Krishnanagar, Nadia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Krishnanagar
v  d  e
West Bengal • India
District(s) Nadia
Coordinates 23.4° N 88.5° E
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area
Elevation

• 14 m (46 ft)
Population 139,070 (2001)

Coordinates: 23.4° N 88.5° E

Krishnanagar is a municipality and administrative headquarters of Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Krishnanagar is located at 23.4° N 88.5° E[1]. It has an average elevation of 14 metres (45 feet). It is the headquarters of Nadia district. The town is well connected by road to different parts of the state, and also has a railway junction. The major agricultural products of the area include rice, jute, and sugarcane, and industrial activities include sugar milling and ceramic manufacturing.

Located 118 km north from Kolkata, Krishnanagar is on the banks of Jalangi river. It was the residence of Raja Krishnachandra, a great patron of art and culture.

[edit] Places of interest

Rajbari: (Royal Palace) with a beautiful Durga temple in the courtyard. Every year, the famous Jhulan Mela is celebrated around the Rajbari in the July / August months and Baro Dol (as it is held 12 days after Dol Purnima) in March / April.

Roman Catholic Church: The church is famous for its architectural and sculptural splendour. There are 27 oil paintings describing the life of Jesus Christ. Of special mention are the wooden sculptures by Italian artists.

Others include the College Bhavan (1846), The Public Library (1856), the Krishnanagar Academy and the Protestant Church. The clay models / figurines crafted here are collectors’ items.

In a locality of Krishnagar called Ghurni, there is a colony of artists who work with clay. These artists produce images of Hindu gods and goddesses for traditional worship throughout the year, as well as clay models of human figures and real life objects. Open studios and shops of the artists comprise an important attraction for tourists. It is said that initially it was Raja Krishnachandra who settled a few families of talented clay artists in the area. Since then the colony has grown and flourished. Some of the artists have recently worked with other media as well. Mr.Gautam Pal a noted sculptor, for example, works with stone and concrete. Incidentally Mr. Gautam Pal is famous for his statues of Mahatma Gandhi. Almost all Gandhi statues in India including the one in the Parliament building at New Delhi is sculpted by this artist.

Halwaikars or moyras (who prepare sweets) of Krishnagar are famous. While they produce all varieties of sweets, there are some which bear the hallmark of the city. 'Sarbhaja' and 'Sarpuria' are inventions that mark the talent of Krishnagar's halwaikars. Specially the shop of "Adhar Chandra Das" is famous for the above mentioned sweet variants.

Krishnagar is an important centre for culture and literature. It boasts literary figures like Bharat Chandra, Dwijendra Lal Roy and Narayan Sanyal among others. There is a vibrant culture of literary exchange among small groups of writers and poets, and there is a strong tradition of stage acting.

Jagaddhatri Puja is celebrated with great grandeur at Krishnagar, when lightings from the town of Chandannagar are brought.

←Contact Information

Mr.Gautam Pal Studio-Di-Scultura. CL-23, Sec-II, Salt Lake City Kolkata-700091 India.

Ph: 033-359-1836 E-mail: sculptor@vsnl.net E-mail: sculptor_gautam_pal@yahoo.com Website: http://www.gautampal.com/

Studio-Di-Scultura. Ghurni-741103 Krishnagar Nadia, W.B India

Ph: 03472 53083 / 52583

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Cities and towns in Nadia District
Aistala | Bablari Dewanganj | Baruihuda | Chakdaha | Char Brahmanagar | Char Maijdia | Cooper's Camp | Darappur | Gayespur | Gopalpur | Hanskhali | Haringhata | Jagadanandapur | Kalyani | Karimpur | Krishnanagar | Kshidirpur | Madanpur | Mayapur | Nabadwip | Nasra | Parbbatipur | Phulia | Ranaghat | Santipur | Satigachha | Taherpur