Contai
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Contai | |
  Contai
|
|
| State - District(s) |
West Bengal - Midnapore East |
| Coordinates | |
| Area - Elevation |
17.25 km² - 6 m |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population (2001) - Density |
77,497 - 4492/km² |
| Chairman | |
| Codes - Postal - Telephone - Vehicle |
- 721 401 - +91-3220 - WB-33-xxxx, WB-34-xxxx |
Contai (also known as Kanthi) ((Bengali: কাঁথি) is a Subdivisional town in the District of East Midnapore, West Bengal, India.
Contents |
[edit] History
Contai was originally a part of Hijli kingdom, a tributary state of Orissa ruled by the Hindu King Gopinath Pattnayak. Contai Subdivision was established in 1852, under the British Raj. Initially, Negua was the Subdivisional headquarter, which was shifted to Contai in 1863. Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was appointed as the Subdivisional officer in 1860. He selected Dariapur as the background of his famous novel "Kapalkundala". Dariapur is just few kilometers from Contai city and is situated by the Bay of Bengal at the confluence of Rasulpur River and Hooghly River.
This region was also glorified by the arrival of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in 1946 to lead the Freedom Movement against the British Raj. Out of a galaxy of freedom fighters from Contai, educationist Birendranath Sasmal (1881-1934) is a name to be remembered. The city belonged to the undivided Midnapore District before it was split into East and West on January 1, 2002.
[edit] Geography
Contai is located at [1]. It has an average elevation of 6 metres (19 feet). It is about 160-km away from Kolkata and 30-km from the beach town Digha
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India censusGRIndia, Contai had a population of 77,497. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Contai has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85% and, female literacy is 78%. In Contai, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Economy
Contai Subdivision is famous for its tourism, cashew crop, fishing and processing industries. The land is highly fertile and therefore, agriculture is also the major driving force that sustains the middle-class economy of this region. However, sometimes agriculture is affected by frequent floods due to torrential Monsoon rain and Cyclone formed from depressions in the Bay of Bengal.
[edit] Transportation
Contai is well-connected by roads/highways with other nearby cities and towns like, Digha, Dantan, Kharagpur, Midnapore,Tamluk, Haldia, Howrah, and Kolkata. The town is also connected by a rail link to Howrah/Kolkata which is again extended to Digha.The rail line is believed to have given a fillip to the local economy. For local transportation, bus, mini-bus, taxi, and cycle rickshaws are available. The opening of Central Bus-stand has eased the traffic congestion within the city to a great deal. The region holds great potential in tourism but lamentably enough, no other place except Digha has been developed properly.
[edit] Schools/Colleges
There are numbers of well-known schools and colleges in Contai. For higher education, besides the Prabhat Kumar Collegeunder the Vidyasagar University, there is an Ayurvedic College, a Polytechnic Engineering College, a Vetrinary College, etc. The literacy rate of Contai subdivision is as high as 95%. Major schools in Contai are: Contai High School, Contai Model Institution,Contai K.M.Bidhyabhaban, Contai Hindu Girls' School, Chandramani Brahmo Girls' School, Kishorenagar Sachindra Siksha Sadan etc.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Among many festivals in Contai, "Gandhi Mela" is the most popular. It is held during January/February each year. Many people from Contai and neighbouring subdivisions take part in "Gandhi Mela" not only for amusement but also for agricultural and industrial exhibitions. The Kapalkundala Temple, Hijli Mosque, Dariapur Light House, Rajbari, Junput, Shankarpur, and Digha are the main tourist attractions in Contai Subdivision.
[edit] References
| Cities and towns in Purba Medinipur district |
|---|
 |
