Malda or English Bazar is a city in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
. It is the sixth largest city (urban agglomeration) in
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
. It is the headquarters of the
Malda district
Malda district, also spelt Maldah or Maldaha (, , often ), is a district in West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Mango, jute and silk are the most notable products of this district. ...
as well as of the
Malda division
Malda Division is an administrative division within the Indian state of West Bengal. This division build on 22 Nov 2016.This division was earlier a part of Jalpaiguri division and was carved out from it in 2016. The headquarters and the largest c ...
of West Bengal. It consists of two municipalities, viz.
English Bazar Municipality
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
and
Old Malda Municipality, under Malda Metropolitan Area. The city is located on the banks of the
Mahananda River
The Mahananda River (Pron:/ˌməhɑːˈnʌndə or ˌmɑːhəˈnʌndə/) is a trans-boundary river that flows through the Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal, and Bangladesh. It is an important tributary of the Ganges.
Course
The Mahananda ...
. Malda was an undeveloped city which was enlarging from 1925 to 1930. The city is growing rapidly nowadays with its population inching towards half a million.
Etymology
The name ''English Bazar'' is derived from ''Angrezābād'' ("English-town"), applied in the 17th century to the surroundings of the English factory.
[ English-Bazar]
Geography
Location
Malda is located at . It has an average elevation of 17 metres (56 feet). It is situated on both the western and eastern banks of the river
Mahananda.
Climate
Like the most other places in West Bengal, the weather of Malda is usually extremely humid and tropical. Temperatures can reach as high as during the day in May and June and fall as low as overnight in December and January. Malda's highest recorded temperature was on 27 May 1958 and lowest recorded temperature was on 3 February 1905.
In Malda, the average annual temperature is . Precipitation is about per year. The driest month is December. There is of precipitation in December. The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in July, with an average of .
Demographics
2011 census, Malda metropolitan city had a total population of 324,237.
2011 census, English Bazar municipality had a population of 216,083.
The municipality had a
sex ratio
The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species devia ...
of 877 females per 1,000 males and 14.9% of the population were under six years old.
Effective literacy was 84.69%; male literacy was 85.44% and female literacy was 83.86%.
India
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
, Old Malda Municipality had a population of 62,944. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Old Malda has an average literacy rate of 61%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 54%. In Old Malda, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Religion
As of 2011 census, the majority of the population of the English Bazar municipality were
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s with 86.95% adherents, followed by 11.02%
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s and small populations of
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
s and
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
.
Civic administration
There are two municipalities in Malda, i.e. the
English Bazar Municipality
English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India. Established in 1868, it is one of the oldest Municipalities in India
Municipal or local governance refers to the ...
and the
Old Malda Municipality.
The municipality of English Bazar is divided into 29 wards. The
Trinamool Congress
The All India Trinamool Congress (English: All India Grassroots Congress; AITC), colloquially the Trinamool Congress ( TMC) is an Indian political party which is predominantly active in West Bengal. The party is led by Mamata Banerjee, the cur ...
(with 25 councillors) holds the power in this municipality (as of 2022).
The municipality of Old Malda is divided into 20 wards.
Transport
Road
crosses through the city. The Gour Kanya Bus Terminus serves as the bus depot for both private buses and government bus service operated by the
North Bengal State Transport Corporation
North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) is a state government run transport corporation in West Bengal, India. It plies buses mainly in North Bengal but operates services to other parts of West Bengal and neighboring states like Si ...
(NBSTC).
Rail
There are four railway stations which serves the metropolitan city.
Malda Town
Malda or English Bazar is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the sixth largest city (urban agglomeration) in West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Malda district as well as of the Malda division of West Bengal. It consists o ...
railway station serves the English Bazar area;
Old Malda Junction serves the
Old Malda
Old Malda is a census town in Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the Malda Metropolitan Area (Urban Agglomeration). It is located on the eastern bank of the river Mahananda.
Geography
Old Malda is located at . ...
area;
Malda Court serves Mangalbari and Naldubi area, and
Gour Malda serves
Mahadipur and
Gauḍa (Gour) area.
Air
Malda Airport (IATA: LDA, ICAO: VEMH) was closed in 1972 due to the
Bangladesh War
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...
. Before that there were direct daily flights from Malda to
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, and
Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
. In 2014, direct helicopter services were started between Malda and Kolkata, by the government of West Bengal. As of 2017, the airport is under construction and the flight service will start very soon.
Education
University
*
University of Gour Banga
University of Gour Banga is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Malda City, Malda, West Bengal, India. It is one of the newest state universities established in 2008 by the Government of West Benga ...
Colleges
;General degree colleges
*
Malda College
*
Gour Mahavidyalaya
*
Malda Women's College
;Engineering colleges
*
Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering & Technology
Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering & Technology is a central government funded engineering college, one of the 24 CFTI/GFTI under Ministry of the Education located in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. Archived 14 Septemb ...
(GKCIET)
*
IMPS College of Engineering and Technology
;Polytechnic colleges
*
Malda Polytechnic
;Medical colleges
*
Malda Medical College and Hospital
Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMC&H) is a medical college run by the government of West Bengal in Malda, West Bengal, India. It is recognised by the Medical Council of India and affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences. ...
Schools
Some of the notable high schools of the city include
Kendriya Vidyalaya Malda (Co-education)
;Boys' high schools
*
A. C. Institution
*
Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School
Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School is a higher secondary school in Gangabag, Malda, West Bengal, India. This is a boys' school and is affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education for Madhyamik Pariksha (10th Board exams), and to ...
*
Malda Town High School
Malda Town High School is a higher secondary school situated at English Bazar of Malda district, in the state of West Bengal, India.
About School
This is a boys' school and is affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education for Madhy ...
*
Malda Zilla School
Malda Zilla School is the oldest school at Malda district, West Bengal, India. At present, the morning section of the school runs from Class – I to Class – V while the day section runs from Class – VI to Class – XII. In the higher second ...
*
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir
;Girls' high schools
*
Barlow Girls' High School
;Rail schools
*
Malda Railway High School
Malda Railway High School is higher secondary school with arts and science.
Establishment
The school was established in 1966.
Location
It is situated at the Railway Type1 Colony, P.O.-Jhaljhalia, Dist:Malda of English Bazar municipality of ...
;English medium schools
*
Usha Martin School, Malda
Notable people
*
Subhamita Banerjee – Bengali singer
*
Subhash Bhowmick – Indian international
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player and manager
*
Sandip Chakrabarti
Sandip Chakrabarti is an Indian astrophysicist. He developed a computer model to show how life on earth could have originated in outer space.
Education
He started his education in Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School in Malda. After finish ...
– scientist
*
A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury
Abu Barkat Ataur Ghani Khan Choudhury (1 November 1927 – 14 April 2006), known as Barkatda to his supporters, was an Indian politician from West Bengal, India. Choudhury was a senior leader of Indian National Congress party. His home is in En ...
– politician and leader of the Indian National Congress
*
Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury
Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury is an Indian advocate and politician currently serves as Chairman of English Bazar Municipality.He has served as the Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Minister of Food processing and Horticulture from West Bengal.H ...
– politician
*
Nihar Ranjan Ghosh – politician
*
Mausam Noor
Mausam Benazir Noor (Bengali: মৌসম বেনজির নূর; born 15 October 1979) is an Indian politician serving as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and Vice Chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Women. She ...
– politician
*
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy – politician
*
Uma Roy – politician
*
Krishna Jiban Sanyal
Krishna (Kristo) Jiban Sanyal (1893 - 1925) participated in the Indian Independence Movement. He was an Indian revolutionary and member of the Jugantar group who carried out assassinations against British colonial officials in an attempt to ...
– freedom fighter
*
Benoy Kumar Sarkar – Indian social scientist, professor and nationalist
*
Santi Gopal Sen
Shanti Gopal Sen ( 25 December 1913 – 16 September 1996 ) was an Indian revolutionary and member of the Bengal Volunteers who carried out assassinations against British colonial officials in an attempt to secure Indian independence.
Early ...
– freedom fighter and social reformer
See also
*
English Bazar (community development block)
*
Malda Museum
*
List of cities in West Bengal
*
List of metropolitan area in West Bengal
This is a list of Metropolitan Areas, metropolitan cities in the state of West Bengal, India according to their population.
List
References
{{Reflist
West Bengal
Metropolitan areas of India ...
References
Further reading
* Chakrabarti D.K. (1992). Notes on the archaeology of Maldaha and West Dinajpur districts, West Bengal. South Asian Studies, 9:pp. 123–135
External links
Malda District - Home
{{West Bengal
Cities and towns in Malda district
Cities in West Bengal