Khardaha


Khardaha is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is near Kolkata and also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.

History

Initially Khardah was a part of South Barrackpore and West Barrackpore municipalities established in 1877. South Barrackpore Municipality was renamed Khardah Municipality in 1920.

Geography

Location

Khardaha is located at. It has an average elevation of. It has a railway station on the Sealdah-Ranaghat section, sandwiched between Sodepur and Sukchar and Titagarh. The railway station divides the town into two parts - the eastern part is known as Rahara, while the western part is known as Khardaha.
Khardaha is bounded by Titagarh on the north, Patulia and Bandipur on the east, Panihati on the south and the Hooghly River on the west.
96% of the population of Barrackpore subdivision lives in urban areas. In 2011, it had a density of population of 10,967 per km2. The subdivision has 16 municipalities and 24 census towns.
For most of the cities/ towns information regarding density of population is available in the Infobox. Population data is not available for neighbourhoods. It is available for the entire Municipal area and thereafter ward-wise.

Demographics

Population

As per the 2011 Census of India, Khardah had a total population of 108,496, of which 54,879 were males and 53,617 were females. Population below 6 years was 7,332. The total number of literates in Khardah was 95,469.
As of 2001 India census, Khardaha had a population of 116,252. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Khardaha has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83% and female literacy is 79%. In Khardaha, 8% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Kolkata Urban Agglomeration

The following Municipalities, Census Towns and other locations in Barrackpore subdivision were part of Kolkata Urban Agglomeration in the 2011 census: Kanchrapara, Jetia, Halisahar, Balibhara, Naihati, Bhatpara, Kaugachhi, Garshyamnagar, Garulia, Ichhapur Defence Estate, North Barrackpur, Barrackpur Cantonment, Barrackpore, Jafarpur, Ruiya, Titagarh, Khardaha, Bandipur, Panihati, Muragachha New Barrackpore, Chandpur, Talbandha, Patulia, Kamarhati, Baranagar, South Dumdum, North Dumdum, Dum Dum, Noapara, Babanpur, Teghari, Nanna, Chakla, Srotribati and Panpur.

Police station

Khardaha police station under Barrackpore Police Commissionerate has jurisdiction over Khardaha Municipal area and Barrackpore II CD Block.

Infrastructure

As per the District Census Handbook 2011, Khardaha municipal city covered an area of 6.87 km2. Amongst the civic amenities it had both open and closed drains. Amongst the medical facilities It had 115 medicine shops. Amongst the educational facilities It had 37 primary schools, 1 middle school, 13 secondary/ senior secondary schools and 1 degree college for arts/science/commerce. Amongst the social, recreational and cultural facilities it had 1 orphanage home, 1 stadium, 3 cinema/theatres, 3 public libraries and 3 reading rooms. It had 6 bank branches.
See also Cities and towns in Barrackpore subdivision

Economy

Industry

Major industries in Khardaha are:
passes through Khardaha.
78 is the most frequent bus in Khardaha which runs from Barrackpore Court to Esplanade. Besides many buses connect Khardaha to various neighbourhoods - 81/1, C28 and S32, S11, E32 etc.
Khardaha railway station on the Sealdah-Ranaghat line is 18.5 km from Sealdah railway station. It is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system.

Commuters

Around a total of 32 lakh people from all around the city commute to Kolkata daily for work. In the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section there are 34 trains that carry commuters from 30 railway stations. In the Sealdah-Shantipur section 32 trains carry commuters from 29 stations.

Education

has facilities for teaching from class 1 to 12 in both Bengali and English mediums. It is an all boys' school. Khardaha also has an all boys' college which is called, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, a part of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Both graduate and post graduate courses are taught. But, only Science subjects are offered here.
An all girls' school is located right by the side of Rahara Mission, called, Bhabhanath Institution for Girls. Kalyannagar Vidyapeeth, another school is also located in the area.

Health

Khardaha Municipal hospital or Balaram sevamandir is the main Govt. funded hospital in Khardaha. There are many private medical dispensaries with their own doctors and specialists scattered through town.

Culture

Every year in the month of December, Khardaha municipality organizes a flower show. Khardaha Utsav is organized on a regular basis, where singers from all over India come to entertain people. Khardaha book fair is a culturally significant event that takes place every year.
Nityanandu Mahaprabhu, a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Bengal, came and settled in a hut named Kunjabati at Khardaha.
26 Shiva temples were built on the bank of the Ganges, in the early 19th century by Ramhari Biswas and his son, Prankrishna.
David J. McCutchion describes several temples at Khardaha: