| Birbhum | |
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| Coordinates | 23°55′00″N 87°32′00″E / 23.9167°N 87.5333°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| Division | Burdwan division |
| Headquarters | Suri |
| District Magistrate | Biseswar Maiti |
| Population • Density |
3,015,422 • 663 /km2 (1,717 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area | 4,545 km2 (1,755 sq mi) |
| ISO 3166-2 | IN-WB-BI |
| Website | www.birbhum.nic.in |
Birbhum district (Bengali: বীরভূম জেলা) is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri.[1][2] The state of Jharkhand lies at the western border of this district, whereas the border on other directions is covered by the districts of Bardhaman and Murshidabad of West Bengal.
The name Birbhum comes probably from the term Land (Bhumi) of the Brave (Bir).[3][4] Another theory says that the district bears the name of Bir kings, who ruled in the area.[3][4] But, Bir in Santali language means forests, and therefore, Birbhum could also mean a land of forests.[3][4]
Often called "The land of red soil",[5] Birbhum is noted for its topography and its cultural heritage which is unique and is somewhat different from that of the other districts in West Bengal. The western part of Birbhum is a bushy region, a part of the Chhota Nagpur Plateau. This region gradually merges with the fertile alluvial farmlands in the east.[6] This district saw many cultural and religious movements in history. The Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan, established by Rabindranath Tagore, is one of the places Birbhum is internationally renowned for.[7] Many festivals are celebrated in this culturally rich district, including the notable Poush Mela.[8]
Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district with around 75% of the population being dependent on agriculture.[9] Principal industries of the district include cotton and silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, and metalware and pottery manufacture.[10] Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only heavy industry in the district.[11]
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Situated between 23° 32' 30" (right above the tropic of cancer) and 24° 35' 0" north latitude and 87° 5' 25" and 88° 1' 40" east longitudes, and about 4,545 square kilometres (1,755 sq mi) in area, this district is triangular in shape. River Ajay forms the southern base whereas the apex of the triangle points to the north. The river forms the boundary between the districts of Birbhum and Bardhaman. The state of Jharkhand is located at the northern and the western border of Birbhum and Murshidabad is located at the east.[2][3][10] Geographically, this area lies at the north eastern end of the Chota Nagpur plateau, as it slopes down and merges with the alluvial plains of the Ganges. The western portion of the district is historically known as Vajjabhumi or Bajrabhumi.[6][12] It is an undulating upland that is generally barren. The comparatively more fertile eastern portion, constituting the northeastern Rarh region, merges with the Gangetic plain. Vajjabhumi is also included in the Rarh region, and rest of Rarh is called Sumha to differentiate it from Vajjabhumi.[6][12]
The climate on the western side is dry and extreme, but is relatively milder on the eastern side. During summer, the temperature can shoot well above 40 °C (104 °F) and in winters it can drop to around 10 °C (50 °F).[10] It has been observed that rainfall is higher in the western areas as compared to the eastern areas. The annual average rainfall in Rajnagar is 1,405 millimetres (55.3 in) and in Nanoor it is 1,212 millimetres (47.7 in), mostly in the monsoon months (June to October).[3][6]
Several rivers flow across Birbhum. Some of these are Ajay, Mayurakshi (Mor), Kopai, Bakreshwar, Brahmani, Dwarka, Hinglo, Chapala, Bansloi, Pagla etc.[2][10] A project on the Mayurakshi that includes the Tilpara Barrage (near Suri), provides irrigation for about 2,428 square kilometres (937 sq mi).[13] Almost all the rivers originate higher up on the Chota Nagpur plateau and flow across Birbhum in a west–east direction. These rivers are furious during the monsoons but shrink during the dry summer months. The cyclical rotation of drought and floods of the rivers destroy lives and property, and adds to the difficulties of life in the district.[6][9]
The area now known as Birbhum was inhabited from pre-historic times. Some of the archaeological sites related to Pandu Rajar Dhibi of chalcolithic remains are located in Birbhum.[14] Stone age implements have been found at several places in the district.[15]
According to the old Jain book Acaranga Sutra, the last (24th) great Tirthankara Mahavira had wandered through this land, referred to as the "pathless country of Ladha in Vajjabhumi and Subbhabhumi (probably Suhma)" in the 5th century, B.C.[2][12][16] According to some historians, the spread of Jaininism and Buddhism in the Rarh region was part of the process of Aryanisation of the area.[17] Based on Divyabdan, a Buddhist text, Dr. Atul Sur has inferred that Gautam Buddha probably traversed this area to go to Pundravardhana and Samatata.[18]
The Rarh region, once a part of the Maurya empire was later included in the empires of the imperial Guptas, Shashanka and Harshavardhana. After dismemberment of Harshavardhana’s empire, the region was ruled by the Palas till 12th century AD, when overlordship of the area passed into the hands of the Senas.[2] During the rule of the Pala dynasty Buddhism, particularly the Vajrayana cult, flourished here.[19] In 7th century A.D., the Chinese traveller Xuanzang described some of the monasteries he visited.[12][18]
The 13th century witnessed the advent of Muslim rule in the region. However, control over the western parts of the district appears to have been nominal, and the area was ruled by the local Hindu chiefs, known as the Bir Rajas.[2] The three towns of Hetampur, Birsingpur and Rajnagar contain their relics.[20] Minhaj-i-Siraj, the author of the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, mentions Lakhnur as the thanah (headquarters) of the Rarh wing of the Muslim rule and an important frontier post. The location of Lakhnur, though not yet identified, falls in Birbhum.[2][12]
Mythology has it that the forests of Vajjabhumi (west Birbhum) were hot-spots of Hindu and tantric activities.[18][21] Some authors have called Birbhum by the name Kamkoti which relates to its tantric heritage. Tantrics, including the Vajrayana, the Shaktas, and the Buddhists established many temples for tantra sadhana rituals and Shakti worship. Birbhum has many Shakti Peethas such as Tarapith, Bakreshwar, Kankalitala, Fullara near Labhpur, Sainthia and Nalhati. One of the famous Shakti worshippers of Tarapith was Bamdev, popularly known as Bama Khyapa.[22]
During the time of British East India Company, the administrative unit by the name Birbhum was formed in 1787. Prior to that, it was administratively a part of Murshidabad district. In 1787, when the official "District Beerbhoom" was established, the district was much bigger than it is now. Till 1793, it included "Bishenpore" or Bishnupur, which is now part of the Bankura district. Till the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, the Santhal Parganas was also part of Birbhum; the district thus sprawled up to Deoghar in the west. The immediate reason then for separating the western tribal majority areas was the Santhal rebellion of 1855–56, which was quelled. Sidhu and Kanu are remembered in Birbhum as martyrs of this uprising.[2][12]
Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district with around 75% of the people dependent on agriculture.[9] While 159.3 square kilometers (61.5 sq mi) of land is occupied by forests, 3,329.05 square kilometers (1,285.4 sq mi) of land is used for agricultural purposes.[10] 91.02% of the population live in villages.[9] Major crops produced in the district include rice, legumes, wheat, corn (maize), potatoes and sugar cane.[9] The district has thirteen cold storages.[10] Land with irrigation facilities in 2001-02 totalled 2,763.9 square kilometers (1,067.1 sq mi).[9] There are five barrages, providing irrigation support. Canada Dam on the Mayurakshi river at Massanjore lies close to the border of Birbhum and the Dumka district in Jharkhand. Further down the Mayurakshi is the Tilpara Barrage at Suri.[9]
Birbhum is a major centre of cottage industries. Perhaps the most notable cottage industry here is a non-profit rural organization named Amar Kutir. Other main industries in Birbhum are agriculture-based industries, textiles, forestry, arts and crafts. Sriniketan is noted for its dairy industry and as a forestry centre. Some of the notable forms of cottage industries of Birbhum include textile—especially cotton and locally harvested tussar silk, jute works, batik, kantha stitch, macramé (weaving by knotting threads), leather, pottery and terracotta, solapith, woodcarving, bamboo and cane craft, metal works and various tribal crafts.[10] There are 8,883 small and medium scale industries. Principal industries of the district include cotton and silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, and metalware and pottery manufacture.[10] Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station (210 MW x 3 + 210 MW x 2 under construction) is the only heavy industry in the district.[11]
The district comprises three subdivisions: Suri Sadar, Bolpur and Rampurhat.[1] Suri is the district headquarters. There are 17 police stations, 19 development blocks, 6 municipalities and 167 gram panchayats in this district.[1][23] Other than municipality area, each subdivision contains community development blocs which in turn are divided into rural areas and census towns. In total there are 7 urban units: 6 municipalities and 1 census town.[23][24] The latest amongst the urban units to have a municipality was Nalhati in 2000.[25]
The district is divided into 12 assembly constituencies (AC):[26] Nanoor (AC #283), Bolpur (AC #284), Labhpur (AC #285), Dubrajpur (AC #286), Rajnagar (AC #287), Suri (AC #288), Mahammad Bazar (AC #289), Mayureswar (AC #290), Rampurhat (AC #291), Hansan (AC #292), Nalhati (AC #293) and Murarai (AC #294). The constituencies of Nanoor, Rajnagar, Mayureswar and Hansan are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.[26] Current Vidhan Sabha was elected in 2006 assembly elections, which took place prior to the rearrangement of parliamentary and assembly constituencies as per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal. Delimitation was made effective for all elections in the state of West Bengal that was to be held on or after 19 February 2008.[27] Indian general election, 2009 was based on the newly formed parliamentary constituencies, but the newly formed assembly constituencies will have representatives in the next assembly elections of West Bengal.
As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, the district will be divided into 11 assembly constituencies:[28] Dubrajpur (AC #284), Suri (AC #285), Bolpur (AC #286), Nanoor (AC #287), Labhpur (AC #288), Sainthia (AC #289), Mayureswar (AC #290), Rampurhat (AC #291), Hansan (AC #292), Nalhati (AC #293) and Murarai (AC #294). Dubrajpur, Nanoor and Sainthia constituencies will be reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.[28]
Dubrajpur, Suri, Sainthia, Rampurhat, Hansan, Nalhati and Murarai assembly segments will form the Birbhum (Lok Sabha constituency).[28] Bolpur, Nanoor, Labhpur, and Sainthia constituencies will be part of Bolpur (Lok Sabha constituency), which will also contain three other assembly segments from Bardhaman district.[28]
The Panagarh–Morgram Highway runs through the district. All the towns and villages are connected by roads. The total length of roads in the district are: surfaced–2,413 km (1,499 mi) and unsurfaced–4,674 km (2,904 mi). Against this the total length of rail track in the district is 201.32 km (125 mi), including 26.55 km (16 mi) of the Ahmadpur-Katwa narrow gauge track, laid in 1917.[10] The Howrah-Sahibganj loop of the Eastern Railway, laid in 1862, passes through this district. There is a junction at Nalhati for the connection to Azimganj in Murshidabad district. The Andal-Sainthia line connects it to the main Howrah-Delhi main line at Andal.[10]
In 1901, Birbhum had a population of 902,280, which by 1981 rose to 2,095,829. According to the 2001 census data, the total population has further risen to 3,015,422. The following table summarises the population distribution:[29]
| Rural/Urban | Persons | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 3,015,422 | 1,546,633 | 1,468,789 |
| Rural | 2,757,002 | 1,414,097 | 1,342,905 |
| Urban | 258,420 | 132,536 | 125,884 |
Hindus form around 65% of the population according to 2001 census. Muslims are about 33% of the population.[30] There is a sprinkling of other religious groups in the population. According to the 2001 census, 29.5% of the population belong to the scheduled castes and 6.7% to the scheduled tribes.[31] Other than the those speaking the local dialect of Bengali, there are tribal Santhals and ten other tribal communities in Birbhum with some presence, amongst whom Koda, Mahali and Oraons are more common.[32]
The bauls of Birbhum, their philosophy and their songs form a notable representation of the folk culture of the district. Birbhum has also been home to kabiyals, kirtaniyas and other folk culture groups.[8][33]
The numerous fairs in Birbhum start with Poush Mela at Santiniketan and follows through the Bengali month of Poush till Makar Sankranti. Particularly lively is the fair at Jaydev Kenduli.[8] Various festivities are organized across the seasons.[34] People of Birbhum patronise folk entertainment programmes such as jatra, kavigan and alkap.[35]
Many poets were born in this district, as for example, Chandidas (Rami).[35] In addition to being a confluence of Vaishnava, Shakta and Saiva cultures, Birbhum villages also observe prehistoric customs like worship of gramdevta (gram means village and devta means deity) in many forms at different places.[21][36]
Amongst the major attractions of Birbhum are Bakreshwar, Tarapith and Patharchapuri. Birbhum has many old temples, such as the ones at Jaydev Kenduli, Surul and Nanoor, with delicate decorative tiles made of terra cotta (burnt clay).[37]
Many famous people lived and worked in Birbhum, specially at Santiniketan.[38] Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen is one of them.[38] Rabindranath Tagore made this district his home and established his great centre of learning, Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan. Jaydev Kenduli, which until disproved recently was believed to be the birthplace of the 12th century Sanskrit poet, Joydeb, is on the bank of the river Ajay.[39] Nanoor is the birthplace of the 14th century poet Chandidas Rami.[40] Nityananda Swami (Nitai of the famous Nitai-Gaur pair) the co–founder of Vaishnav religion with Shri Chityanyadev was born at Ekachakra.[41] Tarashankar Bandopadhyay (1898–1971), one of the leading Bengali literary figures in recent times and who wrote extensively about life in Birbhum, belongs to Labhpur. Kazi Nazrul Islam was born at Churulia.[38]
The eastern area of Birbhum is a part of the rice plains of West Bengal, and the vegetation here includes usual characteristics of rice fields in Bengal, such as species of Aponogeton, Utricularia, Drosera, Philcoxia, Scrophulariaceae and similar aquatic or palustrine genera.[3][42] In the drier western region of the district, the characteristic shrubs and herbs include species of Wendlandia, Convolvulaceae, Stipa, Tragus, Spermacoce, Ziziphus, Capparis and other similar plants that grows on laterite soil.[42] Mango, palm, and bamboo are among commonly visible trees in Birbhum.[42] Other common species of plants visible here are jackfruit, arjun, sal, guava, kend and mahua.[42]
Other than feral dogs and domestic cattle, the most frequently encountered non-human mammal is the hanuman, a long tailed grey langur prevalent in the Gangetic plain. Some wild boars and wolves may still be spotted in the small forests of Chinpai, Bandarsol and Charicha.[42] Leopards and bears are not to be seen any more in the wild.[42] Sometimes during the season when mahua trees bloom, wild Asiatic elephants from Jharkhand come in trampling crops and threatening life and property.[42] Birds of Birbhum include a mix of hilly and plain-land dwelling species like partridge, pigeon, green pigeon, water fowls, doyel, Indian robin, drongo, hawk, cuckoo, koel, sunbird, Indian roller, parrot, babbler, and some migratory birds.[42]
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Educational facilities in Birbhum
district:[10]
High School–256, Higher Secondary School–110 Junior High School–86 Junior High Madarsa–10 Senior Madarsa–4 Primary School–237 Sishu Sikhsha Kendra–495 Anganwadi Centre–2407 College–12 University–1 Engineering colleges–2 Polytechnic –1 Industrial Training Institute (ITI)–1 |
Ballabhpur Wildlife Sanctuary near Santiniketan was declared a sanctuary in 1977.[43] Various economically important trees are planted here and Blackbucks, Spotted deer, jackals, foxes and a variety of water birds live here.[43][44]
According to the 2001 census Birbhum district had a literacy rate of 62.16%, 71.57% among males and 52.21% among females. In 1951 census, the literacy rate was 17.74%. It increased to 48.56% in 1991.[45]
The growth of literacy in the last decade of the twentieth century was particularly remarkable with special emphasis on the eradication of illiteracy. While it is feared that Birbhum may not be able to fulfill the national objective of sending all children in the age group 6–14 years to school by 2010, efforts are on in that direction.[45]
The district has 127 libraries supported by the Government, 1 private library and 1 district library.[10]
One of the most popular outdoor sports in the villages of Birbhum used to be danguli (literal meaning "ball and stick").[34] However, in recent times cricket has replaced some of the popularity of this game. Another sport that can be played both outdoors and indoor, and is still popular among children here is marble, which involves projecting a striker bead with fingers to hit an ensemble of black or green glass bead. In addition to cricket the other most popular outdoor sport of this district are football and kabadi.[34]
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| Birbhum district view Community messages | |
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[[Image: West Bengal locator map.svg
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border|Map of West Bengal showing location of Birbhum]]
[[Image:India West Bengal locator map.svg
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border|Map of India showing location of West Bengal]] | |
| Country | India |
| State | West Bengal |
| Headquarters | Siuri |
| Population • Density |
3,015,422 • 662 /km2 (1,715 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| ISO 3166-2 | IN-WB-BI |
| Website | www.birbhum.nic.in |
Coordinates: Birbhum (Bengali: বীরভূম) is a district in West Bengal state of India. The district headquarters is located at Suri. It lies at the middle of the western border of West Bengal right below the narrow waist of the state_name. Birbhum is the northernmost district of "Bardhaman Division" -one of the three administrative divisions of the state_name. Called by the name of "The land of red soil" Birbhum is famous for its topography and cultural heritage which is unique and is somewhat different from that of the other districts in West Bengal. Birbhum has also been the proud abode of nobel laureates like Rabindranath Tagore and Amartya Sen.
Birbhum has a dual blend of bushy plateau (Chhotanagpur) terrain from the west with its partly migratory tribal (Santhal) anthropological components, that gradually merges with the alluvial plainland terrain with stable farmer communities towards the east. The district is cyclically dried and flooded by the rain-fed rivers like Ajay and Mor. Ridden with this geo-anthropological diversity this land has given birth to many cultural and religious movements in history. As a single district it harbours the largest number of shakti peethas exemplified particularly by Bakreshwar and Tarapeeth. Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan, established by Rabindranath Tagore, is one of the places Birbhum is internationally renowned for. The star attraction of many of the famous festivals of this district, including Pous mela, are the safron clad bauls singing their deep philosophical songs in the local dialect along with playing their folk music typified by the indigenous instrument called ektara.
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The name Birbhum comes probably from the Land ("Bhumi") of the Brave ("Bir"). Some have opined that the district bears the name of Bir kings who ruled in the area. "Bir" in Mundari language means forests. Therefore, it could also mean a land of forests.
The area now known as Birbhum was inhabited from pre-historic times. Some of the archaeological sites related to Pandu Rajar Dhibi of chalcolithic remains are located in Birbhum.[1] Stone age implements have been found at several places in the district. According to Acharanga Sutra, the old Jain book, Mahavira, the last (24th) great Tirthankara, had wandered through this land ("pathless country of Ladha (Rarh) in Vajjabhumi and Subbhabhumi") in the 5th century, B.C. According to some historians, the spread of the Jain religion in the Rarh region was synonymous with the Aryanisation of the area. Gautam Buddha probably traversed this area to go to Pundrabardhan and Samatat (inferred by Dr Atul Sur, based on Divyabdan - a Buddhist text).
The Rarh region was part of the Maurya empire. It was subsequently included in the empire of the imperial Guptas, of Shashanka and of Harshavardhana. After dismemberment of Harshavardhana’s empire, the region was ruled by the Palas till 12th century AD, when overlordship of the area passed into the hands of the Senas. During the rule of the Pala dynasty Buddhism, particularly the Vajrayana cult, flourished here. In 7th century A.D., the Chinese traveller, Wang Chuang, described some of the monasteries he visited.[1] The Senas were staunch Hindus and ensured the dominance of the religion in Bengal.
The 13th century witnessed the advent of Muslim rule in the region. They destroyed most of the remaining Buddhist monasteries. However, Muslim control over the western parts of the district appears to have been nominal, and the area was ruled by the local Hindu chiefs, known as the Bir Rajas. The three towns of Hetampur, Birsingpur and Rajnagar contain their relics.
Minhaj i Siraj, the author of the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri mentions about Lakhnur, the headquarters or thanah of the Rarh wing of the Muslim rule and an important frontier post. The location of Lakhnur, though still not exactly identified, falls in Birbhum.
Mythologically the forests of Bajrabhumi (west Birbhum) were hot-spots of Hindu and tantric activities. According to historian Dr. Atul Sur, the solitude of the less populated jungles of Bajrabhumi made it an ideal place for sacred rituals.[2] Some old authors have called Birbhum by the name Kamkoti which relates to its tantric heritage. Bhandirban was the ashram (hermitage) of Bibhandak Muni (sage). Rishasringya Muni lived in Siyan, and Shitalgram was the place of Sandipan, Garga and Durbasa.
Tantrics (including the Vajrayana Buddhists and Shaktas) established many temples for tantra sadhana rituals and Shakti worship. Birbhum has many Shakti Peethas such as Bakreshwar, Tarapith, Kankalitala, Labhpur, Fulberia and Nalhati. Prior to 1856 AD Baidyanathdham / Deoghar was within Birbhum.
Out of the numerous Shakti Peethas, Tarapith/ Siddhapith is the most famous. One of the famous Shakti worshippers of Tarapith was Bamdev, popularly known as Bama Khyapa. The actual stone idol, which is kept hidden at Tarapith, is decapitated, probably bearing the signs of rave of the Muslim rulers.
During the time of British East India Company there was no existence of any administrative unit by the name Birbhum till 1787, and this area was administratively a part of Murshidabad district. In 1787 when the official designation "District Beerbhoom" started the District was much bigger and included "Bishenpore" or Bishnupur (now part of Bankura district) till 1793. Till 1857 Sepoy Mutiny Santhal Pargana was also part of Birbhum, the district thus sprawled up to Deoghar in the west. The immediate reason then for separating the western tribal majority areas was the Santhal rebellion of 1855-56, which was quelled with the martyrdom of Sidhu and Kanu in Birbhum.
Situated between 23° 32' 30"(right above the tropic of cancer) and 24° 35' 0" north latitude and 87° 5' 25" and 88° 1' 40" east longitudes, and about 1,757 sq miles (4,550 km²) in area, this district is triangular in shape with the apex pointing north and the base (southern boundary) formed by the river Ajay. The river forms the boundary between Birbhum and Bardhaman districts. This area lies at the north eastern end of the Chota Nagpur plateau, as it slopes down and merges with the alluvial plains of the Ganges. The western portion of the district is historically known as Vajjabhumi or Bajrabhumi from bajra meaning thunderbolt or strong and bhumi meaning land. It is an undulating, generally barren, upland. The comparatively more fertile eastern portion, constituting the northeastern Rarh region, merges with the Gangetic plain. Vajjabhumi is also included in the Rarh region, and rest of Rarh is called Sumha to differentiate it from Vajjabhumi.
Important geographical features in Birbhum are the khoai (eroded undulated patches of barren area), the red, laterite soil (ranga mati), with palm trees visible from a long distance and multiple protected forested areas on the western side.
Although the majority of Birbhum is rural, in recent times, it has been the site of many development projects such as condominiums and gated communities for people from numerous urban centres in West Bengal. This has raised many issues. Some fear that these projects do not take into account the lives of the local people and that this will threaten the natural environment for which Birbhum is so renowned for.
The rivers of Birbhum are: Ajay, Mor (Mayurakshi), Bakreswar, Kopai, Dvarka, Brahmani, Hinglo, Chapala, Bansloi, Pagla etc. A project on the Mayurakshi (Mor, a tributary of Ganges), that includes the Tilpara Barrage (near Siuri), provides irrigation for about 600,000 ac (2400 km²).Almost all the rivers originate higher up on the Chota Nagpur plateau and flow across Birbhum in a west-east direction. These river are furious during the monsoons but shrink during the dry summer months. The cyclical rotation of drought and floods of the rivers destroy lives and property, and adds to the cruelty of life in the region.
That description is from Tarashankar Bandopadhyay.[3] However, that was before barriers were built across the Mayurakshi. The picture continues to be similar for other Birbhum rivers, although dimensions may differ.
The climate on the western side is dry and extreme, but is relatively milder on the eastern side. In summer temperatures can shoot above 40 degrees Celsius and in winters it can drop to around 10 degrees Celsius. It receives annual rainfall of around 1,300 mm, mostly in the monsoon months (June to September). The dry plateau feature makes the land in the west less fertile compared to the plains in the east. Agriculture is dependent upon the rains in monsoon or has to be supplemented with irrigation in other seasons.
The most interesting part of the geology of Birbhum stems from the gradient of red soil.
If one looks at the soil map of India one will notice that actually the Rarh region has laterite soil (type 28 in the map), and the Vajjabhumi has a different kind of sandy hard red soil of the alfisoil type (type 21 in the map).
Birbhum has some mineral reserves that are relatively unimportant in the national context but are important locally. Coal, China clay, low grade iron-ore and granite are mined in west Birbhum.
Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district. While 159.3 km² of land are occupied by forests, 3,329.05 km² are used for agricultural purposes. 91.43 per cent of the population live in the villages. Around 75 per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture.
Rice, legumes, wheat, corn (maize), and mangoes are the chief crops harvested largely in the east Birbhum. Canada Dam on the Mayurakshi at Massanjore is virtually on the border of Birbhum and Dumka district in Jharkhand. Further down the Mayurakshi is the Tilpara Barrage at Siuri. Land with irrigation facilities in 2001-02 totaled 2,763.9 km². There are five barrages, providing irrigation support. The district has 13 cold storages.
The district's principal industries include cotton and silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, and metalware and pottery manufacture.
Birbhum is a major centre for cottage industries. Perhaps the most famous cottage industry is a non-profit rural organization Amar Kutir. Other main industries in Birbhum are agriculture-based industries, textiles, forestry, arts and crafts. Sriniketan is a famous dairy and forestry center. Some of the notable forms of cottage industries of Birbhum include textile- especially cotton and locally harvested tussar silk, jute works, batik, kantha stitch, macrame (weaving by knotting threads), leather, pottery and terracotta, solapith, woodcarving, bamboo and cane craft, metal works and various tribal crafts. There are 8,883 small and medium scale industries. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station (210 MW x 3 + 210 MW x 2 under construction) is the only heavy industry.
One of the famous industrialist was Late Nitai Pada Ghosh from Mohammed Bazar who was the founder Patel Nagar Minerals & Industries Limited specilising in China Clay. Mohammed Bazar block contains china clay and laterite mines. Panchami village of Mohammed Bazar block contains the industry of laterite. One proposed methane gas processing industry is going to be set up in this district by British Petrolium.
Birbhum district is divided into three subdivisions:
Totalling above Birbhum has 19 blocks (each block has one police station) which together comprise of 2467 villages. Siuri is the District administrative head office ("Zila Sadar"). Siuri, Dubrajpur, Bolpur, Rampurhat, Nalhati and Sainthia have municipalities. Other than them, the district is dotted with small towns such as Murarai, Mayureshwar, Muhammad Bazar, Rajnagar, Khairasol, Hetampur, Ilambazar, Kankalipith, Birsingpur and Patharchapuri (or Patharchapri). The district has 2 seats for the Lok Sabha (parliament) and 12 seats for the state assembly.
The major modes of transportation are trains, buses and bullock carts. Historically the palki or palanquin was another common transport now seen very rarely.
The Panagarh-Morgram Expressway runs through the district. All the towns and villages are connected by roads. The total length of roads in the district are: surfaced – 2,413 km and unsurfaced – 4,674 km. Against this the total length of rail track in the district is 201.32 km, including 26.55 km of the Ahmadpur-Katwa narrow gauge track, laid in 1917.
The Howrah-Sahibganj loop of the Eastern Railway, laid in 1862, passes through this district. There is a junction at Nalhati for the connection to Azimganj in Murshidabad district. The Andal-Sainthia line connects it to the main Howrah-Delhi main line.
In 1901 Birbhum had a population of 902,280, which by 1981 rose to 2,095,829. According to the 2001 census data, the total population has further risen to 3,015,422. The following table summarises the population distribution:
| Rural/Urban | Persons | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 3,015,422 | 1,546,633 | 1,468,789 |
| Rural | 2,757,002 | 1,414,097 | 1,342,905 |
| Urban | 258,420 | 132,536 | 125,884 |
The percentage of Muslims in the district have been growing, while the percentage of Hindus have been declining. In 1981, Muslims formed 30.98 per cent of the population. It increaed to 33.02 per cent in 1991 to around 35 per cent in 2001. There has been a proportionate fall in the percentage of Hindus in the toatal population from 68.61 per cent in 1981 to 66.61 per cent in 1991 to around 65 per cent in 2001. There is a sprinkling other religious groups in the population. According to the 2001 census, 29.51 per cent of the population belong to the scheduled castes and 6.74 per cent to the scheduled tribes.
Other than the locals speaking the Birbhum dialect of Bengali, there are tribal Santhals, local as well as those migrating seasonally from neighbouring areas. The local industry and agriculture partly depends on the Santhal labourers who come in during the work seasons (like planting of rice seedling during rainy season). Apart from the Santhals, there are ten tribal communities in Birbhum with a sizeable presence, amongst whom Koda, Mahali and Oraons are prominent.
The red soil and the shallow serpentine rivers ridden with sand islands have inspired the poets from this land. Many poets of Vaishnav and Shakta Padavali fame were born in this land, as for example, Jaydeb, the celebrated author of Geetagovinda, and Chandidas (Rami).
The folk culture of Birbhum is specially enriched with the contribution of bauls, their philosophy and their songs. Baulism is a religiously liberal philosophy and lifestyle which might have some links to Sahajiya movement of 16th century A.D. (derived from Sahajyan, a form of Vajrayana Buddhism, influenced also by Vaishnavism and Sufism). Chandidas and many other poets were part of the Sahajiya movement. The Bauls earn their living by singing and collecting alms. They accommodate people from any caste and creed. Rabindranath Tagore was inspired by their philosophy and patronized them actively. Birbhum has also been home to famous kabiyals, kirtaniyas and other folk culture groups.
The many fairs of Birbhum starts with Pous Mela (from 7th Pous onwards) at Santiniketan and follows through the Bengali month of Pous (spread across December and January) till Makar Sankranti. Particulalrly lively is the fair at Kendubillo, with the participation of bauls, the itinerant singers, in large numbers. Birbhum has a number of other major attractions. The temple and hot spring at Bakreshwar is famous and draws in pilgrims from far and near. Tarapith attracts pilgrims throughout the year. It has many old temples with delicate decorative tiles made of terracotta (burnt clay).
People of Birbhum love Jatra a kind of folk drama and "Aalkap".
In addition to being a confluence of Vaishnav, Shakta and Saiva cultures, Birbhum villages also observe prehistoric customs like worship of gramdevta (gram means village and devta means deity) in many forms at different places.
One form of gramdevta popular in villages of birbhum is Dharma Thakur, symbolized by a stone, worshipped mainly by Bauri, Bagdi, Hari, Dom etc. castes. According to the Dharmapuran, even kings worshipped Dharma Thakur. In some places there are festivals called Dharmer Gajan. According to some authorities, these are transformed old deities and totems which continued even after these castes accepted Buddhism as a result of the oppression by the higher castes. Later on these old deities were equated to either Shiva or Buddha.
Another Gramdevta is the goddeess of snakes - "Manasa" who might have been a transformation of the feminine snake totem to a form more acceptable to later society. Now Goddess Manasa is worshiped for protection from snake bite. Vajrayana Buddhists had an equivalent of Manasa named Janguli. In Manasamangal, the house made for Lakhinder was on top of "Santhali" mountains, which might have been a reference to Santhal pargana which was historically a part of Birbhum.
Rabindranath Tagore made this district his home and established his great centre of learning, Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan. Kendubillo, the birthplace of the 12th century Sanskrit poet, Joydeb, is on the bank of the river Ajay. Nanoor is the birthplace of the poet Chandidas Rami. He possibly wrote in the 14th century. There are several counter claims about these poets. Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the leading Bengali literary figures in recent times and who wrote extensively about life in Birbhum, belongs to Labhpur.
Satyajit Ray shot major portions of the film Abhijan in Birbhum and made the Mama Bhagne pahar, near Dubrajpur, well known to the outside world. Two rocks sit delicately, one on another, in close embrace, but they do not fall off. One is mama (maternal uncle) and the other is bhagnney (nephew). The entire hillock strewn with rocks is known by that name.
Many other famous people lived and worked in Birbhum, specially at Santiniketan. Amongst the notable personalities linked with Birbhum district are:
The laterite soil of the western highlands is iron rich and alkaline. It grows characteristic shrubs, herbs and some trees. These include species of wendlandia, evolvulus, Stipa, Tragus, perotis, spermacoce, Zizyphus , capparis. Trees like mango and bamboo are also frequently found. Other abundant species are jack fruit, arjun, sal, date plum, piar, dhau, kend and mahua.
Other than feral dogs, and domestic cattle, the most frequently encountered non-human mammal is the hanuman (semnopithecus entellus formerly presbytis entellus), a long tailed grey langur prevalent in the gangetic plain. Hanumans live near human community and are not easily scared by them. Some wild boars and wolves may still be found in the small forests of Chinpai, Bandarsol and Charicha. Wild leopards and bears are not to be seen any more. Sometimes wild Asiatic elephants from Jharkhand come in during the mahua bloom, trampling crops and threatening life and property.
Birds of Birbhum include a mix of hilly and plain-land dwelling species like partridge, pigeon, green pigeon, various water fouls, doyel, Indian robin, drongo, hawk, cuckoo, koel, sun bird, Indian roller (nilkanth), parrot, babbler, and some migratory birds.
According to the 2001 census Birbhum district had a literacy rate of 62.16 per cent, 71.57 per cent for males and 52.21 per cent for females. In 1951 the literacy rate was 17.74 per cent. It increased to 48.56 per cent in 1991.
The growth of literacy in the last decade of the twentieth century was particulalrly remarkable with special emphasis on the eradication of illiteracy. While it is feared that Birbhum may not be able to fulfil the national objective of sending all children in the age group 6-14 years to school by 2010, efforts are on in that direction. Educational facilities in the district are as follows:
| Type | Nos. |
|---|---|
| High School | 256 |
| Higher Secondary School | 110 |
| Junior High School | 86 |
| Junior High Madrasa | 10 |
| Senior Madrasa | 4 |
| Primary School | 237 |
| Sishu Siksha Kendra | 495 |
| Anganwadi Centre | 2407 |
| College | 12 |
| University | 1 |
The district has 2 engineering colleges, 1 polytechnic and 1 industrial training institute (ITI).
There are 127 libraries supported by the Government, 1 private libaray and 1 district library.
One of the most popular village outdoor sports in this area used to be "danguli" or guli-danda (literal meaning "ball and stick") which is somewhat equivalent of "goli danda" in North India but doesn't involve a "guli" i.e. ball, instead a spindle shaped wood (small stick with two ends sharpened) is used as a ball. The spindle shaped small stick is kept on an uneven surface and is tumbled off ground by hitting with a long handled stick (danda) and then hitting again a second time to pitch it to a long distance. However, in recent times cricket has replaced some of the popularity of this game, partly because danguli used to create eye injury as the most frequent sports accident. Another sport that can be played both outdoors and indoor, and still popular among children here is "marble", which involves projecting a striker bead with fingers to hit an ensemble of black or green glass beads. It is a kind of an aerial version of carrom, which itself is a locally popular indoor game. In addition to cricket the other most popular outdoor sport of this district are football and kabadi.
One traditional village level religious team sport of Birbhum is "baich khela" which is a competition of taking the whole idol of goddess Durga and her companion icons on bamboo supports and carrying it around with lots of lightings ("hajak lights"), dhak (drum) beat and fanfare all around the village.
Santhals living in and around Birbhum are good archers too and have many a time reached the national level of all India-archery competitions.
| Districts of West Bengal |
|---|
| Bankura · Bardhaman · Birbhum · Cooch Behar · Darjeeling · North Dinajpur · South Dinajpur · Hooghly · Howrah · Jalpaiguri · Kolkata · Malda · Midnapore East · Midnapore West · Murshidabad · Nadia · North 24 Parganas · South 24 Parganas · Purulia |
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| Cities and towns in Birbhum District | |
|---|---|
| Suri subdivision | Ahmedpur · Bakreshwar · Dubrajpur · Hetampur · Mahammad Bazar · Rajnagar · Sainthia · Suri |
| Bolpur subdivision | Bolpur · Ilambazar · Kirnahar · Labhpur · Nanoor · Santiniketan |
| Rampurhat subdivision | Ekachakra · Hansan · Mayureswar · Murarai · Nalhati · Rampurhat · Tarapith |
| Cities and towns in other districts |
Bankura · Bardhaman · Cooch Behar · Dakshin Dinajpur · Darjeeling · Hooghly · Howrah · Jalpaiguri · Malda · Murshidabad · Nadia · North 24 Parganas · Paschim Medinipur · Purba Medinipur · Purulia · South 24 Parganas · Uttar Dinajpur |
</center>
| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Birbhum district. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
| County of country | India + |
| County of subdivision1 | West Bengal + |
| Short name | Birbhum + |
   | Official webpage - Welcome to Official Website of Birbhum District, West Bengal, India |
| | Temples in Birbhum - Temples And Legends Of Bengal - Birbhum ( Introduction) |
| | Map of Birbhum District - Calcuttaweb - Map of Birbhum |
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