Bulandshahr
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| ?Bulandshahr Uttar Pradesh • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 196 m (643 ft) |
| District(s) | Bulandshahr |
| Population | 176,256 (2001) |
| Codes • Pincode • Telephone • Vehicle |
• 203 xxx • +91 (5732) • UP-13-xxxx |
Bulandshahr (Hindi:बुलंदशहर, Urdu: بلند شہر) is a city and a municipal board in Bulandshahr district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bulandshahr District.
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[edit] History
The history of Bulandshahr begins even before 1200 BCE. This region is close to the capital of the Pandavas - Indraprastha and Hastinapur. After the decline of Hastinapur, Ahar, which is situated in the north-east of Bulandshahr District, became an important place for the Pandavas. Later the king Parma made a fort in this part of the region and a king named Ahibaran laid the foundation of a tower called Baran (sahar). Since it was perched on a highland it came to be known as "high city", which translates as Bulandshahr in Persian language. King Ahivarn or Ahibaran was a Kshatriya and a Suryavanshi (lineage of the Sun). He was the 21st descendant of Samrath (Emperor) Mandhata, the ruler of Ayodhya. As per Mahalakshmi Vrat Katha, it is under Emperor Mandhata lineage that at one stage son of King Vallabh, Agrasen was born and at another stage son of King Parmaal, Ahivarn was born; both of whom further started their own clans: Agrawal (or Agarwal) and Varnwal (or Barnwal).
As per an old treatise on Indian Caste system, 'Jati Bhaskar', it is understood that Samrath Mandhata had two sons, Gunadhi and Mohan. King Parmaal was the descendant of King Gunadhi while King Vallabh was the descendant of King Mohan.
In 1192 CE when Muhammad Ghauri conquered parts of India, his Senapati (Military commander) Qutubbudin surrounded Fort Barn and, with the help of traitors, was able to kill King Chandrasen Dor and in the process take control of the Barn kingdom.
After the fall of Barn-sahar, the Baranwal community lost leadership and direction and in the process scattered to different parts of India, mostly to the Gangetic plains of India, and started living under the various family names of Lala, Modi, Goyal, Bakshi, Choudhary, Patwari,Gupta's, Parsariya, Simriya, Nagar, Arya, Shah.
At present the Barnwal population is around half a million. They are mostly spread in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal along with a sprinkled presence in Rajasthan, MP and Maharastra and the neighboring Kingdom of Nepal. Some of them have spread globally and settled down in UK and USA.
The ancient ruins found at places in Bhatora Veerpur, Ghalibpur, etc. are indicative of the antiquity of Bulandshahr. There are several other important places in the District from where statues belonging to the medieval age and objects of ancient temples have been found. Even today, several of these historical and ancient objects such as coins, inscriptions etc. are preserved in the Lucknow State Museum. Moreover, according to the Hindu mythology the pandavas had an encounter with prajapati daksh, father-in-law of Hindu lord Shiva; the place of their conversation, a pond, is in Bulandshahr.
[edit] Revolt of 1857
During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a message of revolution was carried from Aligarh to Bulandshahar by Pandit Narayan Sharma on 10 May 1857.
The Gurjaras of Dadri and Sikandrabad area began demolition of inspection-bungalows, telegraph offices, and government buildings as they were perceived to be symbols of foreign rule. During this period, a number of government institutions were attacked, looted and burned to ashes.
[edit] Geography and layout
Bulandshahr is located at .[1] It has an average elevation of 196 metres (643 feet).
The city is located on the right bank of the Kali-Nadi River. The portion of the city on the bluffs was called Bulandshahr and the portion on the river bank was called Unchanagar.
Bulandshahr city is divided into two police districts, Kotwali Nagar (Urban) and Kotwali Dehat (Rural). King Ahibaran's tower which is still called Baran, remains a local landmark.
In the old days the king of Bulandshahr lived at Oparcoat (upper court).
The city's development authority is BKDA (Bulandshahr Khurja Development Authority). Its office is located near Bhoor Choraha which is the crossroad where Meerut Road, Ghaziabad Road, Bulandshahr Road and Aligarh road meet.
The main residential areas in Bulandshahr are: Krishna Nagar, Dr.Vishnu Dutt Wali Gali, Hari Enclave, Shivpuri, Uppar Court, D.M.colony, Kalaaam, Kalashaheed, Quraishiyaan and Teacher's Colony.
Also, the main market of Bulandshahr is a place called Ansari Road which extends and then merges into Chowk Bazaar.
Being in the vicinity of the National Capital Region has resulted in rapid development of Bulandshahr and in general improvement of the standard of its city life.
Bulandshahr city has one railway station from where there are trains to Meerut, Delhi, Khurja, Allahabad. It has an inter-state bus terminal that has regular bus services to most places inside Bulandshahr and is also connected to most of the important towns in neighboring districts.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India census,[2] Bulandshahr had a population of 176,256. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Bulandshahr has an average literacy rate of 63%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 69% and female literacy of 55%. 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Economics
[edit] Nuclear power plant
An atomic power plant, one among five such power plants in India, is located in nearby Narora. The plant, located near the Ganges, is of critical and strategic importance to India.
[edit] Pottery Industry
Khurja, a small town and a municipal board in Bulandshahr district is well known and famous for its pottery industry; chimneys of pottery plants dot the cityscape. Pottery industry of Khurja produces a variety of items - from cups and plates to highly sophisticated grand chandeliers and room partitions.
[edit] Population
1901 census: 18,959 2001 census: 176,256
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Bulandshahr
- ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
