Maurawan

Maurawan
Town
Maurawan Location in Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 26°26′N 80°53′E / 26.43°N 80.88°E / 26.43; 80.88Coordinates: 26°26′N 80°53′E / 26.43°N 80.88°E / 26.43; 80.88
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District	Unnao
Government
• Nagar Panchayat head	Naveneet Shukla
Elevation	121 m (397 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	14,116
Languages
• Official	Hindi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	209821
Telephone code	05142
Sex ratio	920 ♂/♀

Maurawan is a town and a nagar panchayat in the Unnao district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Geography

Maurawan is located at 26°26′N 80°53′E / 26.43°N 80.88°E / 26.43; 80.88.^[1] It has an average elevation of 121 metres (397 ft). Maurawan is 55 km from Lucknow, 42 km from Unnao, 45 km from Rai Baraily and 62 km from Kanpur. The nearest airport is Lucknow.

The great temple of the Goddess Durga, known as "Barkhandi devi", is one of most venerated places in the area around Maurawan. Not only those from Maurawan but also residents of other districts come to visit this sacred location. According to some, British officers tried to demolish the temple along with the "pindi", but as soon as they hit the pindi a loud tiger's roar frightened them into fleeing. The greatest number of visitors come to the temple during Navratri, and locals have worshipped the "pindi" daily since the time of that legend.

Etymology

It is believed that the name Maurawan is a distorted version of the town's earlier name "Mor-wan", which is a Hindi word meaning "jungle of peacocks". There is a myth concerning that name that revolves around the king Harishchandra, who was very faithful and never lied throughout his life. According to the myth, God decided to test his truthfulness and his faith and caused him to lose his kingdom and all his money, and his friends to become his enemies. A snake bit and killed his son, and his wife had become a maid for the new queen but could not even afford a funeral shroud and had to cover him with her torn sari. After this, God appeared in disguise and blessed the king for his faith despite the circumstances. He renewed Harischandra's kingdom and brought his son back to life. When Harischandra returned, the peacocks danced in rain and the God was so mesmerized by the lushness of the kingdom and its natural beauty that he blessed the kingdom and called it "Mor-van".The main reason behind the name is the kind king RAJA MAURADHWAJ after his name the town is named

Demographics

According to the 2001 Indian census,^[2] Maurawan had a population of 14,116. Males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%. Maurawan had an average literacy rate of 57.63%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 55% and female literacy was 42%. Fifteen percent of the population was under six years of age.

Tourism

Maurawan is famous for its havelis (mansions) and the ruins of ancient forts. It is also known for the sweet delicacies peda and rabdi, and for the small vendors that come from nearby villages to sell their wares. The locals re-enact the Hindu mythological book the Ramayana and many visitors come to see this performance.

Education

Maurawan has three inter (intermediate) colleges and one Sanskrit Maha Vidyalaya that offers a degree. The schools in Maurawan are:

1. K.N.P.N.Inter College (established in 1897)
2. B.K.H.R Inter College (noted for commerce program, established in 1914)
3. Hasrat Mohani School
4. Rama Devi Saras Swati Shishu Mandir (Hindu)
5. Sanskrit Maha Vidyalya
6. Madarsha Darsgah Islami (Muslim)
7. Madarsa Darul Uloom Ziyaul Islam (Muslim)since 1924 ad

Economy

The most common occupations in Maurawan are agriculture and business. Common crops include rice, wheat, pulses and mustard. Business revenue is generated through the transport and hotel industries, as well as the production of peda and rabdi. The Chandan Ganj market sells all varieties of goods to locals, but is particularly famous for seeds.

References