Amtala is a town, with a college, not identified in 2011 census, in the
Naoda CD block in the
Berhampore subdivision
Berhampore subdivision is an administrative subdivision of Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Overview
The Bhagirathi River splits the district into two natural physiographic regions – Rarh on the west and Bagri on the e ...
of
Murshidabad district
Murshidabad district is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of and having a population 7.103 million (according to 2011 census), it ...
in the state of
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
.
Geography
Location
Amtala is located at .
Area overview
The area shown in the map alongside, covering
Berhampore
Berhampore (), also known as Baharampur (), is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. Berhampore is the administrative headquarters of the Murshidabad district. As of 2011 census, Berhampore is the seventh largest city ...
and
Kandi subdivisions, is spread across both the natural physiographic regions of the district,
Rarh
''Rarh region'' () is a toponym for an area in the Indian subcontinent that lies between the Chota Nagpur Plateau on the West and the Ganges Delta on the East. Although the boundaries of the region have been defined differently according to vari ...
and Bagri. The headquarters of Murshidabad district,
Berhampore
Berhampore (), also known as Baharampur (), is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. Berhampore is the administrative headquarters of the Murshidabad district. As of 2011 census, Berhampore is the seventh largest city ...
, is in this area. The ruins of
Karnasubarna
Karnasuvarna or Karnasubarna ( Bengali : কর্ণসুবর্ণ অথবা কানসোনা) was an ancient city, located in the present day Berhampore CD block in the Berhampore subdivision of Murshidabad district, West Bengal ...
, the capital of
Shashanka
Shashanka Dev (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Śaśāṅka) was the first independent king of a unified polity in the Bengal region, called the Gauda Kingdom. He reigned in the 7th century, some historians place his r ...
, the first important king of ancient
Bengal
Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
who ruled in the 7th century, is located south-west of Berhampore. The entire area is overwhelmingly rural with over 80% of the population living in the rural areas.
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivisions. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Social background
The area around Amtala is an agricultural area, which is somewhat cut off from the outside world. The nearest railway station,
Beldanga
Beldanga engali:বেলডাঙ্গাis a municipality town under the Berhampore subdivision of Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. Beldanga is an important trade centre of this district.
Geography
Location
Beldang ...
is around 23 km away and buses for Baharampur few and far between. The population is largely Muslim and education particularly amongst the girls was not encouraged. The social reformation started with the setting up of Amtala High School, a co-educational institution. However, the conservative community was not eager to send the girls to school, post class VIII. The young girls continued to be married off early. With the help of a few liberal intellectuals, the forward-looking section of the population established a girls’ school, Anandaoni Balika Vidyalaya. Jatindra Rajendra Mahavidyalaya was started in 1986 with only 36 students, one third of them being girls.
Education
Jatindra Rajendra Mahavidyalaya was established in 1986 at Amtala. Guru Prasad Biswas and Birendranath Biswas made a contribution, and the college was named after the fathers of them. Affiliated with the
University of Kalyani
The University of Kalyani, established in 1960, is a Government of West Bengal administered, University Grants Commission (India), UGC affiliated, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, NAAC accredited, collegiate public research unive ...
, it offers honours courses in Bengali, English, Arabic, history, philosophy, political science and education.
Healthcare
Amtala Rural Hospital, with 50 beds, is the major government medical facility in Naoda CD block.
References
{{Murshidabad District
Cities and towns in Murshidabad district