity connector by SBSTC under JNNURM project has been provided.
- Ola's bike service is also active in the city.
Education
[edit]University
[edit]TheUniversity of Burdwanwas formally inaugurated on 15 June 1960 bySukumar Sen,its first Vice-chancellor. It was after the abolition of theZamindarisystem in the fifties thatUday Chand Mahtab,the last representative of the Burdwan Raj, left his entire property in Burdwan to the state government. This, coupled with the initiative of the thenChief Minister of West Bengal,Bidhan Chandra Roy,facilitated the establishment of this university. Presently, the administrative works are mostly done at the Rajbati (the palace of Barddhamana Maharaja) campus; on the other hand, academic activities centre on the Golapbag campus. With social responsibilities in mind, the university actively patronised the construction of a science centre and the Meghnad Saha Planetarium.
Colleges
[edit]- Burdwan Dental College and Hospital
- Burdwan Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital
- Burdwan Medical College
- Burdwan Raj College
- Maharajadhiraj Uday Chand Women's College
- M.B.C. Institute of Engineering and Technology
- St. Xavier's College, Burdwan
- University Institute of Technology, Burdwan University
- Vivekananda Mahavidyalaya
Schools
[edit]- Burdwan C.M.S High School- West Bengal Board
- Burdwan Municipal Girls' High School- West Bengal Board
- Burdwan Municipal High School- established in 1883 byDebendranath Tagore
- St. Xaviers School- CISCE
Places of interest
[edit]-
Sarbamangala Temple
-
108 Shiva Temple
-
Hawa Mahal (Golapbag)
-
Meghnad Saha Planetarium, Golapbag, Bardhaman
-
Christ Church
-
Damodar River
-
Inside view of the palace of Burdwan Maharaja
-
Science Centre
-
Maa Kankaleshwari at her temple
-
Mazar of Sufi Pir Baharam Sakka
-
Damodareshwar Shiva Temple, Damodarpally, Burdwan
-
Burdwan Arcade
-
Damodar River
- Curzon Gate– theCurzon Gatewas built in 1902–1903, for the coronation ofMaharaja Bijay Chand Mahatab.The former royal palace is located a kilometre from the gate.[17][18]The pomp and grandeur ofLord Curzon'svisit to Bardhaman in 1904 established the name of the gate as Curzon Gate. It is also known as Bijay Toran.[17][19]
- Tombs of Sher Afgan and Qutbuddin Khan Koka-Mehr-un-Nissa,then wife ofSher Afgan,jagirdarof Bardhaman, was once a resident of Bardhaman. It is said that theMughal emperorJahangirhad fallen in love with her and was determined to marry her. He tried to get her with the help of his foster-brother andsubahdarof Bengal, Qutbuddin Khan Koka. Sher Afgan died during a fight with Qutbuddin Khan Koka, who also was killed. Both were buried side by side at Bardhaman in 1607 (or 1610 according to some sources), in the same place as Pir Baharam Sikka, a Persian Sufi saint. Mehr-un-Nissa ultimately emerged as the Empress Nur Jahan.[20][21]
- Rajbari– the palace of the Bardhaman Raj family, was built by Mahatabchand in the 19th century, at a site that is earlier believed to have aMughalfort. The Rajbari was built by the Kolkata-basedBurn and Company.The main hall has many valuable paintings.[19]Uday Chand Mahtabhanded over the Rajbati to the state government. It now houses the administrative offices of theUniversity of Burdwan.[22]
- Golapbag, Ramna Bagan and Deer Park– Golapbag was developed as a botanical and zoological garden in the 19th century. It contained lakes for boating and Hawa Mahal. Several academic sections of the University of Burdwan are located there. Ramna Bagan once had a Brahmo Samaj. It now has a deer park.[19]
- Sarbamangala temple- the temple of Sarbamangala, the presiding deity of the Bardhaman Raj and believed to have been found on the sand-bed of theDamodar River.[21]It is anavaratnatemple with anata mandirthat has aterracottaDurgapanel.[19]
- Bardhamaneswar Shiva temple- theShivatemple has a huge idol.[21]Many believe that the Shiva lingam in the temple was established byChand SadagarofManasamangalfame.[19]
- Kamalakanta Kalibari- it is aKalitemple associated with the poet-devoteeSadhak Kamalakanta.[21]
- 108 Shiva temple complex- theShivatemple complex, constructed by Maharani Bishnu Kumari, at Nawabhat, near Bardhaman, has a picturesque setting.[21]The temple complex, built in 1788, fell into disrepairs and was thoroughly renovated by the Birla Public Welfare Trust.[19]
- Kankaleshwari Mandir– the temple at Kanchanagar, has a deity resembling a human skeleton.[21]It is a navaratna temple with terracotta carvings. The idol is that of a six feet tall eight armed goddessChamunda.[19]
- Tomb of Khwaja Anwar Berh- the tomb of the Mughal warrior, buried at Poddarhat in 1315 Hijri, is a fine example of Mughal architecture.[19][21]
- Shershahi Kalo Masjid- the mosque in the Puratan Chak (Payrakhana Road) area was built during the reign ofSher Shah Suri.[19]
- Shahi Jumma Masjid- the mosque with three minarets is a historical structure erected behind the Rajbati byAzim-ush-Shan,grandson ofAurangzeband thensubahdarof Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.[19][21]
- Burdwan Science Centre- a high standard science museum near the university campus.[21]
- Meghnad Saha Planetarium- inaugurated in 1994, the main instrument was a gift from the Government of Japan to the University of Burdwan. The second planetarium in the state, built to international standards, it is named after the Indian scientistMeghnad Saha.Located near Golapbag, it has arrangement for six shows daily with 90 seats in each show. It is closed on Mondays.[19][21]
- Birhata Kalibari (Boro Maa):The temple of 10 feet sculpture of goddess Kali made up of touchstone. The goddess is known locally as Boro Maa. The locality had been named after this temple as Kali Bazar. The temple has two parts bisected by a lane. One part contains Kali Mandir and the other, Durga Mandir.
- Christ Church:Christ Church Bardhamanis a church in Bardhaman near "Curzon Gate".
- Town Hall:The Town Hall was built sometime between 1890 and 1894 and was handed to the Municipality of Bardhaman to help them preserve the remnants of Lala Bansogopal Nandey.[23]The municipality board restored the hall in 1990 to its present form of 2400 square feet from its earlier form of 704 square feet with a seating capacity of 485 seats.[24]
Notable people
[edit]- Khokan Das- politician and member ofAll India Trinamool Congress
- Ankush Hazra,actor in Bengali language films
- Subhashree Ganguly- actress, model and the winner of Anandalok Nayikar Khonje 2006.
- Mokbula Manzoor- Bangladeshi author and novelist.
- Ankhi Mukherjee- Professor of English literature
- Sandip Nandy- Indian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
References
[edit]- ^"Burdwan Municipality".burdwanmunicipality.gov.in.Retrieved30 December2020.
- ^"Burdwan Municipality - Area of Populations".burdwanmunicipality.gov.in.Retrieved24 November2020.
- ^ab"Burdwan Development Authority".bdaburdwan.org.Retrieved1 February2021.
- ^ab"Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above"(PDF).Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011.Retrieved21 October2011.
- ^"52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India"(PDF).Nclm.nic.in.Ministry of Minority Affairs.p. 85. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 25 May 2017.Retrieved28 August2019.
- ^ab"Fact and Figures".Wb.gov.in.Retrieved28 August2019.
- ^"History and Background".Purba Bardhaman District, Government of West Bengal, India.Retrieved30 April2024.
- ^public domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Burdwan".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 811. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^Kisari Mohan Ganguli tr. (1883)."Translator's Preface".The Mahabharata Book 1: Adi Parva.p. xii.
- ^"Maps, Weather, and Airports for Barddhaman, India".fallingrain.Retrieved25 July2016.
- ^ab"District Statistical Handbook 2014 Bardhaman".Tables 2.1, 2.2.Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived fromthe originalon 21 January 2019.Retrieved23 September2018.
- ^ab"Purba Bardhaman District Police".Police Station.West Bengal Police. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2018.Retrieved23 September2018.
- ^"Barddhaman, India Metro Area Population 1950-2020".
- ^"C-1 Population By Religious Community - Bardhaman (M)".Retrieved17 August2020.
- ^2011 census datacensusindia.gov.in
- ^ "Weather2".Weather2. 2013. Retrieved on 6 October 2013.
- ^ab"Census of India 2011: District Census Handbook, Barddhaman, Series-20, Part-XIIB"(PDF).Motif.Diretorate of Census Operations, West Bengal.Retrieved10 March2017.
- ^"Curzon Gate, Bardhaman".Weekend Destinations.Holidify.Retrieved10 March2017.
- ^abcdefghijkChattopadhyay, Akkori,Bardhaman Jelar Itihas O Lok Sanskriti(History and Folk lore of Bardhaman District.),(in Bengali),Vol II, pages 565-576, Radical Impression.ISBN81-85459-36-3
- ^Ghosh, Binoy,Paschim Banger Sanskriti,(in Bengali),part I, 1976 edition, pages 103-104, Prakash Bhaban
- ^abcdefghij"Purba Bardhaman district".Tourism.District Administration.Retrieved12 February2019.
- ^"The University of Burdwan".History of Burdwan University.BU. Archived fromthe originalon 6 March 2019.Retrieved3 March2019.
- ^"Burdwan Municipality".Retrieved11 April2021.
- ^"Town Hall, Bardhaman".Trawel.Archived fromthe originalon 11 April 2021.Retrieved11 April2021.
External links
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