Contai

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For the symbolic necklace, see Satsangi.
Contai
কাঁথি
Kanthi
Town
Contai
Location in West Bengal, India
Coordinates: 21°47′N 87°45′E / 21.78°N 87.75°E / 21.78; 87.75Coordinates: 21°47′N 87°45′E / 21.78°N 87.75°E / 21.78; 87.75
Country  India
State West Bengal
District Midnapore East
Area
 • Total 17.25 km2 (6.66 sq mi)
Elevation 6 m (20 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 77,497
 • Density 4,492/km2 (11,630/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Bengali, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 721 401
Telephone code 91-3220
Vehicle registration WB-33-xxxx, WB-34-xxxx
Lok Sabha constituency Kanthi
Vidhan Sabha constituency

Kanthi Uttar,

Kanthi Dakshin
Website purbamedinipur.gov.in

Contai (also known as Kanthi) is head quarters of Contai subdivision in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, India. There are three community development blocks in Contai. According to the geologists, the present geographical dimension of contai, has formally came into existence, with the great natural disaster of the third century A.D.(flood) which created Chilka lake out of the Chilka Bay. Kanthi that is contai means “Sand bound reefs” or sand walls. The name contai may thus bean English expression of the locale jargon meaning Sand heaps.

Etymology

In the 15th century, during the visit of Fa-Hien, Contai was uninhabited and had no name for the outside world. In Valentine’s travelogue, a harbour, KENDUA by name, was mentioned. This harbour was on the bank of the river, a short distance from the Rasulpur estuary. Later the harbour was shifted to the present site of the Contai Town.However, it is said, the name of the abandoned port was retained for its new location, In foreigners tongue, Kendua is said to have changed first to Cauntee and finally to Contai, whereas in local tongue it has changed to Kanthi (kΛnө׀).

But linguists raise serious doubts about such change of pronunciation. They offer other suggestions.Mr.Yogesh Chandra Sarkar thinks that the name Kanthi owes its origin to outstretched sand-dune, about 27 miles from Rasulpur estuary to Peeplipattan, that from the sea looked like a long wall or Kanth (kΛnθ) as it is called by local people. Some suggest that the name may originate from the custom of local people to build long walls or Kanths around their habitation in order to keep off wild beasts like buffaloes, tigers and rhinoceroses that were found in abundance then and these Kanths gave the place its name.

Yet, some people, conversant with the local history, give another explanation. They say on the sand dunes lived Saints and Fakirs or witch doctors to whom afflicted people often came for cure and who asked them affectionately in somewhat Hindi, “Kanha thee?” meaning to say, ’where are you from? Gradually the cure-seeking people coming from distant places came to identify this unnamed place by those two words “Kanha thee”, and in course of time the words merged into one to give the virgin or Ahalya land a name.

History

Contai was originally a part of Hijli Kingdom, a tributary state of Orissa ruled by the Hindu king Gopinath Pattnayak. In 1852 the East India Company of British India announced Contai as a Sub-Division consisting of six police stations - Contai, Khejuri, Ramnagar, Bhagwanpur, Egra and Patashpur. But the Government continued working from Negua. The Sub-Division that covered 912 square miles (2,400 km2) was the second largest in Bengal . In 1863 when Nimak Mahal (the salt factory and business center) at Contai, in the teeth of a serious crisis, ceased functioning, the Sub-Divisional office was shifted from Negua to the abandoned Nimak Mahal building.

Location of Contai in Purba Medinipur district

Bankim Chandra Chottopadhyay, the precursor of Bengali novel, worked as the Deputy Magistrate of Contai, though for a short period, from January 1860 to November of the year. In 2002, Medinipur District was divided into two parts – Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur for the sake of administrative efficiency and expediency. Purba Medinipur consists of four Sub-Divisions – Tamluk, Contai, Egra and Haldia. Contai Sub-Division now consists of eight blocks of Ramnagar, Digha, Kanthi (Contai), Khejuri and Bhupatinagar.

For details history of Contai, see History of Contai

Geography and climate

Haldia
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
19
 
27
14
 
 
58
 
29
17
 
 
54
 
33
21
 
 
63
 
34
23
 
 
156
 
35
24
 
 
230
 
32
24
 
 
278
 
32
26
 
 
291
 
31
25
 
 
244
 
31
24
 
 
158
 
31
22
 
 
24
 
29
18
 
 
6
 
26
14
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Weather 2[1]

Contai is about 160 km away from Kolkata and 30 km from the beach town Digha.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[2] Contai had a population of 77,497. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Contai has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85% and, female literacy is 78%. In Contai, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Economy

Durga Puja in Contai

Contai Subdivision is famous for its tourism, cashew crop, fishing and processing industries. The land is highly fertile and therefore, agriculture is also the major driving force that sustains the middle-class economy of this region. However, sometimes agriculture is affected by frequent floods due to torrential Monsoon rain and Cyclone formed from depressions in the Bay of Bengal. Contai is also famous for Cashew Nut Industry and Salt Industry.

Transportation

Contai street at noon

Contai is well-connected by roads/highways with other nearby cities and towns like, Digha, Dantan, Jhargram, Kharagpur, Midnapore, Tamluk, Haldia, Howrah, and Kolkata. The town is also connected by a rail link to Howrah/Kolkata which is again extended to Digha.The rail line is believed to have given a rise to the local economy. For local transportation, bus, mini-bus, taxi, and cycle rickshaws are available. The opening of Central Bus-stand has eased the traffic congestion within the city to a great deal. The region holds great potential in tourism but lamentably enough, no other place except Digha has been developed properly.

Education

Contai P.K. College

There are numbers of well-known schools and colleges in Contai. For higher education, besides the Prabhat Kumar College, Contai under the Vidyasagar University, there is an Ayurvedic College, a Polytechnic Engineering College, a Veterinary College, etc. The literacy rate of Contai subdivision is as high as 97%.

List of schools in Contai
  1. Contai Kshetramohan Bidhyabhaban
  2. Contai High School
  3. Contai Model Institution
  4. Contai Hindu Girls' School (H.S.)
  5. Chandramani Brahmo Girls' School
  6. Rakhal Chandra Vidyapith
  7. Kishornagar Sachindra Siksha Sadan
  8. Contai Public School
  9. Kalikapur High School. 10.contai rahamania high madrasha H/S

11.contai muslim girl's school 12.contai sawkatia english mediam high madrasha school.

Health

There is a hospital in the Contai town named Contai Subdivisional Hospital.[3] People of this subdivision mainly depends on this hospital. There are also many private nursing home. Health of common people is generally well.

Culture

Among many festivals in Contai, "Gandhi Mela" is the most popular. It is held during January/February each year. Many people from Contai and neighbouring subdivisions take part in "Gandhi Mela" not only for amusement but also for agricultural and industrial exhibitions.There is also some cultural institution like Contai Bramho Samaj, Contai Harisabha etc. The regular Bengali festivals like Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and Kali Puja are well attended. Other common pujas in the worship of Sitala, Jagaddhatri, Holi, Janmastami, Bheema Puja also takes place.

Art and Craft

Contai is famous for Pital Kansa Silpo and Madur Silpo.

Notable People

  • Birendranath Sasmal, Freedom fighter
  • Raghunath Maity, Freedom fighter
  • Bolai Das Mahapatra, Freedom fighter

Tourist Spot

References

  1. ↑ "Climate History for Contai". Weather 2. Retrieved 27 July 2013. 
  2. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
  3. ↑ "Contai Sub Divisional Hospital". Contai.info. Retrieved 2013-06-24. 

External links

Junput travel guide from Wikivoyage

General
Subdivisions
Territories
Municipalities
Community development blocks
Tamluk subdivision
Haldia subdivision
Egra subdivision
Contai subdivision
Rivers
Transport
Railway stations
Institutes of higher learning
Lok Sabha constituencies
Vidhan Sabha constituencies
Former Vidhan Sabha constituencies
See also
  • Cities, towns and locations in Purba Medinipur district
  • People from Purba Medinipur district
  • Villages in Purba Medinipur district
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