Ballia
Encyclopedia
Ballia is a city with a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
. The eastern boundary of the city lies at the junction of the Ganges
and the Ghaghara
. The city is situated 76 KM from Ghazipur
and 150 KM from Varanasi
.
Bhojpuri, a dialect of Hindi
, is the primary local language.
Ballia is also known as Baghi Ballia (Rebel Ballia) for its significant contribution in India's freedom struggle. During the first Independence War of India in 1857, Ballia came in picture in front of the world and Shree Mangal Pandey
was that first freedom fighter of that war who was born in village Nagwa
Ballia district
of India
. During the Quit India Movement
of 1942 Ballia gained independence from British rule for a short period of time when the district overthrew the government and installed an independent administration under Chittu Pandey
.
had their ashrams in Ballia, including Valmiki
, Bhrigu, Durvasa
, and Jamadagni
. Ballia was a part of the Kosala Kingdom
in ancient times. It also came under the Buddhist influence for some time.Earlier the district was a part of Ghazipur
district, but later it was created as an independent District.
Sahatwar
, Sheikhpur
, Sikanderpur
, Masumpur, Ibrahimpatti of Koth and Awayan are also very old villages in Ballia, populated during the reign of Feroze Shah Tughlaq where famous Muslim saints came and inhabited the area and served Muslims and non-Muslim alike.
, the celebrated Hindu
poet and the author of Ramayana
, whose having resided here was commemorated by a shrine, which has long been washed away. Another belief about the origin of the name is that it has been derived from the sandy nature of the land of the place, locally known as "Ballua" (balu meaning sand).
and the Ghaghara
. Famous temples situated in the Ballia district are Bhirgu Mandir, Baleshwar Mandir, Hanuman Mandir and Suraha Taal(a very famous bird vihar).
, Ballia had a population of 102,226. Males constituted 54% of the population and females 46%. It had an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, with 58% of the males and 42% of females literate. Eleven percent of the population was under six years of age.
terminates in Ballia which starts in Noida
.
Ballia is a station on the Broad Gage Indian Railways with about 35 trains daily (including Rajdhani express)
Major railway stations include Belthara Road
and Rasra. Belthara Road is connected with Gorakhpur by many trains like Dadar Express, Chauri Chaura Express, Gorakhnath Express etc. Road connectivty from Varansi-to-Ballia and Gorakhpur-to-Ballia is very good. It takes about 4 hours by road from Varansi to Ballia. The road passes through Gazhipur district then small towns like Nagra, Sikanderpur
then Ballia.
of Ballia city.http://wikimapia.org/10455075/DADRI-MELA-AREAhttp://playcez.com/place/1002300718436926548 The fair starts on full moon of Kartik Poornima
(October-November) with Holy dip in Ganges. This fair is held annually in the honour of Dadar Muni, the disciple of Maharishi Bhrigu.
This fair is celebrated for more than one month and is organized in two phases. The first phase starts before 10 days of Kartik Poornima in which traders bring some excellent hybrids of cattle from across India for sale/purchase. On or after Kartik Poornima, various cultural programs are organized and one can find shops of different items at one stop during the next Fortnight
.
Junction of Ganges and the Ghaghara rivers mark the eastern boundary of Ballia. The fairgrounds is at this point.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. The eastern boundary of the city lies at the junction of the Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
and the Ghaghara
Ghaghara River
Karnali or Ghaghara is a perennial trans-boundary river originating on the Tibetan Plateau near Lake Mansarovar. It cuts through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the Sarda River at Brahmaghat in India. Together they form the Ghaghra River, a major left bank tributary of the Ganges. With a length of...
. The city is situated 76 KM from Ghazipur
Ghazipur
Ghazipur , or Ghazipur City, previously spelt Ghazeepore, is a city/town and a municipal corporation and headquarter of Ghazipur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Ghazipur Division and Sub-division...
and 150 KM from Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
.
Bhojpuri, a dialect of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, is the primary local language.
Ballia is also known as Baghi Ballia (Rebel Ballia) for its significant contribution in India's freedom struggle. During the first Independence War of India in 1857, Ballia came in picture in front of the world and Shree Mangal Pandey
Mangal Pandey
Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry of the English East India Company. He is widely known in India as one of its first freedom fighters...
was that first freedom fighter of that war who was born in village Nagwa
Nagwa
Nagwa is a village with a population of 8,000 and in the Ballia district in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh in India. A large percentage of the population consists of high caste Brahmins. This village is 6 km east of Ballia District Headquarters close to the River Ganges...
Ballia district
Ballia District
Ballia district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Ballia district is a part of Azamgarh Division situated in eastern Part of Uttar Pradesh. Main occupation is agriculture. Ballia City is district headquarters and commercial Market of this district. There are four Tehsil in...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. During the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
of 1942 Ballia gained independence from British rule for a short period of time when the district overthrew the government and installed an independent administration under Chittu Pandey
Chittu Pandey
Chittu Pandey , popularly referred to as the Shere Ballia , was an Indian independence activist.Pandey was born in Rattuchak, a village in Ballia District of Uttar Pradesh....
.
History
Ballia is an ancient city. Many great saints and sages of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
had their ashrams in Ballia, including Valmiki
Valmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
, Bhrigu, Durvasa
Durvasa
In Hindu mythology, Durvasa , or Durvasas, was an ancient sage, the son of Atri and Anasuya. He is supposed to be an incarnation of Shiva. He is known for his short temper. Maledictions or curses he gave in his rage ruined many lives. Hence, wherever he went, he was received with great reverence ...
, and Jamadagni
Jamadagni
Jamadagni is one of the Saptarishis in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara. He was a descendant of the sage Bhrigu, one of the Prajapatis created by Brahma, the God of Creation...
. Ballia was a part of the Kosala Kingdom
Kosala Kingdom
Kosala Proper or Uttara Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Sravasti and Kusa from the...
in ancient times. It also came under the Buddhist influence for some time.Earlier the district was a part of Ghazipur
Ghazipur
Ghazipur , or Ghazipur City, previously spelt Ghazeepore, is a city/town and a municipal corporation and headquarter of Ghazipur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Ghazipur Division and Sub-division...
district, but later it was created as an independent District.
Sahatwar
Sahatwar
Sahatwar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Ballia district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Demographics: India census, Sahatwar had a population of 18,972. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sahatwar has an average literacy rate of 51%, lower than the national average of...
, Sheikhpur
History of Sheikhpur, Ballia
Sheikhpur is a village of Saints, Sufees and Scholars. It is in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, India, ....
, Sikanderpur
Sikanderpur, Uttar Pradesh
Sikanderpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Ballia district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was founded by Alexander the Great, as its name indicates .-Demographics:...
, Masumpur, Ibrahimpatti of Koth and Awayan are also very old villages in Ballia, populated during the reign of Feroze Shah Tughlaq where famous Muslim saints came and inhabited the area and served Muslims and non-Muslim alike.
Origin of the name Ballia
The origin of the name Ballia, has long been a matter of dispute. It is locally said to have been derived from the name of the sage ValmikiValmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
, the celebrated Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
poet and the author of Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, whose having resided here was commemorated by a shrine, which has long been washed away. Another belief about the origin of the name is that it has been derived from the sandy nature of the land of the place, locally known as "Ballua" (balu meaning sand).
Geography
Ballia is located at 25.45°N 84.10°E. The eastern boundary of the city lies at the junction of the GangesGanges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
and the Ghaghara
Ghaghara River
Karnali or Ghaghara is a perennial trans-boundary river originating on the Tibetan Plateau near Lake Mansarovar. It cuts through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the Sarda River at Brahmaghat in India. Together they form the Ghaghra River, a major left bank tributary of the Ganges. With a length of...
. Famous temples situated in the Ballia district are Bhirgu Mandir, Baleshwar Mandir, Hanuman Mandir and Suraha Taal(a very famous bird vihar).
Demographics
At the 2001 Indian censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Ballia had a population of 102,226. Males constituted 54% of the population and females 46%. It had an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, with 58% of the males and 42% of females literate. Eleven percent of the population was under six years of age.
Transportation
The Ganga ExpresswayGanga Expressway
The Ganga Expressway Project was launched by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati after coming to power in 2007. The project aims to construct a 1047 km access controlled eight-laned expressway running along the Ganga River...
terminates in Ballia which starts in Noida
Noida
Noida , short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area in India under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanization...
.
Ballia is a station on the Broad Gage Indian Railways with about 35 trains daily (including Rajdhani express)
Major railway stations include Belthara Road
Belthara Road
Belthara Road is a town and a Nagar panchayat in Ballia district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is named "Belthara Road" because it is connected to old civilization. Belthara Road has got a railway station and connects with few major cities....
and Rasra. Belthara Road is connected with Gorakhpur by many trains like Dadar Express, Chauri Chaura Express, Gorakhnath Express etc. Road connectivty from Varansi-to-Ballia and Gorakhpur-to-Ballia is very good. It takes about 4 hours by road from Varansi to Ballia. The road passes through Gazhipur district then small towns like Nagra, Sikanderpur
Sikanderpur, Uttar Pradesh
Sikanderpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Ballia district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was founded by Alexander the Great, as its name indicates .-Demographics:...
then Ballia.
Road roundabouts
Many road roundabouts in Ballia feature statues of leaders of the Indian Independence Movement. See for example This photo of Chandrashekhar Azad statueDadri Mela (fair)
Dadri Mela is the second largest cattle fair of India which is located at 5 KM from Ballia town nearby NH 19 and 3 KM from Bus stationBus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
of Ballia city.http://wikimapia.org/10455075/DADRI-MELA-AREAhttp://playcez.com/place/1002300718436926548 The fair starts on full moon of Kartik Poornima
Kartik Poornima
Kartik Poornima is a Hindu holy day celebrated on the full moon day or the fifteenth lunar day of Kartik . It is also known as Tripuri poornima and Tripurari Poornima. It is sometimes called Deva-Diwali or Deva-Deppawali - the festival of lights of the gods...
(October-November) with Holy dip in Ganges. This fair is held annually in the honour of Dadar Muni, the disciple of Maharishi Bhrigu.
This fair is celebrated for more than one month and is organized in two phases. The first phase starts before 10 days of Kartik Poornima in which traders bring some excellent hybrids of cattle from across India for sale/purchase. On or after Kartik Poornima, various cultural programs are organized and one can find shops of different items at one stop during the next Fortnight
Fortnight
The fortnight is a unit of time equal to fourteen days, or two weeks. The word derives from the Old English fēowertyne niht, meaning "fourteen nights"....
.
Notable places
Notable temples:- Maharshi Bhrigu Mandir in the heart of the city
- Shri Baleshwer Mandir
- Habib Manzil
- Chain Ram Baba mandir is in Sahatwar
- Nath baba temple at rasara.
- Panchmandir at village Sahatwar.
- Sri Sahajanand Baba Dev Sthan at Vill Chandpur at the bank of holy river Saryu (25 KM North-East from Ballia City)
- Narhari Das Kuti (Temple) - Guru of famous Poet Tulsi DasTulsidasTulsidas , was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama...
in Sitabdiyara - Shri Jangli Baba Mandir (Temple) place at Garwar (Fair of DhanterasDhanterasDhanteras is the first day of the five-day Diwali Festival as celebrated in parts of north India. The festival, also known as "Dhantrayodashi" or "Dhanvantari Triodasi", falls on the auspicious thirteenth lunar day of Krishna paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik .The Dhan in Dhanteras means...
before one day DiwaliDiwaliDiwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
) - Hanuman Ganj is the famous market & village in Ballia district, 4 KM long from Ballia city.
- ParashuramaParashuramaParashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...
Temple in Maniyar (Only few temples of Parashurama) - Pachrukha Devi Temple, Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.) Situated in west side of the village near P.D. Inter college on the main road)
- Kameshwar Nath Dham (Shiv Mandir), Karon, Ballia (U.P.)
- Mata Kapilashweri Bhwani Mandir (Temple), Near Sager Pali, Ballia (UP)
- Shahid Smarak, Sukhpura is dedicated to our freedom fighters and situated beside the Sukhpura Inter College's entrance.
Area villages
- A village called Majhuan (24 Km far from Ballia city) is a Rajput village and home town of Pawan Singh. It is situated on the bank of the Ganges river.
- Shivpur Diar Nai Basti (Bayashi) village which is having 20 thousand population with 10% literacy and 7 Km far from Ballia.
- A village named Akhar famous for its wrestlers located 6km East from Ballia town.
Notable Personalities of Ballia
- Mangal PandeyMangal PandeyMangal Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry of the English East India Company. He is widely known in India as one of its first freedom fighters...
- Chittu PandeyChittu PandeyChittu Pandey , popularly referred to as the Shere Ballia , was an Indian independence activist.Pandey was born in Rattuchak, a village in Ballia District of Uttar Pradesh....
- Hazari Prasad DwivediHazari Prasad DwivediAcharya' Hazari Prasad Dwivedi was a Hindi novelist, literary historian, essayist, critic and scholar...
- Jayaprakash NarayanJayaprakash NarayanJayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
- Chandra Shekhar Singh - 9TH Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of India - Murli ManoharMurli ManoharShri Murli Manohar was an Indian politician from Uttar Pradesh state, and the member of parliament in 1962 for the Ballia Lok Sabha constituency from Indian National Congress....
- Politician - Dr.Ganesh PrasadGanesh PrasadGanesh Prasad was an Indian mathematician who specialized in the theory of potentials, theory of functions of a real variable, Fourier series and the theory of surfaces. He was trained at the Universities of Cambridge and Göttingen and on return to India he helped develop the culture of...
- Mathematician - Kedarnath SinghKedarnath SinghKedar Nath Singh is one of the most prominent modern poets writing Hindi. He is also an eminent critic and essayist. He was awarded the 1989 Sahitya Akademi Award in Hindi for his poetry collection, Akaal Mein Saras .-Early life:He was born in village chakia of Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh in...
- Hindi poet - Dr. Sandeep PandeySandeep PandeySandeep Pandey is an Indian social activist. He co-founded Asha for Education with Dr. Deepak Gupta and V.J.P Srivatsoy while working on his Ph...
- Ramon-Magsasy Award Winner, Social Activist and Founder of "Asha for EducationAsha for EducationAsha for Education is a volunteer-run action group dedicated to radical change in India by focusing on basic education, in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change...
" - Janeshwar MishraJaneshwar MishraJaneshwar Mishra was a politician from Samajwadi Party. He was member of the Parliament of India representing Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament...
(Chhote Lohiya) - Politician - Dr. Janardan ChaturvediJanardan ChaturvediDr. Janardan Chaturvedi born and brought up in Ballia . His father's name is Shree Shreemannarayan Chaubey, is a well known retired teacher of GIC Ballia....
- Translated Shrimad Bhagvat Geeta into Bhojpuri (regional language of eastern U.P. and Bihar) called "Janardan Geeta". - Kuldeep Narayan Singh - Former president of Bar Counsil, Ballia
- Bacchha Pathak - MLA
Geographic features
Suraha Tal Lake. Its circumference is about 25.6 km.Junction of Ganges and the Ghaghara rivers mark the eastern boundary of Ballia. The fairgrounds is at this point.
Education
Major Educational Institutions:- St. Xavier's School - Dharahara, Ballia (U.P.)
- Town Polytechnic, Tikhampur Road, Ballia (U.P)
- Naga ji Saraswati Vidya Mandir Maldepur , Ballia (UP)
- Shri Jangli Baba Inter College (JBIC), Garwar, Ballia (UP)
- Bansi Bazar Inter College (BBIC), Navanagar, Ballia (UP)
- Pachrukha Devi Inter College (PDIC), Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.)
- Modern Convent School, Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.). This is 22 years old school and established in 1989.
- Indian Institute of Hardware Technology Limited, Station Malgodam Road, Ballia (U.P.)
- Oracle Institute of Management & Information Technology, Sankat Mochan Colony, Civil Lines, Ballia (U.P.)
- Kunwar Singh Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
- Satish Chandra Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
- Murli Manohar Town Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
- Gandhi Degree College in Mirdha village, Ballia (U.P.)
- Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballia (U.P.)
- Gyan Peethika Sr. Sec. School, Zeerabasti, Ballia (U.P.)
- MG Inter College, Dalan Chhapra, Ballia (U.P.)
- Sukhpura Inter College, Sukhpura, Ballia (U.P)
- Sri Haribansa Baba Inter College, Pur, Ballia (U.P.)
- Ratsar Inter College, Ratasar, Ballia (U.P.)
- Sri Ram Baba Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Akwari-Bisukia, Ballia (U.P.)