Kharagpur is the 4th largest city of West Bengal in area after Kolkata, Durgapur and Asansol. It is the 5th most settled city of West Bengal after Kolkata, Asansol, Siliguri, and Durgapur. Kharagpur is one of the highly developed towns of West Bengal. It is blessed with natural picturesque beauty. It is famous for educational institute Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, Kharagpur).
Kharagpur has the third longest railway platform in the world and one of the major railway workshops in India. Kharagpur has an Air Force pedestal in Kalaikunda. The most famed milestone of Kharagpur is the railway station itself. It is overlapped by many canals. Subarnarekha, Keleghai and Kangsabati are the important rivers.
Location of Kharagpur
Kharagpur is situated in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. It is one of the upcoming industrial cities of the state.
Geography of Kharagpur
Kharagpur is located at 22.330239 degree North 87.323653 degree East which covers a region of about 127 kilometres situated in south-western Medinipur. It has an average height of 29 metres.
History of Kharagpur
Kharagpur was a small village enclosed with dark forests in the 16th century. When the 12th king of Mallabhum, Kharga Malla conquered it, Kharagpur got its name. Kharagpur was a part of the Hijli Kingdom. It was ruled by rulers of Hindu Oriya as a feudatory under Gajapati Kings of Odisha.
Mughal Emperors settled at Sutanuti in Kolkata to set up their business in Eastern India and this was the start off the East India Company in India. The primary railway firm at Kharagpur started with the commissioning of the rail link between Cuttack and Balasore to Kharagpur and from Sini to Kolaghat through Kharagpur.
Demography of Kharagpur
Kharagpur Urban Agglomeration had a population of 293,719 where 150,487 were males and 143,232 were females as per the 2011 census. The literacy rate for the population was 85.61.
Climate of Kharagpur
Total yearly rainfall of Kharagpur is around 1400mm. Kharagpur has a steamy damp and dry climate. Summers begin in March and are warm and moist. In monsoon season, Kharagpur sees about 1140 mm (45 inches) of rain. Winters are cold with standard temperatures around 22 degrees Centigrade.
Culture and People of Kharagpur
Bengali, Telugu, Hindi are broadly spoken languages in Kharagpur. The main celebration of all is the Dussehra or Ravan Pora. The different places of worship in Kharagpur include "Durga Mandir" situated at Gole Bazar, Sitala Mandir at Puratan Bazar, Jama Masjid at Gole Bazar, "Kanaka Durga Temple near Nimpura, "Jagannath Mandir" near Gate Bazar, "Gurudwara" at Subhaspally and at Nimpura, Jalaram Temple at Jhapatapur and a number of spiritual structures.
The most popular festivals here are Durga Puja, Eid-ul-Fitr, Ganesh Puja, Eid-ul-Azha, Saraswati Puja, Shab-e-Barat, Kali Puja, Muharram, Ammavaari Puja, Navratri, Barah wafat and others. There is a temple named Khargeshwar Shiva Temple, located on the border of the city. It is believed to be the place where the legendary Bhima destroyed the demon Hirimba. The temple itself draws its name from King Kharag Singh Pal who built it.
Tourism in Kharagpur
Jagannath Temple, Kali Temple, Digha Science Center, Jhareswar Temple are some of the attractions of Kharagpur. Bishnupur-Joyrambati-Kamarpukur is also another famous place of Kharagpur and the distance is of 1hour 45 Minutes by train from Kharagpur to bishnupur. It is famous for historical terracotta art. Joyrambati and kamarpukur are the birthplaces of Sarada Maa and Sri Sri Ramakrishnadeva. Kharagpur railway station has its historical significance too.
Education in Kharagpur
Much of Kharagpur is dominated by the celebrated Indian Institute of Technology which is one of the leading technical education institutions in the world. Other educational institutes are Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur, School of Medical Science and Technology, Midnapore Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Kharagpur Tribal B.Ed. College, Kharagpur College, Nalanda Classroom Complex, Takshashila etc.
Visiting information of Kharagpur
Kharagpur is well connected with the other parts of the country. There are regular trains from other foremost cities of the country to Kharagpur. Kharagpur does not have a bus stand. Nearest option is Digha via NH-6. Instead of Kharagpur, people can a take flight to Netaji Subhas Chandra Airport on normal root.