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  ?Jalpaiguri
West Bengal • India
Coordinates: 26°19′N 88°28′E / 26.32, 88.46
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area
• Elevation		 70.29 km² (27 sq mi)
• 89 m (292 ft)
District(s) Jalpaiguri district
Population
• Density		 100,212 (2001)
• 1,426 /km² (3,693 /sq mi)
Chairman Mohan Bose
Codes
• Pincode
• Telephone
• Vehicle
• 735 101
• +03561
• WB-71 WB-72

Coordinates: 26°19′N 88°28′E / 26.32, 88.46

Jalpaiguri (Bengali:জলপাইগুড়ি) is a town in the state of West Bengal, India. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Indian Standard Time ( IST) is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a Time offset of UTC+530. UTC+530 is the Timezone for Indian Standard Time Sri Lanka Time The geography of India is diverse with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts plains rainforests hills and plateaus The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Jalpaiguri is the largest district of North Bengal, covering an area 6245 sq In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. A Postal Index Number or PIN or Pincode is the post office numbering or Post code system used by India Post the Indian Postal For the past decade or so telecommunication activities have gained momentum in India KA-19-P-8488jpg|thumb|270px|Close up of a licence plate used in Mangalore, Karnataka. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country It is the headquarters of Jalpaiguri district, and the divisional headquarters of the North Bengal region. Jalpaiguri is the largest district of North Bengal, covering an area 6245 sq North Bengal (উত্তর বঙ্গ is a term for the parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Contents

History

Main article: History of Jalpaiguri

Jalpaiguri was initially founded as a trading centre, as the origins of its name suggests. The name Jalpaiguri comes from the Bhutanese term je-le-pe-go-ri, which means 'a place where warm clothes are bought and sold'. Some people attribute the name to the more common Bengali term jalpai, which means Olives and thus the name meaning the town of Olives.

The town was part of the Duars area of the old Kamarupa and later the Bhutanese kingdoms, which was later annexed by the British in 1864. They divided the captured area into two parts and merged the eastern half into the Goalpara district (now in Assam) and converted the western half into a new district of Western Duars and then in 1869, it was reorganised and renamed to Jalpaiguri, with Jalpaiguri town becoming the district headquarters. Goalpara is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city

The town saw its main boom period during the late 19th and early 20th century, when the British found the region north-east of the town (called the Dooars region), near the foothills of the Bhutan hills very suitable for tea cultivation. The Dooars or Duars (ডুয়ার্স are flood Plains and the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-East India around Bhutan Within a very small period the area was dotted with thousands of tea gardens, with Jalpaiguri town becoming the port-of-call for all going to those gardens. People flocked to the town to lay their hands on a part of the lucrative tea-trade. This resulted in the cosmopolitan nature of the town, with people from many parts of the country settling there. Business boomed and the town established itself as the premier commercial and cultural hub of the northern Bengal region. It also helped that the town was well connected with Kolkata (then Calcutta), as it lay on the main Railway link between Calcutta and Darjeeling (via the Hardinge Bridge and Parbatipur junction, now in Bangladesh). Darjeeling ( Nepali:) is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. Parbatipur (পার্বতীপুর) is an Upazila (subdistrict of Dinajpur District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially

The British had their own little spots in and around the town. The Jalpaiguri Club, the Race Course (now defunct), the beautiful bungalows along the banks of the Teesta and the Karala and the defunct airport at Panga, close to the town, bear testimony to this fact.

All this changed with the great event of the mid 20th Century, the partition of Bengal and the independence of India. Overnight, Jalpaiguri's geographical status changed. It was pigeon-holed into an un-important nook of the state of West Bengal, and its Railway link with Kolkata severed. Its neighboring little hamlet, Siliguri, had now begun its march towards being what it is now - the commercial and cultural nerve centre of the entire region and the fourth largest city of West Bengal behind Kolkata, Asansol and Durgapur. Siliguri (শিলিগুড়ি ''Shiliguṛi'') is a rapidly developing metropolis in the Indian state of West Bengal. Asansol (আসানসোল a coal-mining-industrial-commercial centre is the second largest city in West Bengal, after Kolkata. "Durgapur" redirects here For other uses see Durgapur (disambiguation.

Jalpaiguri could only watch all these events with a mist in its eyes, remembering its past glory. But partition brought with it newer responsibilities also. Jalpaiguri became the divisional headquarters of North Bengal, and lately the seat of the North Bengal bench of the Kolkata High Court. It also became the divisional headquarters of the Life Insurance Corporation of India.

But it is amazing how Jalpaiguri still retained most of its colonial character even fifty-plus years after independence. The core town possibly resembles more or less the same as it was during the end of the British rule. A walk along the Teesta beside the stately bungalows, built by the British, now housing the Government officials, would evoke the same feelings. A visit to the beautiful parks and gardens along the banks of the Karala gives peace to the strained city-dweller. This is colonial Bengal in all its glory.

Geography

Jalpaiguri is located at 26.52° N 88.73° E[1]. It has an average elevation of 75 metres (246 feet). The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Jalpaiguri lies in the middle of the vast fertile plains (Terai) south of the Himalayas, watered by innumerable rivers and rivulets rising from and flowing down the Himalayas. On a clear sunny day, Mount Kanchenjunga is visible from the town itself. Kangchenjunga ( Nepali:कञ्चनजङ्घा Kanchanjaŋghā) SewaLungma ( Limbu language) is the third highest


River

Tista:

Image:Tista.jpg

The town lies on the banks of the Teesta River, possibly the second largest river in West Bengal after the Ganga. The River Teesta (टिस्ता खोला Tista Khola তিস্তা নদী Tista Nodi) said to be the lifeline of the Indian state The town has had a sweet-sour relationship with the great river.

A mass flood in 1968 nearly flattened out the town and huge spurs had to be built and the river diverted to some kilometers outside the town to avoid the same carnage as it caused.

Karala:The tiny River Karala flows through the middle of the town dividing the town into two halves, thus prompting the remark, 'the Thames of Jalpaiguri'. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Karala meets the Teesta some five kilometres south of the town.

Dharala:

Panga:

The town experiences three seasons, namely Summer, Monsoons and Winter. Summers are tropical and quite hot with temperatures ranging in the mid-thirties. Monsoons are very severe with the town experiencing high amount of rainfall, sometimes stalling all life and activities. Winters are again quite severe and chilly, with the cold Himalayan winds blowing straight into the town. Temperatures are around 3 to 8 degrees Celsius during this period.

Economy

The economy of the town is centred around the tea industry. A Tea Auction Centre has recently come up in the town. The second largest employer in the town is the Government. Jalpaiguri is home to a number of district-level and divisional-level offices, thus having a large government-employee workforce. The recent setting up of the North Bengal bench of the Kolkata High Court has only added to the numbers. Business in the town is mainly centered around retailing goods, with the main centres around Merchant Road, D. B. C. Road and Temple Street.

A industrial park just 10 km from the town en route to Siliguri has come up at Raninagar. A number of companies like Coca Cola, Hindustan Lever, etc. , have set up shop there.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census[2], Jalpaiguri had a population of 100,212. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Jalpaiguri has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59. 5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 75%. In Jalpaiguri, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Civic administration

Administration is the responsibility of the Jalpaiguri Municipality, one of the oldest in West Bengal. Setup in 1905, it is headed by a Chairman who is elected by the residents of the town. The responsibility of the welfare of the town and maintenance of public properties lies in its hands.

Places of interest

Jalpaiguri Rajbari Gate
Jalpaiguri Rajbari Gate
Jalpesh Temple
Jalpesh Temple

Education

Primary and Secondary

There are two systems of education ---

  1. the West Bengal governmental system of education, known as West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, Kolkata
  2. private Church-run schools administered by either the CNI or Catholic or other non Christian schools administered privately --- affiliated mostly to the ICSE and ISC examination of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, Delhi

Jalpaiguri is home to some of the best known schools under the WBCHSE, like the Zilla School and the Govt. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education is the West Bengal state government administered autonomous examining authority for the Standard 12 examination (or higher secondary The Church of North India (CNI the dominant Protestant denomination in northern India is a United church established on 29 November 1970 by Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (often abbreviated as CISCE) is a private non-governmental board of School Education in India Girls' School. Some of the other prominent schools in the town are -

Urban Area

Rural Area

Universities and colleges

All colleges in the town are affiliated to the North Bengal University, Raja Rammohanpur, Siliguri except Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College which is affiliated to the West Bengal University Of Technology WBUT. Ananda Chandra College is the leading science and arts college in the district of Jalpaiguri.

Colleges

Sports

The Amphitheatres

Jalpaiguri has two main stadium. The Town Club Stadium and newly built Jalpaiguri Sports Complex.

The Sports Clubs

Jalpaiguri Town Club is a century old club in this town. Other old sports clubs in Jalpaiguri are: JYMA, FUC and JYCC.

Milan Sangha, East Bengal Fans Club, RSA(Raikatpara Sporting Association) and Sanghasree Club are some other notable clubs of the town.

Transport

The main mode of public transport is the Cycle rickshaw. The cycle rickshaw, being a small-scale local means of transport is also known by a variety of other names such as rickshaw, pedicab, bugbug, cyclo Amongst personal transport, people use bicycles and other two-wheelers. Use of four-wheelers is also catching up slowly.

Bus services

There are several bus stands.

The town is very well connected to Siliguri (45 km away), Kolkata and all neighbouring towns and districts. Siliguri (শিলিগুড়ি ''Shiliguṛi'') is a rapidly developing metropolis in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Train services

Jalpaiguri lies in the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The North Eastern Railway was created during the reorganisation of the Indian Railways system in 1952 by amalgamating the Assam Railway and Avadh-Tirhut Railway Indian Railways (भारतीय रेल Bhāratīya Rail) abbreviated as IR (hi भारे is a Department of the Government of India under the Ministry There are Railway links to the rest of the country directly and via Kolkata as well. The major railway junction of New Jalpaiguri (Code:NJP) is just 40 km from the town. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> New Jalpaiguri is a Sister city of the city of Siliguri in India 's state The other stations servicing the town directly are Jalpaiguri Road (Code:JPE) and Jalpaiguri (Code:JPG). Nearly the whole country is connected via the stations of New Jalpaiguri and Jalpaiguri Road. The Jalpaiguri railway station (lying on the old Sealdah-Siliguri route via Bangladesh) is primarily used for a couple of trains to Kolkata (Sealdah).

Trivia

Notable residents

References

  1. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Jalpaiguri
  2. ^ Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns. (Provisional). Census Commission of India. Retrieved on 2007-09-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius

Prof. Nirmal Basu,Ex. Cabinet Minister of Govt of West Bengal

External links

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