Bardhaman district is one of the fastest productive industrial districts of India which is known for its natural resources. The district covers over 7,000 km and is situated in a favourable position as it is flanked by five other districts of West Bengal namely Birbhum, Murshidabad, Nadia, Hooghly and Bankura. In the northwest region the district meets the state of Jharkhand.
Interestingly, the headquarters of the district also share the same name i.e. Bardhaman city. It is commonly believed that the district got its new name after the Jain spiritual leader, Mahavir Bardhaman, visited this place. Mahavir Bardhaman, the 24th Jain Tirthankar, lived in a small village of Ajahapur near Memari Railway Station which presently falls under NH2.
During the 16th century, the place gained immense prominence when the Mughal leader Sufi pir Baharam settled in the outskirts of the town of Sharifabad. Baharam arrived and settled here in a bid to escape from the atrocities laid upon him by his rivalries, Abul Fazal and Faizi. During the Gupta period, the place was better known as Sharifabad and was an important agricultural and administrative centre. Even during the British rule, it became a hub of many patriotic activities.
Owing to its wonderful location, the district is always hustled with a lot of commercial and tourist activities. It can be said that the district is quite well planned in comparison of other districts of West Bengal. It consists of six subdivisions namely Asansol, Kalna, Durgapur, Katwa, Sadar – south and Sadar – north.The National Highway 60 or NH 60 connects the district to the surrounding regions and rest of the state. The other two National Highways namely NH 60 and NH 28 also cover a wide area across the district. All major townships including Durgapur, Asansol, Raniganj, Andal, etc. are connected to major roads. The railway network of the Bardhaman district is connected to two major branch lines. One connects to Katwa and the other connects to Howrah.
Over the past decade Bardhaman has flourished both in agricultural and technological terms. The eastern region is blessed with the rich alluvial soil due to the presence of River Bhagirathi. On the other hand, the western soil is loaded with mineral resources. Various industries based on iron, steel and cement have been established in the townships of Durgapr, Asansol, Rajganj, Murnur Kulti etc. It is to be noted that a major portion of Bardhaman overview is dependent on its growth which took place amid 1955-1965. Today, the region is better known as a rising industrial belt owing to the industrialised zones of the Durgapur and Asansol Subdivisions.
Author’s Bio – Leon Grant is the editor of Bardhamanlive. He, along with her team, is efficiently conducting various research activities in order to prepare and present a complete Bardhaman overview.
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