Historical background of BardhamanBardhaman is the district headquarters. It is a large district of more than 6 million people in the State of West Bengal,India.It is believed to have been named after the Jain Tirthankara Mahavir Vardhamaan. It is situated near the Banka river and is 95 kms from Calcutta. It's well connected by road and rail to the rest of the country. The Maharajahs of Bardhaman played a major role in the development of the city.The very name Bardhaman suggests a close association with Mahavira Bardha- man, the twenty-fourth and the last Jain Tirthankar (pathfinder). There is a theory that the name Bardhaman is based on the contact this area had with Mahavira Bardhaman and Jainism. Parasnath hill in Dhanbad district so very important and holy to the Jains is close to the border of Burdwan. Parasnath is associated with most of the Tirthankar. It is quite likely that in the course of his preaching in the Rarh Desha, which comprises portions of this district as well, Mahavira may have visited this district. It is said that the rude inhabitants of Rarh Desha had even assaulted Mahavira Bardhaman and let loose dogs against him. One of the totems of the Bauris who were the original inhabitants of this area and are stiff a formidable so-called lower caste have dog as their totem. The Bauris are supposed to be rough and rude. A large number of stone images of the different Tirthankar have been discovered in Bardhaman district. There can be no doubt that even if Mahavira had not actually visited any of the portions of this district, some of his followers did and preached Jainism. Bardhaman town is a major communications centre lying astride the Banka River just north of the Damodar River. Rice and oilseed milling and hosiery, cutlery, and tool manufacturing are the chief industries. Of historic interest are the Rajbari (the maharaja's palace and gardens), several ancient Muslim tombs, and 108 Shiva linga, or phallic, 18th-century temples. The Rajbari houses the University of Bardhaman, founded in 1960, with several affiliated colleges in the city. The city was constituted a municipality in 1865. The surrounding locality consists of two distinct regions. The eastern part is a low alluvial plain, densely populated and often waterlogged and swampy. The western region is one of the busiest industrial tracts in West Bengal, with rich coal, fireclay, and iron-ore deposits, especially in the Raniganj coalfield area. The Damodar Valley Corporation provides irrigation, industrial power supply, and flood control. Rice, corn (maize), legumes, and oilseeds are the chief crops in the east. To know more about bardhaman... Go to Next Page
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