Barakar is a town in Asansol subdivision

Asansol subdivision

Asansol subdivision is a subdivision of the Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Asansol municipal corporation, three municipalities and four community development blocs: Barabani, Jamuria, Raniganj and Salanpur. The four blocks contain 35 gram panchayats and 18...

 of Bardhaman district

Bardhaman District

'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...

 in the state of West Bengal

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

. It is situated at the border of the states of Jharkhand

Jharkhand

Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...

 and West Bengal

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

. The Grand Trunk Road

Grand Trunk Road

The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...

 passes through Barakar. The town is located on the banks of Barakar River

Barakar River

The Barakar River is the main tributary of the Damodar River in eastern India. Originating near Padma in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand it flows for across the northern part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, mostly in a west to east direction, before joining the Damodar near Dishergarh in Bardhaman...

.

Geography

The Asansol-Durgapur region is composed of undulating latterite region. This area lies between two mighty rivers – the Damodar

Damodar River

Damodar River originates near Chandwa village, Palamau district, on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Jharkhand state in eastern India, and flows eastward for about 592 km through the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the estaury of the River Hooghly...

 and the Ajay

Ajay River

The Ajay River is a major river in Jharkhand and West Bengal. The word “Ajay” means “not conquered”.-Geography:The Ajay River originates on a small hill about 300 metres high, south west of Munger in Bihar. It then flows through Jharkhand and enters West Bengal at Simjuri, near Chittaranjan...

. They flow almost parallel to each other in the region – the average distance between the two rivers is around 30 km. For ages the area was heavily forested and infested with plunderers and marauders. The discovery of coal led to industrialisation of the area and most of the forests have been cleared. At the western fringe of the area the Barakar forms the boundary with Jharkhand

Jharkhand

Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...

.

Economy

It is mainly a trade centre and surrounded by numerous refractories and other small factories. The place basically consists of a straight road consisting mainly of commercial establishments and residential areas thereafter.

Begunia temples

There are four temples in one complex known as Begunia temples.The fourth temple, last from the entrance, seems to be the oldest and was built around 8th-9th century. It is amongst the oldest rekh-deul temples in West Bengal. Two other temples are dated around 14th-15th century. The temples have Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 lingams and idols of Ganesha

Ganesha

Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...

 and Durga

Durga

For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...

. Many stone idols have been discovered in the complex. Some are Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

 idols but others are Jain

Jainism

Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...

 idols, possibly belonging to the older fourth temple. It is evident that Barakar was once a Buddhist and Jain religious centre. Thereafter, it became a Shaivite

Shaivism

Shaivism is one of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others being Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer,...

 centre and was also a Viashnavite

Vaishnavism

Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....

 centre at some point of time.

Educational institutions

• R.D.S Gyan Niketan ( Hospital Road Barakar ) for boys & girls
• Begunia Abaitanik Prathamik Vidyalaya (Dishergarh Road)
• Begunia High School (Dishergarh Road)school for boys & girls
• Sree Marwari Vidyalaya - School for boys.
• Sree Adarsh Vidyalaya - School for boys.
• Srimati Jarao Devi Balika Vidyalaya - School for girls.
• Mother Mary's School
• Little Angel's School
• Barakar high school for boys
• Utkarsh competetive coaching centre for all competetive examination.
• Lakhotia Computer Centre for all Computer Education

Famous personalities

• Deo Nath Singh - Championed the cause of education, secularism and the common man. He was a Sahitya Ratna and well-known educational and social reformist. A legend in these parts, is credited with the setting up and development of this town in its current state. Died in the year 1994.
• Pravin Rathod - Famous singer of the entire burdwan belt, speciality voice of Mukesh. Well versed in different regional languages. Many times nominated as a best singer in Burdwan dist.

Roads

Grand Trunk road

Grand Trunk Road

The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...

 connects Barakar with Kolkata

Kolkata

Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 with the distance being roughly 250 km. The largest towns near to Barakar are: Asansol

Asansol

Asansol is a coal mining and industrial metropolis and one of the busiest commercial centres in India. It is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal after Kolkata and the 19th largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is located in the western part of the Burdwan...

 (17 km from Barakar) and Dhanbad

Dhanbad

Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...

 (42 km from Barakar). Barakar is well connected by private run long distance bus services to places like Durgapur, Bardhaman

Bardhaman

'Bardhaman or Burdwan , is a city of West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District....

, Katwa

Katwa

Katwa is the head quarters of Katwa subdivision in the district of Bardhaman, West Bengal. The area has a rural charm and natural beauty, but many trading and other business activities has made it clumsy and congested. It is mostly a middle class residential area.-History:The small town has a five...

, Memari

Memari

Memari is a town and a municipality in the Bardhaman Sadar South subdivision of Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Memari is located at...

, Kalyani

Kalyani, West Bengal

Kalyani is a city and a municipality in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority....

, Krishnanagar, Bankura

Bankura

Bankura is a city and a municipality in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura District.-Etymology:...

, Suri

Suri

-Places:* Suri, Birbhum, a town in West Bengal, India* Suri , an assembly constituency in Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal* Suri dynasty, a former South Asian empire* Şuri, a commune in Drochia District, Moldova*...

, Sainthia

Sainthia

Sainthia is a town and a municipality in Suri Sadar subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town is famous for Nandikeshwari Temple, one of the Shakti Peethas in India.-Geography:...

, Bolpur

Bolpur

Bolpur-Santiniketan is a municipality in Birbhum District in the state of West Bengal, India. It is 145 km north of Kolkata and is best known for the proximity to Visva Bharati, the university set up by Rabindranath Tagore the Nobel laureate poet...

,Jangipur in Murshidabad district

Murshidabad district

Murshidabad district is a district of West Bengal in eastern India. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km² and having a population 5.863m it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India...

, Mogra

Mogra

Mogra is a gram panchayat , police station and headquarters of Chinsurah-Mogra community development block in Hooghly district in West Bengal, India...

, Arambag

Arambag

Arambag is a town and a municipality in Hooghly district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the head quarter of Arambagh subdivision.-Geography:...

, Purulia

Purulia

Purulia , also spelled Puruliya, also known as "Manbhum City", is a city located in West Bengal state, India, and was constituted in 1876. It is the location of the district headquarters of Purulia district. Purulia is located on the north of the Kasai river and is a major road and railway...

, and Ranchi

Ranchi

-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...

.

Railways

The train line passing through Barakar connects it to Kolkata

Kolkata

Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 and Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

 via Dhanbad

Dhanbad

Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...

. Major trains having stoppages at Barakar are Howrah-Dhanbad

Dhanbad

Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...

 Coalfield Express, Howrah - Dhanbad Black Diamond Express, Howrah - Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

- Howrah Mail (via Allahabad

Allahabad

Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...

), Howrah-Jabalpur Shaktipunj Express

Shaktipunj Express

The Shaktipunj Express is a daily express train which runs between Jabalpur Junction railway station of Jabalpur, a major city in Madhya Pradesh, and Howrah Junction railway station of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal state in India....

, Howrah-Dehradun

Dehradun

- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...

 Doon Express etc. Also several local trains connect Barakar to Dhanbad

Dhanbad

Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...

, Gomoh

Gomoh

Gomoh is a census town in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is a major railway junction situated on the Grand Chord Line under Dhanbad division of the East Central Railway...

, and Bardhaman

Bardhaman

'Bardhaman or Burdwan , is a city of West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District....

.

Oldest Shops

• Barakar General Stores : Established in 1955, is the most famous medicine shop among the crowd of Bardhaman District.

• Swadeshi Bastralaya

• Sujata