Baranagar
Baranagar (Bengali: বরানগর) or Barahanagar, meaning the big (Bara or Burra) and town or land (nagar) of the pig (baraha), is a town in the northern outskirts of Kolkata. It is a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. A railway station of the same name is on the Dankuni line off the Sealdah north section. It is home to the Indian Statistical Institute, the famous gun shell factory of the Indian Ministry of Defence, and an important jute mill on the banks of Hooghly river. It is a major industrial center for the manufacture of agricultural and industrial machinery, chemicals, castor oil, and matches; there are also numerous cotton-processing companies. It is the fourth most densely populated city proper in the world.
The Dutch mynheers had homes here in the seventeen century. Streynsham Master who visited the area in 1676 spoke of the hog factory where about 3,000 hogs a year were slaughtered and salted for export. Later it became the centre for the extensive jute trade, manufacturing gunny bags. A major road parallel to the river Hooghly connects Baranagar bazaar with Dakshineswar. In between temples such as Kaancher Mandir (which is made of glass), Joy Mitra Kali Bari, and Pathbari are located.
Baranagar is located at 22.64°N 88.37°E. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).It is situated east of the Hooghly River. Baranagar Municipal Area lies between Sinthee More and Dunlop.
More particularly to say, the boundary of Baranagar is - in East, the Rail line from sealdah towards Krishnanagar; in West - the holy river Ganges, in North - PWD road and in South - Baranagar Bazar.
As of 2001 India census, Baranagar had a population of 250,615. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Baranagar has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 8% of the population is under 6 years of age.
In Baranagar stands the headquarters of the Indian Statistical Institute. Among the major educational institutes of Baranagar, are Bramhananda Keshabchandra College, Bonhoogly College of Commerce (currently known as Prasanta Chandra Mahalanabis Mahavidyalaya, named after world recognised statistician Prof. P.C.Mahalanabis - the founder of Indian Statistical Institute), Baranagar Vidyamandir for Boys (H.S), Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Primary and High School, Baranagar Narendra Nath Vidyamandir (started by Captain Narendra Nath Dutta), Rajkumari Memorial Girls' School, Ananda Ashram Sarada Vidyapith,Baranagar Netaji Colony Bharti Girls' Institution. Netaji High School,Baranagar Rameswar H.S. School,Jyotinagar Bidyashree Niketan,Sinthee Ray Bahadur Badridas Tulsan Vidyapith, Baranagar Mayapith Girls' High School etc .....
Baranagar has a Kali temple at Dakshineswar, the Rashmoni Mandir named after its founder Rani Rashmoni. The temple is a heritage building. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was the priest and Swami Vivekananda visited this place in his youth. Baranagar Math near Pramanick ghat is the place where Swami Vivekananda and a few other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna Dev started their spiritual journey that culminated in forming the monastic order later located at Belur Math. Udyan Baati, also called Cossipore Math, is another significant destination for the followers of Sri Ramakrishna, where he became the Kalpataru on 1 January, 1886. Other places worth visiting are Jay Mitra Kalibari, Pramanick Kalibari, and Kouleswar Mandir. Pathbari Mandir is a place where Gouranga, the great religious leader, set his foot on his way to Puri nearly four hundred years ago.here, in baranagar a math has been set up very recently, called"alambazar math" in the heritage building where swamiji first put up after coming back from abroad.There is also one secondary school for minorities e.i. Alambazar Urdu High school.Baranagar vidyamandir for girls
Except these Hindu temples, Baranagar has one church near Sinthee More and many mosques within its area.
Though the Baranagar is well dominated by the Hindus but peoples of every religion peacefully reside here. Alambazar area is dominated by Muslims.