Meerut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Meerut Mēraṭha
Metropolis
Clockwise from Top: Martyr Memorial, Meerut Clock Tower, Mustafa Castle, Basilica of Our Lady of Graces
Meerut Location in Uttar Pradesh Show map of Uttar Pradesh Meerut Location in India Show map of India
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Division	Meerut
District	Meerut
Government
• Body	Meerut Municipal Corporation
Area
• Metropolis	450 km2 (170 sq mi)
Elevation	247 m (810 ft)
Population  (2016)
• Metropolis	1,571,434
• Density	3,490/km2 (9,040/sq mi)
• Metro	1,871,434
Language
• Official	Hindi
• Additional official	Urdu
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	250 0xx
Telephone code	91- 121- XXXX XXX
Vehicle registration	UP-15

Meerut is a big city in the western part of the Uttar Pradesh state in India. It's about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of New Delhi, the capital of India. Meerut is the second-largest city in the National Capital Region (NCR), which is the area around Delhi. In 2011, it was the 33rd most populated city area in India.

Meerut became important in 1803 during the time of British rule. It was home to one of the biggest army camps. The city is famous for being where the 1857 rebellion against British rule began. Meerut is also known as the "Sports City of India" because it makes a lot of sports goods. It's also a major producer of musical instruments and has one of Asia's biggest gold markets. The city is also a center for education in western Uttar Pradesh.

Meerut has been suggested as a possible capital for a new state called Harit Pradesh. India's first fast train system, the Delhi Meerut RRTS, is being built here. It will connect cities with high-speed metro trains. Meerut is also called the "expressway capital" of Western Uttar Pradesh because it has three different expressways.

What's in a Name? Meerut's Origin

The name Meerut might come from 'Mayarashtra', which was the capital of a kingdom ruled by Mayasura. He was the father of Mandodari, who was married to Ravana. Over time, this name might have changed to Mairashtra, Mai-dant-ka-khera, Mairaath, and finally Meerut.

Another story says that Mayasura, who was a great architect, received the land where Meerut now stands from King Yudhishthira. He named the place Maharashtra, which later became Meerut. Some traditions also say the city was part of King Mahipala's lands, and the name Meerut is linked to him.

Meerut's Past: A Journey Through Time

Ancient Times in Meerut

In the ancient story of Ramayana, Meerut was known as 'Maydant Ka Kheda'. It was the capital of May Danav and the hometown of Mandodari, who was Ravana's wife.

Archaeological digs in the 1950s found remains of the ancient city of Hastinapur near Meerut. Hastinapur was the capital of the Kauravas and Pandavas from the Mahabharata story. It was believed to have been washed away by floods from the Ganges river.

Meerut also had a settlement from the Indus Valley civilisation called Alamgirpur. This was the easternmost point of that ancient civilization. Meerut was also a center for Buddhism during the time of Emperor Ashoka (273 BC to 232 BC). Remains of Buddhist buildings have been found near the Jama Masjid in the city today. A famous Ashoka Pillar that is now in Delhi was originally brought from Meerut by Firuz Shah Tughluq in the 1300s.

Muslim Rule and Changes

In the 11th century, a local ruler named Har Dat controlled the area southwest of Meerut. He built a strong fort. Mahmud of Ghazni defeated him in 1018. The famous Jama Masjid in Meerut is said to have been built by Mahmud's chief minister around this time.

Later, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, a general who founded the Delhi Sultanate, captured Meerut in 1193.

In 1399, Timur attacked and looted Meerut. The city was defended by Ilyas Afghan and his son, but Timur's forces broke through. The people were killed or enslaved, and the city's buildings were destroyed.

Meerut then came under the Mughal Empire and had a peaceful period. During Emperor Akbar's rule (1556–1605), Meerut had a mint for copper coins. It was also an important administrative area, providing money and soldiers to the empire.

The Sayyid family controlled much of Meerut from the 16th to late 18th centuries. Sayyed Mir Abdulla Naqvi Al Bukhari built the Kot Fort in Abdullapur in the 16th century.

In the 18th century, Meerut faced attacks from Sikh and Maratha armies. Some parts of the district were ruled by a European soldier named Walter Reinhardt Sombre. After he died, his lands went to Begum Samru.

British Colonial Era

In 1803, the British East India Company (EIC) took control of Meerut from the Marathas. A large British army camp (cantonment) was set up in Meerut in 1806. This was because it was close to Delhi and in a rich farming area. Meerut became the main city for its district in 1818.

Meerut is famous for being where the 1857 rebellion against British rule began. The famous cry "Dilli Chalo" ("Let's march to Delhi!") was first heard here.

The rebellion started in March 1857 in Barrackpore, Bengal. An Indian soldier named Mangal Pandey shot at his officers and was executed. By April, the unrest reached Meerut, which had a large EIC army base. On April 24, 1857, 85 Indian soldiers of the Bengal Cavalry refused to use new rifle cartridges. These cartridges were covered in paper that soldiers had to bite off. Muslim soldiers believed the paper was greased with pig fat, and Hindu soldiers believed it was greased with cow fat, which was against their beliefs.

All 85 soldiers were punished and sent to prison for ten years. On May 10, 1857, Kotwal Dhan Singh Gurjar helped these soldiers and others escape from prison. They rebelled, attacked British officials, and took control of the city. This event started a big revolt across northern India as these soldiers marched towards Delhi. May 10 is still a local holiday in Meerut.

Meerut was also where the Meerut Conspiracy Case happened in 1929. Several labor union leaders, including three Englishmen, were arrested for organizing a railway strike. This case became well-known in England. Electricity came to Meerut in 1931. In the 1940s, during the Indian independence movement, people in Meerut would not stand up when the British national anthem played in cinemas. The last meeting of the Indian National Congress before India became independent in 1947 was held in Meerut on November 26, 1946.

After India's Independence

After India gained independence, Meerut faced some difficult times. In 1984, there were conflicts between Hindu and Sikh groups. In 1982 and 1987, there were conflicts between Hindu and Muslim groups.

In 2006, a fire at a fair in Victoria Park Stadium killed many people.

Meerut's Location and Weather

Meerut is the largest city in the NCR after Delhi. It is located between the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. The Meerut district covers about 2,522 square kilometers (974 sq mi), which is larger than Delhi itself.

Meerut's Climate

Meerut has a climate with hot summers and cooler winters. Summers are from early April to late June and can be very hot, with temperatures reaching 49°C (120°F).

The monsoon season starts in late June and lasts until mid-September. Temperatures drop a bit, and there is a lot of rain and humidity. From November to mid-March, Meerut has a mild, dry winter. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -0.4°C (31.3°F) in January 2013. The city gets about 845 mm (33 inches) of rain each year, which is good for farming. Most of the rain falls during the monsoon.

Meerut was ranked 25th best "National Clean Air City" in India in 2024.

How Meerut is Managed

City and District Management

Meerut is part of the Meerut division, which has six districts. The head of this division is the Divisional Commissioner of Meerut, who is a senior IAS officer. This person is in charge of local government and new building projects. The District Magistrate of Meerut reports to the Commissioner.

The Meerut district is managed by the District Magistrate (DM), also an IAS officer. The DM handles property records, collects taxes for the government, and oversees elections. The district is divided into three smaller areas called tehsils: Meerut, Mawana, and Sardhana. Each tehsil has a Sub-Divisional Magistrate. These tehsils are further divided into 12 blocks.

Police and Public Services

The police in Meerut district are part of the Uttar Pradesh Police. The Meerut police zone is led by an IPS officer called the Additional Director General of Police (ADG). The Meerut police range is led by an IPS officer called the Inspector General of Police (IG).

The district police are led by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), an IPS officer. He is helped by four other police superintendents. The city's infrastructure is developed by the Meerut Development Authority (MDA). The Divisional Commissioner of Meerut is the head of the MDA.

The city itself is run by the Meerut Municipal Corporation. This group handles city services. The Municipal Commissioner is in charge of daily tasks, while the Mayor is the ceremonial head.

Demand for a High Court Branch

Many people want a branch of the High Court in Meerut. About 54% of all cases that go to the High Court come from the 22 districts of Western Uttar Pradesh. However, people from this area have to travel 700 km (435 miles) to Allahabad for court hearings. Other states have high courts much closer to Western Uttar Pradesh.

People in Western Uttar Pradesh have been asking for a High Court branch in Meerut so they can get justice more easily. This area also makes up a big part of the state's economy. The idea of a court branch in Western Uttar Pradesh was first suggested by the government in 1955.

Meerut Cantonment: An Army Area

The Meerut Cantonment is a large army area. It was set up by the British East India Company in 1803. It is one of the biggest cantonments in India, both in land size and population. The Revolt of 1857 started here, and Indian soldiers in this area took part in the rebellion. The cantonment surrounds the old city on three sides. It is well connected by roads and railways.

Meerut's Economy: A Hub of Activity

Growth and Development

Meerut is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the world. A report in 2011 by Morgan Stanley, a financial company, ranked Meerut as the 5th most "vibrant" city, even ahead of Delhi and Mumbai. This means it has a lot of energy and potential. The city also ranked high in how many ATMs and bank branches it has, showing it's becoming more urban.

Meerut's infrastructure is growing fast with new projects like expressways, metro lines, and freight corridors. The Upper Ganga Canal Expressway has also been finished. Meerut is a major industrial center in India. It is the largest producer of sports goods in the country. It also has one of Asia's biggest gold markets. The city is known for making scissors, metal items, and musical instruments. It is also India's largest producer of refined sugar.

Meerut is becoming an important Logistics Hub in western Uttar Pradesh. This is due to projects like the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and expressways such as the Delhi–Meerut Expressway and Ganga Expressway.

Industries in Meerut

Meerut is an important industrial city in western Uttar Pradesh. It is known for its traditional handloom work and scissors industry. Meerut was one of the first cities in northern India to have publishing companies in the 1800s.

Meerut is in a rich farming area and is close to Delhi, which makes it good for industries. As of 2011, it had 520 small and medium-sized industries. Some of India's biggest sports goods makers, like Sanspareils Greenlands (SG) and BDM, are based in Meerut.

Other industries in the city include tires, textiles, transformers, sugar, chemicals, engineering, and paper. New industries like IT and logistics are also growing.

Getting Around Meerut

Road Travel

Meerut has good road connections to major cities like Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad. Many people travel to these cities for work every day.

Three national highways and two expressways pass through Meerut. The Delhi–Meerut Expressway is a 90 km (56 mile) long highway that connects Meerut with Delhi. It was opened in 2021. The Ganga Expressway is also being built.

There are two main bus terminals in Meerut: Bhainsali and Sohrab Gate. From here, buses travel to cities across the state. Inside the city, you can use city buses, auto rickshaws, and rickshaws. Many new road projects, like ring roads and flyovers, are also being built.

Train Travel

Meerut is on the Delhi–Meerut–Saharanpur line and has four railway stations. Meerut City railway station is the busiest. The railway line between Delhi and Meerut was built in 1864.

About 20,000 people travel by train between Meerut and Delhi every day. Many trains connect Meerut to other major cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur.

Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is a special railway line for cargo trains. It will run between Ludhiana in Punjab and Dankuni in West Bengal, passing through Meerut.

The Delhi Meerut RRTS (RapidX) will also carry cargo during off-peak hours. The Uttar Pradesh government is setting up a large logistics hub in the Modipuram area of Meerut.

Metro Project

In 2014, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a metro rail project for Meerut. This project aims to improve public transport in the city. The metro will have two main lines. The first line will go from Partapur to Pallavpuram, and the second from Rajban Market to Gokalpur village.

Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)

The NCR Transport Plan suggested a fast train system called the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) between Delhi and Meerut. This project aims to connect the two cities quickly.

In 2010, it was proposed that the RRTS trains would travel between 130 and 160 km/h (81 and 99 mph). The project's construction started in March 2018. The first part of the line from Sahibabad to Duhai is almost finished. The entire line is expected to be completed by March 2025.

Air Travel

The closest airport is Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad, about 64 km (40 miles) away. The main international airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, is about 100 km (62 miles) away.

The Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Airport is located at Partapur. There were plans to turn this airstrip into an international airport, but these plans were stopped due to protests. The city has long wanted an airport, but the project has faced delays.

Expressways

Meerut is a good location for industries and logistics because of its many expressways. It has the Delhi–Meerut Expressway and the Ganga Expressway. It is also close to other major expressways like the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway and Yamuna Expressway.

Meerut's People and Demographics

Religions in Meerut City (2011)
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			61.15%
Islam			36.05%
Jainism			0.92%
Sikhism			0.60%
Christian			0.41%
Others†			0.96%
Distribution of religions †Includes Buddhists (<0.09%).

In 2011, the Meerut Urban Agglomeration (Meerut UA), which includes the city and nearby towns, had a population of about 1.42 million people. This makes Meerut the 33rd most populated urban area in India. In Meerut, for every 1000 males, there were 897 females. About 13% of the population was under 6 years old. The overall literacy rate (people who can read and write) was 88.29%, which is higher than the state average. In Meerut Municipal Corporation, most people spoke Hindi (83.78%) or Urdu (15.25%) as their first language.

Culture and Traditions

Most traditional Indian festivals, like Holi, Diwali, and Eid, are celebrated with excitement in Meerut. A famous fair called Nauchandi Fair is held every year, two weeks after Holi. This fair started in 1672 and lasts for about 15 days, attracting millions of people. It includes poetry readings and many other events.

Meerut is also the main center for the Roman Catholic Meerut Diocese, which covers several districts.

Nauchandi Mela (Fair)

The Nauchandi Mela is an annual fair held in Meerut. It lasts for about a month and is organized by the city's Municipal Corporation. It usually begins on the second Sunday after Holi. The fair shows off the artistic and religious traditions of rural Uttar Pradesh. More than 50,000 people visit the fair every year. The Indian Railways' Nauchandi Express train is named after this fair.

The fair has a long history, going back hundreds of years. It started in 1672 as a one-day fair for trading cattle. The fair has been held every year since then, except in 1858, the year after the 1857 revolt.

Today, instead of cattle trading, the fair has many other activities. You can find shops selling Lucknow's Chikan embroidery, Moradabad's brassware, Varanasi's carpets and silk sarees, and Agra's footwear. Meerut's own products like sports goods, scissors, and sweets are also sold. Big rides, Ferris wheels, and circus shows are also popular attractions.

Film and Television in Meerut

Meerut has its own film industry, which is popular in Western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. These films are often based on local stories, comedies, or local versions of Bollywood movies. Some famous Bollywood films like Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety and Zero have been filmed here.

Many notable people from Meerut work in the film and television industry, including Bharat Bhushan, Mandakini, Kailash Kher, and Chitrangada Singh.

Education in Meerut

Meerut is a big education center in Western Uttar Pradesh. It has several universities, many engineering colleges, management colleges, pharmacy colleges, and over 150 academic colleges. The city is home to Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Shobhit Institute of Engineering & Technology and IIMT University.

There is one government engineering college, Sir Chhotu Ram Institute of Engineering and Technology. Schools in Meerut are linked to different education boards like ICSE and CBSE. St. Mary's Academy, Meerut is a highly-ranked boys' school. St. John's Sr. Sec School, founded over 130 years ago, is also here.

The Indian Film and Television Institute is located near the city. Meerut also has three medical colleges: Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Subharti Medical College and Mulayam Singh Yadav Medical College & Hospital.

Media and News

Meerut is becoming a media hub, with many journalists working here. Radio stations like Radio City and Big FM are available. Radio IIMT (90.4 MHz) is the only radio station located in the city.

Several Hindi daily newspapers, such as Hindustan (newspaper) and Dainik Jagran, are published from Meerut. English newspapers like Times of India also have Meerut editions.

Sports Industries

Meerut is a major center in India for making sports goods, especially cricket equipment. Many famous sports companies like SG and BDM are based here. Cricket players like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Kieron Pollard have used bats made in Meerut. The 40,000-capacity Kailash Prakash Stadium is also in Meerut.

Places to Visit in Meerut

Here are some interesting places to visit in and around Meerut:

• Digamber Jain Bada Mandir Hastinapur – This is a very holy place for Jains. It is believed to be the birthplace of three Jain Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers). There are many old Jain temples here.
• Government Freedom Struggle Museum and Shaheed Smarak – This museum was opened in 1997. It is located in the Shaheed Smarak (Martyr's Memorial) area. The museum collects and displays items related to India's fight for freedom, especially the events of 1857.
• Shahi Jama Masjid – This mosque was built in 1019 AD by Hasan Mahdi, a minister of Mahmud of Ghazni. It is considered one of the oldest mosques in North India.
• St. John's Church – This church was built by the East India Company in 1819 and finished in 1822. It is one of the oldest churches in North India and can seat 10,000 people.
• Augarnath Temple – This temple is where the soldiers of the 1857 rebellion planned their actions. It also has a memorial for the brave soldiers who died in the rebellion.
• Mansabiya Karbala – This mosque and Karbala was built by Nawab Mansab Ali Khan in 1882.
• Martyr's Memorial (Shaheed Smarak): This is a 30-meter (98 ft) tall marble pillar. It honors the martyrs of the first war of Indian independence.

• Shahpeer's Mausoleum (Shahpeer ki Dargah) – This is a Mughal tomb built by Empress Nur Jahan in 1628 for a local Muslim saint, Hazrat Shahpeer. It is made of red stone and is partly unfinished.
• Parikshitgarh Fort – This fort is named after King Parikshit of Hastinapur. It was built by him and later restored in the 18th century.
• Dargah of Baley Miyan (Bale Miyan ki Dargah) – This shrine was built in 1194. A yearly festival is held here during the Nauchandi fair. It is next to the Chandi Devi Mandir, showing the unity between different religions.

Other interesting places include Mansa Devi Temple, Basilica of Our Lady of Graces in Sardhana, and the Chandi Devi Temple.

Famous People from Meerut

From the 1857 Rebellion

• Dhan Singh Gurjar
• Kadam Singh, a leader who fought against the British in 1857

In Films and Music

• Deepti Bhatnagar
• Bharat Bhushan
• Arun Govil
• Achint Kaur
• Kailash Kher
• Chitrangada Singh

Kings and Rulers

• Nain Singh Nagar, a king of Meerut district in the 18th century
• Maharaja Surajmal, Meerut was part of his kingdom in the 17th century.

Sports Stars

• Mohd Asab, shooter
• Manu Attri, badminton player
• Saurabh Chaudhary, shooter
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar, cricketer
• Praveen Kumar, cricketer
• Raman Lamba, cricketer
• Shivam Mavi, cricketer
• Annu Rani, athlete
• Sameer Rizvi, cricketer
• Shahzar Rizvi, shooter
• Karn Sharma, cricketer

Scholars and Thinkers

• Sir Ziauddin Ahmed, academic and politician
• Satish Chandra, Indian historian
• Anu Garg, educator and author
• Manu Prakash, scientist

See also

In Spanish: Meerut para niños