Hathras

Hathras हाथरस
Braj ki Dehri
—  city  —
[[file: Beautifully decorated Radha Rani Deity , Beautifully decorated Krishna Deity |250px|none|alt=|]]
Hathras Location of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh and India
Coordinates	27°36′N 78°03′E
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District(s)	Mahamaya Nagar
Population • Density	126,355 (2001) • 761 /km2 (1,971 /sq mi)
Sex ratio	856 ♂/♀
Official languages	Hindi, Urdu
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	1,800.1 square kilometres (695.0 sq mi) • 178 metres (584 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 204 xxx • Telephone • +91-5722 • Vehicle • UP-86
Website	[http://hathras.nic.in footnotes = hathras.nic.in footnotes =]

Hathras (Hindi हाथरस, Urdu ہاتھرس) is a city and a municipal board in Mahamaya Nagar district (formerly Hathras district) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the headquarters of the district that was created on 3 May 1997 by incorporating parts of Aligarh, Mathura and Agra districts. It forms a part of Aligarh Division. Hathras district was recently renamed Mahamaya Nagar.

Hathras lies within the Braj region in Central or Middle Doab, associated with the epic Mahabharata and Hindu mythology. The principal spoken language is Hindi. Its dialect Braj Bhasha which is closely related to Khariboli is spoken in this region.

Geography

Hathras is located at 27.6°N 78.05°E / 27.6; 78.05. It has an average elevation of 178 metres (584 feet). It is situated on Agra - Aligarh and Mathura- Bareilly Highways crossing. Temperature Variations are extreme Temperature Variations

Name of District	Distance from Hathras town	Direction from Hathras town
Aligarh	34 Km	Towards North
Mathura	41Km	Towards West
Agra	53Km	Towards South

History

No documentary proof is available for when this town was built and who populated it. The Kushan, the Gupta, Rajput and Maratha rulers ruled over the region. In 1716 CE nearby Jaat ruler Raja Nandram’s son Bhoj Singh took over the rule of Hathras from the Rajput rulers. After Bhoj Singh, his son Sadan Singh became the ruler of Hathras followed by his son Bhoori Singh. It is believed that during the reign of Bhoori Singh the temple of the Lord Balarama was built in the fort of Hathras. At the end of the 18th century the kingdom was held by a Jat chieftain Indrajeet Singh Thainua, whose ruined fort (Quila) still stands at the east end of the town. The railway station there is called Hathras Quila. The region was annexed by the British in 1803, but insubordination on the part of the chief necessitated the siege of the fort in 1817. Every year “Lakkhi mela” is celebrated on “Dev Chatt” at the Lord Balram temple popularly known as "Dau Baba". Real great history of Hathras begins after Shri Bhoori Singh when his son Raja Dayaram was crowned in 1775 CE. In 1784 Scindia ruler Madhavrao I Scindia established his regime around Hathras.

Archaeological remains of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain culture and also of the Shung and Kushan period were found at many places in Hathras. Among these archaeological and historical places is the fort of Raja Dayaram located in the Hathras town from where Maurya period Brown coloured pot of 2nd century B.C., Kushan period clay statue, ”Sapt Matrikafalam” etc . were found. Among old Temples the temple of Lord “Veereshwar Mahadev” is special .Shaiv rulers and Naag Rajas also dominated here , remains of there rule are scattered here and there .During the period of Nagavanshi Kshatriya Clan Rulers : Nairs Seshavtara lord Balram Ji got great importance and his temples can be found in all of the region . Old broken statues which have great archeological value are still worshiped in the Braj region. The archeological remains and statues obtained here are kept in the Mathura Museum . The Jain Temple at “Nayaganj” tells the story of Jain Culture .samvat 1548 “Vi.” is written on the oldest statues here. More History is covered under the remains of forts of Sikandra Rao, Maho , Sasni etc. which can be the topic of further research. Remains of statues of the period of Buddhist were scattered in places like Sahpau , Lakhnoo etc ,many were collected and kept in the museum of Mathura and Jila Parishad Office at Aligarh . The Bhadra Kali temple of Sahpau also fall under the category of archeological temples. By writing “Ghat Ramayana” Sant Tulsi Saahab spread the fame of Hathras to far away places,his disciples gather in thousands at his grave at Siyal, Kila Gate, Hathras to express their devotion. In addition to the above mentioned temples the chain of temples contain “Bohrey Wali Devi”, “Chaubey wale Mahadev” temple, “Chinta Haran” temple, “Masani Devi“ temple, “Shri Naath Ji” ``Chamunda Maa`` temple at Chawar Gate, Lord “Varah” temple at Dibba Gali and many temples of Lord “Balram”. Among temples of rural area the temple of Lord Dauji Maharaj Ji is very special. Garhis, Hawelis and Forts whose remains still exist belong to old Jamindars. Nawab Mendu and Sadabad, Haweli of Jamindar of Laakhnu, Paharpur and Hasayan can be mentioned in this category.

After coming under British rule, Hathras rapidly rose to commercial importance. On October 19, 1875, first train ran between Hathras Road and Mathura Cantonment. Hathras city is now connected by Broad Gauge railway with Mathura Jn., and by a branch with Hathras junction, on the North Eastern line.

While the history of the city dates back to ancient times, it also appears that there was an ancient fort in Hathras at the site of the ruins of the modern day fort.

Hathras had a reckoning during India's freedom struggle too. Raja Mahendra Pratap, Munshi Gajadhar Singh, etc. were the eminent personalities from Hathras during the freedom struggle.

Industries

Hathras was an industrial hub during the British Raj. Cotton milling, knives, asafoetida (hing) and Desi Ghee products were the main industries. The last two continue to thrive.Cotton Mill was there in Purana Mill Compound from Which Major Export of Cotton took place to different parts of the World. The chief articles of commerce are sugar and grain. Hathras is now notable for HoliColour & Gulal and also known for Readymade Garments, Chemicals, Carpet, Artificial Moonga-Moti, Hing, Brass, Artware and Hardware, Edible Oil, Beverage,Pulse etc.

Art & Culture

The city boasts a rich cultural heritage and presents a wide array of prosperity in literature, architecture, music, drama, poetry, cuisine and local festivities.

Literature & Poetry: Hathras has stayed a seat of great works both in prose and poetry in various varieties and periods. It has been the home of the famous saint of 18th century Tulsi Sahib whose works consists of Shabdavali, Ratan Sagar & Ghat Ramayan.saint gaya prassad ji and Pandit Bansh Gopal tiwari known as most renowned vedantic personality from this city. Of the modern times, Prabhu Lal Garg famously known as ‘Kaka Hathrasi’, a poet, musician and painter, has been the most renowned personality in this field from this city. He was conferred with the ‘Padamshree’ award by the Govt. of India. Kaka ke Kartoos (Bullets of Kaka), Kaka ke Prahasan, Kaka ki Cocktail, Kaka ki Phuljhariyan, Hasant-Basant, Kaka-Kaki ke Love Letters, etc. are some of his famous works. Even to this day, people of this place have an immense interest in poetry.

Music & Drama: The important folk songs of the city are the - Rasiya while the traditional folk dance of the city is the Swang or Ras. The city has been a regular centre for the development of these arts and has thrived on its cultural richness. The most eminent figure in this field has been Natharam Gaur, the master of the art of 'Swang & Nautanki', a form of dramatics. A proponent of the legendary ‘Indaraman’ school of Swang his works include Amar Singh Rathore, Harishchandra, Siri Farhad etc. These traditional arts are still cheered all over the district and are frequently conducted round the year.

Architecture: The city still has many buildings from the old times with intricate designs on their facades and excellently carvings at their entrances. There are various Haveli built by rich people in the past, Bagla ki Haveli is the famous one. The old havelis are mostly built of Red stone from Rajasthan and the style also imitates that of Rajasthani Havelis.

Eating Habits: The city is famous in the region for its sweets made from Desi Ghee. Unlike nearby Mathura city which is famous for sweets made from milk and milk products, In Hathras sweets are mainly prepared from Ghee. These sweets are Sohan Halwa or Son Papdi, Balushahi, Jalebi and Imarti, Gajar Halwa, Mung Halwa. In the city there is a tradition and culture to distribute/ share sweets on celebrations and used as a gift on occasions. People living in the region love sweets and traditionally consume sweets in their day to day life. There are several sweet-shops in every nook and corner of the city.

Chaat is popular as a snack in the area which is mostly savoury snacks including Tikki, Padake, Dahi Vada etc.

In breakfast you will find Bedami Poori, which are poori's filed with Moong lentils served with potato curry and curd Raita. Generally sweet shops in the morning serve this dish as breakfast.

Fairs and Festivities: All throughout the year the city organizes various cultural fairs and events, the most popular of all is the historical Dauji Fair held in the vicinity of the 19th century ruined fort which has the famous Dauji temple at its top. The fifteen day fair hosts wrestling competitions, Poet Summits(kavi sammelan), 'Swangs' and 'Nautankis' besides other cultural programmes.

The 'Baghichis' or the gardens of the city are still popular rendezvous for evening sittings.Bohrey Wala Bagh named on Bohre Natthi Lal ji was known in Agra Region for its natural beauty and Ancient Mahadev Temple and renowned Bohre Wali Devi. A typical feature of almost every 'bagichi' is the 'Akhara' or the Wrestling Ring where juveniles and the grown ups practice various forms of wrestling. As such the city has been always there on the wrestling circuit of the country and has produced top notch wrestlers or the 'Pahalwans' for the country time and again.

The city, owing to its historical cultural background, has numerous temples. Besides them a temple-cum-research complex -'Mangalaytan' has been developed on the Aligarh-Agra Highway. The 'Mangalaytan' complex is one of the largest Jain religious centers of its kind in the country and houses a university, too.

Demographics

The population of Hathras was 42,578 in 1901 census. As of 2001 India census, Hathras had a population of 126,355. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Hathras has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 66%, and female literacy is 53%. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

Hathras has a number of schools and colleges, some of which are listed below.

• Kendriya Vidyalay
• Seth Phool Chand Bagla (PG) College
• Saraswati Degree College
• Rameshwar Das Agrawal Girls (PG) College
• SS memorial Degree College
• Murlidhar Gajanand Polytechnic
• Phool Chand Bagla Anglo-Sanskrit Inter College
• Akrur Inter College
• Saraswati Inter College
• Daulat Ram Barahsaini Inter College
• St. Francis Senior Secondary School
• Ram Chandra Girls Inter College
• Seth Harchararan Das Girls Inter College
• Rajendra Lohia Vidya Mandir
• Adarsh Inter College
• Government Girls Inter College
• CLRN Seksaria Inter College
• Saraswati Vidya Mandir

External links

• Hathras district profile
• Historical Facts
• Kendriya Vidyalay, Hathras
• Poets in Hathras
• Knol Article
• Pt. Baijnath Sharma Prachya Vidya Shodh Sansthan