Suri, Birbhum

Suri
সিউড়ি
Siuri
Town
Suri

Location in West Bengal, India

Coordinates: 23°55′00″N 87°32′00″E / 23.9167°N 87.5333°ECoordinates: 23°55′00″N 87°32′00″E / 23.9167°N 87.5333°E
Country  India
State West Bengal
District Birbhum
Elevation 56 m (184 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 79,818
Languages
 • Official Bengali, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 731101
Telephone code 91 3462
Vehicle registration WB 54
Lok Sabha constituency Birbhum
Vidhan Sabha constituency Suri
Website birbhum.nic.in

Suri, (Pron:ˈsʊərɪ) (also spelt as Siuri and 'Soori'), is the capital of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal, India.

Suri is located at 23°55′00″N 87°32′00″E / 23.9167°N 87.5333°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 56 metres (187 feet). Tilpara barrage on Mayurakshi river is located 3 km north-east of Siuri.

Economics

The chief industries of Suri include rice milling, cotton and silk weaving, and furniture manufacture. Suri was constituted a municipality in 1876.

In March 2008, a private Kolkata-based firm, Ramsarup Group, unveiled a proposal for large-scale investment. A greenfield power plant and cement manufacturing plant worth Rs 2200 crores (US $550 million) was submitted to the Government of West Bengal.[2] Bakreshwar Thermal Power Plant is around 12 kilometers away from Suri town.

Demographics

According to 1991 census Suri had a population of ~ 54,274 (Prelim). As of 2001 India census,[3] Suri had a population of 79,818.as of 2011 census population of suri town..3,10,000. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Suri has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 68%. In Suri, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Transport

Suri is 220 km from State capital Kolkata (Calcutta), 90 km from Durgapur, 34 km from Bolpur, Santiniketan, 55 km from Andal and 19 km from Sainthia on the Andal-Sainthia Branch Line of Eastern Railway.[4] It is on Panagarh–Morgram Highway.(known as N.H 60).Suri connects to Ahmadpur station via Purandarpur, and Kondaipur Village.

Transport system mainly depends on Govt. Bus Service N.B.S.T.C & S.B.S.T.C & Private Bus service From Suri, one can go to several large towns of West Bengal, like - Kolkata, Durgapur, Asansol, Medinipur, Digha, Burdwan, Malda, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Katwa,Mandarmoni,etc. and others. Suri is a model Railway Station (E.R).From Suri Railway Station, there are many trains to go to Howrah (via Andal-Durgapur-Bandel), like the Hool Express, Mayurakshi Express, Suri-Howrah(via-Prantic), etc.

Language

Most people communicate with each other in Bengali and some people use Hindi, English and Urdu to communicate with each other.

Education

Colleges in Suri include Suri Vidyasagar College and Birbhum Mahavidyalaya, both affiliated to the University of Burdwan. Birbhum Institute of Engineering & Technology and [Sri Ramkrishna Shilpa Vidyapith, also known as "L. C. College" provide technical education.Another 2 diploma technical colleges (private)at tasarkanta, suri,and bandhersole, suri. Also 5(five)D.ED. colleges and 3(three) B.ED. colleges situated at Suri. Total 18 higher secondary schools including 2 C.B.S.E. H.S. Schools(KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA,U.P.PUBLIC)and a W.B.B.S.E. English Medium school (St.Andrews). The Albatross Public School follows CBSE curriculum and also allows Cambridge International Examination. In 2010, an English medium school called The Levelfield School was set up by an IIT-IIM alumnus.


Suri Vidyasagar College main entrance

Civil Administration

There is a Suri municipality. It is divided into 19 wards. Currently, it is controlled by the Indian National Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance. In the 2010 municipal elections, the municipality faced a hung verdict. Later, the Trinamool Congress with 8 councillors, formed the municipal board by taking the support of 6 Congress councillors.

Local Specialities

Suri is famous for a special sweetmeat called Murabba & Achar (fruits/vegetables preserved in sugar syrup) comes in a wide number of varieties, which includes Murabba of Satamooli.

Places of Worship

Suri is famous for Dargah of Hazrat Data Mehboob Shah. Dargah is flocked by thousands of devotees every day. Some famous temples are situated in Suri. Moumachhi Club has established a Kali temple in Suri, which is unique and grand in this town. Other famous temples are Bamni Kalibari, Bhabatarini Kalibari, Dangalpara Anandpur Sarbajanin Matrimandir, Radha Ballav Mandir, Shani Mandir, Damodar Mandir, Rabindrapalli Kalibari, Rakshakali Temple, Kendua Dakshin Para Kali Mandir, etc.

Durga temple of CHATTORAJ family is a very old temple of the town. many gather at this temple on occasions and specially during the Puja.

Suri is also close to BAKREASWAR (20K.M by bus) Tarapith (30-45 mins by bus) and KANKALITALA by (45mins - 1hr by bus) which are two of the 51 Shakti peethas. [PATHARCHAPURI] (10K.M by bus).

There are a few mosques in Suri and among them, the Masjid at Masjid More and the one at Madrasa Road deserve special mention. There are three churches in this town.One is situated near the Fire Brigade Office, one beside the SH near SP More, and the other one is situated beside the R.T.Girls High School.

Festivals

Every year in Suri there is a very famous fair held, called the 'Barobagan Mela'(Now postponed due to political problems). This historic fair was inaugurated by the then Governor of Bengal Lord Brabourne. In 1940, this fair was blessed by none other than 'Kabiguru' Rabindranath Tagore. Religious festivals like Durga puja, Laxmi puja, Kali puja, Jagatdhatri puja, Hanuman puja, Eid, Muharram,Kurbani,sobabarat,nabidibas, Christmas etc. are celebrated in Suri.

During the Durga puja, many people visit the CHATTORAJ's DURGA TEMPLE to experience the traditional Durga Puja of about 200 years of existence. There is a lot of history behind this puja. Animal sacrifice is still in vogue. On the day of Dashami, footprints of the goddess are found on the plates full of 'sindur'. This puja was started by Bhairab Chandra Chattoraj, an ancestor of the family. On the day of Astami, white goat is sacrificed and on the day of Nabami, black goat is sacrificed. Many histories of this puja are yet to be revealed.

Other than these, Famous clubs like Chowrangee club, Agrani club, Jonaki club, Dangal para Anandapur Sarbajanin, Barabagan 1'er Palli, Tilpara,Baamdev(Santhal Pargana More) Meghdut etc. celebrate Durga puja with pomp and grandeur.

Park

A new park name 'Shahid Bhagat Singh Park' is situated in Suri near the Circuit House, which has already closed. Recently the park has been opened for commoners. Former District Magistrate of Birbhum Mr Khalil Ahmed had proposed the idea of building this park for the children of Suri. The work for the park started in 2004 and the park was complete in 2009. Also there are another parks in Suri one for children and other for senior citizen known as Lees Club Park,near the Chaitali Cinema hall and District Library.

Architecture

Tilpara Barrage over Mayurakshi river & Bakreshwar Thermal Power Project. There is also a temple of 'Terracota' (undertaken by ASI) near the Madrasah Road but it is closed.

Climate

The climate of the district is generally dry, mild and healthy. The hot weather usually last from the middle of March to the middle of the June, the rainy season from the middle of June to the middle of October, and the cold weather from middle of October to the middle of March. They do not always correspond to these limit. The wind is from the south-east in the summer and from the north-west in the winter.

River System

The district is well drained by a number of rivers and rivulets running in nearly every case from west to east with a slight southerly inclination. Only two are rivers of any magnitude, viz., the Mor and the Ajay, the latter of which marks the southern boundary, while the Mor runs through Birbhum from West to East. Both rivers are of considerable size when they enter the district, their width varying according to the configuration of the country, from two hundred yards to half a mile. The Ajay first touches the district at its south-west corner, and follows a winding course in an easterly direction, till it enters Burdwan at the extreme south-eastern angle of Birbhum, eventually falling into Bhagirathi near Katwa. The Mor enters Birbhum from the Santhal Paraganas near the village of Haripur and flows through the centre of the district from west to east, passing two miles north of Suri and forming the southern boundary of the Rampurhat Sub-division. It leaves the district a little east of Gunutia and joins Dwarka which itself is a tributary of the Bhagirathi. The Mor is also widely known as Mayurakshi meaning "the peacock eyed", i.e. having water as lustrous as the eye of the peacock. Between the Mor and Ajay there are a few large streams coming from beyond the western boundary, of which the Hinglo is the most important. It enters the District from the Santhal Paraganas some eight miles north of Ajay, flows through Dubrajpur thana, and gradually approaches that river, unites with it at Chapla, after a course in Birbhum of about 15 miles. Another river is the Bakreswar, which rises at hot spring of same name near Tantipara, some ten miles west of Suri, and after following a zigzag course eastward, and receiving one by one the waters of almost all the rivulets, joins the Mor a few miles beyond the eastern boundary of the district. Other important rivers of the district includes the Brahmani, the Bansloi, the Pagla, the Kopai or Sal.

External links

References

  1. ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Siuri
  2. ↑ "Ramsarup Group plans Siuri greenfield project". mJunction. 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ Eastern Railway time table