Bankura district in West Bengal

Bankura district ( বাঁকুড়া জেলা) is one of the seven districts of Burdwan Division in the Indian state of West Bengal. The district has been described as the “connecting link between the plains of Bengal on the east and Chota Nagpur plateau on the west.” The areas to the east and north-east are low lying alluvial plains. To the west the surface gradually rises, giving way to undulating country, interspersed with rocky hillocks.
Centre of the famous Malla kingdom of western Bengal, Bankura and its surrounding regions are identified with its historical and cultural significance for the later period of Middle Ages. Vaishnavism, which gained the status of state religion of the Malla kingdom in seventeenth century AD, shaped the culture of the region. The Malla Kingdom was annexed by British East India Company in 1765 and the modern Bankura district took its form in 1881 and was named after its headquarters.
There are different opinions about the etymology of the word Bankura. In the language of the Kol-Mundas, orah or rah means habitation. Banku means extremely beautiful. It may also have come from the word banka which means zig-zag. One of the most influential deities in the district is Dharmathakur and he is locally called Bankura Roy. According to local tradition, the town, which is presently the head quarters of the district was named after its founder, a chieftain named Banku Rai. Another legend has it the town was named after Bir Bankura, one of the twenty-two sons of Bir Hambir, the Raja of Bishnupur. He divided his kingdom into twenty-two tarafs or circles and gave one to each son. Taraf Jaybelia fell to the lot of Bir Bankura. He developed the town that now bears the name Bankura. It has also been suggested that the name is a corruption of the word Bankunda, meaning five tanks. The name Bacoonda is found in old official records.

Location of Bankura district in West Bengal
State	West Bengal, India
Administrative division	Burdwan
Headquarters	Bankura
Area	6,882 km2 (2,657 sq mi)
Population	35,96,292 (2011)
Population density	523 /km2 (1,350 /sq mi)
Urban population	235,264
Literacy	70.95 per cent
Sex ratio	914
Lok Sabha Constituencies	Bankura, Bishnupur (SC) - both with assembly segments in adjoining districts
Assembly Seats	Saltora, Chhatna, Ranibandh, Raipur, Taldangra, Bankura, Barjora, Onda, Bishnupur, Katulpur, Indas, Sonamukhi
Major highways	NH 60
Average annual precipitation	1,400 mm