Khardaha

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Khardaha
খড়দহ
Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Khardaha is located in Kolkata
Khardaha
Khardaha
Location in Kolkata
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Country  India
State West Bengal
City Kolkata
Government
 • Municipality Chairman Tapas Paul[1]
Elevation 15 m (49 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 111,130
Languages
 • Official Bengali, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Telephone code +91 33
Lok Sabha constituency Dum Dum
Vidhan Sabha constituency Khardaha

Khardaha, alternatively spelt and pronounciated as Khardah, is a city and municipality of Barrackpore subdivision[2] in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.[3]

History

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Local stories date it back to the time of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. It is said that he once arrived to this place in a boat of hay ('Khar' in Bengali) and hence the name Khardaha. "Daha" means water bodies. It was full of water bodies at that time as it was for the entire southern part of Bengal.

Geography

Kolkata new proposed metro rout (Baranagar - Barrackpore)

Khardaha is located at Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found..[4] It has an average elevation of 15 m (49 ft). It is a railway station on the Sealdah-Ranaghat section, sandwiched between Sodepur (to the south) and Titagarh (to the north). Usually, the western side of the rail-station is called Khardaha and the eastern side is called Rahara. Khardaha is only 20 km away from Kolkata city center.

The western part of Khardaha is a much older settlement. The eastern part, Rahara, is a much newer settlement. It used to be dense forest even 200 years back. The place was named after famous Portuguese dacoit "Rada" (pronounced Raw-ra) of late 17th century. Currently Rahara is the hub of education. Schools like Ramakrishna Mission Boys' Home High School, Bhabanath Institution For Girls etc and the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College and many more enriches the place with great education aroma.

Khardaha is 19 km from Sealdah Station, on the Sealdah–Ranaghat section of Eastern Railway.[5]

Economy

Over time it became prosperous because of its proximity to Calcutta. One jamindar (landlord of a vast area) built 26 Shiv Temples here similar to Benaras so that people didn't have to go to Benaras. The majority of population work in service sector in nearby Calcutta. Some grow vegetables in the nearby fields. There are also some manufacturing units located on the main arterial road BT road. Rest are traders and there are many small trades in the area.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[6] Khardaha had a population of 116,252. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Khardaha has an average literacy rate of 95.50%, higher than the national average of 75%: male literacy is 96.78%, and female literacy is 94.17%. In Khardaha, 6% of the population is under 6 years of age.[7] An overwhelming majority of the population is Hindu Bengali having fled from what is now Bangladesh following religious persecution in the hands of Muslims majority of that area. Bengali is the most widely spoken language, though Hindi and English is also understood.

References

  1. Official District Administration site Archived January 15, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Eastern Railway time table.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/India2/Table_2_PR_Cities_1Lakh_and_Above.pdf

External links