Deoria is a city in the state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

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 ...

. Deoria is located 45 km east of

Gorakhpur Gorakhpur is a city in the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the West Rapti River, Rapti river in the Purvanchal , Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometres east of ...

and about 317 km from the state capital

Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...

. It shares its eastern border with the Indian state of

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

. It is one of five tehsils of the

Deoria district Deoria district, one of the districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India has its headquarters located at Deoria and is a part of Gorakhpur division. It came into existence on 16 March 1946 from Gorakhpur district. During British rule the distr ...

and serves as the administrative headquarters of that district, and is part of the

Gorakhpur division Gorakhpur division is one of the 18 administrative geographical units (i.e. division) of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Gorakhpur city is the administrative headquarters of the division. The division consists of 4 districts. D ...

. The city is situated between 26°6' and 26°48' North latitudes and 83°23' and 84°16' East longitudes, with major rivers such as the

Ghaghara The Ghaghara River, also known as the Karnali River in Nepal, Mapcha Tsangpo in Tibet, and as the Sarayu River in the lower Ghaghara of India's Awadh, is a perennial trans-boundary river that originates in the northern slopes of the Himalaya ...

, Rapti, and Chhoti Gandak flowing through the region. Deoria is well known for its fertile plains, which support the cultivation of crops like sugarcane, wheat, and rice. As per the 2011 Census, the population of Deoria city was 129,479, with a literacy rate of 86.8%. The city is an important agricultural and trade hub in the region and is well connected by road and rail networks to other parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Geography

Deoria is situated in the eastern part of

, lying between 26°6' and 27°8' North latitudes and 83°29' and 84°26' East longitudes. The district covers an area of approximately 2,540 square kilometres. It shares its northern boundary with the district of

Kushinagar Kushinagar (Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is a town in the Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, India, east of Gorakhpur on National Highway 27, Kushinagar is a Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha died. Etymology Acc ...

, while to the east, it borders the state of

. The southern boundary adjoins the district of Ballia, and to the west, it is flanked by the district of

. The region is characterised by a predominantly alluvial plain, which is part of the larger

Gangetic plains The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the Northern Plain or North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain spanning across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. It encompasses northern and eastern India, eastern Pakist ...

. This fertile land is conducive to agriculture, supporting crops such as rice, wheat, and sugarcane. The district is crisscrossed by several rivers and tributaries, with the

Ghaghara River The Ghaghara River, also known as the Karnali River in Nepal, Mapcha Tsangpo in Tibet, and as the Sarayu River in the lower Ghaghara of India's Awadh, is a perennial trans-boundary river that originates in the northern slopes of the Himalaya ...

being the most prominent watercourse, influencing the area's agriculture and lifestyle. The climate of Deoria is classified as humid subtropical, with hot summers, a monsoon season, and cool winters. Average temperatures range from 25°C to 45°C in summer and 8°C to 20°C in winter. The monsoon season, occurring between June and September, brings the majority of the annual rainfall, which averages around 1,000 millimetres. The district's geographical features and climate play a significant role in shaping its agricultural practices and overall lifestyle of the inhabitants.

History

Deoria, a city in eastern

, derives its name from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

term "Devaranya," which translates to "forest of gods." The region holds historical and cultural significance, with mentions in ancient scriptures and texts. In ancient times, Deoria was part of the

Kosala Kingdom Kosala is the kingdom of Rama mentioned in the Ramayana. Ayodhya (Ramayana), Ayodhya was its capital and is now located in Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava (Ramayana), Lava and Kusha (Ramayana), Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava rule ...

, known for its prominence in Indian history and mythology. The region is associated with the epic

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

, as Kosala was the kingdom of

Lord Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda'' ...

. During the

Mauryan The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...

and

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...

periods, Deoria was an integral part of the larger administrative and cultural framework. During the medieval period, Deoria experienced the influence of various ruling dynasties, including the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

. The area saw gradual economic development through agriculture and trade. Under

British colonial rule The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts establish ...

, Deoria gained prominence as an administrative center and contributed to the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

through the efforts of local leaders. After

India's independence The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic movement t ...

in 1947, Deoria became part of the state of

. It has since undergone infrastructural and economic development, with agriculture remaining a significant part of the local economy. Today, Deoria is known for its cultural diversity, religious significance, and evolving urban landscape.

Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Deoria had a total population of 129,479, of which 67,462 were males and 62,017 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 14,779. The total number of literates in Deoria was 99,562, which constituted 76.9% of the population with male literacy of 81.1% and female literacy of 72.3%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Deoria was 86.8%, of which male literacy rate was 91.6% and female literacy rate was 81.6%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 8,177 and 2,228 respectively. Deoria had 20076 households in 2011. According to the 2001 census Deoria had 104,222 inhabitants (54,737 men, 49,485 women).

Religion

As of 2011,

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

is largest religion in Deoria city with 113,640 Hindus (87.77%).

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

is second largest religion in Deoria with 15,098 Muslim (11.66%). Other religions includes 259 Sikhs (0.2%), 177 Christians (0.14%), 110 Buddhists (0.08%), 23 Jains (0.02%), 6 did Others (<0.01%) and 166 did not answer (0.13%).

Notable people

* Shakir Ali, politician and former cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. * Devraha Baba, Indian

Siddha ''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of perfection of the intellect as we ...

Yogi * Virendra K Baranwal, academic, scientist and agricultural researcher * Marghoob Ahmad Lari, politician and former state minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. * Muzaffar Ahmad Lari, Urdu writer * Noori Mian, former owner of Bhatni Sugar Mill Deoria * Surya Pratap Shahi, politician and cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. * Mohan Singh, politician and member of parliament from Deoria * Shalabh Mani Tripathi, politician and Member of legislative assembly from Deoria * Shashank Mani, politician and Member of Parliament from Deoria

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Uttar Pradesh Cities and towns in Deoria district