Baranagar


Baranagar is a city and a municipality in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.
It is home to the Indian Statistical Institute, an institution of national importance devoted to the research, teaching and application of statistics, natural sciences and social sciences. Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School is one of the oldest and most renowned schools in Baranagar.
Baranagar is a major industrial centre for the manufacture of agricultural and industrial machinery, chemicals, castor oil, and matches; Baranagar is also home to numerous cotton-processing companies, offset & digital printing companies and book publishers.

Etymology

The word Baranagar derives from the Bengali term Barahanagore, meaning "City of the Hogs".
Streynsham Master who visited the area in 1676 spoke of the hog factory where about 3,000 hogs a year were slaughtered and salted for export.
There are several explanations for the etymology of this name:
  • Baranagar or Barahanagar, meaning the "big" and "town or land" of the "pig".
  • Baranagar might be named after Varaha avatar of Vishnu.

    History

The earliest reference of Baranagar can be found in Sri Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat written by Sri Brindaban Das where it was said that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Baranagar in 1512. He writes:
হেন মতে পাণিহাটী গ্রাম ধন্য করি।
আছিলেন কথোদিন শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গ হরি ॥
তবে প্রভু আইলেন বরাহনগরে।
মহাভাগ্যবন্ত এক ব্রাহ্মণের ঘরে ॥
সেই বিপ্র বড় সুশিক্ষিত ভাগবতে।
প্রভু দেখি ভাগবত লাগিলা পড়িতে ॥
এতেক তোমার নাম ভাগবতাচার্য।
ইহা বিনে আর কোন না করিহ কার্য।

References to Baranagar can be found in many literary texts dating to 17th and 18th centuries. Even maps made by Dutch and Portuguese had references to Baranagar as "Bernagar" or "Barrenger".
Baranagar Municipality was established in 1869; it is one of the oldest municipalities in India. The Dutch had homes there in the seventeenth century. Streynsham Master who visited the area in 1676 spoke of the hog factory where about 3,000 hogs a year were slaughtered and salted for export. Later it became the centre for the extensive jute trade, manufacturing gunny bags. A major road parallel to the Hooghly River connects Baranagar Bazaar with Dakshineswar. In between temples such as Kaancher Mandir, Joy Mitra Kali Bari and Pathbari are located.
Portuguese colonist first established their business camp here, which was in existence till 1862. Dutch settlers established their ‘Kuthi’ or office for business. Dutch supremacy ended with the arisen of British power in Bengal. M/s. Colvin Cow II Co. was the pioneer of industrial Baranagar. They founded a Sugar Mill near Alambazar. Later George Henderson founded Borneo Jute Factory at that site. In 1859, the factory was renamed Baranagar Jute Factory and is still in existence. The Baranagar Jute Factory was the
first mechanical Jute Factory in India. During the two World Wars, many engineering factories were set up in Baranagar, and the town became famous as Industrial City. To provide civic amenities, North Suburban Municipality was formed in 1869 consisting of Chitpur and Cossipore Cossipore- Chitpur Municipality Baranagar Municipality. On 1 August 1899, Kamarhati Municipality was formed, parting Kamarhati and Ariadaha Mouzas from Baranagar. In 1949 Dakshineswar Mouza was parted from Baranagar and merged with Kamarhati Municipality.
Baranagar was one or majorly affected cities during the Naxalbari Uprising. In the early 1970s, a massacre took place in the city as the Congress led Indian state retaliated against the political movement. The joint operation of the police and criminals attacked alleged Naxalites as well as their family members. The family of a Congressman wasn't spared either. Grotesque killings took place as more than 100-1000 people were torched, gunned down or hacked to death. The police never bothered to give any official number. There has been call for a judicial enquiry but none took place even after 50 years have passed. The culprits were never brought to books. There are allegations by political activists that those policemen who were involved in the killings were later promoted to higher ranks.
In Kuthighat, there was an old house/lodge of Nigerian merchants.

Geography

Location

Baranagar is located at. It has an average elevation of 12 metres. It is situated east of the Hooghly River. Baranagar Municipal area lies between Sinthee More and Dunlop.
Baranagar is bounded by Dakshineswar and PWD Road on the north, Noapara metro depot and adjacent areas of South Dum Dum on the east, Sinthee and Cossipore in Kolkata district on the south and Hooghly river on the west.

Police Station

Baranagar police station under Barrackpore Police Commissionerate has jurisdiction over the parts of Baranagar Municipal areas.

Climate

In summer, i.e. from April to June, the weather remains hot and temperatures range from a maximum of to a minimum of.
Monsoon season prevails during beginning-June to mid-September. Also retrieving monsoon from mid-October till mid-November.
The weather is quite pleasant, the summers and winters are moderate. The level of moisture increases during summers.

Notable residents

Spiritual Leaders

Population

As per the 2011 Census of India, Baranagar had a total population of 245,213, of which 126,187 were males and 119,026 were females. Population below 6 years was 16,825. The total number of literates in Baranagar was 208,779, male literates are 110,118 and female literates are 98,661.
India census, Baranagar had a population of 250,615. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Baranagar has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 8% of the population is under 6 years of age.
ReligionPopulation Percentage Population Percentage
Hinduism 45,10982.84%232,83994.95%
Islam 8,87416.29%7,2692.96%
Sikhism 50.01%2,8101.15%
Christianity 2420.44%6530.26%
Others2210.40%1,6420.68%
Total Population54,451100%245,213100%

Languages

Almost 82% of the population speaks Bengali while 15% speaks Hindi and Urdu. There is a significant Punjabi speaking population as well owing to the significant Sikh population who migrated here during 1984 anti-Sikh riots. There has been significant increase in Hindi-Urdu speaking population due to migration from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Some localities within the city now has Hindi as the dominant language.

Kolkata Urban Agglomeration

The following Municipalities, Census Towns and other locations in Barrackpore subdivision were part of Kolkata Urban Agglomeration in the 2011 census: Kanchrapara, Jetia, Halisahar, Balibhara, Naihati, Bhatpara, Kaugachhi, Garshyamnagar, Garulia, Ichhapur Defence Estate, North Barrackpur, Barrackpur Cantonment, Barrackpore, Jafarpur, Ruiya, Titagarh, Khardaha, Bandipur, Panihati, Muragachha New Barrackpore, Chandpur, Talbandha, Patulia, Kamarhati, Baranagar, South Dumdum, North Dumdum, Dum Dum, Noapara, Babanpur, Teghari, Nanna, Chakla, Srotribati and Panpur.

Infrastructure

As per the District Census Handbook 2011, Baranagar Municipal city covered an area of 7.12 km2. Amongst the civic amenities it had 160.23 km of roads and both open and closed drains. Amongst the medical facilities it had 55 medicine shops. Amongst the educational facilities it had 49 primary schools, 33 middle schools, 33 secondary schools, many higher secondary schools and 2 non-formal education centres. Amongst the social, recreational and cultural facilities it had 2 cinema/theatres and 2 auditorium/ community halls. It had 20 bank branches.