Kanpur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kanpur
City
From top, left to right: Kanpur Central, J. K. Temple, City Skyline, CSJM University, Kanpur Memorial Church, Cityscape in Krishna Nagar, Green Park Stadium
Nickname(s):  Heart of Uttar Pradesh, Leather City of the World Manchester of the East
Kanpur Location in Uttar Pradesh Show map of Uttar Pradesh Kanpur Location in India Show map of India
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Division	Kanpur
District	Kanpur Nagar
Named for	Raja Kanh Deo
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Kanpur Municipal Corporation
Area
• City	403 km2 (156 sq mi)
• Metro	891 km2 (344 sq mi)
Elevation	126 m (413 ft)
Population  (2024)
• City	3,926,000 (estimated)
• Rank	12th
• Density	9,800/km2 (25,000/sq mi)
• Metro	5,100,000 (estimated)
• Metro Rank	11th
Demonym(s)	Kanpurite, Kanpuriya
Languages
• Official	Hindi
• Regional	Awadhi
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
PIN	2080XX and 2092XX
Area code(s)	+91-(0)512
Vehicle registration	UP-77, UP-78 and UP-35
GDP Nominal (Kanpur Nagar District)	₹49,700.65 crore (US$8.4 billion) (2020–21)
Climate	Cwa (Köppen)
GDP Per Capita	₹87,295.51 (US$1,500)
Sex ratio	855 ♀ / 1000 ♂
Literacy	82.42%
HDI	0.663 (Medium)
Domestic airport	Kanpur Airport
Rapid Transit	Kanpur Metro

Kanpur (/kɑːnˈpʊər/), once called Cawnpore, is a big industrial city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It was founded in 1207. Kanpur became a very important place for business and the military during the time of British India.

Today, Kanpur is known for its old buildings, beautiful gardens, and tasty sweets. It is also famous for its high-quality leather, plastic, and textile products. These products are sent to many countries, especially in the Western world.

The city has many historical places. These include the Jajmau Ghat, which is from the 17th century. Other sites are the Bithoor Museum, Bhitargaon Temple, and Nanarao Park.

Kanpur is the 12th most populated city in India. It is also the 11th largest group of connected cities in India. Until 1947, when India became independent, Kanpur was an important British army town. The Kanpur Nagar area is the main center for the Kanpur Division.

Some popular spots in Kanpur are J. K. Temple, Kanpur Central, ZSquare Mall, and Green Park Stadium.

History of Kanpur

How Kanpur Began

In 1207, a ruler named Raja Kanha-deo started the city of Kanhpur. He was from the Kanhpuriya family of Rajputs. Kanhpur later became known as Kanpur.

Over time, different rulers governed this area. These included rulers from Kannauj and Muslim rulers from the Sur dynasty. In 1765, the British defeated the Nawab of Awadh near Jajmau. From 1773 to 1801, Kanpur was part of the Oudh Kingdom. After a treaty in 1801, the British took control because they saw how important the city was. Many European business people then moved to Kanpur.

Kanpur's Industrial Growth

Kanpur became a major industrial center. In 1876, the first wool factory in India was built here. It was called the Lal Imli (meaning "Red Tamarind"). This factory was very important to the city. Its buildings looked a bit like the Palace of Westminster in London. This showed how important Kanpur was during British times.

The city is also known as the "Leather City of the World." It is often called the "Manchester of the East." This is because of its many factories that make chemicals, textiles, and leather.

The 1857 Uprising in Kanpur

Kanpur from the river in 1858

In the 1800s, Cawnpore (Kanpur) was a big British army base. It had space for 7,000 soldiers. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, about 900 British people were surrounded in their forts for 22 days. Rebels led by Nana Sahib besieged them.

The British agreed to surrender if they could safely leave by boat on the river. They went to the Sati Chaura Ghat to board boats. However, fighting broke out, and many British people were killed or captured. Some British officers later said that the boats were stuck in the mud on purpose. They also claimed that Nana Sahib's group had planned to attack them.

Historians still debate what exactly happened. No clear proof has been found that Nana Sahib planned the attack. Some believe it was a result of confusion. The remaining 200 British women and children were taken to a building called the Bibighar. When the British army entered the city on July 18, all the hostages had been killed.

The British army, led by General Neill, took back the city. They took revenge on the rebel soldiers and civilians in the area. The events in Cawnpore became a reason for the British to seek strong revenge. "Remember Cawnpore" became a famous cry for the British army during the rest of the war.

Geography of Kanpur

Kanpur is situated on the right bank of the Ganges.

Kanpur is located in the central-western part of Uttar Pradesh. It is about 475 km from New Delhi, the capital of India. It is also about 90 km from Lucknow, the state capital.

The city is in the flat Indo-Gangetic Plains. Its average height is 318 meters above sea level. The Ganges river flows past the city. Many riverbanks, called ghats, are along the river. These include the Sati Chaura Ghat and Sarsaiya Ghat. The Brahmavart Ghat at Bithoor is also important for religious reasons.

Parks and Lakes

Kanpur has many parks and fun places. Nana Rao Park and Phool Bagh are old parks from the British era. The Moti Jheel is a rectangular lake. It was first used to store drinking water. Now, it is a fun place with a garden and a children's park. The Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary is also close to Kanpur.

What is Kanpur's Climate Like?

Kanpur has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot summers, a rainy season (monsoon), and mild winters. It is similar to many other cities in northern India.

Kanpur is known as the 5th best "National Clean Air City" in India.

People of Kanpur

In 2011, the Kanpur Nagar district had about 4.5 million people. The number of people who could read and write was about 79.65%. For every 1000 boys, there were 862 girls.

Most people in Kanpur follow Hinduism. There is also a large number of Muslims. Smaller groups include Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists.

The local way of speaking is called Awadhi. The main languages spoken in the city are Hindi and Urdu. Some people also speak Punjabi and Bengali.

Getting Around Kanpur

Kanpur Central Railway Station

IIT Kanpur metro station

Air Travel

Kanpur Airport is a local airport. It has direct flights to big cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. The closest international airport is in Lucknow, about 77 km away.

Train Travel

Indian Railways: Kanpur Central is a very important train station. It is one of the busiest in India. Train lines connect Kanpur to all major cities in the state and the country. About 300 trains pass through it every day.

Kanpur city has eleven other train stations besides Kanpur Central:

Metro: The Kanpur Metro is a modern train system for quick travel within the city. It has two lines: Orange Line and Blue Line. The first part of the Orange Line opened in December 2021. It connects IIT Kanpur to Motijheel.

Road Travel

Kanpur has several important national highways that pass through it. These roads connect Kanpur to many other cities in India.

The main bus station in Kanpur is called "Shaheed Major Salman Khan bus station." It is also known as "Jhakarkati Bus Station." You can catch buses from here to many important cities in India. There are other bus stations too, like Chunniganj and Naubasta.

Ring Road: To help with traffic, a four-lane outer ring road is being planned around Kanpur. This road will help big trucks go around the city instead of through it.

Kanpur's Economy

Kanpur is a very important place for business and industry in India. It is one of the top economic centers in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Education and Research

Universities and Colleges in Kanpur

Faculty Building, IIT Kanpur

Aerial view of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) is a famous technical and research university. It was started in 1959. It is one of the first IITs in India.

Kanpur also has three state universities:

• Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University is one of the biggest universities in northern India. It offers many courses in different subjects.
• Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology focuses on farming. It helps farmers in many districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU) offers programs in engineering and business.

There is also the Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology for Handicapped. This school provides technical education for students with special needs. The National Sugar Institute (NSI) does research and training for the sugar industry.

Kanpur also has private universities like Rama University. Many other private colleges offer technical and management courses.

Medical Education

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College (GSVM Medical College) is a government medical school. It was founded in 1956. Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital, also known as Hallet Hospital, is connected to GSVM.

Famous People from Kanpur

• Lala Kamlapat Singhania, industrialist
• Padampat Singhania, industrialist
• Kuldeep Yadav, cricketer
• Harish-Chandra, mathematician
• Giriraj Kishore, novelist
• Irshad Mirza, industrialist
• Gaurav Khanna, actor
• Rajeev Shukla, political commentator and former journalist
• Kamal Nath, politician

See also

In Spanish: Kanpur para niños