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Malda district, also spelt Maldah or Maldaha (, , often ), is a district 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 fou ...
, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of
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 ...
, the capital of West Bengal. Mango, jute and
silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...
are the most notable products of this district. The special variety of mango, Fazli, produced in this region is popularly known by the name of the district and is exported across the world and is internationally acclaimed. The folk culture of gombhira is a feature of the district, being a unique way of representation of joy and sorrow in daily life of the common people, as well as the unique medium of presentation on national and international matters. According to the
National Investigation Agency The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the primary counter-terrorist task force of India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written ...
Malda is believed to be a hub of a fake currency racket. It is reported that 90 percent of the fake currency that enters India originates in Malda. The headquarters of Malda district is in English Bazar, also known as ''Malda'', which was once the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
of
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. The district maintains the traditions of the past in culture and education.
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 . ...
, the town which lies just east of the confluence of the Mahananda and Kalindi rivers, is part of the English Bazar metropolitan city. The town rose to prominence as the river port of the old capital of Pandua. During the 18th century, it was the seat of prosperous cotton and silk industries. It remains an important distribution centre for rice, jute, and wheat. The area between the historical monument of Jame Masjid (1566) and the landmark of Nimasarai Tower across the river Mahananda, constituted a municipality in 1867. Rice, jute, legumes, and oilseed are the chief crops in the surrounding area. Malda is the largest producer of excellent quality jute in India. Mulberry plantations and mango orchards also occupy large areas; mango trade and silk manufacture are the main economic activities.


History


Pre-Gour Era

Pāṇini , era = ;;6th–5th century BCE , region = Indian philosophy , main_interests = Grammar, linguistics , notable_works = ' ( Classical Sanskrit) , influenced= , notable_ideas= Descriptive linguistics (Devana ...
mentioned a city named ''Gourpura'', which by strong reason may be identified as the city of ''Gouda'', ruins of which are situated in this district. Examples are legion of the relics of a predecessor kingdom being used in the monuments of the successor kingdoms. It had been within the limits of ancient ''Gour'' and ''Pandua'' ( ''Pundrabardhana''). These two cities had been the capital of Bengal in ancient and medieval ages and are equidistant, north and south, from English Bazar town (once known as Engelzavad established by the British rulers). The boundary of Gour was changed in different ages since the fifth century BC, and its name can be found in Puranic texts. Pundranagara was the provincial capital of the Maurya Empire. Gour and
Pundravardhana Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom ( sa, Puṇḍravardhana), was an ancient kingdom during the Iron Age period in India with a territory that included parts of present-day Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions of Bangladesh as well as the West Di ...
formed parts of the Mourya empire as is evinced from the inscriptions, Brahmi script on a seal discovered from the ruins of
Mahasthangarh Mahasthangarh ( bn, মহাস্থানগড়, ''Môhasthangôṛ'') is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj upazila of Bogra District contains the remain ...
in the Bogra District of
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
. Xuanzang saw many Ashokan
stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circum ...
s at Pundravardhana. The inscriptions discovered in the district of undivided Dinajpur and other parts of North Bengal, along with the Allahabad pillar inscriptions of Samudragupta, clearly indicate that the whole of North Bengal as far east as Kamrup formed a part of the Gupta Empire. After the Guptas at the beginning of seventh century AD
Sasanka Shashanka (IAST: Śaśāṃka) was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom and is a major figure in Bengali history. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his rule between circ ...
, the king of Karnasubarna, as well as the king of Gauda, ruled independently for more than three decades. From the middle of the eighth century to the end of the 11th century the Pala dynasty ruled Bengal, and the kings were devoted to
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
. It was during their reign that the Jagadalla Vihara (monastery) in Barindri flourished paralleling with Nalanda, Vikramshila and Devikot.


Gour Era

The Pala empire yielded to the emergence of the Sen Dynasty. The Sen rulers were orthodox Hindus, and in the habit of moving from place to place within their kingdom. During this time, Buddhism went on the defensive. It eventually disappeared from the demographic map of Bengal. At the time of Gaudeshwara Lakshman Sen, Goud was known as Lakshmanabati. During his reign Bengal was attacked by the Turkic force of Bakhtiyar Khilji. King Lakshman Sen defeated Khilji in battle and successfully resisted Turkic invasion in his empire. After him Keshava Sen, Biswarup Sen, Madhava Sen etc. many Sena dynasty rulers ruled Gauda and hold the title Gaudeshwara Then Deva dynasty kings of Chandradwip ruled Bengal. Deva dynasty king Danujmardandeva and Mahendra Deva both hold the title Gaudeshwara. The name Mal Daha was coined (from ''Mal'' meaning riches and ''Daha'' meaning lake). Sultans
Ilyas Shah Haji Ilyas, better known as Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah ( bn, শামসুদ্দীন ইলিয়াস শাহ, fa, ), was the founder of the Sultanate of Bengal and its inaugural Ilyas Shahi dynasty which ruled the region for 150 year ...
,
Firuz Shah Feroz or Firuz is a Persian name meaning 'victorious', derived from the middle Persian name Peroz or Piruz. Related names are Phiroze, Feroze, and Parviz. It may refer to: People (historical) * Peroz I (), Sasanian king of Iran * Peroz II (), Sas ...
, Sikandar Shah, Raja Ganesha, Alauddin Hussain Shah and Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah were the notable rulers of the medieval age.
Afghan Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity **Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pash ...
warrior Sher Shah Suri conquered Gour and was repelled by Mughal emperor Humayun. Humayun, loving the mango of Gour, named the place ''Jannatabad'' (garden of heaven). Firuz Shah Tughlaq, Ghiyasuddin and the Mughal army invaded Gour to suppress rebellion several times. Relics of
Islamic architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...
structures are present in Malda district, such as Firuz minar, Adina Mosque (the largest mosque of
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
at the time), and Qutwali Gate. During the Mughal rule, the capital was removed to
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest ...
due to a course change of the river
Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
. Muslim rule ended in 1757.
Koch Koch may refer to: People * Koch (surname), people with this surname * Koch dynasty, a dynasty in Assam and Bengal, north east India * Koch family * Koch people (or Koche), an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east I ...
army invasion increased during the downfall of Gour.


Post-Gour Era

After the war of Palassy, the British rule started in 1757. The English traders settled in the southern bank of the river Mahananda. Some indigo plant chambers, trade centre, and offices were established. William Carey worked here. But the glory days were gone. This district was formed out of some portions of outlying areas of Purnia, Dinajpur and Rajshahi districts in 1813. At the time of Dr. B. Hamilton (1808–09), the present thanas of Gazole, Malda, Bamongola, and part of Habibpur were included in the district of Dinajpur and the thanas of Harischandrapur, Kharba, Ratua, Manikchak, and Kaliachak were included in the district of Purnia. In 1813, in consequence of the prevalence of serious crimes in the Kaliachak and Sahebganj thanas and also on the rivers, a Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector were appointed at English Bazar, with jurisdiction over a number of police stations centering that place and taken from the two districts. Thus the district of Malda was born. The year 1832 saw the establishment of a separate treasury and the year 1859 the posting of a full-fledged magistrate and collector. Up to 1876, this district formed part of Rajshahi Division and between 1876 and 1905, it formed part of Bhagalpur Division. In 1905, it was again transferred to Rajshahi Division and until 1947, Malda remained in this division. During the first Partition of Bengal of 1905, this district was attached to the newly created province of Eastern Bengal and Assam. Malda has a history of the Indigo movement led by Rafique Mondal. The Santhals got insurgent and captured historic Adina Mosque in support of Jeetu. Again in August 1947, this district was affected by partition. Between 12–15 August 1947, the fate of the district as to which side it should go, to Pakistan or to India, was undecided because the announcement of the partition award of Sir Radcliffe did not make this point clear. During these few days, the district was under a Magistrate of East Pakistan. When the details of the
Radcliffe Award Radcliffe or Radcliff may refer to: Places * Radcliffe Line, a border between India and Pakistan United Kingdom * Radcliffe, Greater Manchester ** Radcliffe Tower, the remains of a medieval manor house in the town ** Radcliffe tram stop * R ...
were published, the district came over to
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 fou ...
on 17 August 1947. However, the sub-division of Nawabganj was severed from Malda and was given to East Pakistan as a sub-division of the Rajshahi district.


Geography

The latitude range is 24°40’20" N to 25°32’08" N, and the longitude range is 87°45’50" E to 88°28’10" E. The district covers an area of . The total population (as of 2001 Census) was recorded as 3,290,160. Malda is called the gateway of North
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. It was once the capital of Gour-Banga with its lay of the land classified into Tal, Diara, and Barind. To the south is Murshidabad district, to the north are North Dinajpur district and
South Dinajpur district Dakshin Dinajpur () or South Dinajpur is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal, India. It was created on 1 April 1992 by the division of the erstwhile West Dinajpur District. The Headquarter (sadar) of the district is at Balurghat. It ...
. To the east is the international border with Bangladesh. To the west is
Santhal Parganas Santhal Pargana division constitutes one of the five district administration units known as the divisions of Jharkhand state in eastern India. Origin of name Santhal Pargana derives its name from two words: "Santhal", a major tribe of India a ...
of Jharkhand and Purnea of Bihar.


Malda City

Malda, the district headquarters which lends its name to the district, during its early days grew up only near the side of the river Mahananda, and now the place is known as Phulbari. Some of the oldest houses can be found here. The city started to grow from 1925 to 1930. Now nearly a half-million people live in this city, and it is one of the biggest cities of West Bengal. It was a part of the historic city of Gour. Malda is recognized as the Old Malda municipality and the
English Bazar municipality English Bazar Municipality is responsible for the civic administration of the town of Malda in Malda district, West Bengal, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest ...
. Its notable railway station is named as
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 of ...
.


Mahadipur international border crossing

The Mahadipur international border crossing is on the Malda- Rajshahi route at Mahadipur town in Malda district.


Local newspapers

The first monthly periodicals published from Malda was ''Kusum'', edited by Radhesh Chandra Seth, a noted personality of the then Malda. Though the exact date of its first publications is not known, it has been assumed by the informed sources that Kusum was first published in the 1890s. In 1896, Radhesh Chandra published two weekly newspapers ''Gourdoot'' and ''Gourbarta''. In 1897 Maldaha Samachar edited by Kaliprasanna Chakrabarty began to be published. Maulavi Abdul Ganikhan published 'Malda Akhbar' in 1914. In the same year, another periodical Gambhira' edited by Krishna Charan Sarkar was published. Damru, Adina and Minar—three weekly newspapers were published in 1941. The editors were Nanda Gopal Chowdhury, Akbar Munshi and Abdur Rahaman respectively. The most important among them was ''Gourdoot'' which was first published on 1896 by Radhesh Chandra Seth. But within a short period, the publication of the newspaper came to an end as the editor faced a serious financial loss. The 'Gourdoot' again began to be published from 1912 under the editorship of Lalbihari Majumdar. Majumdar was a great scholar and his literary sense was appreciated by Benoy Kumar Sarkar and Radhesh Chandra Seth. In this endeavor, the editor was greatly supported by them and financed by Sarat Chandra Roy Chowdhury, Maharaja of Chancal. The Gourdoot was used to be published on Thursday of each week. The paper contained 6 pages and the price is one anna in 1944. The political outlook of the newspaper is pro-congress. Moreover, Lalbihari Majumdar, its editor took a pioneering role in organizing the congress movement in Malda. He has for a long time been the vice-president of the district Congress. The periodical had an implied antipathy towards Gandhian ideology. In modern times there are also some local newspapers published in Malda, the most prominent among them are ''Maldaha Samachar'', ''Rupantorer Pothe'', ''Gour Malda Sambad'' ''Aamader Malda'', etc. 'Rupantorere Pothe' is published in every Sunday in each week. ''Maldaha Samachar'' and ''Gour Maldaha Sambad'' are published every Wednesday and Friday respectively.


Popular movements in Malda

The most important among the popular movement is the one led by Jitu Santhal in 1932. Historians like Tanika Sarkar observes Jitu's movement was rooted in the rich tradition of tribal struggle in Malda. The early form of Santhal resistance was migration, which Professor Ashim Sarkar thinks amounted to a kind of passive resistance. Active struggle between the Santhals and their landlords began about 1910. As the barind (barindra) area began to be transformed into a developed agricultural zone, the zamindars of barind began to enhance the rent and curb the rights so far enjoyed by the Santhal from 1910 onwards. M.O Carter mentions cases were commonly found in which the lands cultivated by the adhiars, which were previously their occupancy holdings but had been sold up in rent or mortgage sales. This caused friction among zamindars and Santhals. The friction took an alarming proportion as early as 1910 when a zamindar of Bulbulchandi tried to enhance the rent. The Santhal tenants rose into protest. The gravity of the situation compelled Mr. Vas, the District Magistrate, to interfere and fix the rent. It was in this backdrop of oppression, exploitation and injustice. Jitu Santhal of Kochakandahar village of Habibpur began to mobilise the Santhals for a widespread movement. In 1926 Jitu became the leader of the Santhals by converting them to Manuvadi Hinduism. In the same year 'Jitu's Sanyasi Dal' defied police order to perform a Kali puja to assert its new Hindu status. In September 1928 Santhals under Jitu's leadership looted the autumn crop of Sikharpur which had recently been taken away from them in barind region. The District Magistrate and the Superintendent of the Police rushed to the spot with armed police. After much skirmishes, Jitu along with his sixty followers arrested at the hand of the police.


Economy

In 2006 the
Ministry of Panchayati Raj The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India. Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating to the Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions. It was created in May 2004. The ministry is headed by a ...
named Malda one of the country's 283 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the eleven districts in West Bengal currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). No notable industry is made here. Most of the people of the district are agricultural labourer and unskilled labourer.


Divisions


Administrative subdivisions

The district comprises two subdivisions: Chanchal and Malda Sadar. Chanchal consists of six community development blocks: Chanchal–I, Chanchal–II, Ratua–I, Ratua–II, Harishchandrapur–I and Harishchandrapur–II. Malda Sadar subdivision consists of
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 . ...
municipality, English Bazar municipality and nine community development blocks: English Bazar, Gazole, Habibpur, Kaliachak–I, Kaliachak–II, Kaliachak–III, Manickchak, Old Malda and Bamangola. English Bazar is the district headquarters. There are 12 police stations, 15 development blocks, 2 municipalities, 146
gram panchayat Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bod ...
s and 3,701 villages in this district. Other than municipality areas, each subdivision contains community development blocs, which in turn, are divided into rural areas and census towns. In total there are 10 urban units, 2 municipalities and 3 census towns. English Bazar and
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 . ...
form an urban agglomeration.


Chanchal subdivision

* Chanchal I (community development block) consists of rural areas (8 gram panchayats) and town Chanchal,(second largest town in Malda). * Chanchal II (community development block) consists of rural areas only (7 gram panchayats). * Ratua I (community development block) consists of rural areas only (10 gram panchayats). *
Ratua II (community development block) Ratua II is a Community Development Block that forms an administrative division in Chanchal subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gauda and Pandua Gauda was once the "capital of the ancient bhukti or poli ...
consists of rural areas only (8 gram panchayats). * Harishchandrapur I (community development block) consists of rural areas only (7 gram panchayats). * Harishchandrapur II (community development block) consists of rural areas only (9 gram panchayats).


Malda Sadar subdivision

* English Bazar: municipality *
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 . ...
: municipality *
English Bazar (community development block) English Bazar is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gauda and Pandua Gauda was once the "capital of the ancient bhukti or p ...
consists of rural areas only (11 gram panchayats). *
Gazole (community development block) Gazole (also spelled Gajol) is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gauda and Pandua Gauda was once the “capital of the anci ...
consists of rural areas only (15 gram panchayats). * Habibpur (community development block) consists of rural areas (11 gram panchayats) and three census towns:
Kachu Pukur Kachu Pukur is a census town in the Habibpur CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Geography Location Kachu Pukur is located at . Area overview The area shown in the adjacent map cove ...
, Kendua and
Aiho Aiho is a census town in the Habibpur CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Etymology Aiho is a beautiful village sandwiched between two rivers Tangon and Mahananda. Due to its co ...
. * Kaliachak I (community development block) consists of rural areas only (14 gram panchayats). *
Kaliachak II (community development block) Kaliachak II is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gauda and Pandua Gauda was once the "capital of the ancient bhukti or po ...
consists of rural areas only (9 gram panchayats). *
Kaliachak III (community development block) Kaliachak III is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gauda and Pandua Gauda was once the “capital of the ancient bhukti ...
consists of rural areas only (14 gram panchayats). *
Manikchak (community development block) Manikchak is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gauda and Pandua Gauda was once the "capital of the ancient bhukti or poli ...
consists of rural areas only (11 gram panchayats). * Old Malda (community development block) consists of rural areas only (6 gram panchayats). *
Bamangola (community development block) Bamangola is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History Gauda and Pandua Gauda was once the “capital of the ancient bhukti or pol ...
consists of rural areas only (6 gram panchayats).


Assembly Constituencies


Demographics

Bengalis Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of ...
about 91% including Bengali Muslims and
Bengali Hindus Bengali Hindus ( bn, বাঙ্গালী হিন্দু/বাঙালি হিন্দু, translit=Bāṅgālī Hindu/Bāṅāli Hindu) are an ethnoreligious population who make up the majority in the Indian states of West Benga ...
form the majority of the district population. Bengali Muslims about 51.27% form the majority of Malda District population whereas Bengali Hindus are the second largest community forming about 48% of District population. According to the 2011 census Malda district has a
population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...
of 3,988,845, roughly equal to the nation of Liberia or the US state of Oregon. This gives it a ranking of 58th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 21.5%. Malda has a sex ratio of 939 females for every 1000 males, and a
literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
of 62.71%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 20.94% and 7.87% of the population respectively. ;Community Malda has a largely diverse range of population groups. People from adjoining regions like Bihar and Murshidabad district came here since centuries. People of various classes and tribes like Polia, Shershabadia, Khotta, Panjhra, Chain Mondal, Rajbanshi, and Santhal inhabit the district.


Religion

Muslims are the majority in the district, and are most dominant in the northwest and south along the Padma River. Hindus are majority in Gazole (74.51%), Barmangola (89.96%), Habibpur (94.96%), Old Maldah (70.00%), and Manikchak (55.96%) CD blocks as well as urban areas, and are a significant minority in Harischandrapur I (40.31%), English Bazar (48.34%) and Kaliachak III (49.01%) CD blocks.


Language

The language spoken by the populace of Malda district is predominantly
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
. A dialect, called Shershabadia or Maldaiya is spoken by majority of Muslims here.This dialect is spoken by most people of Chapai Nababganj District of Bangladesh also. Khotta, Maithili and
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
are also spoken by some minority population throughout the district.


Culture

Malda has special cultural sorts like Gombhira,
Alkap Alkap ( bn, আলকাপ) is a Bengali folk dance popular in the districts of Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum in West Bengal and Chapai Nawabganj, Randajshahi in Bangladesh. It has also spread to the adjoining areas of Jharkhand and Bihar s ...
, Kavigan etc.


Festivals

Almost all of the major religious festivals are celebrated, like * Durga puja * Kali Puja * Diwali *
Dussehra Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hin ...
* Eid al-Fitr * Eid al-Adha * Muharram * Milad un-Nabi * Shab-e-Barat *Shab-e-Kadar * Guru Nanak Jayanti * Christmas * Ratha-Yatra * Maha Shivratri


Fairs

Some of the most reputed cultural fairs of the district are * Ramkeli Fair, Gour *
Aiho Aiho is a census town in the Habibpur CD block in the Malda Sadar subdivision of Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Etymology Aiho is a beautiful village sandwiched between two rivers Tangon and Mahananda. Due to its co ...
and Bulbulchandi ' Kali Puja Fair * Debipur Haribasar 32 Prahar Mela. * Gobarjanna Kalipujo Mela * Charu Babu Mela * Charak Fair * Chobbish (24) Prahor at Shingabad and Rishipur * Dariapur Urush at Dariapur, Kaliachak * Gazole Utsab * Kahala Urush at Mothabari * Kahala Durga Puja Fair . * Kartik puja Fair * Moyna Bishohari Mela. * Eid Fair, Pirana Pir Dargah * Muharram Fair, at
Sattari Sattari (''Sot'tori'', pronounced ; ) is a sub-district of North Goa district in the state of Goa, India. The headquarters of Sattari taluka is Valpoi (वाळपई) municipal council. It lies in the north-eastern region of Goa where it is k ...
* Maha Shivratri Fair or Bhole Bam at Amrity * Christmas Carnival, Englishbazar, Malda *32 prahar harinam sankirtan at Debipur (Ratua 1,Malda)


Tourist attractions

* Adina Relics # Adina Mosque # Gol ghar # Eklakhi mosque # Adina deer park * Relics of Gour # Firoz minar # Chika Masjid # Qutwali Gate # 12-gated mosque # Qudm-e-Rasul, dargah shrine believed to contain the footprint of the Prophet *Gobarjanna Kali Mandir * Aquatic Bengal *
Jami Masjid A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...
* Nimai Sarai Tower * Pandua Sharif * Pirana Pir Dargah. * Lost
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...
of Jagjivanpur * Temple of Ramakrishna Mission * Temple of Jahura Kali (Local avatar of Goddess Chandi) * Chanchal Rajbari * Sattari
Jame Mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as '' jumu'ah''.* * * * * * ...
* Debipur Haribasar Radhagobinda Temple (Debipur,Ratua 1,Malda) * Amrity Shiv Mandir


Education


Schools

Notable schools of the district include:- * A. C. Institution *
Barlow Girls' High School Barlow Girls' High School is a higher secondary school located at Ramakrishna Mission Road, Makdumpur, Malda, West Bengal, India. It was established in 1871 by Uma Roy. Notable alumni * Subhamita Banerjee Subhamita Banerjee is a Bengali ...
* Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School *
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 ...
*
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 Madh ...
*
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 Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir is a unit of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, in Malda district, India, which is a branch of Ramakrishna Mission. This boarding school is situated beside Ramakrishna Mission Road, South Baluchar at Malda, ...
*
Usha Martin School, Malda Usha Martin School, Malda is a secondary school in Old Malda, Malda district, West Bengal, India. See also * Usha Martin *Education in India *List of schools in India *Education in West Bengal Education is a purposeful activity directe ...


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 Sept ...
*
IMPS College of Engineering and Technology IMPS College of Engineering and Technology (or Impscet) is an engineering and management college located in Malda, West Bengal, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-la ...
, established - 2003


General degree Colleges

*
Malda College Malda College is a college in English Bazar in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in several subjects. Established on July 23, ...
*
Malda Women's College Malda Women's College, established in 1970, is a women's college in Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga and offers undergraduate courses in arts. The campus is situated in Malda. De ...
*
Gour Mahavidyalaya Gour Mahavidyalaya ''(abbreviated as GM)'' is a college in Old Malda in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga, offering undergraduate courses. It is the only college in Malda and ne ...
* Chanchal College * Gazole Mahavidyalaya * Harishchandrapur College *
Kaliachak College Kaliachak College is a college situated at Sultanganj, Kaliachak I CD block in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga University of Gour Banga is a public state university lo ...
* Manikchak College * Pakuahat Degree College * Samsi College *
South Malda College South Malda College is a college in Pubarun in the Malda district of West Bengal, India. The college is affiliated to the University of Gour Banga University of Gour Banga is a public state university located in Malda, West Bengal, Ind ...


Medical schools

*
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. ...


Polytechnic Colleges

*
Malda Polytechnic Malda Polytechnic is the one of the oldest Government Polytechnic college of West Bengal, India under the Department of Technical Education & Training, Government of West Bengal. This College offers diploma courses in 5(five) streams of Engi ...
*
Ratua Satyendra Nath Bose Government Polytechnic Ratua Satyendra Nath Bose Government Polytechnic, is a government polytechnic located in Ratua, Malda district, West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situa ...


University

* University of Gour Banga


Notable people

* Momtazuddin Ahmed *
Subhamita Banerjee Subhamita Banerjee is a Bengali singer from Malda, India, who specializes in modern songs, Ghazals etc. She has many Bengali albums to her credit and is one of the well known singers in the Bengali music industry. Personal life Banerjee was b ...
* Sandip Chakrabarti *
Shibram Chakraborty Shibram Chakraborty (1903–1980) was a popular Bengali writer and humorist who is best known for his humorous stories. His best known short stories and novels are renowned for their unique use of pun, alliteration, play of words and ironic humo ...
* A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury * Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury *
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 ...
* Raja Ganesha * Jiva Goswami * Tafazzal Hossain, politician *
Sabitri Mitra Sabitri Mitra is an Indian politician, belonging to the All India Trinamool Congress, who has served as Cabinet Minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare in the Government of West Bengal. She has also served as MLA for Manik ...
*
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 ...
* Rubi Noor *
Uma Roy Uma Roy (1919 – 19 December 1999) was an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. She was elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India The Parliament of India (IAST: ) is the supreme legislativ ...
*
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 ...
*
Benoy Kumar Sarkar Benoy Kumar Sarkar (sometimes Binoy Kumar Sarkar) (1887–1949) was an Indian social scientist, professor, and nationalist. He founded several institutes in Calcutta, including the Bengali Institute of Sociology, Bengali Asia Academy, Bengali ...
, Indian social scientist, professor, 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 ...
* Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah *
Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah ( bn, জালালউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ শাহ; born as Yadu or Jadu) was a 15th-century Sultan of Bengal and an important figure in medieval Bengali history. Born a Hindu to his aristocratic fat ...
* Sikandar Shah * Bidhushekhar Shastri *
Tapan Sikdar Tapan Sikdar (20 September 1944 – 2 June 2014) was a Union minister of state in the National Democratic Alliance government of India and a Bharatiya Janata Party politician. He was born on 20 September 1944 in Jessore. His father Dr. D. N. Sik ...
* Sabina Yeasmin


See also

* History of Bengal * Gour


Notes


References


External links


Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malda District Districts of West Bengal Minority Concentrated Districts in India 1813 establishments in British India