Banka District
Encyclopedia
Banka is one of the thirty-eight districts
of Bihar
in India
.
at the Secretariat building near Patna on 11 August 1942. Jha was born in Khadihara near Dhakamod, Banka. Sri Kirti Narain Singh and Sri Navpatrika Prasad Singh of Narayanpur were the first District congress Presidents of Bhagalpur District.Veteran reformer and freedom fighter Sri Ramni Mohan Singh from Narayanpur was the founder-president of the Banka Congress
committee. To protest the prevalent custom of non-education for women, Ramni Mohan Singh offered his first child, Smt. Bindhyavasini Devi, MA Hindi (Shantiniketan) into social service; she was elected MLA from Banka (1957–1967). Banka has been an attractive destination for veteran socialists. Madhu Limaye
represented the constituency two times. George Fernandis and Rajnarayan also contested the parliamentary election from this constituency. On the other side, there were number of veteran leaders in Congress party: Smt Vindhyavasini Devi, MLA ( 1957–1967),Smt. Shakuntala Devi
ex M.P., ex chief minister of Bihar Chandrashekhar Singh
,Sri Chaturbhuj Singh Ex. M.L.A., Ex Rajyasabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Singh, ex MP Manorama Singh, and ex MLA Jai Prakash Mishra. The Late Shri Digvijay Singh (14 November 1955 – 24 June 2010) was an Indian politician from the state of Bihar and was an independent Member of the Parliament of India, representing Banka in the Lok Sabha
, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.Bnka palyed vital role in freedom of India. Sri Sharbeswar Prasad Singh of Narayanpur is the veteran congress member of Banka District.He is on of the oldest freedom fighter of banka.He was also the congress persident of Banka for many year.
Digvijay Singh served as a Member of the Parliament of India five times – three times in the Lok Sabha (1998, 1999, 2009) and two times in the Rajya Sabha (1990, 2004). He served as Union Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
government (1999–2004) and Chandrashekhar Government (1990–1991). He was also a successful sports administrator, having served as President of the National Rifle Association of India since 1999. He was one of the three (George Fernandis, Digvijay Singh, and Nitish Kumar) founding members of the Samta party. Now Putul Singh is the member of parliament from this constituency.
, has its headquarters at Banka
town. Banka district occupies an area of 3020 square kilometres (1,166 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to Canada
's Akimiski Island
.
(Orissa); a smaller urban population could contribute to this ranking.
The timber industry in Banka, once thriving, suffered during the Rashtriya Janata Dal
regime but has gained momentum in recent years. There are not many sawmills left, but there is potential. Due to government policy, it is difficult to flourish. The source of raw timber is also a problem; the local industry is very dependent on local sources of timber, as opposed to cheaper foreign sources like Malaysia and New Zealand
.
Due in large part to the efforts of the late Digvijay Singh, Banka is starting to become a destination for large investment. A thermal power project promoted by Abhijit Industries, Kolkata, is coming up in Bounsi, Banka, and the sugarcane industry is flourishing in Amarpur
. Green Energy Solutions, Bangalore, is another renewable energy company. Through a patented technology of rural portable generators, all 6.5 lac Indian villages can be electrified immediately by using available bullocks or other draught animals as a source of power generation. A generator production plant is being set up near Barahat.
Banka is gradually becoming a religious tourism hotspot for Hinduism
and Jainism
. Old Mandar Parvat (also known as Mandarachar Parvat in Puran) has many place to visit. A Jain temple at the summit, in close proximity to a Vishnu temple, is a sign of religious tolerance. Every year in January, Bounsi Mela is organised, which depicts the village life of the Mandar region. A Ratha-Yatra procession of Lord Madhusudanah occurs every year on the same day as the Rath Yatra procession in Puri
. Fourteenth-century Vaishnava
saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
started this Rath Yatra during his visit to Mandar.
Banka is a largely agrarian economy and is considered the rice bowl of Bihar. The main crops are rice, wheat, corn, and lentils. Amarpur is the densely-populated block of Banka district. The Amarpur belt produces sugar cane and is home to gur sugar
mills.
An issue for many smaller village industries in Bihar is lack of branding for products. High-quality, locally produced goods, even in large volumes, contribute to lower earnings for business owners because of a lack of awareness of more profitable business practices.
Banka is strategically located near the source of raw materials for heavy industries. Its proximity to Jharkhand
(bordering Deoghar
, Dumka
, and Godda
) and the river Chandan makes it a very strong contender for coal based power plant investment and other heavy Industry.
In 2006 the Indian government named Banka one of the country's 250 most backward districts
(out of a total of 640
). It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Out of 11 blocks, 9 are Naxal
affected.
Villages: Kakwara, Rajon, Amarpur, Dhoraiya, Katoria, Bausi, Shambhuganj, Pakaria, Pararia, Barahat, Belhar, Chandan, Samukhia More, Balarpur,Saruka.
-Bounsi line to Rampurhat
, which is well-connected to Howrah, is being developed, as is a line connecting Sultanganj
to Jasidih
through Banka.
Banka district has a population
of 2,029,339, roughly equal to the nation of Slovenia
or the US state of New Mexico
. This gives it a ranking of 228th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 672 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 26.14 %. Banka has a sex ratio
of 907 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 60.12 %.
It has a population
of 1,608,773 (as of 2001). There are 1,409,352 Hindus and 190,051 Muslims (11.81%).
, an Indo-Aryan
language written in the Devanagari script and spoken by at least 725 000 people in the Angika Region
.
is located in Karharia, Banka. Every year during Durga Puja
, devotees from many parts of India visit this temple. Two temples—Narshimha (one of the incarnations of Vishnu
) Temple and Digamber Jain Tirthanakar—are located at the top of a mountain known as Mandar Parbat, which is about 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) tall and made of a single piece of stone. The management of the Narsimha temple is under a trust. There is also a very old Avantika Nath temple at the bottom of Mandar Parvat. The Avantika Nath Temple Trust, founded by the late Babu Biro Singh of the village of Sabalpur, looks after the temple. Kailash Pathak is the Sevayat of the Avantika Nath temple.
A Mahalakshmi
temple is located in front of Paapharni Pond. Recently a Lakshminarayan Temple was built in the center of Paapharni through the contributions of local people. It is managed by a trust headed by Fateh Bahadur Singh of erstwhile Sabalpur state.
The district is known for its rich tribal culture and its handicrafts and hand looms. The homemade Khadi and silk of the area are popular.
, Kashi Vidyapith
, and Bihar Vidyapith universities. The university was founded by social worker Ramani Mohan Singh of Narayanpur
and Anand Shankar Madhavan. It was located on land provided by the late Harivallav Narayan Singh, a social reformer, freedom fighter, and landlord of Azadnagar, Sabalpur. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
, the first president of the Indian Republic, was the founding president of Mandar Vidyapith, and Dr. Anugraha Narayan Singh
was its first acting president. Anand Shankar Madhavan, a Gandhian and lover of Hindi literature from south India, was the first Acharya and Kulpati (Chancellor) of the university; Acharya Givind Jha of Lakhpura was Upkulpati (vice chancellor) and Professor Ramshankar was HOD Economics and principal. After independence, the Gandhian dream of a Hindi university was unsuccessful.
In 1993 an English medium school, Adwaita Mission, was started by one of Madhvan's Anandmargi disciples, Mr Aditya, and is being run inside the campus of old Mandar Vidyapith.
6.29°N 1.21°W
Districts of Bihar
Bihar, a state of India, has currently thirty-eight administrative districts.A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a district magistrate or a deputy commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service...
of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
History
Banka is the homeland of great revolutionary Satish Prasad Jha, one of seven martyrs who hoisted the flag of IndiaFlag of India
The National flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and India green; with the Ashok Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, when it became the...
at the Secretariat building near Patna on 11 August 1942. Jha was born in Khadihara near Dhakamod, Banka. Sri Kirti Narain Singh and Sri Navpatrika Prasad Singh of Narayanpur were the first District congress Presidents of Bhagalpur District.Veteran reformer and freedom fighter Sri Ramni Mohan Singh from Narayanpur was the founder-president of the Banka Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
committee. To protest the prevalent custom of non-education for women, Ramni Mohan Singh offered his first child, Smt. Bindhyavasini Devi, MA Hindi (Shantiniketan) into social service; she was elected MLA from Banka (1957–1967). Banka has been an attractive destination for veteran socialists. Madhu Limaye
Madhu Limaye
Madhu Limaye was an Indian Socialist essayist and activist, particularly active in the 1970s. A follower of Ram Manohar Lohia and a fellow-traveller of George Fernandes, he was active in the Janata coalition that gained power at the Centre following the Emergency; he, with Raj Narain and Krishan...
represented the constituency two times. George Fernandis and Rajnarayan also contested the parliamentary election from this constituency. On the other side, there were number of veteran leaders in Congress party: Smt Vindhyavasini Devi, MLA ( 1957–1967),Smt. Shakuntala Devi
Shakuntala Devi
Shakuntala Devi is a calculating prodigy who was born on November 4, 1939 in Bangalore, India. Her father worked in a "Brahmin circus" as a trapeze and tightrope performer, and later as a lion tamer and a human cannonball. Her calculating gifts first demonstrated themselves while she was doing...
ex M.P., ex chief minister of Bihar Chandrashekhar Singh
Chandrashekhar Singh
Chandrashekhar Singh was a member of the Indian National Congress and served as the Chief Minister of Bihar from August 1983 to March 1985. He also held a number of Cabinet Minister positions in the Cabinet of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi....
,Sri Chaturbhuj Singh Ex. M.L.A., Ex Rajyasabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Singh, ex MP Manorama Singh, and ex MLA Jai Prakash Mishra. The Late Shri Digvijay Singh (14 November 1955 – 24 June 2010) was an Indian politician from the state of Bihar and was an independent Member of the Parliament of India, representing Banka in the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.Bnka palyed vital role in freedom of India. Sri Sharbeswar Prasad Singh of Narayanpur is the veteran congress member of Banka District.He is on of the oldest freedom fighter of banka.He was also the congress persident of Banka for many year.
Digvijay Singh served as a Member of the Parliament of India five times – three times in the Lok Sabha (1998, 1999, 2009) and two times in the Rajya Sabha (1990, 2004). He served as Union Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
government (1999–2004) and Chandrashekhar Government (1990–1991). He was also a successful sports administrator, having served as President of the National Rifle Association of India since 1999. He was one of the three (George Fernandis, Digvijay Singh, and Nitish Kumar) founding members of the Samta party. Now Putul Singh is the member of parliament from this constituency.
Geography
The district, part of Bhagalpur DivisionBhagalpur Division
Bhagalpur division is an administrative geographical unit of Bihar state of India, with Bhagalpur as the administrative headquarters of the division. , the division consists of Bhagalpur District, and Banka District.-See also:...
, has its headquarters at Banka
Banka, Bihar
Banka is a city and a municipality in Banka district in the state of Bihar, India. The Hindi meaning of Banka is brave. Banka is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar in India. The district, part of Bhagalpur Division, has its headquarters at Banka town. The district occupies an area of...
town. Banka district occupies an area of 3020 square kilometres (1,166 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Akimiski Island
Akimiski Island
Akimiski Island is the largest island in James Bay , Canada, which is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the territory of Nunavut. It has an area of , making it the 163rd largest island in the world, and Canada's 29th largest island. Akimiski Island is only from the province of Ontario...
.
Economy
Banka has been ranked as the third least-developed district in India, after Kalahandi and RayagadaRayagada
Rayagada is a municipality in Rayagada district in the Indian state of Orissa. It is the administrative headquarters of Rayagada district.-Geography:...
(Orissa); a smaller urban population could contribute to this ranking.
The timber industry in Banka, once thriving, suffered during the Rashtriya Janata Dal
Rashtriya Janata Dal
The Rashtriya Janata Dal is a political party in India, based in the state of Bihar. The party was founded in 1997 by Laloo Prasad Yadav. The party came about as a result of Lalu Prasad Yadav, ex-president of Janata Dal, being evicted by Sharad Yadav, the then president, on corruption charges ...
regime but has gained momentum in recent years. There are not many sawmills left, but there is potential. Due to government policy, it is difficult to flourish. The source of raw timber is also a problem; the local industry is very dependent on local sources of timber, as opposed to cheaper foreign sources like Malaysia and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Due in large part to the efforts of the late Digvijay Singh, Banka is starting to become a destination for large investment. A thermal power project promoted by Abhijit Industries, Kolkata, is coming up in Bounsi, Banka, and the sugarcane industry is flourishing in Amarpur
Amarpur, Banka
See Amarpur for disambiguation.Amarpur is a city and a notified area in Banka district in the state of Bihar, India.-Geography:Amarpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 58 metres .-Demographics:...
. Green Energy Solutions, Bangalore, is another renewable energy company. Through a patented technology of rural portable generators, all 6.5 lac Indian villages can be electrified immediately by using available bullocks or other draught animals as a source of power generation. A generator production plant is being set up near Barahat.
Banka is gradually becoming a religious tourism hotspot for Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
. Old Mandar Parvat (also known as Mandarachar Parvat in Puran) has many place to visit. A Jain temple at the summit, in close proximity to a Vishnu temple, is a sign of religious tolerance. Every year in January, Bounsi Mela is organised, which depicts the village life of the Mandar region. A Ratha-Yatra procession of Lord Madhusudanah occurs every year on the same day as the Rath Yatra procession in Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
. Fourteenth-century Vaishnava
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India in the 16th century, believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna...
started this Rath Yatra during his visit to Mandar.
Banka is a largely agrarian economy and is considered the rice bowl of Bihar. The main crops are rice, wheat, corn, and lentils. Amarpur is the densely-populated block of Banka district. The Amarpur belt produces sugar cane and is home to gur sugar
Jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color...
mills.
An issue for many smaller village industries in Bihar is lack of branding for products. High-quality, locally produced goods, even in large volumes, contribute to lower earnings for business owners because of a lack of awareness of more profitable business practices.
Banka is strategically located near the source of raw materials for heavy industries. Its proximity to Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
(bordering Deoghar
Deoghar
Deoghar is the headquarters city of Deoghar District in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand, India. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre, having in Baidyanath Temple one of the twelve Shiva Jyothirlingams in India and also one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India.-Origin of...
, Dumka
Dumka
Dumka, headquarters of Dumka district, is a city and municipality in the state of Jharkhand, India. It was made the headquarters of the Santhal Pargana region which was carved out of Bhagalpur and Suri districts after The Great Santal Hul 1855. Presently, it is the commissionary headquarter of...
, and Godda
Godda
Godda is a city and a municipality in Godda district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The district has an area of 2110 km². The district headquarter is Godda.-Geography:...
) and the river Chandan makes it a very strong contender for coal based power plant investment and other heavy Industry.
In 2006 the Indian government named Banka one of the country's 250 most backward districts
Poverty in India
Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of 1.25 a day...
(out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Divisions
Blocks:- Banka
- Amarpur
- Shambhuganj
- Belhar
- Phulidumar
- Katoria
- Chandan
- Baunsi
- Barahat
- Dhoraiya
- Rajoun
Out of 11 blocks, 9 are Naxal
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
affected.
Villages: Kakwara, Rajon, Amarpur, Dhoraiya, Katoria, Bausi, Shambhuganj, Pakaria, Pararia, Barahat, Belhar, Chandan, Samukhia More, Balarpur,Saruka.
Transport
A railway line connecting the existing BhagalpurBhagalpur
Bhagdattpuram was one of the most influential towns in "Aryavarta" . It is supposed to have been concurrent to Patliputra or Patna. Bhagdattpuram finds its mention in the Vedas and Ramayana as well. It is supposed to be the kingdom of Daanvir Karna, the son of Kunti and the Sun God...
-Bounsi line to Rampurhat
Rampurhat
Rampurhat is a city and a municipality in Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a small and peaceful town near the West Bengal / Jharkhand border...
, which is well-connected to Howrah, is being developed, as is a line connecting Sultanganj
Sultanganj
Sultanganj is a city and a notified area in Bhagalpur district in the Indian state of Bihar.-History:Sultanganj is a town in Bhagalpur district and has a railway station, of the same name on the loop-line of the Eastern Railway running from kolkata to Kiul. An excellent all-weather road connecting...
to Jasidih
Jasidih
Jasidih is a city and a notified area in Deoghar district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Geography:Jasidih is located at . It has an average elevation of 260 metres ....
through Banka.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Banka district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 2,029,339, roughly equal to the nation of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
or the US state of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. This gives it a ranking of 228th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 672 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 26.14 %. Banka has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 907 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 60.12 %.
It has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 1,608,773 (as of 2001). There are 1,409,352 Hindus and 190,051 Muslims (11.81%).
Languages
Languages used in the district include AngikaAngika language
Angika is an Indo-Iranian language of the Anga region of India, a 58,000 km² area approx. that falls within the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal....
, an Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
language written in the Devanagari script and spoken by at least 725 000 people in the Angika Region
Angika Region
Angika region comprises the following districts in the eastern part of India.Eastern & North-Eastern BiharNorth-Eastern JharkhandNorth-central West BengalAngika is the mother-tongue of people of this area and is closely related to Bangla language....
.
Culture
A famous temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess DurgaDurga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
is located in Karharia, Banka. Every year during Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
, devotees from many parts of India visit this temple. Two temples—Narshimha (one of the incarnations of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
) Temple and Digamber Jain Tirthanakar—are located at the top of a mountain known as Mandar Parbat, which is about 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) tall and made of a single piece of stone. The management of the Narsimha temple is under a trust. There is also a very old Avantika Nath temple at the bottom of Mandar Parvat. The Avantika Nath Temple Trust, founded by the late Babu Biro Singh of the village of Sabalpur, looks after the temple. Kailash Pathak is the Sevayat of the Avantika Nath temple.
A Mahalakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
temple is located in front of Paapharni Pond. Recently a Lakshminarayan Temple was built in the center of Paapharni through the contributions of local people. It is managed by a trust headed by Fateh Bahadur Singh of erstwhile Sabalpur state.
The district is known for its rich tribal culture and its handicrafts and hand looms. The homemade Khadi and silk of the area are popular.
Flora and fauna
Banka is a district with full of greenery and forests. The Katoriya, Suiya, and Chandan blocks are mostly covered by forests.Education
In 1945, freedom fighters established Mandar Vidyapith, a Nationalistic university, in Banka to impart Indian education, after the model of Gujarat VidyapithGujarat Vidyapith
The Gujarat Vidyapith is a major university located in Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat in India. It was founded in 1920 by Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement...
, Kashi Vidyapith
Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth
Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith is a public university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is administered under the state legislature of the government of Uttar Pradesh. The university has more than 227 affiliated colleges spread over six districts of Uttar Pradesh and lakhs of students...
, and Bihar Vidyapith universities. The university was founded by social worker Ramani Mohan Singh of Narayanpur
Narayanpur
Narayanpur is a town located in Lakhimpur district of the north eastern Indian state Assam. It falls under Bihpuria constituency of Assam Legislative Assembly and under Narayanpur Police Station. Narayanpur is also the name of the development block....
and Anand Shankar Madhavan. It was located on land provided by the late Harivallav Narayan Singh, a social reformer, freedom fighter, and landlord of Azadnagar, Sabalpur. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was an Indian politician and educator. He was one of the architects of the Indian Republic, having drafted its first constitution and serving as the first president of independent India...
, the first president of the Indian Republic, was the founding president of Mandar Vidyapith, and Dr. Anugraha Narayan Singh
Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha , known as Bihar Vibhuti, was an Indian statesman who was the first Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister of the Indian state of Bihar...
was its first acting president. Anand Shankar Madhavan, a Gandhian and lover of Hindi literature from south India, was the first Acharya and Kulpati (Chancellor) of the university; Acharya Givind Jha of Lakhpura was Upkulpati (vice chancellor) and Professor Ramshankar was HOD Economics and principal. After independence, the Gandhian dream of a Hindi university was unsuccessful.
In 1993 an English medium school, Adwaita Mission, was started by one of Madhvan's Anandmargi disciples, Mr Aditya, and is being run inside the campus of old Mandar Vidyapith.
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6.29°N 1.21°W