Jalpaiguri district
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2020) |
Jalpaiguri | |
---|---|
Clockwise from top: Neora Tea Estate, Raikut Palace, Himalayas from Jalpaiguri, Sevoke bridge over the Teesta, Champramary Wildlife Sanctuary | |
Coordinates: 26°41′N 88°45′E / 26.683°N 88.750°E | |
Country | India |
State | West Bengal |
Division | Jalpaiguri |
Headquarters | Jalpaiguri |
Government | |
• Subdivisions | Jalpaiguri Sadar, Malbazar |
• CD Blocks | Jalpaiguri, Maynaguri, Rajganj, Mal, Matiali, Nagrakata, Kranti, Dhupguri, Banarhat |
• Lok Sabha constituencies | Jalpaiguri |
• Vidhan Sabha constituencies | Nagrakata, Dhupguri, Maynaguri, Mal, Dabgram-Phulbari, Jalpaiguri, Rajganj |
Area | |
• Total | 3,386 km2 (1,307 sq mi) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 2,381,596 |
• Density | 700/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
• Urban | 1,103,847 |
Demographics | |
• Literacy | 84.79 per cent |
• Sex ratio | 954 ♂/♀ |
Languages | |
• Official | Bengali[1][2] |
• Additional official | English[1] |
Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
Website | www |
Jalpaiguri district (Bengali pronunciation: [dʒɔlpaːiːguɽiː]) is a district of the Indian state of West Bengal. The district was established in 1869 during British Raj. The headquarters of the district are in the city of Jalpaiguri, which is also the divisional headquarters of Jalpaiguri division.
History
[edit]Jalpaiguri district comprises western Dooars and the major part of the eastern Morang and this area, according to Sailen Debnath, in the ancient time was a part of the kingdom of Kamarupa, and since the medieval period it became a part of Kamata kingdom.[3] Sailen writes that three of the five ancient capitals of Kamatapur were geographically in the district of Jalpaiguri; and the three capitals were at Chilapata, Mainaguri and Panchagarh in sequence. According to him, Hingulavas, the first capital of the next Koch kingdom as well was in Jalpaiguri district. Hingulavas has well been identified with Mahakalguri in Alipurduar Sub-Division.[3]
Under the Kingdom of Bhutan
[edit]The Dooars in Jalpaiguri district were under the control of Kingdom of Bhutan from early 17th-century till 1865 when British East India company captured the area in the Duar War under the Treaty of Sinchula and were added to the district of Jalpaiguri in 1869 and later finally to the Indian Union in 1949.
Like all the Duars under Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan, it was under the jurisdiction of Tongso Penlop, below the Tongso Penlop were Subah who in turn appointed Mondal, Laskar or Uzir to look after the Duars.[4]
Geography
[edit]Jalpaiguri is a part of West Bengal which is situated in North Bengal.
The district situated in the northern part of West Bengal has international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh in the north and south respectively and district borders with Darjeeling hills in the west and northwest and Alipurduar district and Cooch Behar district on the east.
National protected areas include the Gorumara National Park and the Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, the Pakhibitan Wildlife Sanctuary, the Baikunthapur Forest, the Khuttimary Forest, etc. reserve forest.
Climate
[edit]Jalpaiguri is part of monsoon climate zone of South-Eastern Asia. May is the hottest month of this region with average maximum temperature of about 32 °C whereas January is coldest with 11 °C. Highest ever recorded maximum and minimum temperature are 40 °C and 2 °C. The average annual humidity in the district is of 82%. The annual average rainfall is 3160mm. December is the driest month with average rainfall 0.2 mm and July is wettest with 809.3 mm. Number of rainy days are 0 to 1 during November to February and 24 days during July. Thunderstorms are common weather phenomenon during May.
Divisions
[edit]Sub-divisions
[edit]Jalpaiguri district have three sub-divisions – Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision, Mal subdivision and Dhupguri subdivision.
Jalpaiguri district earlier had three sub-divisions – Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision, Mal subdivision and Alipurduar subdivision. Alipurduar district was created in June 2014 and Jalpaiguri district was left with two subdivisions – Jalpaiguri Sadar and Mal.[5][6] Dhupguri subdivision is a new administrative division of the Jalpaiguri district. It was formed by dividing the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision.[7]
Municipalities: Jalpaiguri, Malbazar, Mainaguri, Dhupguri
Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision comprises a portion of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Jalpaiguri Municipality, Maynaguri Municipality, Rajganj community development block, Jalpaiguri community development block and Maynaguri community development block
Dhupguri subdivision comprises Dhupguri Municipality, Dhupguri community development block and Banarhat community development block
Malbazar subdivision comprises Malbazar Municipality, Mal community development block, Kranti community development block, Matiali community development block, Nagrakata community development block
Police stations
[edit]There are 16 police stations in the district, viz.:[8]
- Banarhat
- Bhaktinagar
- Binnaguri (Phari)
- Chalsa
- Dhupguri
- Domohani (Phari)
- Gairkata
- Jalpaiguri (Kotwali)
- Kranti Hat (Phari)
- Malbazar
- Matelli (Phari)
- Mainaguri
- Nagrakata
- New Jalpaiguri
- Patkata (Phari)
- Rajganj
Telephone districts
[edit]There are six telephone area codes of Jalpaiguri district. They are 03561, 03562, 03563, 03564, 03565, 03566.
Assembly constituencies
[edit]As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, the district is divided into seven assembly constituencies:[9]
Malbazar and Nagrakata constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Tribes candidates. Dhupguri, Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri and Rajganj constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. Along with one assembly constituency from Cooch Behar district, Dhupguri, Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri, Rajganj, Dabgram-Phulbari, and Malbazar constituencies form Jalpaiguri (Lok Sabha constituency), which is reserved for Scheduled Castes.
Transport
[edit]One can avail train from the major railway stations in the vicinity like New Jalpaiguri railway station/ Jalpaiguri/ Jalpaiguri Road/ New Maynaguri railway station/ New Mal Junction railway station. By road it is connected with rest of the country. Air travel is available up to Bagdogra Airport, and from there it is connected by a 20 km expressway from the district border.
Demographics
[edit]Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1901 | 546,764 | — |
1911 | 663,222 | +21.3% |
1921 | 695,946 | +4.9% |
1931 | 740,993 | +6.5% |
1941 | 847,841 | +14.4% |
1951 | 916,747 | +8.1% |
1961 | 1,359,292 | +48.3% |
1971 | 1,750,159 | +28.8% |
1981 | 2,214,871 | +26.6% |
1991 | 2,800,543 | +26.4% |
2001 | 3,401,173 | +21.4% |
2011 | 3,872,846 | +13.9% |
Source: Census of India[10] |
According to the 2011 census Jalpaiguri district had a population of 3,872,846, roughly equal to the nation of Liberia.[11] This gives it a ranking of 66th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 621 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,610/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 33.77%. Jalpaiguri has a sex ratio of 954 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 79.79%.[12]
After bifurcation the district has a population of 2,381,596, of which 752,805 (31.62%) live in urban areas. The residual district has a sex ratio of 956 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have a population of 1,001,572 (42.05%) and 349,592 (14.68%) of the population respectively.[12]
Religion
[edit]Religion | Population (1941)[14]: 90–91 | Percentage (1941) | Population (2011)[13] | Percentage (2011) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hinduism | 272,664 | 51.95% | 1,962,679 | 82.41% |
Tribal religion[a] | 136,455 | 26.00% | 8,950 | 0.38% |
Islam | 113,176 | 21.56% | 315,478 | 13.25% |
Christianity | 1,069 | 0.20% | 74,188 | 3.12% |
Buddhism | --- | --- | 15,358 | 0.64% |
Others[b] | 1,520 | 0.29% | 4,943 | 0.20% |
Total Population | 524,884 | 100% | 2,381,596 | 100% |
Language
[edit]According to the 2011 census, 65.57% of the population spoke Bengali, 12.96% Sadri, 4.90% Nepali, 4.69% Hindi, 2.69% Rajbongshi and 1.39% Kurukh as their first language. Other languages spoken include Santali and Munda.[15] Kurukh and other tribal languages such as Kharia and Mundari were once more widespread among the tea tribes as late as the 1960s, but they have since rapidly shifted to Sadri as their mother tongue.
Ecology
[edit]It is home to Gorumara National Park, which was established in 1994 and has an area of 79 km2 (30.5 sq mi).[16] Apart from Gorumara National Park, the district contains Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary.
Notable people
[edit]This is a list of notable people from Jalpaiguri District.
- Promode R. Bandyopadhyay, Indian born American inventor, research scientist and Technical Program Manager at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, New Port, Rhode Island, USA
- P. K. Banerjee, football player and coach who represented India at the international level.
- Swapna Barman, the heptathlete was born here.[17]
- Ratan Lal Basu, a fiction writer in English.
- Moushumi Bhowmik, the eminent singer-songwriter was born here.
- Mimi Chakraborty, Tollywood actress and Member of Parliament from Jadavpur constituency.
- Sukalyan Ghosh Dastidar, Indian footballer of the 1970s
- Bappi Lahiri, Indian singer.
- Samaresh Majumdar, Bengali author of novels like Uttoradhikar, Kalpurush, and Kaalbela.
- Khaleda Zia, Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh during 1991 to 1996 & 2001 to 2006 and leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Geographical indication
[edit]Kalonunia rice was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 02/01/2024 (valid until 11/03/2034). It is a common and widely cultivated crop in districts of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar along with some parts of Darjeeling & Kalimpong districts of West Bengal.[18][19][20][21]
State Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) from Narendrapur, proposed the GI registration of Kalonunia rice. After filing the application in March 2021, the rice was granted the GI tag in 2024 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Kalonunia rice" exclusive to the rice grown in the region.[22] It thus became the third rice variety from West Bengal after Tulaipanji rice and the 26th type of goods from West Bengal to earn the GI tag.
The GI tag protects the rice from illegal selling and marketing, and gives it legal protection and a unique identity.
Notes
[edit]- ^ In the 1941 census, tribals were counted under 'Tribal' irrespective of actual religion.
- ^ Including Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ a b Sailen Debnath, The Dooars in Historical Transition, ISBN 9788186860441, N.L. Publishers
- ^ (Das 1998:32)
- ^ "Alipurduar a new district on June 25". The Times of India. The Times of India, 21 June 2014. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ "Alipurduar district birth on June 25". The Telegraph, 21 June 2014. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ "Dhupguri Subdivision Now Official". The Times of India. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "Administrative setup". Official website of the Jalpaiguri district. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
- ^ "Delimitation Commission Order No. 18" (PDF). West Bengal. Election Commission. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
- ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
Liberia 3,786,764 July 2011 est.
- ^ a b "District Census Handbook: Jalpaiguri" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
- ^ a b "Table C-01 Population by Religion: West Bengal". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
- ^ "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME VI BENGAL PROVINCE" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: West Bengal". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
- ^ Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment. "Protected areas: Sikkim". Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
- ^ "Could never afford nutritious food required by athlete, Asian gold-medallist Swapna Barman's father". The Indian Express. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Bengal's own Gobindabhog and Tulaipanji soon to get a distinct stand on world map". The Indian Express. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ Khush, Gurdev S.; Hettel, Gene; Rola, Tess (1996). Rice Genetics III: Proceedings of the Third International Rice Genetics Symposium, Manila, Philippines, 16-20 October 1995. Int. Rice Res. Inst. ISBN 978-971-22-0087-8. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ Roychoudhury, Aryadeep (29 July 2020). Rice Research for Quality Improvement: Genomics and Genetic Engineering: Volume 2: Nutrient Biofortification and Herbicide and Biotic Stress Resistance in Rice. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-15-5337-0. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ Sarker, Dilip De; Saha, Manas Ranjan; Saha, Subrata (1 January 2015). Perspective of dietetic and antioxidant medicinal plants. Notion Press. ISBN 978-93-84878-95-5.
- ^ "Kalonunia Rice". Intellectual Property India. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- Das, Smriti (1998). Assam Bhutan relations with special reference to duars from 1681 to 1949 (PhD). Guwahati University. hdl:10603/67909. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.