Bagmundi
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| ?Bagmundi West Bengal • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 266 m (873 ft) |
| District(s) | Purulia |
| Population | 112,388 (2001) |
| Website: purulia.gov.in/egov/egov_initiative.html | |
| CD Bloc | |
Bagmundi (also spelt Baghmundi) (Bengali: বাঘমুন্ডি) is a town and community development bloc in Purulia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Bagmundi is well known for the Chhau dance masks.
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[edit] History
In 1833, Manbhum district was carved out of Jungle Mahals district, with head quarters at Manbazar. In 1838, the headquarters was transferred to Purulia. In 1956, Manbhum district was partitioned between Bihar and West Bengal under the States Reorganization Act and the Bihar and West Bengal (Transfer of Territories) Act 1956.[1]
[edit] Mythology
According to Hindu mythology, Rama and Sita had come to Ayodhya Hill, about 10 kilometres (6 mi) from Bagmundi and stayed during their exile. Sita was thirsty and Ram pierced an arrow through the earth's soil crust and through that water gushed out. Sita quenched her thirst. The place is known as Sita-kunda. During the full moon day in Baisakh every year tribals of nearby areas come and join in the game of hunting wild animals. [2]
[edit] Geography
Bagmundi is located at . It is at an altitude of 266 m (870 ft).[3]
The area forms the lowest step of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The general scenario is undulating land with scattered hills. The area around Bagmundi or Ajodhya Hill is an extended plateau.[4]
[edit] Demographics
In the 2001 census, Bagmundi community development bloc had a total population of 112,388 of which 57,650 were males and 54,738 were females. Decadal growth for the period 1991-2001 was 13.64% for Bagmundi, against 13.96% in Purulia district. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84%.[5]
Scheduled tribes at 28,272 formed around a quarter of the popluation. Scheduled castes numbered 13,101.[6]
[edit] Administration
Bagmundi is an intermediate panchayat in Purulia district, with Ajodhya, Bagmundi, Beergram, Burda-Kalimati, Matha, Serengdih, Sindri and Tunturi-Suisa village panchayats under it..[7]
[edit] Economics
Purulia Pumped Storage Project with an installed capacity of 900 MW (4 X 225 MW) is being set up in Ajodhya hills under Bagmundi police station with the loan assistance of Japan Bank for International Cooperation. [8]
[edit] Culture
[edit] Chhau dance mask
Chhau dance is popular in the area. All the characters in the dance are required to wear masks and as such cannot express the moods with facial expressions. Such moods are expressed with body and head (with the mask) movements. While mask movements show anger, shoulder and chest movements portray joy, melancholy, courage etc. The masks used in Chhau dance are made in Charida village in the Bagmundi area by sutradharas (artisans), who have been engaged in such work for generations. The artisans, who are familiar with the details of the Indian epics, that form the base of Chhau dance themes, produce masks that bear testimony to their artistic skills.[9]
[edit] Radha Govinda temple
There is a Radha Govinda temple within Bagmundi Rajbari, dating back to 1733. It is an atchala (right domed) temple with floral and geometrical terracotta designs but no figures. The rasmancha (stage) of a comparatively new temple has terracotta figures - enthroned Rama and Sita with entourage, Krishna in rasmandala with the gopis, episodes like the holding up of Giri Gobardhan, or the killing of Bakasur, and many secular figures and animals-all crudely modelled.
[edit] Sports
Pinki Paramanik, a 22-year-old athlete from the remote village of Tilakdih in Bagmundi block, won a gold medal at the 15th Asian Games women's relay in Doha in 2006. She brought her first international medal at the 18th Commonwealth Games women's relay race, by winning silver in Melbourne. She made a golden hat trick at the 10th SAF Games, securing gold in 400, 800 and women's relay. She is now all set to fly to the Beijing Olympics, 2008. [10]
[edit] References
- ^ Historical background. Purulia District. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ Ayodhya Hill. SeeMyIndia. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ Baghmundi. Falling Rain Genomics. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ Houlton, Sir John, Bihar, the Heart of India, 1949, p. 170, Orient Longmans Ltd.
- ^ Provisional population totals, West Bengal, Table 4, Purulia District. Census of India 2001. Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ TRU for all Districts (SC & ST and Total). Census 2001. Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
- ^ Village Panchayats of West Bengal. Purulia. National Panchayat Directory, Panchayat Informatics Division, NIC. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ Purulia Pumped Storage Project. West Bengal State Electricity Board. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
- ^ West Bengal Chhau. India Line Expeditions. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
- ^ Pal, Nani Gopal. Pinki braces for Beijing Olympics. The Statesman, 21 March 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
[edit] See also
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