Bithoor

Bithoor is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage in Kanpur District near Kanpur city, in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Location

Bithoor is situated on the Kannauj Road, 27 km from center of Kanpur. Situated on the banks of the Ganges. It is a tourist place.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census^[1], Bithoor had a population of 9647. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Bithoor has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 70% and female literacy of 53%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

History

Bithoor does not find much mention in the historical texts and remains largely obscure, only to regain prominence in the 18th century. During 1753-75 under the rule of Nawab Shuja-ud-daula the administration of Bithoor was entrusted to Almas Ali Khan, who erected a mosque near Lakshman Ghat on the right bank of Ganges. Bithoor was the capital of the Pargana from 1811 to 1819. After the departure of the courts, the place was assigned as a residence to Baji Rao, the deposed Peshwa. The palace of Nana Sahib was reduced to rubble by the British in 1857 and the only traces remaining of it are some large well heads and broken palace walls. The existing Valmiki temple in Bithoor is said to have been rebuilt by Baji Rao Peshwa in the 19th century.

Indian Rebellion of 1857

Bithoor has been closely associated with the Indian independence movement, especially the war of 1857. It was at one time home to many of the rebellion's most prominent characters including the Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai. During the British Raj, Bithur used to be part of Cawnpore district (now Kanpur) in the United Provinces. The last of the Peshwas, Baji Rao II, was banished to Bithur; his adopted son, Nana Sahib, made the town his headquarters. Bithur was captured by Havelock on July 19, 1857. The town was laid waste by the British who razed Nana Sahib's palace and the temples in the town in retaliation for the brutal killing of over 500 British men, women and children who had been lured out of their defences at Cawnpore with a promise of truce.

In and around Bithoor

• Valmiki Ashram, deriving its name from the sage Valmiki, is located at a height and is accessible by a flight of stairs. From the location of the Ashram, one can have a panoramic view of Bithoor.
• Brahmavart Ghat is considered the holiest of the ghats of Bithoor. Devotees of Lord Brahma pray at the altar of the Wooden Slippers after taking a ceremonial bath in the Ganges river.
• Patthar Ghat, a ghat built of redstone and founded by Tikait Rai, a minister of Awadh State, has a temple by its side, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shivalinga in the temple is made of Kasauti, the philosopher's stone.

Other places are temples of Ram-Janki, Luv-Kush; an Ashram known as Haridham (dedicated to Lord Vishnu), and a monument dedicated to Nana Rao.

Recent developments

Recently, at Dhruv Teela, Digital Gangetic Plains- Media Lab (an IIT Kanpur initiative) has established a direct link from IIT Kanpur. The research at MLA Kanpur-Lucknow lab will demonstrate the application of recent developments in Wireless LAN technologies for rural connectivity by provisioning wireless Internet along the Kanpur-Lucknow corridor.

How to get there

Air : The nearest airport is Kanpur Airport at Chakeri city. The latter has become operational since January 1996 and is serviced by some private airlines.

Rail : Brahmavart Station of Bithur only supports local trains. Kalyanpur is the nearest station, but serviced only by passenger trains. Kanpur Central is the most suitable station for Bithoor.

Road : Major road distances are :-

• Kanpur - 22 km (via Kalianpur)
• Lucknow - 109 km (via Shuklaganj)
• Agra - 308 km {via Akbarpur, Ramabai Nagar(Kanpur Dehat)}
• Kannauj - 103 km (via Bilhaur)
• Sankisa - 166 km
• Delhi - 430 km (via Kannauj)
• Allahabad - 224 km (via Jajmau)
• Ayodhya - 252 km (via Shuklaganj)

External links

• Incredible India - site dedicated to tourism in India
• UP Tourism - site with information on Uttar Pradesh

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.