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.
The word Baranagar derives from the Bengali term Barahanagore (Bengali: বরাহনগর), meaning "City of the Hogs". (বরাহ: hog, নগর: city)
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.[29]
There are several explanations for the etymology of this name:
Map of Bengal by De Barros in 1550 showing "Bernagar" which refers to BaranagarBaranagar or Barahanagar, meaning the "big" (Bara) and "town or land" (nagar) of the "pig" (baraha).[19]
Baranagar might be named after Varaha avatar of Vishnu.
Cities and towns in the southern portion of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district M: municipal city/ town, CT: census town, N: neighbourhood/ administrative location Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
Dutch Kuthi in BaranagarMap of Bengal by Van de Broucke in 1660 showing "Barrenger" which refers to Baranagar
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.[7] The Dutch had homes there in the seventeenth century.[33]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.[29] A major road (Surya Sen Road) parallel to the Hooghly river connects Baranagar Bazaar with Dakshineswar. In between temples such as Kaancher Mandir (i.e. Glass Temple),[34]Joy Mitra Kali Bari[35] 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.[36] 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 (presently under Kolkata M.C.), all mouzas of present Baranagar Municipal Area along with Kamarhati, Ariadaha and Dakshineswar mouzas of present Kamarhati Municipality. In 1881 North Suburban Municipality was divided into two parts, 1) Cossipore- Chitpur Municipality (later amalgamated with Kolkata Municipal area) and 2) 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.[19]
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 [1] 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 an judicial enquiry but none took place even after 50 years have passed.[2][3] 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 (Baranagar), there was an old house/lodge of Dutch merchants.[37][38]
As per the 2011 Census of India, Baranagar had a total population of 245,213, of which 126,187 (51%) were males and 119,026 (49%) were females. Population below 6 years was 16,825. The total number of literates in Baranagar was 208,779 (91.41% of the population over 6 years), male literates are 110,118 (93.69%) and female literates are 98,661 (89%).[2]
As of 2001[update] India census,[67] 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.
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.
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.[70]
Baranagar was once economically enriched for many Industrial factories like "Bengal Immunity company", "Baranagar Jute Mill".[71] Hessian, sacking, fabrics, carpets and bags from jute (Corchorus spp) are manufactured in the jute mill, while almost every other factories are now permanently shut down. The Baranagar Jute Mill is one of the oldest jute mills still running. Over The service sector includes the rest of the city's economy. Baranagar is also home to numerous cotton-processing companies, offset & digital printers and Purushottam Publishers, an academic book publishing company.[72]
Baranagar Road railway station is situated in Baranagar. It is a Kolkata suburban railway station. It is one of the oldest railway station. Sealdah - Dankuni line's trains pass through this station.[75] However, trains here are not as frequent as other lines connected to suburbs of Kolkata from Sealdah.
Barrackpore Trunk Road (part of both SH 1 and SH 2) passes through Baranagar.[82]Belghoria Expressway also passes through Baranagar. Dunlop Crossing is one of the largest crossings near Kolkata which connects Kolkata with Northern suburban areas and Howrah, Hooghly.[83][84][85] Another important road is Gopal Lal Tagore Road which is connected to B.T. Road at Sinthee More (via Kashi Nath Dutta Road), at Tobin More (via Baghajatin Road) and also at Dunlop. Gopal Lal Tagore Road is also connected to Dakshineswar via Deshbandhu Road-Surya Sen Road (through Alambazar). Many buses ply along all these roads.[82]
Kali Puja at Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission in 2013
Baranagar Math near Pramanick ghat is the place where Swami Vivekananda and a few other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna Dev started their spiritual journey that culminated in forming the monastic order later located at Belur Math,the present headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission.[108] Other places worth visiting are Jay Mitra Kalibari, Pramanick Kalibari, and Kouleswar Mandir. Pathbari Mandir is a place where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the great religious leader, set his foot on his way to Puri nearly five hundred years ago here.[111] In Baranagar a math has been set up very recently, called Alambazar Math in the heritage building where Swami Vivekananda first put up after coming back from abroad.[109]
The Annapurna Temple and the newly built Omkarnath Temple are also other two attractions of the "Mahamilan Math".[112]Trailanga Swami Math is also here in Baranagar at Vidyayatan Sarani. There is also an old kalibari in Baranagar Bazar and one in Kutighat and Pramanicghat.
Baranagar has a gurdwara named "Dunlop Gurudwara" near Dunlop Bridge, a church named "St. James' Church, Baranagar"[113] near Sinthee More along with many mosques.
Baranagar is famous for Durga Puja. Popular Durga Puja organizations like Netaji Colony Lowland, Bandhudal Sporting club, Noapara Dadabhai Sangha, Karmi Sangha, Kalakar para, Ashokgarh Sarbojanin, Nainan Bandhav Samiti, Mullick Colony, Shibmandir maath, Satin sen Sangsad, Friend's association, Rabindranagar Yubak brinda - all lie in Baranagar.[114][115][116] In every winter, a circus is organised at 'Sinthi Circus Maidan' named "Ajanta Circus".[117]
Annual fairs- textile and handloom fair in March–April season and Durga Puja Sharadiya fair in September–October season in Sinthi More Circus and mela ground.
Jhulanbari in Jhulantala and Pathbari are famous for celebrating the festival of Jhulan Jatra and Rash Jatra.
Baranagar also hosts some of the biggest Kali Pujas. Haowa Shokal, Bonhoogly Yubak Sangha, Kalpataru Seva Samiti, Pally Shanti Sangha, Kalitala Maath and Baranagar Boro Ma are among the popular ones.
The annual Saraswati Puja is also widely celebrated in the area.
Christmas celebrations at the Baranagar St. James Church also attracts thousands of visitors.
Kalpataru Utsav held on the New Year's Day, the day on which Sri Ramkrishna Became Kalpataru and fulfilled the wishes of his desciples, also attracts thousands of devotees to Baranagar. Devotees visit the infamous Baranagar Math and Ramkrishna Maha Smashan in Baranagar and also the nearby Cossipore Udyanbati and Dakshineshwar Temple.
Recently in 2019, Alambazar Shyam Mandir has been inaugurated by then Governor of Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar.
^Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Peter Roach; James Hartmann; Jane Setter (eds.), English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN3-12-539683-2
^“Industrial Railways and Locomotives of India and South Asia” compiled by Simon Darvill. Published by ‘The Industrial Railway Society’ 2013. ISBN 978 1 901556 82-7. Available at http://irsshop.co.uk/India. Reference: Entry WB125 page ....
^"District Census Handbook North Twenty Four Parganas, Census of India 2011, Series 20, Part XII A"(PDF). Section II Town Directory, Pages 781-783 Statement I: Growth History, Pages 799-803; Statement II: Physical Aspects and Location of Towns, Pages 791-794; Statement III: Civic and other Amenities, Pages 795-796; Statement IV: Medical Facilities 2009, Pages 803-805 Section: Educational, Recreational and Cultural Facilities. Directorate of Census Operations V, West Bengal. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
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