Bardhaman district in West Bengal

Bardhaman district ( বর্ধমান জেলা) (also spelled as Burdwan or Burdhman) is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol. In Medieval history, this area was known as Sharifabad
The name of Bardhaman city, which lends its name to the district, comes from the 24th Jain monk Tirthankar Mahavir Bardhaman. Probably Mahavir was from a village name Ajahapur situated close to the NH2, near Memari Railway Station

History

Bardhaman was important during Medieval age and while India was under British rule.

Prehistory

This fertile land was important even during the Gupta and Sena rule.

Medieval age

During the Mughal age, from the thirteenth century, the city of Bardhaman was known as Sharifabad. It was an important administrative center. When Sufi pir Baharam had to leave Delhi because of the plots of Abul Fazal and Faizi, he came to Sharifabad. His tomb is visited by both Muslims and Hindus.

Modern era

Post independence, Bardhaman became an important economic hub in West Bengal because of its location, and also due to the natural resources available in the region (esp Coal.)

Asansol subdivision

• Asansol municipal corporation.
• Three municipalities: Raniganj, Jamuria and Kulti.
• Barabani community development bloc consists of rural areas with 8 gram panchayats and two census towns: Pangachhiya (B) and Bhanowara.
• Jamuria community development bloc consists of rural areas with 10 gram panchayats and three census towns: Parasia, Kenda and Kunustara.
• Raniganj community development bloc consists of rural areas with 6 gram panchayats and ten census towns: Banshra, Chelad, Ratibati, Chapui, Jemari (J.K. Nagar Township), Amkula, Murgathaul, Raghunathchak, Ballavpur and Belebathan.
• Salanpur community development bloc consists of rural areas with 11 gram panchayats and three census towns: Chittaranjan, Hindusthan Cables Town and Jemari.

Durgapur subdivision

• Durgapur municipal corporation
• Durgapur—Faridpur community development bloc consists of rural areas with 6 gram panchayats and three census towns: Sarpi, Mandarbani and Sirsha.
• Galsi–I community development bloc consists of rural areas with 9 gram panchayats and one census town: Sukdal.
• Kanksa community development bloc consists of rural areas with 7 gram panchayats and three census towns: Prayagpur, Debipur and Kanksa.
• Andal community development bloc consists of rural areas with 8 gram panchayats and eleven census towns: Mahira, Kajora, Harishpur, Palashban, Dignala, Andal, Baska, Siduli, Khandra, Ukhra and Dhandadihi.
• Pandabeswar community development bloc consists of rural areas with 6 gram panchayats and ten census towns: Kendra Khottamdi, Ramnagar, Dalurband, Bilpahari, Nabgram, Sankarpur, Haripur, Konardihi, Bahula and Chhora.
• The census towns Chak Bankola and Parashkol are both partly in Andal block and partly in Pandabeswar block.

Kalna subdivision

• One municipality: Kalna
• Kalna–I community development bloc consists of rural areas with 9 gram panchayats and two census towns: Uttar Goara and Dhatrigram.
• Kalna–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 8 gram panchayats.
• Manteswar community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 13 gram panchayats.
• Purbasthali–I community development bloc consists of rural areas with 7 gram panchayats and three census towns: Srirampur, Hatsimla and Gopinathpur.
• Purbasthali–II community development bloc consists of rural areas with 10 gram panchayats and one census town: Patuli.

Katwa subdivision

• Two municipalities: Katwa and Dainhat.
• Katwa–I community development bloc consists of rural areas with 9 gram panchayats and one census town: Panuhat.
• Katwa–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 7 gram panchayats.
• Ketugram–I community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 8 gram panchayats.
• Ketugram–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 7 gram panchayats.
• Mongolkote community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 15 gram panchayats.

Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision

• Two municipalities: Bardhaman and Guskara.
• Ausgram–I community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 7 gram panchayats.
• Ausgram–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 7 gram panchayats.
• Bhatar community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 14 gram panchayats.
• Burdwan–I community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 9 gram panchayats.
• Burdwan–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 9 gram panchayats.
• Galsi–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 9 gram panchayats.

Bardhaman Sadar South subdivision

• One municipality: Memari.
• Khandaghosh community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 10 gram panchayats.
• Jamalpur community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 13 gram panchayats.
• Memari–I community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 10 gram panchayats.
• Memari–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 9 gram panchayats.
• Raina–I community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 8 gram panchayats.
• Raina–II community development bloc consists of rural areas only with 8 gram panchayats.

Overview of Bardhaman district in West Bengal
State	West Bengal, India
Administrative division	Burdwan
Headquarters	Bardhaman
Area	7,024 km2 (2,712 sq mi)
Population	77,23,663 (2011)
Population density	1,100 /km2 (2,800 /sq mi)
Urban population	36.94 per cent
Literacy	77.15 per cent
Sex ratio	922
Lok Sabha Constituencies	Asansol, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Bardhaman Purba (SC), Bolpur (SC) (partly), Bishnupur (SC) (with one assembly segment in the district)
Assembly Seats	Pandabeswar, Raniganj, Jamuria, Asansol Uttar, Asansol Dakshin, Kulti, Barabani, Bardhaman Uttar (SC), Bardhaman Dakshin, Monteswar, Bhatar, Galsi (SC), Durgapur Purba, Durgapur Paschim, Raina (SC), Jamalpur (SC), Kalna (SC), Memari, Purbasthali Uttar, Purbasthali Dakshin, Katwa, Ketugram, Mangalkot, Ausgram (SC), Khandaghosh (SC)
Major highways	NH 2, Grand Trunk Road, Panagarh–Morgram Highway, NH 60
Average annual precipitation	1442 mm