Malbazar

Malbazar
মালবাজার
Mal
City
Malbazar

Location in West Bengal, India

Coordinates: 26°51′N 88°45′E / 26.85°N 88.75°ECoordinates: 26°51′N 88°45′E / 26.85°N 88.75°E
Country  India
State West Bengal
District Jalpaiguri
Government
 • Municipality Chairperson Mr. Supratim Sarkar
Area
 • Total 2.56 km2 (0.99 sq mi)
Population (2001)
 • Total 23,212
 • Density 9,067/km2 (23,480/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Bengali, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 735221
Sex ratio 917 ♂/♀
Lok Sabha constituency Jalpaiguri (SC)
Vidhan Sabha constituency Mal (ST)
Website jalpaiguri.gov.in

Malbazar, also known as Mal, is a sub-divisional town, a municipality in Jalpaiguri district,[1] located in North Bengal, India. It lies about 65 km from Jalpaiguri and 55 km from Siliguri.

History

Before 1947 Malbazar was a very small place, mainly known for its tea gardens mostly owned by British people. Those tea gardens had a few Bengali white collar employees and the work force consisted of tribal people. After independence of India as well as partition of Bengal refugees from the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) started to settle here and there by cutting down forests. By that time, Dr. Narayan Chandra Bannerjee, who came there from Dacca (Dhaka) as a Medical Officer and earned a lot of respect for his effective medical treatments and social services, took initiatives to get the refugees settled there in an organised way. As a result some colonies came up. Later, due to his efforts Adarsha Bidya Bhawan (a boys' high chool), Subhasini Balika Vidyalay (a girls' high school) came up in the 1950s. A Govt. Hospital was also set up. Soon, the police station was shifted to Malbazar from nearby Kranti. In the 1970s Malbazar got its fire service station. Later, a street was named after Dr. Narayan Chandra Bannerjee long after his death.

In another major event during that period, Mrs. Rohit Kumari Sarkar (mother of Mr. Ranjit Sarkar, prominent business person of Malbazar in 1950s and grand mother of Mrs. Lipi Biswas, Founder Teacher of Caesar School) offered a huge stretch of land to Rev. John R. Thwaytes to set up an English Medium Co-Educational School (Caesar School) and a charitable institution (Boys Town Mal Society) at a nominal price. In the later years, the school had major contribution not only to the economy of the town of Malbazar but also to that of the entire region of Dooars and Terai. The school is still being successfully run by Caesar Educational Trust headed by Rev. John R. Thwaytes.

Geography

Mal is located at 26°51′N 88°45′E / 26.85°N 88.75°E.[2]

Malbazar is one of the more important towns in Dooars, the town is strategically located in the eastern part of the Dooars region, though the town itself does not have much to offer to the tourists except for the beautiful Mal Park but due to its strategic location on the national highway, one can stay at Malbazar and visit the important tourist destination of Eastern Dooars – Gorumara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Reserve, Jhalong, Bindu, Samsing, Suntalekhola are the famous tourist spots in this area. Kumlai is a famous picnic spot near Malbazar. There is a government tourist lodge in Malbazar apart from a few private accommodations. Malbazar is where an annual flower show is held, visited by people from places far and near.

Demographics

In the 2001 census, Malbazar had a population of 23,212 out of which 12,111 were males and 11,101 were females. Decadal growth for the period 1991–2001 was 13.81% for Malbazar, against 21.52% in Jalpaiguri district. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84%.[3]

Malbazar had a total scheduled caste population of 2,879 and a scheduled tribe population of 1,966.[4]

Education

There are five schools with 10th & 10+ facility –

Also there is a college called Mal Parimal Mitra Smriti Mahavidyalay.

Computer education centers:

Transport

The local train station, New Mal Junction, is connected by the newly converted Broad Gauge of the New Jalpaiguri-Alipurduar-Samuktala Road Line train line. The train line leads from the forests of North Bengal to the foothills near borer with Bhutan. Malbazar is well connected by road with important towns like Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. In fact, Malbazar became very popular to tourists as gateway to many more tourist spots like Gorumara, Chalsa etc. There exists a short route between Malbazar and Lava via Gorubathan.

Politics

The chairperson of Mal Municipality is Mr. Swapan Saha. & Vice Chairperson is Mr. Kundan Lohar.[5]

Tourist interests

Accommodations

Mal Tourist Lodge (run by West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation); Guest House of Mal Municipality, PWD Inspection Bungalow and some private hotels.

References

  1. ↑ Administrative setup of Jalpaiguri district from official website of Jalpaiguri District
  2. ↑ "Yahoo maps of Mal". Yahoo maps. Retrieved 29 November 2008.
  3. ↑ "Provisional population totals, West Bengal, Table 4, Jalpaiguri District". Census of India 2001. Census Commission of India. Retrieved 23 August 2007.
  4. ↑ "TRU for all Districts (SC & ST and Total)". Census 2001. Census Commission of India. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
  5. ↑ "Mal municipality". Official website of the Department of Municipal Affairs, West Bengal. Retrieved 29 November 2008.

External links