Bhangeri
 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (December 2018) |
Bhangeri | |
|---|---|
  Location in Uttarakhand, India | |
| Coordinates: 29°51′13.0″N 77°54′43.0″E / 29.853611°N 77.911944°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Uttarakhand |
| District | Haridwar |
| Government | |
| • Body | Gram Panchayat |
| • Gram Pradhan | Mrs. Ajra Begum |
| Elevation | 268 m (879 ft) |
| Population (2012)[1] | 8,583 |
Bhangeri is a village in Roorkee tehsil nestled in the lush green terai region of Sivalik Hills of the Himalayas. Its official name is Bhangeri Mahavatpur. The original name was Mahavatpur, or "the place where the elephant trainers live." Gradually, people gave up this traditional profession. As new people started moving in, they were amazed at the sight of the colossal number of high-quality Cannabis (Bhang) plants growing naturally in the uncultivated lands all around the village. They colloquially started calling the village Bhangeri, or "the place where bhang grows." The name stuck, and the village came to be known popularly as Bhangeri and officially as Bhangeri Mahavatpur. It is a Census Town. The Bhangeri Mahavatpur Census Town has a population of 8,583.
History
Prior to British establishment in the region, a few nomads inhabited the area around the rivulet Solani and practiced subsistence agriculture. The Solani [2] rivulet would overflow in monsoons carrying the runoff from Doon valley after heavy rains. This made the fields in this locality extremely fertile, hospitable to a variety of wild beets and starfruit. The rivulet still forms the northern boundary of the villager's farmlands. At that time, Roorkee was a tiny hamlet under the aegis of Landhaura Riyasat.[3]
After the commencement of work on Ganga Canal project by Col. Proby Cautley and subsequent establishment of Thomason College of engineering in 1847 (now Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee) [4] the town of Roorkee began to grow. But the village Bhangeri started taking shape only after the Corps of Bengal Sappers and Miners (now Bengal Engineer Group)established cantonment just outside it's southwest limits in 1853 [5] The British officers and soldiers resided inside the cantonment. Most of the Indian foot soldiers, lead by a young recruit named Sahatu(सहतू) Ram Yadav, built their shelters around a huge Banyan tree located in the middle of present village near chote pandatji ka ghar.[6] This settlement of 50 - 60 people formed the nucleus around which the present population of around 8,000 has grown.
Demographics
The Bhangeri Mahavatpur Census Town has a population of 8,583, of which 4,491 are males and 4,092 are females. There is 48.96% Hindu and 50.79% Muslim contribution, as per a report released by Census India 2011. The Population of children within the ages of 0-6 is 1168--13.61% of the total population of Bhangeri Mahavatpur(CT). In Bhangeri Mahavatpur Census Town, the Female Sex Ratio is 911, against the state average of 963. Moreover, Child Sex Ratio in Bhangeri is around 896 compared to the Uttarakhand state average of 890. The Literacy rate of Bhangeri is 75.21%--lower than the state average of 78.82%. Male literacy is around 83.61% while the female literacy rate is 66.02%.
Bhangeri Mahavatpur Census Town has total administration over 1,583 houses, to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorized to build roads within Bhangeri Mahavatpur Census Town limits and impose taxes on properties coming under its jurisdiction.[7]
References
- ^ "Census of India, 2011". Office of the Registrar General, India. 2 March 2002.
- ^ "Solani Aquaduct Roorkee".
- ^ "Riyasat of Landhaura".
- ^ Upper Ganges Canal, The Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 138.
- ^ Institute Time Capsule IIT Roorkee.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Census of India, 2011". Census2011.co.in. Office of the Registrar General, India. 2011.
