Sheoraphuli
Encyclopedia
Sheoraphuli is a small town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
.
district. Sheoraphuli Hat was the main trade centre in this region. During the Muslim period, the villages on the bank of the Hooghly and Saraswati were included in the Zamindari of Sheoraphuli. These feudal lords collected rent from villagers and dispensed justice. Raja Manohar Chandra Roy, zamindar
of Sheoraphuli built the temple of Ram-Sita in Sripur (now Serampore
) in 1752 . He began residing in the 'Rajbari' of Sheoraphuli built by him , which also served as his temporary residence apart from his adobe in Patuli. His third son Raja Harischandra left Patuli and for Sheoraphuli which served as their permanent dwelling form there on , after him the Zamindari was demarcated into the 'Barataraf' and the 'Chototaraf' which is prevalent till date . The 'Saraphuli Raj Debuttar' has been traditionally renowned for the policy of 'Self-Effacement'. Raja Manohar's son Ram Chandra dedicated the villages of Sripur, Gopinathpur and Manoharpur as devottara land to the Gangulis in the service of the deity. 'Saraphuli Raj Debuttar Estate' was created in this period to take care of the Ram-Sita temple by the sebaits. Later on Danes
acquired around 1680 bighas of land in the nearby Serampore, Akna and Pearapur mahals and formed Frederiknagar after King Frederick V of Denmark
by paying an annual rent of Sicca Rs 1601/- to the zamindar of Sheoraphuli.
. The literacy rate of Sheoraphuli is 68.05% which is higher than the national average of 59.5%.
line has a station named Sheoraphuli Junction. Seoraphuli is around 23 km north of Howrah. The Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line
and Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch Line
connect Sheoraphuli. The historically famed Grand Trunk Road
also passes through Sheoraphuli. State Highway 2 connects Sheoraphuli to NH 60 at Bishnupur
. There is also a water transport service in the River Hooghly that connects Sheoraphuli with Barrackpore
on the opposite side of the river. Nearest airport is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
in Kolkata
and nearest airstrip is in Barrackpore (Barrackpore Air Force Station
).
(also called Sheoraphuli hat) which is one of the largest market for raw commodities in the Hooghly district. The bazaar
, situated at the riverside, is more than 250 years old. It also has a huge section for retail trading. There are several other super markets located at Sheoraphuli, primarily based on the two sides of G.T. Road. A few small and medium sized factories are incorporated in here. There are few Banks along with ATM
facilities serve the people living in Sheoraphuli and nearby areas. State Bank of India
being the busiest of all has a branch at Jamindar Road and has two ATM counters. Other banks like Allahabad Bank
, United Bank of India
, UCO Bank
, and The Baidyabati
-Sheoraphuli Co Operative Bank also have their presence here.
district. The Satyajit Ray Bhavana is a government sponsored centre at Sheoraphuli for facilitating theater awareness. It has a large auditorium housed in an impressively architectured building. The building, besides being a modern theatrical complex, houses the Baidyabati Municipality. Kalibari is a Hindu temple Situated on the bank of the Hooghly River, the presiding deity of the temple is Nistarini, an aspect of Kali. A bathing ghat on the river and several shops are also housed in the temple complex. It is a popular hang-out for the aged. Along the riverfront there are few other bathing ghats on the river which are crowded throughout the year.In Sheoraphuli there are many stalwarts in culture, like Late Pandit Rajendranath Bandapadhyay the indian classical music, Late Salil Ch Ghosh the senior diciple of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Late Ajit Adgiri renowned guitarist, Pandit Ananda Mohan Adhikary Tabla maestro of Farukhabad Gharana & Sh Debasish Adhikary Tabla maestro.
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority is the statutory planning and development authority for the Kolkata Metropolitan Area in the state of West Bengal, India. The organisation was previously known as Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority and still retains the previous logo...
.
History
Historically Sheoraphuli fell under the Zamindari of Raja Manohar Roy,a renowned royalty in bengal during the reign of Akbar of the Mughal era . The famous 'Sheoraphuli hat' was a collecting centre for marketable goods produced in different parts of HooghlyHooghly District
Hooghly district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal in India. It can alternatively be spelt Hoogli or Hugli. The district is named after the Hooghly River.The headquarters of the district are at Chinsura...
district. Sheoraphuli Hat was the main trade centre in this region. During the Muslim period, the villages on the bank of the Hooghly and Saraswati were included in the Zamindari of Sheoraphuli. These feudal lords collected rent from villagers and dispensed justice. Raja Manohar Chandra Roy, zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
of Sheoraphuli built the temple of Ram-Sita in Sripur (now Serampore
Serampore
Serampore is a city and a municipality in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. It is a pre-colonial town on the right bank of the Hoogli River...
) in 1752 . He began residing in the 'Rajbari' of Sheoraphuli built by him , which also served as his temporary residence apart from his adobe in Patuli. His third son Raja Harischandra left Patuli and for Sheoraphuli which served as their permanent dwelling form there on , after him the Zamindari was demarcated into the 'Barataraf' and the 'Chototaraf' which is prevalent till date . The 'Saraphuli Raj Debuttar' has been traditionally renowned for the policy of 'Self-Effacement'. Raja Manohar's son Ram Chandra dedicated the villages of Sripur, Gopinathpur and Manoharpur as devottara land to the Gangulis in the service of the deity. 'Saraphuli Raj Debuttar Estate' was created in this period to take care of the Ram-Sita temple by the sebaits. Later on Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
acquired around 1680 bighas of land in the nearby Serampore, Akna and Pearapur mahals and formed Frederiknagar after King Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
by paying an annual rent of Sicca Rs 1601/- to the zamindar of Sheoraphuli.
Geography
Sheoraphuli is located at 22.7666667°N 88.3166667°E. It has an average elevation of 39 ft (11 m). Sheoraphuli has 218.70 km of total road length out of which 172.90 km is pucca.Demographics
The population of Sheoraphuli is 108231 as per the 2001 census report. Majority of the residents are Bengalis and major religion is HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
. The literacy rate of Sheoraphuli is 68.05% which is higher than the national average of 59.5%.
Transportation
Sheoraphuli is well connected by road and rail. The Eastern RailwayEastern Railway
The following railroads have been known as Eastern Railroad or Eastern Railway:*Eastern Railway *Eastern Railway *East railway *Eastern Railway *Eastern Railway...
line has a station named Sheoraphuli Junction. Seoraphuli is around 23 km north of Howrah. The Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line
Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line
The Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line is a broad-gauge railway line connecting Howrah and Bardhaman. The railway line operates in Howrah, Hooghly and Bardhaman districts in the Indian state of West Bengal...
and Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch Line
Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch Line
The Sheoraphuli-Tarakeswar Branch Line is a railway line connecting Sheoraphuli on the Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line and the temple town of Tarakeswar. The railway line is entirely in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sheoraphuli is from Howrah...
connect Sheoraphuli. The historically famed Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
also passes through Sheoraphuli. State Highway 2 connects Sheoraphuli to NH 60 at Bishnupur
Bishnupur
-Kingdoms:*Bishnupur kingdom in what is today Bankura District, Bengal, India.-CD Blocks:* Bishnupur, Bankura - in Bankura district, West Bengal* Bishnupur I - in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal...
. There is also a water transport service in the River Hooghly that connects Sheoraphuli with Barrackpore
Barrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...
on the opposite side of the river. Nearest airport is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...
in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and nearest airstrip is in Barrackpore (Barrackpore Air Force Station
Barrackpore Air Force Station
Barrackpore Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base located at Barrackpore in the state of West Bengal, India. Barrackpore is one of the oldest stations in the IAF, operating transport units.-History:...
).
Utility services and media
The Baidyabati Municipality (ESTD 1869) is the civic administrative body of Sheoraphuli which makes it 70th cleanest city of India as per National Urban Sanitation Policy. The municipality administers an area of 12.09 km2 and supplies potable water to the city through underground pipe line. The pipe line has a length of 100 km and connects 45% of the total number of houses in this area. Electricity is supplied by the privately operated Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) to the town region, and by the West Bengal State Electricity Board in the nearby Panchayat area. State-owned BSNL is the telephone and internet service provider in the town.Economy
Sheoraphuli is historically famous for its BazaarBazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
(also called Sheoraphuli hat) which is one of the largest market for raw commodities in the Hooghly district. The bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
, situated at the riverside, is more than 250 years old. It also has a huge section for retail trading. There are several other super markets located at Sheoraphuli, primarily based on the two sides of G.T. Road. A few small and medium sized factories are incorporated in here. There are few Banks along with ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
facilities serve the people living in Sheoraphuli and nearby areas. State Bank of India
State Bank of India
The State Bank of India is the largest Indian banking and financial services company with its headquarters in Mumbai, India. It is state-owned. The bank traces its ancestry to British India, through the Imperial Bank of India, to the founding in 1806 of the Bank of Calcutta, making it the oldest...
being the busiest of all has a branch at Jamindar Road and has two ATM counters. Other banks like Allahabad Bank
Allahabad Bank
Allahabad Bank , , which began operations in 1865, has its head-quarters in Kolkata. Currently the bank has 2500 branches across the country. The Chairman and Managing Director of the bank is Shri J. P. Dua. The bank has a branch in Hong Kong and a representative office in Shenzen.-19th...
, United Bank of India
United Bank of India
United Bank of India is a state-owned financial services company headquartered in Kolkata, India. Presently the bank has a three-tier organizational setup consisting of its Head office in Kolkata, 31 Regional offices and 1600 branches spread all over India. However, its major presence is in...
, UCO Bank
UCO Bank
Uco Bank, formerly United Commercial Bank, established in 1943 in Kolkata, is one of the oldest and major commercial bank of India. Ghanshyam Das Birla, an eminent Indian industrialist, during the Quit India movement of 1942, had conceived the idea of organizing a commercial bank with Indian...
, and The Baidyabati
Baidyabati
Baidyabati is a city and a municipality in Hooghly district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is under Serampore police station in Srirampore subdivision. Now it is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.-Geography:...
-Sheoraphuli Co Operative Bank also have their presence here.
Education
Sheoraphuli has a number of primary, secondary and higher secondary educational institutions. Schools mainly use English or Bengali as the medium of instruction. Following is the list of schools in this area.- Sheoraphuli Surendra Nath VidyaniketanSheoraphuli Surendra Nath VidyaniketanSheoraphuli Surendra Nath Vidyaniketan is a Bengali medium school at Sheoraphuli, West Bengal, India...
- Sheoraphuli Netaji Vidyamandir
- Vivekananda High School
- St. John's Academy
- Girindra Chandra Primary School
- Jagabandhu Mukherjee Girls High School
- Ambedkar Prathamik Vidyalaya
- Pearapore Paschimpara Prathamik Vidyalaya
- Pearapore Schoolmath Prathamik Vidyalaya
Healthcare
Sheoraphuli has an eye hospital called Disha eye hospital and two privately owned nursing homes namely Mamata nursing home and Dr. Ghosh nursing homeCulture
Sheoraphuli has two cinema complex, out of which the Udayan Cinema is a popular hang-out for the young and a supermarket area. The other one is the Sushama Cinema known as the first Dolby digital cinema hall in HooghlyHooghly District
Hooghly district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal in India. It can alternatively be spelt Hoogli or Hugli. The district is named after the Hooghly River.The headquarters of the district are at Chinsura...
district. The Satyajit Ray Bhavana is a government sponsored centre at Sheoraphuli for facilitating theater awareness. It has a large auditorium housed in an impressively architectured building. The building, besides being a modern theatrical complex, houses the Baidyabati Municipality. Kalibari is a Hindu temple Situated on the bank of the Hooghly River, the presiding deity of the temple is Nistarini, an aspect of Kali. A bathing ghat on the river and several shops are also housed in the temple complex. It is a popular hang-out for the aged. Along the riverfront there are few other bathing ghats on the river which are crowded throughout the year.In Sheoraphuli there are many stalwarts in culture, like Late Pandit Rajendranath Bandapadhyay the indian classical music, Late Salil Ch Ghosh the senior diciple of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Late Ajit Adgiri renowned guitarist, Pandit Ananda Mohan Adhikary Tabla maestro of Farukhabad Gharana & Sh Debasish Adhikary Tabla maestro.