Balrampur district General information
Balrampur district is one of the 70 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in India, and Balrampur town located on the bank of the Rapti is the district headquarters. Balrampur district is a part of Devipatan division. The district is bordered on the north and the northeast by Nepal, on the east by Siddharth Nagar district, on the southeast by Basti district, on the south and the southwest by Gonda district and on the west by Shravasti district.
origin of Name
The district is named after the erstwhile princely estate (Taluqdari) and its capital, Balrampur. The name of this estate was derived from its founder Balram Das, who founded it in c. 1600 CE.
History
The territory which the present Balrampur district covers was a part of the ancient Kosala kingdom.
Ancient period
Sravasti was the capital of Uttara (North) Kosala. The ruins of Sahet, ancient Sravasti, spread over an area of 400 acres. Towards the Rapti River, a little north of Sahet, lies the ancient city of Mahet. The fortified entrance to Mahet is made of mud, constructed in a beautiful crescent shape. The Sobhnath temple houses the great Stupas. These Stupas reflect the Buddhist tradition and boast of the history of the monasteries in Balrampur.
Jeetavana monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in the country is said to be one of the favorites sites of Gautam Buddha. It contains the 12th century inscriptions. The site was so religiously significant that the Emperor Ashoka, the great, visited this site. There is also a sacred tree of Peepal nearby. It is said that the tree was grown from a sapling from the original Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya.
Gautam Buddha spent 21 rainy season under the sacred Peepal tree. The famous incident of Angulimal happened in the forest of Sravasti only, where the cruel dacoit who used to kill people and wear a garland of their fingers, was enlightened by Gautam Buddha.
Another site of great religious importance in the city is Sravasti. It is said that Mahavira Jain, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, 'influenced' this place. It houses the famous Shwetambar temple.
Medieval period
The area covered by the district was a part of Bahraich Sarkar of Awadh Subah during the Mughal rule. Later, it came under the control of the ruler of Awadh till its annexation in February, 1856 by the British government. British government separated Gonda from Bahraich and it became a part of Gonda.
British and the post-independence period
During the British rule a commissionary was constituted for the administration of this area with its headquarters at Gonda and military command at Sakraura Colonelganj. During this period Balrampur was an Estate (Taluqdari) in Utraula tehsil of Gonda district, which consisted 3 tehsils, Gonda Sadar, Tarabganj and Utraula. After independence, Balrampur estate was merged with Utraula tehsil of Gonda district. On July 1, 1953 the tehsil of Uttraulla was bifurcated into two tehsils, Balrampur and Utraula . In 1987 three new tehsils were created from Gonda Sadar tehsil, namely, Tulsipur, Mankapur and Colonelganj. Later, in 1997 Gonda district was bifurcated into two parts and a new district, Balrampur was born consisting of three tehsils of the northern part of the erstwhile Gonda district, Balarampur, Utraula, and Tulsipur. In Balramur district famous palaces or mankapur pachperwa gainsari, rajderwa, chittorgarh jarwa, aunrahwa joorikuinwa chauraha kundaoo baundihar biskohar and bhanbhar.atal bihari bajapai electted mamber of parliament in 1957 first time from balarampur.
Overview
This district consists of three Tahsils Viz-Balrampur, Tulsipur and Utraula. There are Nine Blocks and thirteen Police Stations in this district. The Blocks Balrampur and Harraira Satgharwa, Block Tulsipur, Gainsri and Pachperwa, and Block Utraula, Rehra Bazar, Sriduttganj and Gaindasbujurg are situated in tahsils Balrampur Sadar, Tulsipur and Utraula respectively. Besides this district consists of two Nagar Palika Parisad and Two Nagar Panchayat. There are 1012 Revenue Villages in this district. There are one Parliamentary Constituencies and five Assembly Constituencies in this district.
The area of the district is 336917 Hec. In which the agriculture irrigated area is 221432 Hec. In the north of the district is situated the Shivalics ranges of the Himalyas which is called Tarai Region. The first wealth is found enabundence consisting of 62753 Hec. Consisting of nine forest revenue villages. Trees are Sagavan, Shakhu and Khair are found in the forest.
According to census of March 2001, it has a population of 1684567 Persons, in which Rural population is 1549293 (Males 817298 and Females 731995). In Urban Population is 135274 (number of Males are 71261 and number of Females are 64013) and Number of Educated person is 470632 (Males 333632 and Females 137000). In which Rural Educated Person is 398261 (Males 290802 and Females 107459). In Urban Educated Person is 72371 (males 42830 and Females 29541).
There are 1049 Basic Junior High-School, 85 Senior Basic School, and 18 Higher Secondary School and only one (P.G.) College in the district Head Quarter.
The District Balrampur head quarter is situated in Gonda-Gorakhpur railway road. The railway line is meter gaze and in the district there are ten railway stations.
In the district there are two cold storage, 28 Nationalized Bank, 24 Rural Banks and 10 Co-operative Banks.
There are 35 established Allopathic Hospital, 8 Auryvedic, 11 Primary Health Centers, 204 family and mother child welfare sub centers. There are 16 animal health centers, 11 Veterinary hospital and 5 artificial insemination centers. Here is a Memorial Hospital at the district head quarter where a hospital superintendent is appointed. There has been a C.M.O. appointed as well, who looks after the proper running of the hospital.
There are 642 electrified villages, which are populated and 4 electrified cities.
This district is very important from the touring point of view. The Bauddh Holi place Shravasti is near this district where including monks, tourist in large number from countries like Japan, China, Malaysia, Ceylon and Thailand visit here the whole year. Another important place of tourism and pilgrimage is Devipatan Temple which is situated in the head quarter of Tulsipur tahsil. Here devotees visit whole of the year for praying. The whole of north-eastern border of the district is beautified by jungles and pools natural and constructed by irrigation department, just as Bhagwanpur dam, Khairwan dam, Banghowa dam, Rampur dam etc, which all are important and attractive from tourism point of view as well.
In the district including U.P.T., there are hotels like Maya Hotel, Pathik Hotel, Balark Hotel and Balrampur Hotel. These all are situated in the district head quarter.
In the district, there are two sugar mills situated in Balrampur and Tulsipur. Under it there are three cane Societies in Balrampur, Utraula and Tulsipur. There is also a Distillery too estabilished in Balrampur. There are four Mandi Societies situated in Balrampur, Tulsipur and Pachperwa, Leaving Utraula the rest of Mandi Societies are situated in Mandi Parisad.
This district is sensitive from the point of view of law and order being situated on the International Border of Nepal and having a mixed population of Hindu and Muslim’s Still in the district there is a healthy atmosphere of social equanimity and mutual under standing and co-operation.