Baranagar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baranagar
City
Clockwise from top: Aerial view of Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission, Afternoon view of Baranagar station, Kripamayee Kali Temple, Indian Statistical Institute, Ganges River, Belghoria Expressway
Baranagar Location in West Bengal Show map of West Bengal Baranagar Location in India Show map of India Baranagar Location in Asia Show map of Asia
Country	India
State	West Bengal
Division	Presidency
District	North 24 Parganas
City	Kolkata
Railway station	Dum Dum Junction and Baranagar Road
Metro station	Baranagar Noapara Dum Dum
Established	1869; 156 years ago (1869) (as North Suburban Municipality) 1889; 136 years ago (1889) (as Baranagar Municipality)
Wards	34
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Baranagar Municipality
Area
• Total	7.12 km2 (2.75 sq mi)
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	245,313
• Rank	18th (in West Bengal) 187th (in India)
• Density	35,220/km2 (91,200/sq mi)
• Density rank	5th in the world
Languages
• Official	Bengali, English
• Literacy rate	91.41%
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	700035 700036 700090 700108
Telephone code	+91 33
Vehicle registration	WB-23, WB-24
Lok Sabha constituency	Dum Dum
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Baranagar
Climate	Aw (Köppen)
Precipitation	1,770 millimetres (70 in)
Avg. summer temperature	31.7 °C (89.1 °F)
Avg. winter temperature	22.2 °C (72.0 °F)
Sex ratio	1000/943 (1.06) (♂/♀)

Baranagar or Barahanagar is a city and a municipality in North Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the North Kolkata area.

Baranagar is home to the Indian Statistical Institute. This important national institution focuses on research and teaching in statistics and sciences. Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School is also a very old and famous school here.

The city is a big industrial center. It makes agricultural and industrial machines, chemicals, and matches. Baranagar also has many companies that process cotton, print books, and publish them.

What's in a Name?

The name Baranagar comes from the Bengali word Barahanagore. This means "City of the Hogs." (Baraha means hog, and nagar means city).

In 1676, a visitor named Streynsham Master saw a "hog factory" here. About 3,000 hogs were processed each year for export.

Some people think Baranagar means "big town" (Bara means big, nagar means town). Others believe it might be named after Varaha, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Map of Bengal by De Barros in 1550 showing "Bernagar" which refers to Baranagar

A Look Back in Time

Dutch Kuthi in Baranagar

Map of Bengal by Van de Broucke in 1660 showing "Barrenger" which refers to Baranagar

The first mention of Baranagar is in a book called Sri Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat. It says that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a spiritual leader, visited Baranagar in 1512.

Old maps from the 17th and 18th centuries also show Baranagar. The Dutch and Portuguese maps called it "Bernagar" or "Barrenger."

The Baranagar Municipality was started in 1869. It is one of India's oldest local governments. The Dutch had homes here in the 1600s. They even had a "Kuthi" or office for business.

Later, Baranagar became a big center for the jute trade. Jute is used to make things like gunny bags. The Baranagar Jute Factory, started in 1859, was India's first mechanical jute factory. It is still running today!

During the two World Wars, many engineering factories opened in Baranagar. This made the town famous as an "Industrial City."

Famous People from Baranagar

Many important people have lived in Baranagar.

Spiritual Leaders

• Ramakrishna
• Sitaramdas Omkarnath
• Sarada Devi
• Swami Vivekananda
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Academics and Writers

• Rabindranath Tagore
• Manik Bandopadhyay
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis

Sports

• Atanu Das (Archer)
• Dola Banerjee (Archer)
• Rahul Banerjee (Archer)

Entertainment

• Jaya Bachchan (Actress)
• Sabitri Chatterjee (Actress)
• Shaan (Singer)

Where is Baranagar?

Baranagar is located at 22.64°N 88.37°E. It is about 12 meters (39 feet) above sea level. The city is on the east side of the Hooghly River.

The Baranagar Municipal area is between Sinthee More and Dunlop. To the east, there's a railway line. To the west, you'll find the holy river Ganga. Dakshineshwar is to the north, and Cossipore and Sinthee are to the south. The famous Dakshineshwar Kali Temple is very close by. There are many steps leading to the Ganga River, called ghats, like Pramanic ghat and Kuthighat.

Police Station

Baranagar police station

The Baranagar police station helps keep the peace in parts of the Baranagar Municipal area. It is under the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.

Weather in Baranagar

Summers in Baranagar are from April to June. Temperatures can go up to 38°C (100°F). The monsoon season brings rain from June to September. Overall, the weather is usually pleasant, with mild summers and winters.

People and Languages

Population

In 2011, Baranagar had a population of 245,213 people. About 51% were males and 49% were females. Most people in Baranagar can read and write. The literacy rate was 91.41% for people over 6 years old.

Religion in Baranagar

Religion	Population (1941)	Percentage (1941)	Population (2011)	Percentage (2011)
Hinduism	45,109	82.84%	232,839	94.95%
Islam	8,874	16.29%	7,269	2.96%
Sikhism	5	0.01%	2,810	1.15%
Christianity	242	0.44%	653	0.26%
Others	221	0.40%	1,642	0.68%
Total Population	54,451	100%	245,213	100%

Languages Spoken

Languages spoken in Baranagar City (2011)      Bengali (81.28%)     Hindi (14.53%)     Urdu (1.59%)     Punjabi (1.17%)     Odia (0.40%)     Others (1.04%)

Most people in Baranagar speak Bengali. About 15% speak Hindi and Urdu. There are also many people who speak Punjabi. This is because some Sikh people moved here after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Part of Kolkata Urban Area

Baranagar is part of the larger Kolkata Metropolitan Area. This area includes many cities and towns around Kolkata.

City Facilities

Baranagar Municipal city covers an area of 7.12 square kilometers. It has a good network of roads and drains. For healthcare, there are 55 medicine shops.

The city has many schools: 49 primary schools, 33 middle schools, and 33 secondary schools. There are also higher secondary schools and two non-formal education centers. For fun and culture, Baranagar has two cinemas/theatres and two community halls. You can also find 20 bank branches here.

Economy and Jobs

Baranagar used to have many factories, like "Bengal Immunity company" and "Baranagar Jute Mill." The jute mill still makes things like Hessian and carpets from jute. Most other old factories have closed down.

The "Baranagar Jute Mill" is one of the oldest jute mills still working. Besides factories, many people work in the service sector. Baranagar also has cotton-processing companies, printing companies, and book publishers like Purushottam Publishers.

Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority

The KMDA helps plan and develop the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, which includes Baranagar.

Getting Around Baranagar

Trains

Baranagar Road railway station

The Baranagar Road railway station is in Baranagar. It's a station for local trains in Kolkata. It's one of the oldest railway stations. Trains on the Sealdah - Dankuni line pass through here.

Metro Trains

Baranagar metro station

Noapara metro station

The Noapara metro station is in Baranagar. It is the largest station in the Kolkata Metro system. The metro line was extended to Noapara in 2013. The Baranagar metro station opened on February 22, 2021. It is right next to the Baranagar Road railway station.

Roads

Belghoria Expressway

BT Road in Dunlop.

The Barrackpore Trunk Road (also known as SH 1 and SH 2) goes through Baranagar. The Belghoria Expressway also passes through the city. Dunlop Crossing is a very important intersection. It connects Kolkata with northern areas and other districts like Howrah. Many buses use these roads.

Ferries

Ferry ghat at Kuthi Ghat in Baranagar

In the past, people used boats and ferries to travel on the Ganges River. You could go from Baranagar's Kuthi Ghat to places like Howrah, Belur, Cossipore, and Dakshineshwar.

Learning in Baranagar

University

Indian Statistical Institute

The main office of the Indian Statistical Institute is in Baranagar. It's a very important national university that focuses on statistics. It was started in 1931.

Colleges

Here are some colleges in Baranagar:

• Brahmananda Keshab Chandra College
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis Mahavidyalaya
• MSME - Development Institute, Kolkata
• Central Modern College of Education

Schools

Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School

Baranagar Victoria School

Central Modern School

Baranagar Narendranath Vidyamandir

Sinthi R B T Vidyapith

Baranagar has many schools that provide good education:

• Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School (for boys)
• Ramakrishna Mission Centenary Primary School, Baranagore (for boys)
• Central Modern School
• Bonhooghly High School
• Baranagar Vidyamandir
• Rajkumari School for Girls
• Baranagar Narendranath Vidyamandir
• Baranagar Rajkumari Memorial Girls' High School
• Khalsa Model Senior Secondary School
• Sinthee R B T Vidyapith
• G D Goenka Public School Dakshineswar

Culture and Festivals

Durga Puja at Baranagar in 2018

Saraswati Puja at Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission in 2019

Kali Puja at Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission in 2013

The Baranagar Math is a special place. It's where Swami Vivekananda and other followers of Sri Ramakrishna Dev began their spiritual journey. This journey led to the creation of the Ramakrishna Mission. Other important religious places include Jay Mitra Kalibari and Pathbari Mandir. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Pathbari Mandir almost 500 years ago.

Baranagar also has a gurdwara called "Dunlop Gurudwara" and a church called "St. James' Church, Baranagar." There are many mosques too.

Baranagar is famous for its Durga Puja celebrations. Many clubs organize big and colorful Durga Puja events. Every winter, a circus called "Ajanta Circus" comes to Sinthi Circus Maidan.

Other popular festivals include Jhulan Jatra, Rash Jatra, and big Kali Puja celebrations. The annual Saraswati Puja is also widely celebrated. Christmas celebrations at St. James Church attract many visitors.

On New Year's Day, the Kalpataru Utsav is held. Thousands of people visit Baranagar Math and other nearby temples for this festival.

Sports in Baranagar

Baranagar is where famous archers like Dola Banerjee, Rahul Banerjee, and Atanu Das were born. They have even competed in the Olympic Games.

The city has several sports academies and clubs:

• Bandhudal Sporting Club
• Calcutta Archery Club
• Baranagar Archery Club
• Baranagar Sporting Club

Places to Visit

Baranagar Math

Kripamayee Kali Temple

Kuthi Ghat

Glass Temple

Baranagar has many interesting places to visit, including schools, religious sites, and historic buildings:

• Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama High School
• Indian Statistical Institute
• Baranagar Math
• Alambazar Math
• Kripamayee Kali Temple
• Pathbari Temple
• Mahamilan Math (Omkarnath Math)
• St. James' Church, Baranagar
• Dunlop Gurudwara
• Glass Temple (Kancher Mandir)
• Kuthi Ghat
• Dutch Kuthi

Many people also come to Baranagar during Durga Puja and to see the "Ajanta Circus."

Gallery

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  Pond Heron in Baranagar

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  Stork-billed Kingfisher in Baranagar

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  White-throated kingfisher in Baranagar

See also

In Spanish: Baranagar para niños