Purvanchal

Purvanchal
Varanasi in Purvanchal
Continent	Asia
Country	India
Region	Bhojpur
States	Uttar Pradesh
Language	Bhojpuri, Hindi

Varanasi attracts millions of Hindu pilgrims every year.

Purvanchal is a geographic subregion of Uttar Pradesh that is within the larger Bhojpuri region. It comprises the eastern end of Uttar Pradesh.

Purvanchal includes historically five Mahajanapadas, namely Anga, Kashi, Magadha, Malla, and Vajji. Later Anga was annexed by the Magadha king, Bimbisara and Malla (Gorakhpur) was annexed by Magadha after the death of Gautama Buddha.

Etymology

The name Purvanchal is derived from two Hindi words, Purv (east) and Anchal (region) which means 'the eastern part of a region more specifically historical region of Hindustan in northern Indian Subcontinent or 'East zone' in contrast to the western regions like Punjab and Rajasthan or northern region like Uttaranchal.

Modern definition

Purvanchal consists primarily of the western Bhojpuri region, and bordered by the Baghelkhand region in the south,the Nepal region in the north and the eastern Awadhi region in the west. There is also a demand for separate state of Purvanchal by the people and Gorakhpur or Varanasi as its capital.

Administrative divisions

• Gorakhpur division
• Varanasi division
• Mirzapur division (eastern parts)
• Basti division (eastern parts)
• Azamgarh division

Important Cities

• Varanasi
• Gorakhpur
• Azamgarh
• Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar
• Mau
• Ghazipur
• Deoria
• Padrauna
• Ballia
• Khalilabad

Airports

International Airport

• Varanasi Airport
• Kushinagar Airport (to be operational in 2020-21)

Domestic Airport

• Gorakhpur Airport
• Muirpur Airport

Local Airports

• Azamgarh Airstrip
• Ballia Airstrip
• Maharajganj Airstrip
• Mirzapur Airstrip
• Basti Airstrip
• Bhadohi Airstrip
• Ghazipur Airstrip

Geography

It lies on the Indo-Gangetic plain, and together with western Bihar is the most-densely-populated area in the world. The rich quality of its soil and the high earthworm density in the soil as opposed to adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh makes the region favourable for agriculture. Most of the countryside is given to intensive agriculture. Bhojpuri is the predominant language in the rural and semi-urban areas, in addition to Bhojpuri influenced Hindi, in urban areas. Like Bihar state to the east, a large population, slow economic growth, agricultural mechanisation, and the closure of sugar mills have led to increased unemployment, social and political discontent, and some unrest in the region.

Culture

The ancient excavated Buddha image inside the Parinirvana Stupa, Kushinagar

Purvanchal is one of the most ancient regions of India and enjoys a rich heritage and culture, particularly because of its association with cities like Varanasi and Gorakhpur.

A major religious hub in India, it is one of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Hindu population is 94.73% of total population.

Municipal Board City

• Gorakhpur population: 673,446(2011)
• Varanasi population: 1,445,656 (2011)
• Mau (Cum Kopaganj and Adri) population: 550,000 (2019)
• Deoria population: 130,000(2011)
• Gorakhpur municipal is the largest in terms of area with 141km2
• Varanasi municipal is the second largest having area of 164km2

Education

Banaras Hindu University is a Central University in Purvanchal. It evolved out of the Central Hindu College of Varanasi, set up by Annie Besant — a colorful British woman of Irish descent — who joined hands with Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in April 1911 for a common Hindu university at Varanasi.

Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi is an Institute of National Importance in Purvanchal. It is one of the 16 prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology. It was established in 1919 by the visionary Mahamana Pandit Mohan Malviya and has been constantly ranked among the top ten technical institutes of India. A state university named Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University was established in the Jaunpur district in the year of 1987 as Purvanchal University, most of the colleges of purvanchal region are affiliated by this university.

Gorakhpur have two universities named Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University and Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology.

Efforts are being made to open the Out Patient Department (OPD) section in AIIMS Gorakhpur in Gorakhpur. AIIMS Gorakhpur is likely to start its 1st batch of MBBS course from 2020.

Gorakhpur have also a medical college named Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Dental college named Purvanchal Dental college. A Government Degree College was set up by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, for providing higher education to scholars who are interested in course work and programs of higher studies. At present, 137 Government Degree Colleges have been established by the state government to fulfill above criteria. The UP government administers, manages and controls these colleges through Department of Higher Education, Uttar Pradesh and follows the norms and regulations of University Grants Commission, New Delhi.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Purvanchal

Demand for separate state

There is a demand of separate statehood of Purvanchal by the people of the state.

• The separate statehood of Purvanchal would ensure the security of borders as well as overall development in which the region is lagging far behind in comparison to Western Uttar Pradesh and Central Uttar Pradesh, said once the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath in June 2008.
• Aug 04, 2018 : UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar demands separate statehood for Purvanchal, pushes for liquor ban.
• July 8, 2017  : Union Minister Ramdas Athawale have also supported the division of the state for development of the region of the Bhojpuri speaking population. Varanasi or Gorakhpur would be the capital of the state of Purvanchal in future.

References

http://www.epurvanchal.com

External links

• Purvanchal Website