Bankura (District)

Bankura ; District বাঁকুড়া জেলা
State	West Bengal
Division :	Bardhaman
Administrative headquarters :	Bankura
Area :	6,882 km²
Residents :	3,586,674 (2011 census)
Website :	Bankura District

Biharinath Hill

The historically significant district of Bankura ( Bengali : বাঁকুড়া জেলা) is part of the Indian state of West Bengal . The capital is the city of the same name, Bankura .

geography

The Bankura district, traversed by the Dwarkeswar River, a tributary of the Damodar River, and other small rivers, borders on the Bardhaman district in the north and northeast, the Hugli district in the southeast, the Pashchim Medinipur district in the south and the district in the west Purulia . The average altitude is around 100 m above sea level. d. M .; however, some hills (e.g. Biharinath and Susunia ) reach heights of over 450 m. The climate is mostly humid and rainy , especially in the monsoon months from May to October.

population

Official population statistics have only been kept and published since 1991.

year	1991	2001	2011
Residents	2,805,065	3,192,695	3,586,674

Hindus dominate the rural villages (around 84% of the total population); in the cities, the proportion of Muslims (only around 8% of the total population) is also significant. As is usual with censuses in northern India, the male population exceeds the female share by around 5%. Approx. 91.5% of the people live in rural villages and only about 8.5% live in cities.

economy

The district is still largely agriculturally oriented; Mainly rice , wheat and mangoes but also jute are planted . Because of the relative altitude, the district is drier and therefore less productive than the rest of West Bengal. There is significant oilseed production and processing.

history

Bishnupur - temple complex

The fertile alluvial land in the Ganges Delta prompted people to settle down early on - one of the first evidence in Bengal is the excavation site at Dihar near Bishnupur . Isolated sources have existed since the Middle Ages, and with the arrival of Islam in the 13th and 14th centuries, they become more numerous and reliable. Despite the strong military and ideological presence of Islam in West Bengal, the Hindu Malla dynasty , which was tributary but otherwise largely independent, was able to maintain its own kingdom in Bishnupur and the surrounding area. In 1576, Bengal came under the control of the Mughal Empire , whose rule was successively replaced by the British in the 18th century .

Attractions

The main attractions of the district all date from the late Malla period, i. H. from the 17th and 18th centuries: These are above all the Bengali temples of Bishnupur; However, the tower temple in the village of Bahulara is also worth mentioning . There is a museum in the town of Bishnupur; Small terracotta figurines are produced as souvenirs throughout the region .