| Sant Kabir Nagar district संत कबीर नगर जिला |
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Location of Sant Kabir Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh |
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| State | Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Administrative division | Basti |
| Headquarters | Khalilabad, India |
| Area | 1,659.15 km2 (640.60 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,152,110 (1991) |
| Literacy | 33 per cent (1991) |
| Lok Sabha Constituencies | Sant Kabir Nagar, Khalilabad |
| Official website | |
Sant Kabir Nagar district (Hindi: संत कबीर नगर जिला) is one of the 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. Khalilabad town is the district headquarters. Sant Kabir Nagar district is a part of Basti Division. The district is bounded on the north by Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj districts, on the east by Gorakhpur district, on the south by Ambedkar Nagar district and on the west by Basti district. The district occupies an area of 1659.15 km2.
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The district is named after the 15th century mystic poet Kabir, who lived in Maghar town in the district. One popular legend of his death, which is even taught in schools in India (although in more of a moral context than a historical one), says that after his death his Muslim and Hindu devotees fought over his proper burial rites. The problem arose since Muslim custom called for the burial of their dead, whereas Hindus cremated their dead. The scene is depicted as two groups fighting around his coffin one claiming that Kabir was a Hindu, and the other claiming that Kabir was a Muslim. However, when they finally open Kabir's coffin, they found the body missing. Instead there was a small book in which the Hindus and Muslims wrote all his sayings that they could remember; some even say a bunch of his favourite flowers were placed. The legend goes on to state that the fighting was resolved, and both groups looked upon the miracle as an act of divine intervention. In Maghar, his tomb or Dargah and Samādhi Mandir still stand side by side.
Sant Kabir Nagar district was created on September 5, 1997. The new district comprised 131 villages of erstwhile Basti tahsil of Basti district and 161 villages of erstwhile Bansi tahsil of Siddharthnagar district. Before September 5, 1997 it was the tehsil for Basti District.
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sant Kabir Nagar one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).[1] It is one of the 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[1]
The district has 3 tehsils, Khalilabad, Mehdawal and Dhanghata. There are three Vidhan Sabha constituencies in this district: Khalilabad, Mehdawal and Dhanghata. All of these are part of Sant Kabir Nagar Lok Sabha constituency.
According to the 2011 census Sant Kabir Nagar district has a population of 1,714,300 ,[2] roughly equal to the nation of The Gambia[3] or the US state of Nebraska.[4] This gives it a ranking of 283rd in India (out of a total of 640).[2] The district has a population density of 1,041 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,700 /sq mi) .[2] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 20.71 %.[2] Sant Kabir Nagar has a sex ratio of 969 females for every 1000 males,[2] and a literacy rate of 69.01 %.[2]
| Siddharthnagar district | ||||
| Basti district | Gorakhpur district | |||
| Sant Kabir Nagar district | ||||
| Ambedkar Nagar district |
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