Baraut

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?Baraut Uttar Pradesh • India
Baraut
Coordinates: 29°06′N 77°16′E / 29.1, 77.27
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	• 231 m (758 ft)
District(s)	Baghpat
Population	85,822 (2001)

Coordinates: 29°06′N 77°16′E / 29.1, 77.27 Baraut is a city and a municipal board in Baghpat district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Earlier it was under Meerut District which was bifurcated into Meerut and Baghpat districts.

This small town is mostly inhabited by traders and farmers, most of the population consists of Jats, Muslims, Jains and Viswakarmas with Sikhs being the minority. The city is famous for its Jain temples and grand Jain functions organised every year.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Culture
4 Education
5 Problems of Baraut
- 5.1 Problems in development
6 Economy
7 External links
8 References

[edit] Geography

Baraut is located at 29.1° N 77.27° E^[1]. It has an average elevation of 231 metres (757 feet).

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001 India census^[2], Baraut had a population of 93544 estimated in late 2006. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Baraut has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 59% of the males and 41% of females literate. 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Culture

Baraut is a multi-religious place with many Hindu Temples, Jain Temples and Mosques around. There are 32 Temples, 35 Mosques, 1 Gurudwara and 2 churches around this region. One of the biggest temple in this area is known as Digamber Jain Bara Mandir. It is very famous and holds big importance here. It is worth seeing and cannot be described in words.

On the day of Mahavir Jayanti (Birth of Bhagwan Mahavir) during month of April a three-day carnival is organised every year.

Another Hindu carnival is organised during Dusshera following Ramlila (Play depicting life of lord Rama).

Another big Hindu temple in the heart of the city is Panchvati Temple, on the bank of nahar (stream of water). This temple has three parts, first with Goddess Santoshi Ma temple, second is Ram Temple and third part is Ganesh and Hanuman ji temple.

[edit] Education

Baraut city is also the major centre of education . Digambar Jain College, started by the Gangaram Kishorilal Jain family and Janta Vedic college are famous. Master Umaraosingh Sharma was the founder teacher. In Baraut city all the courses are available up to the research level especially in the field of agriculture. The Janta(Jat) Vedic College is famous for its quality education in the field of agriculture. The newest institute DIET [District Institute for Education and Training] is set up by the education deptt. of UP in Baraut city at Barka road. Jain Polytechnic is famous for technical education.

Janta Vedic College:Janta Vedic College, Baraut (Baghpat), was established long time back in 1949. The entire credit goes to the then poor peasantry of the region who having deep faith in Arya Samaj, formed a society and go it registered in 1920 under Society Registration Act in the name of Jat Shiksha Sabha and started Jat Vedic High School which rose to undergraduate and postgraduate level in 1949 and 1956 respectively. It was affiliated to Chaudhary Charan Singh University (formerly Meerut University), Meerut, and was also included under section 2(f) and 12(b) of UGC Act.

Since its inception, the college developed into a multi-faculty co-educational college having more than 4,000 students, imparting quality education in the faculties of Arts, Science, Agriculture, and Education. Each department is well equipped with all the necessary modern teaching aids as well as excellent laboratories with computers (wherever needed) which are put to their optimum use by highly qualified faculty members.

Sprawling campus situated on a tributary of yamuna canal spread over more than 40 acres of land surrounded by high raised brick walls and railings, having well-developed lawns of more than 10 acres. Concrete roads parked with big rare trees connecting different roads give it a unique picture-sque and elegant look of a beautiful university.

[edit] Problems of Baraut

Baraut is like any other small town in UP full of many temples and other places of worship but surrounded everywhere with garbage, sewage, stench, waste, dust, mosquitos, flies, monkeys, pigs and other animals, potholed broken paths/roads, unhygienic conditions, various problems-electricity-power cuts, erratic water supply, stolen or broken telephone, electricity wires, intimidations, assaults, thefts, burglary, kidnapping for ransom, law & order, booth-capturing security etc.

In rented buildings and premises an illegal practice is rampant--the tenants quietly handover the premises to others after taking money, also called 'pugree'much to the loss of the owners. The amounts run in to lakhs. The small shopkeepers are also making a huge amount of money by paying almost negligible rents for shops, premises taken on very low rents e.g. Rs.10/12/35 per month long back.

There is the office of the SDM (under the DM Baghpat and Commissioner Meerut Division), Tehsil,Police CO (Under the SP Baghpat/DIG/IG Meerut), Municipality,BDO,SDO Telephones, Electricity supply, Central Excise etc.

The monkeys are a big problem. But the devotees of Sree Hanumanji offer them food and prayers. It is learnt that monkeys will be caught and released in a sanctuary (whether environmental experts will consider it a proper place is not known) in the jungles near Hastinapur. Hastinapur is a pilgrimage centre for the Jains.

[edit] Problems in development

The town of Baraut is only about 50-60 km from Delhi. It is in the NCR.But its development is very bad as compared to that of the capital-Delhi.

While all roads leading out of Delhi have developed, the road leading from Delhi to Baraut is not. There is a vast mushrooming of houses and colonies in the area between Loni and the Yamuna river (earlier a water, flood- affected swampy area of the Yamuna/Jamuna river). UP government has developed a well planned township the Tronica city, where growth is seen recently. After this there was hardly any growth.

The main reason being that the area is bordering the river Yamuna where there are many places for the thugs, bandits and looters to hide. There are fields and groves of trees and bhattas where also the criminals could hide (More details can be had from the concerned Thanas. The roads in this area have become notorious for looting in the night and other crimes. Drivers are afraid to venture on the Delhi -Baraut road after dark.

Villagers also are afraid of going back to their villages after dark. Just after Barnawa there is a river area and trees on both sides of road before Sardhana mod. There are frequent cases of looting by bandits in this area.

Of late due to reports of sanction of six laning between Delhi and Baraut or maybe up to Baghpat the land prices have shot up and there is buying spree of land. One can see boundary walls with gates coming up around plots of land purchased by various people as a sort of investment to cash in on appreciation and other commercial activity expected, once the six laning is started.

It is also heard that an outer ring road is also coming up between Sonepat(Haryana and somewhere between Baghpat and Khekra, going to connect Faridabad and all around Delhi(NCR-National Capital Region).

[edit] Economy

The town gets a flow of people from the surrounding villages right from morning for their buying and selling needs. Villages have agriculture as their mainstay. Area is fertile being close to the river Yamuna/Jamuna. Main crops appear to be wheat, sugarcane and mustard. In fruits mangoes and guavas are grown. Grapes too but not so sweet. Watermelons, muskmelons and 'kakri' make their appearance during summers. Rim and dhura and agricultural implements are the small scale industries and few sugar mills and khandsari units abound.