Dhaniakhali
Encyclopedia
Dhaniakhali (also spelt Dhanekhali) is an administrative division in Chinsurah subdivision
of Hooghly district
in the India
n state
of West Bengal
. Dhaniakhali police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is at Dhaniakhali.The place has lent its name to the tant (handloom) sari it produces.
Dhanekhali community development block
has an area of 353.44 km2.
s of Dhaniakhali block/ panchayat samiti are: Belmuri, Bhanderhati I, Bhanderhati II, Bhastara, Dasghara I, Dasghara II, Dhaniakhali I, Dhaniakhali II, Gopinathpur I, Gopinathpur II, Gurap, Gurbari I, Gurbari II, Khajurdaha-Milki, Mandra, Parambua-Sahabazar, Somaspur I and Somaspur II.
Some of the primary and other hats or markets in the Dhaniakhali bloc area are at: Belmuri, Gopinagar, Hazipur, Kananadi, Bhastara, Chowghata, Sahabazar, Dashghara, and Gurap.
potato flakes plant at Dhaniakhali. The potato plant, built on 65 acres (263,045.9 m²), has a capacity of 3,600 tons per annum. The project, with Export Oriented Unit-Special Economic Zone status, used machinery imported from The Netherlands and would employ 1500 people.
is a fashion statement, wherever it is worn" and have a market all over the country. The Times of India
says that Dhaniakhali, Shantipur
and Phulia
are well–known for the traditional handloom saris of West Bengal. "In Dhaniakhali block every household has at least one loom. The sari produced here is named after the place". The material for the Dhaniakhali sari is somewhat coarse and heavier than other textiles from Bengal but suits the middle class budget and as such is popular. An ordinary Dhaniakhali sari takes a minimum of two days (10–12 hours each day), to be woven, and the weaver collects Rs. 50 for it. It sells for Rs. 100 in the market. The most exotic ones take four to five days to weave, fetches the weaver Rs. 450, and is sold for Rs. 800.
The weaving of Jamdani
saris originated in Dhaka
in Bangladesh. Dhakai jamdani was famous among the aristocratic ladies in olden days. Places like Shantipur, Dhaniakhali, Begampur
and Farasdanga started producing the jamdani saris, after the partition of India.
In earlier days Dhaniakhali also produced superfine dhoti
s but has switched over to saris as per changes in market demand. Now, they also want to weave material for salwar-kurtas in order to cater to the needs of the changing market.
The Times of India reports that the weavers of Dhaniakhali have been facing financial problems. More than half are members of a co-operative, Dhaniakhali Union Tant Silpi Samabaya Samity. The rest who operate through mahajans (middlemen or money-lenders) have a tough time. It is not that the saris are not selling, but the trouble is that they are not being paid in time by the state government-run emporia, who are the main buyers. It is difficult to function without cash since the raw material provided by the cooperative to the weavers cannot be bought on credit.
and is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system.
, Gurup, Jirat, Khejurdaha, Khannan, Kuliapara, Mahanad, Pandua
, Puinan, Rameshwarpur.
Little magazine-Lipika is one of the oldest little magazines published from Somospur.Another magazine named CHAITANYA in published from Sri Ramakrishna Chaitanya Seva Pratisthan in the village Parul.
Chinsurah subdivision
Chinsurah subdivision , is a subdivision of the Hooghly district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of two municipalities and five community development blocs: Balagarh, Chinsurah–Mogra, Dhaniakhali, Pandua and Polba–Dadpur. The five blocks contain 69 gram panchayats and...
of Hooghly district
Hooghly District
Hooghly district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal in India. It can alternatively be spelt Hoogli or Hugli. The district is named after the Hooghly River.The headquarters of the district are at Chinsura...
in the 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...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
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...
. Dhaniakhali police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is at Dhaniakhali.The place has lent its name to the tant (handloom) sari it produces.
Geography
Dhanekhali is located at 22.97°N 88.10°E.Dhanekhali community development block
Community Development Block in India
The Community development block is a rural area earmarked for administration and development in India. The area is administered by a Block Development Officer...
has an area of 353.44 km2.
Gram panchayats
Gram panchayatGram panchayat
Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. As of 2002 there were about 265,000 gram panchayats in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System. A gram panchayat can be set up in villages with minimum population of 300...
s of Dhaniakhali block/ panchayat samiti are: Belmuri, Bhanderhati I, Bhanderhati II, Bhastara, Dasghara I, Dasghara II, Dhaniakhali I, Dhaniakhali II, Gopinathpur I, Gopinathpur II, Gurap, Gurbari I, Gurbari II, Khajurdaha-Milki, Mandra, Parambua-Sahabazar, Somaspur I and Somaspur II.
Demographics
As per 2001 census, Dhaniakhali block had a total population of 293,305, out of which 148,265 were males and 145,040 were females. Dhaniakhali block registered a population growth of 13.86 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for Hooghly district was 15.72 per cent.Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.Literacy
As per the 2001 census, Dhaniakhali block had a total literacy of 48.55 per cent. While male literacy was 68.42 per cent, female literacy was 46.07 per cent.Agriculture
This is a rich agricultural area with several cold storages. Though rice is the prime crop of the district, the agricultural economy largely depends on potato, jute, vegetables, and orchard products. Vegetable is a prize crop in the blocks of Haripal, Singur, Chanditala, Polba and Dhaniakhali being grown in a relay system throughout the year. Though potato is cultivated in all the blocks of this district Dhaniakhali, Arambagh, Goghat, Pursurah, Haripal, Polba-Dadpur, Tarakeswar, Pandua and Singur contributed much of its production of this district.Some of the primary and other hats or markets in the Dhaniakhali bloc area are at: Belmuri, Gopinagar, Hazipur, Kananadi, Bhastara, Chowghata, Sahabazar, Dashghara, and Gurap.
Industry
Pailan Group’s Ascon Agro has set up a Rs 50 croreCrore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
potato flakes plant at Dhaniakhali. The potato plant, built on 65 acres (263,045.9 m²), has a capacity of 3,600 tons per annum. The project, with Export Oriented Unit-Special Economic Zone status, used machinery imported from The Netherlands and would employ 1500 people.
Textiles
According to The Hindu Business Line, "The Bengal cotton sariSari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
is a fashion statement, wherever it is worn" and have a market all over the country. The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
says that Dhaniakhali, Shantipur
Shantipur
Shantipur is a city and a municipality in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. This small town has been declared a city recently. The fort area of this city, also known as Daak-Gharh is thought to have been built by Raja Krishnachandra of Nodia.-Geography:Shantipur is located at...
and Phulia
Phulia
Phulia is a census town under Shantipur police station of Ranaghat subdivision in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal....
are well–known for the traditional handloom saris of West Bengal. "In Dhaniakhali block every household has at least one loom. The sari produced here is named after the place". The material for the Dhaniakhali sari is somewhat coarse and heavier than other textiles from Bengal but suits the middle class budget and as such is popular. An ordinary Dhaniakhali sari takes a minimum of two days (10–12 hours each day), to be woven, and the weaver collects Rs. 50 for it. It sells for Rs. 100 in the market. The most exotic ones take four to five days to weave, fetches the weaver Rs. 450, and is sold for Rs. 800.
The weaving of Jamdani
Jamdani
Jamdani is a hand loom woven fabric made of cotton, which historically was referred to as muslin. The Jamdani weaving tradition is of Bengali origin. It is one of the most time and labor intensive forms of weaving hand loom weaving. In the first half of the nineteenth century, James Taylor...
saris originated in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
in Bangladesh. Dhakai jamdani was famous among the aristocratic ladies in olden days. Places like Shantipur, Dhaniakhali, Begampur
Begampur
Begampur is a census town in Hooghly district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is under Chanditala police station in Srirampore subdivision.-Geography:Begampur is located at . It has an average elevation of 15 metres ....
and Farasdanga started producing the jamdani saris, after the partition of India.
In earlier days Dhaniakhali also produced superfine dhoti
Dhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
s but has switched over to saris as per changes in market demand. Now, they also want to weave material for salwar-kurtas in order to cater to the needs of the changing market.
The Times of India reports that the weavers of Dhaniakhali have been facing financial problems. More than half are members of a co-operative, Dhaniakhali Union Tant Silpi Samabaya Samity. The rest who operate through mahajans (middlemen or money-lenders) have a tough time. It is not that the saris are not selling, but the trouble is that they are not being paid in time by the state government-run emporia, who are the main buyers. It is difficult to function without cash since the raw material provided by the cooperative to the weavers cannot be bought on credit.
Transport
Dhaniakhali station on the Howrah–Bardhaman chord line was inaugurated in December 2003. It is 49 kilometres (30.4 mi) from Howrah StationHowrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...
and is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system.
Communication
Dhaniakhali area exchange with code 3213 serves: Belmuri, Bhandarhati, Boinchi, Dasghara, Dhaniakhali, Gajinadaspur, GuptiparaGuptipara
Guptipara is a rural town under Balagarh police station in Chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly District in West Bengal, India.Guptipara is under the Pandooah Telephone District Area and the STD Code is 03213.-Geography:Guptipara is located at...
, Gurup, Jirat, Khejurdaha, Khannan, Kuliapara, Mahanad, Pandua
Pandua, Hooghly
Pandua is a census town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a police station in Chinsurah subdivision...
, Puinan, Rameshwarpur.
Education
Dhaniakhali panchayat samiti area had 190 primary schools, 23 secondary schools, 6 higher secondary schools and one degree college. Sarat Centenary College was established at Dhaniakhali in 1978.An Educational Institution for the poor and needy students named Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Sikhsatirtha established in 2006 by Sri Ramakrishna Chaitanya Seva Pratisthan in the village Parul under Dhaniakhali block.Little magazine-Lipika is one of the oldest little magazines published from Somospur.Another magazine named CHAITANYA in published from Sri Ramakrishna Chaitanya Seva Pratisthan in the village Parul.