Shankara (also spelled Shankra, Sankra) is a
census town
In India and some other countries, a census town is designated as a town that satisfies certain characteristics.
India
In India, a census town is one which is not statutorily notified and administered as a town, but nevertheless whose population ...
and a
gram panchayat in the
Para
Para, or PARA, may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Paramount Global, traded as PARA on the Nasdaq stock exchange
* Para Group, the former name of CT Corp
* Para Rubber, now Skellerup, a New Zealand manufacturer
* Para USA, formerly ...
CD block
In India, a Community development block (CD block) or simply Block is a sub-division of Tehsil, administratively earmarked for planning and development. The area is administered by a Block Development Officer (BDO), supported by several technic ...
in the
Raghunathpur subdivision of the
Purulia district in the state of
West Bengal,
India.
Geography
Location
Shankara is located at .
Area overview
Purulia district forms the lowest step of the
Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the bas ...
. The general scenario is undulating land with scattered hills.
Raghunathpur subdivision occupies the northern part of the district. 83.80% of the population of the subdivision lives in rural areas. However, there are pockets of urbanization and 16.20% of the population lives in urban areas. There are 14 census towns in the subdivision. It is presented in the map given alongside. There is a coal mining area around
Parbelia and two thermal power plants are there – the 500 MW
Santaldih Thermal Power Station
Santaldih Thermal Power Station ( bn, সাঁওতালডিহ তাপবিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র) of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited is a power station with an installed capacity of 500 MW (2x250 MW).
Lo ...
and the 1200 MW
Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station
Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station is a 1200 MW coal-based thermal power plant located at Raghunathpur in Purulia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
The power station was proposed by Damodar Valley Corporation
Damodar Valley Cor ...
. The subdivision has a rich heritage of old temples, some of them belonging to the 11th century or earlier. The
Banda Deul is a
monument of national importance. The comparatively more recent in historical terms,
Panchkot Raj has interesting and intriguing remains in the area.
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Demographics
According to the
2011 Census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...
, Shankara had a total population of 11,171, of which 5,735 (51%) were males and 5,436 (49%) were females. There were 2,523 persons in the age range of 0–6 years. The total number of literate persons in Shankara was 3,520 (40.84% of the population over 6 years).
Infrastructure
According to the ''District Census Handbook 2011, Puruliya'', Shankara covered an area of 5.3831 km
2. There is a railway station at
Anara, 5 km away. Among the civic amenities, it had 23 km roads with both open and closed drains, the protected water supply involved overhead tank, tap water from untreated source, uncovered well. It had 887 domestic electric connections. Among the medical facilities it had 1 hospital, 1 dispensary/ health centre, 2 medicine shops. Among the educational facilities it had were 2 primary schools, 1 middle school, the nearest secondary school at Jhapur 3 km away, the nearest senior secondary school at Khapur 3 km away, the nearest general degree college at
Raghunathpur 19 km away. Among the important commodities it manufactured was
beedi.
Transport
The railway station at
Anara, on the
Adra-Gomoh branch line, is located nearby.
Education
Sankra High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational institution established in 1973. It has facilities for teaching up to the higher secondary level.
Jhapra High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational institution established in 1966. It has facilities for teaching up to the higher secondary level.
Culture
Ancient idols of Jain
Parshvanath and
Shantinatha have been found at Shankara. Many age-old idols that have weathered with time are stored inside modern temples.
Banda Deul, located nearby, an 11th-century temple, is a
monument of national importance.
There are 3 dilapidated at
Para
Para, or PARA, may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Paramount Global, traded as PARA on the Nasdaq stock exchange
* Para Group, the former name of CT Corp
* Para Rubber, now Skellerup, a New Zealand manufacturer
* Para USA, formerly ...
belonging to the 10th-11th century. There is an 11th-century at Banda.
Numerous statues related to Jainism and Hinduism have been found at
Haraktor.
Shankara picture gallery
File:Jain Statue worshipped as deity inside Dharmaraj temple at Sankra.jpg, Jain idol in Dharmaraj temple
File:Jain Statue inside Dharmaraj temple sat Sankra.jpg, Jain idol in Dharmaraj temple
File:Shankara - Dharmaraj Temple.jpg, Dharmaraj temple
File:Bir Stambha in Shankara village at Purulia.jpg, Bir stambha
Healthcare
Para Block Primary Health Centre, with 30 beds, at
Para
Para, or PARA, may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Paramount Global, traded as PARA on the Nasdaq stock exchange
* Para Group, the former name of CT Corp
* Para Rubber, now Skellerup, a New Zealand manufacturer
* Para USA, formerly ...
, is a major government medical facility in the Para CD block.
References
External links
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Purulia district