Purnia
Purnia
पूर्णियाँ Purnea | |
|---|---|
Metropolitan City | |
| Nickname: Mini Darjeeling | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Bihar |
| District | Purnia |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Purnea Municipal Corporation |
| • Mayor | Kaniz Raza |
| • MP | Santosh Kushwaha |
| • MLA | Smt. Kiran Keshri |
| Elevation | 36 m (118 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 310,817 |
| • Density | 794.49/km2 (2,057.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 854301 |
| Telephone code | +91 6454 |
| Vehicle registration | BR-11 |
| Literacy | 74.04% |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Purnia |
| Website | purnea |
Purnia,(Hindi : पूर्णियाँ ) spelt 'Purnea' by the government, is a City and a Municipal Corporation in Purnia district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is located 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Patna. It is the largest city of North-Eastern Bihar.
The Indian army, Indian Air Force, Border Security Force (BSF) and the SSB have bases around the city.
Etymology
The origin of the name appears to have different sources. The name possibly originates from the Sanskrit word Purna–Aranya which stands for "complete jungle".[2] Purnia could be an altered form of the old name Purania, derived from the word purain or Lotus, which is said to have grown on the Kosi and Mahananda rivers. This derivation is stated by O'Malley[who?] and is also in the old gazetteer.[clarification needed][citation needed] An alternative could be a derivation from the words Pur Aranya. W.W. Hunter and Buchanan[who?] have mentioned the name of Purnia,[clarification needed][citation needed] it being a forested area, using combination of the words purn (full) and aranya (forest).
The name of Purnia's 600 year old temple of Mata Puran Devi (Kali), located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) outside the city, is believed[by whom?] to be the name origin of Purnia.[citation needed]
History
The district of Purnea in modern history was formed by the East India Company on 10 February 1770.[3]
Geography
Purnia and its surrounding lands, lies in the sub-montane alluvial tract of the Gangetic Plain.
Purnia has an area of 3,202 square kilometres (1,236 sq mi). This level, depressed tract of country consists for the most part of a rich, loamy soil of alluvial formation and is traversed by several rivers flowing from the Himalayas, which afford great advantages of irrigation and water-carriage. Its major rivers are the Kosi, the Mahananda, the Suwara Kali and the Koli. In the west the soil is thickly covered with sand deposited by changes in the course of the Kosi. Among other rivers are the Mahananda and the Panar. Its major agricultural products are jute and banana.
There is a hilly tract in the north with a small hill of Calcareous belt, called Chotapahar near Manihari. It has a slope from the north to the south and is traversed by a number of rivers and their tributaries. The district is composed of alluvial soil, partly old and partly new. The old alluvium is found in the north of the district where it consists of kankars (stone dust). The new alluvium is available in the south of the district and is composed of silt, clay and the sand. The alluvial soil is supposed to be brought by the Ganges and its tributaries from the Himalayas and is very rich in fertilizing nutrients.[citation needed]
Climate
Purnia is known for its moderate Climate; it has also remarkably earned its name as 'Poor's man's Darjeeling' due to its favourable climate. Purnia, with the highest rainfall in Bihar state, has a largely humid climate, with humidity rising to above 70%. A cold season, from November to February, is followed by a hot season from March to June. The monsoon season begins in early June and lasts until September and 82% of total annual rainfall falls during the monsoon season.
January, the coldest month, has a mean daily minimum temperature of 5 to 10 °C and a mean daily maximum of 20 to 25 °C. Wind is typically light in the non-monsoon seasons but during the monsoon, storms and depressions originating in the Bay of Bengal cause heavy rain and strong winds.
Demographics
As per 2011 census, Purnia Municipal Corporation had a total population of 282,248, out of which 148,077 were males and 134,171 were females. It had a sex ratio of 906 females to 1,000 males. The population below 6 years was 43,050. The literacy rate for the 6+ population was 73.02% compared to 74.04% national average.[4]
Hindus were 70% and Muslims were 30% of the population. Purnea has a majority Maithil population.
Purnia Urban Agglomeration had a population of 310,817 in 2011[5] and comprised Purnia Municipal Corporation and Kasba (Nagar Panchayat).[6]
Economy
Bhatta Bazar is the retail hub for Purnia district and the most crowded place in the city of Purnia. There are many shopping complexes and branded showrooms in Bhatta Bazar.With the addition of a recently opened Utopia Hypermart,a departmental store, Khiru Chowk,just like big cities, purnea is taking a step towards growth. Gulab Bagh in Purnia houses the big and famous ‘Anaaj Mandi’ which is a major grain storehouse and also India’s largest maize trading centre. It is from here that the grain requirements of the northeast states are met. Due to its favourable location in the eastern part of the country, it has the potential of becoming a prime centre for trade and commerce. Bhatta Bazar and Line Bazar are the most important and busiest parts of the city.
Line Bazar Purnia is the biggest hub of medicine with doctors of almost every specialization.
India's first and the only Jute Park called the Punrasar Jute Park is located at Maranga in Purnea.[7]
Many real estate development projects are planned in the city. These include residences, shopping malls, hotels and a resort.
Purnia is a large centre for sale and service of automobile.It is also the only city other than Patna in Bihar where International Driving Permit is issued.
Agriculture
Purnia city is supplied agricultural products from its surrounding countryside. The alluvial soil, irrigated by the Kosi and Mahananda rivers, has been particularly suited to the paddy cultivation of rice. Other crops grown are potatoes, wheat, khesari, chickpeas, chili peppers, maize, lentils, arhar dal, barley, sugarcane, tobacco, makhana, mung beans, and jute.[8] The previous extensive growing of jute supported a former flourishing jute industry which has now declined.Cultivation of maize has however soared in recent years in the city outskirts.
Education
Purnia has always been the centre of education in the north Bihar region. Founded in 1800 at the time of British rule, Zila School is Purnia's oldest, and one of the city's largest. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Garhbanaili (14 km away from main city) is a prestigious school of this city run by government. Purnia also has a Kendriya Vidyalaya. Ursuline Convent English/Hindi Medium School has been the top-most school for decades. Vidya Vihar Residential School at Parora is the most prestigious Residential School of Bihar where students from across all over Bihar receive all-round education in a fully -equipped campus of 30 acres. Other prominent schools includes Millia Convent English Medium School, B.B.M High School, Don Bosco School, D.A.V Public School, Mount Zion Mission School, Bright Career English School, Bijendra Public School, Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Manas Bharti Public School, Saraswati Shishu Mandir, St John's High School and many more.
There are colleges for higher studies concentrating on diverse fields including that in Engineering, Law, Arts, Home Science. Having recognition from the state Government and various other Government Universities such as Aryabhatta Knowledge University and B N Mandal University, these college have been the reason for being the educational hub for its neighbouring population. To mention a few are:
- Vidya Vihar Institute of Technology
- Purnia College
- Law College
- Millia Group Of Colleges (managed by Millia Education Trust)
- An Agriculture College
The City also has a Women's college with a view of upgrading the status of women.
Engineering colleges in the city:
- Millia Institute of Technology
- Millia Polytechnic Rambagh
- Government Polytechnic
- Vidya Vihar Institute Of Technology
Medical Colleges (Proposed:2014-15)
- Government Medical College & Hospital
- Shershah Institute of Medical Sciences
- Medical College & Hospital by Millia Educational Trust
3D animation & Multimedia Institute in the city:
- Animation School (Madhubani Bazar)
Indian Red Cross Society has the largest blood bank in the state after Patna with a capacity of 1,000 units. Recently Bihar Govt. inaugurated one of the three megastock warehouse for drugs/medicines at Kasba, that aims to serve the 13 districts of North Bihar.
The Indira Gandhi Stadium houses the SAI sports hostel for athletes. The DSA and Zila School grounds are the city's outdoor stadiums.
Transportation
Air
Purnea Airport also known as Chunapur Airport, located within the cantonment area has a non-scheduled flight services on Kolkata - Patna - Purnia route twice a week.It has been operated by Bangalore based The Spirit Air Private Limited.The nearest commercial airport is about 150 km away at Bagdogra.
Rail
Purnia Junction is situated on Katihar-Jogbani broad gauge railway line of North East Frontier Railway (NFR). This railway line earlier was metre gauge. Another metre gauge line of East Central Railway (ECR) connects Purnia with Saharsa via Banmankhi. Conversion of the 36 km long Purnia-Banmankhi stretch in Purnia-Saharsa section to broad gauge under project Unigauge is likely to be completed in 2014.[9] There are daily and weekly trains to Kolkata, New Delhi and other neighboring cities.
Road
National Highways NH 31, NH 57, NH 107 and NH 131A give access to the other states and cities, where state highways connect the neighbouring cities and villages. The east-west corridor connecting Silchar in Assam to Gujarat passes through Purnia. It is a modern six-lane highway constructed by NHAI (National Highway Authority of India).State Highways 60, 62, 65, 77 & 90 also pass through Purnia.
Intra-city transport
A large number of cycle-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and city buses serve the city.
Language and literature
Maithili, Hindi and Bengali are the principal languages of Purnia, spoken with Santhali, Surjapuri, Polia, Angika and Santhali dialects. Hindi is the official language.
Notable people
- Satinath Bhaduri (1906–1965), novelist and politician
- Phanishwar Nath 'Renu' (1921–1977), novelist
- Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay (1899–1979), playwright and poet
- Bhola Paswan Shastri - Three Time Chief Minister Of Bihar
- Sushant Singh Rajput, actor
- Manish Vatsalya, actor and director
- Gurmeet Choudhary, actor
- Ajit Sarkar, politician
- Mohit Lal Pandit, Freedom Fighter
- Guru Nandan Sah, Senior Advocate, Civil Court, Purnia
References
- ^ "Census of India Search details". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ "Official Web site of Purnea Dist. Admn". Purnea.bih.nic.in. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- ^ The Times of India, Patna Edition Feb 15, 2012
- ^ "Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ "Constituents of urban Agglomerations Having Population 1 Lakh & above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-12/patna/29879929_1_jute-mill-jute-yarn-maranga
- ^ Agriculture in Purnia, retrieved 13 February 2011.
- ^ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-23/patna/35318405_1_purnia-saharsa-broad-gauge-train-services