Purnia District
Encyclopedia
Purnia district is one of the thirty-eight districts
of Bihar
state
, India
. The town of Purnia
is the administrative headquarters of this district.
Purnia district is a part of Purnia Division
. The district extends from the Ganges river northwards to the frontier of Nepal
.
in 1757, after the capture of Calcutta. In 1765, along with the rest of Bengal
, the district became a British possession.
Purnea is famous for its uniquely designed Ramakrishna Mission
where Durga Puja
in the month of April is celebrated with due devotion and honour. Purnea is also famous for the oldest temple of Mata Puran Devi, which is hardly 5 km away from the main city. There is a theory that Purnia got its name from that temple. Some people believe that many years ago Purnea was Purna–Aranya which stands for "complete jungle", and that's why it has got the name Purnea.
Purnia has seen three districts partitioned off from its territory: Katihar
in 1976, and Araria
and Kishanganj
in 1990.
' Makira Island.
It is a level, depressed tract of country, consisting for the most part of a rich, loam
y soil of alluvial formation. It 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 Kusi. Among other rivers are the Mahananda and the Panar. Its major agricultural products are jute
and banana
.
named Purnia one of the country's 250 most backward districts
(out of a total of 640
). It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Agricultural products include: Paddy, Maize, Pulses and Wheat. Also oil seeds. Roughly one third of the area sown is under rice (paddy). Cash crops such as vegetables and water-melons are also grown
Purnia district has a population
of 3,273,127, roughly equal to the nation of Mauritania
or the US state of Iowa
. This gives it a ranking of 105th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 1014 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 28.66 %. Purnia has a sex ratio
of 930 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 58.49 %.
, Uttar Pradesh visiting several Khanqahs and Dargahs from all over India such as the Pandawa Sharif, the Bihar Sharif etc. The Darghah is playing a major role to spread culture, education, kindness, secularism and spiritual spirits in the North East Bihar since its establishment. Deorhi at Garbanili (Purnea) still has the ruins of Kala Bhawan the ancient Darbar (Palace) of Raja Kalanand Singh, where his successor still lives.
Districts of Bihar
Bihar, a state of India, has currently thirty-eight administrative districts.A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a district magistrate or a deputy commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service...
of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The town of Purnia
Purnia
Purnia is a city and a Municipal Corporation in Purnia district of the Indian state of Bihar. It is located 400 km from Patna.The Indian army, Border Security Force ,and the SSB and the have bases around the city...
is the administrative headquarters of this district.
Purnia district is a part of Purnia Division
Purnia Division
Purnia division is an administrative geographical unit of Bihar state of India. Purnia is the administrative headquarters of the division. Currently , the division consists of Purnia district, Katihar district, Araria district, and Kishanganj district....
. The district extends from the Ganges river northwards to the frontier of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.
History
During Mughal rule Purnea was an outlying military province, its revenue was mostly spent on protecting its borders against tribes from the north and east. Its local governor raised a rebellion against Siraj ud-DaulahSiraj ud-Daulah
Mîrzâ Muhammad Sirâj-ud-Daulah , more commonly known as Siraj ud-Daulah , was the last independent Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The end of his reign marks the start of British East India Company rule over Bengal and later almost all of South Asia...
in 1757, after the capture of Calcutta. In 1765, along with the rest of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, the district became a British possession.
Purnea is famous for its uniquely designed Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
where Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
in the month of April is celebrated with due devotion and honour. Purnea is also famous for the oldest temple of Mata Puran Devi, which is hardly 5 km away from the main city. There is a theory that Purnia got its name from that temple. Some people believe that many years ago Purnea was Purna–Aranya which stands for "complete jungle", and that's why it has got the name Purnea.
Purnia has seen three districts partitioned off from its territory: Katihar
Katihar District
Katihar district is one of the thirty-seven districts of Bihar state, India, and Katihar town is the administrative headquarters of this district...
in 1976, and Araria
Araria District
Araria district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Araria town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Araria district is a part of Purnia division. The district occupies an area of 2830 km².-Origin of name:...
and Kishanganj
Kishanganj District
Kishanganj district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Kishanganj town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Kishanganj district is a part of Purnia division.-History:...
in 1990.
Geography
Purnia district occupies an area of 3229 square kilometres (1,246.7 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to the Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
' Makira Island.
It is a level, depressed tract of country, consisting for the most part of a rich, loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
y soil of alluvial formation. It is traversed by several rivers flowing from the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, which afford great advantages of irrigation and water-carriage. Its major rivers are the Kosi
Kosi
Kosi, also known as Kosi Kalan, is a small town in the Mathura district of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Located on the Agra-Delhi highway, it is at a distance of about 100 km from Delhi and about the same from the city of Agra. Kosi is an economic and industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh with...
, the Mahananda
Mahananda
Mahananda is a sandhi or word agglutinate in Sanskrit and several other Indo-Aryan languages meaning "great happiness", "great bliss", or someone who has achieved such a state. Once a common given name in India, this name is now widely considered archaic...
, the Suwara Kali and the Koli
KOLI
KOLI is a radio station serving Wichita Falls, Texas and Vicinity with a country music format. It operates on FM frequency 94.9 MHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media. It is the radio flagship station for the Wichita Falls Wildcats hockey team....
.
In the west the soil is thickly covered with sand deposited by changes in the course of the Kusi. Among other rivers are the Mahananda and the Panar. Its major agricultural products are jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
.
Economy
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati RajMinistry of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India looking after the ongoing process of decentralization and local governance in the States....
named Purnia one of the country's 250 most backward districts
Poverty in India
Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of 1.25 a day...
(out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Agricultural products include: Paddy, Maize, Pulses and Wheat. Also oil seeds. Roughly one third of the area sown is under rice (paddy). Cash crops such as vegetables and water-melons are also grown
Divisions
Purnia district has two subdivisions: Purnea and Dhumdaha and they are further composed of fourteen blocks namely East Purnea, Krityanand Nagar, Banmankhi, Kaswa, Amaur, Bainsi, Baisa, Dhamdaha, Barhara Kothi, Rupauli, Bhawanipur, Dagarua, Jalalgarh and Srinagar.Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Purnia district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 3,273,127, roughly equal to the nation of Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
or the US state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. This gives it a ranking of 105th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 1014 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 28.66 %. Purnia has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 930 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 58.49 %.
Shrines
The city also has the Darghah of Hazrat Mustafa Jamalul Haque Bandagi, Chimni Baza. The 'Dargah and Khanquah Alia Mustafia' is located hardly 7 km away from main city. It is also famous for spirituality, communal harmony and Suffism. Its history goes 400 years back, when Hazrat Bandagi came from JaunpurJaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Jaunpur is a city and a municipal board in Jaunpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.Jaunpur district is located to the northwest of the district of Varanasi in the eastern part of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the 2001 census, Jaunpur district had a population...
, Uttar Pradesh visiting several Khanqahs and Dargahs from all over India such as the Pandawa Sharif, the Bihar Sharif etc. The Darghah is playing a major role to spread culture, education, kindness, secularism and spiritual spirits in the North East Bihar since its establishment. Deorhi at Garbanili (Purnea) still has the ruins of Kala Bhawan the ancient Darbar (Palace) of Raja Kalanand Singh, where his successor still lives.