Kalna
Encyclopedia
Ambika Kalna or simply Kalna is a town, a municipality
and head quarters of Kalna subdivision
in Bardhaman District
in the India
n state
of West Bengal
. It is situated on the western bank of the Bhāgirathi. The town is more popularly known as Ambika Kalna, named after a very popular Deity of Goddess Kali, Maa Ambika. It has numerous historical monuments such as the Rajbari (the palace) and the 108 Shiva temples. The town of Kalna, is 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from Bardhaman, the district headquarter.
The town can be accessed by rail or road. By rail it is connected on the loop line route from Howrah towards Katwa. Ambika Kalna, 81 km from Howrah, is the main railway station. There are several local trains as well as express trains, on the route and almost all of them stop at the Ambika Kalna rail station. By road, the town can be accessed from primarily 4 places, Bandel, Pandua, Bainchi and Barddhaman.
Though part of the Burdwan district of West Bengal, it is located near the border with Nadia and Hooghly District, and is very near to the famous pilgrimage place called Nabadwip and Mayapur, famous for the centre of ISKCON.
Kalna is located on the agriculturally rich alluvial plains between the Bhagirathi
, Ajay
and Damodar
rivers. Temperatures in this region varies from 17-18 °C in winter to 30-32 °C in summer.
Gram panchayat
s under Kalna I Panchayat Samiti are: Kankuria, Begpur, Sultanpur, Bagnapara, Hat Kalna, Krishnadevpur, Dhatrigram, Nandai and Atghoria-Simlon.
Gram panchayat
s under Kalna II Panchayat Samiti are: Baradhamas, Baidyapur, Anukhal, Badla, Pindira, Kalyanpur, Satgachi and Akalpoush.
, Kalna had a population of 52,176. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kalna has an average literacy rate of 84.4%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 90.1%, and female literacy is 78.4%. In Kalna, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Steady flow of refugees from East Pakistan swelled the population of the area in the fifties.
Popularised by the sage Bhaba Pagla, the temple of Debi Bhabani holds a special puja on the last Saturday of the Bengali month of Baisakh. Close to it is Sri Gauranga Mandir. The temple complex houses Sri Chaitanya's manuscripts and personal belongings. A major landmark is the Siddheshwari Temple. It is dedicated to Debi Ambika, and it is after her that Kalna is also known as Ambika Kalna.
A major attraction is the Nava Kailash or 108 Shiv Mandirs. Built in 1809, the temples are constructed in two circles. One consists of 74 temples while the other circle has 34. The former has white marble and black stone shivlingas, while the latter has only white marble ones. Due to its ingenious planning, all the shivlingas can be seen from the centre of the temple complex.
The Krishna Chandra Mandir (A.D. 1751-1752), with its 25 steeples, is another popular landmark. Scenes from the epics are depicted on its terracotta walls. Doors remain closed from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Worthwhile mentioning are also Lalji Mandir (A.D.1739) with 25 steeples and Pratapeshvara Mandir (A.D.1849)of the rekha style.
Maijir Bari was established in 1752 A.D and has the Shyamchand Radharani Mondir. It has preserved a tradition of nearly 300 years and even today festivals like Dol Purnima, Rath yatra, Jhulan Purnima, Annakot and Rash are celebrated every year involving the people of the region irrespective of caste , creed or religion.
Projapoti Bari is also quite well known. This landmark house has a huge butterfly emblem on top. Hemanta Banerjee who inherited the house from his father also owned Sur-O-Sathi. Apurba Banerjee, brother of Hemanta Banerjee, started Kali puja in 1947.
Gopalbari Mandir consisting with 25 monuments signifies a perfect sculpture. On the walls of this Temples many Terracotta are ornamented. There is an image of copulation engraved here. A hall adjacent to the Temple for devotional dancing and musical performances was erected. It is an indication of traditional sculpture, located in Bhaduri Para.
In the year 688 A.D, Siddheswari Kali Mandir was established by Rishi-Amburish. First time the Goddess was worshipped through the ritual of earthen-pot (ghatt). The ghatt sticks to a stone winnowing tray. This auspicious image is made of a single Neem log. This image represents the Bamakali Idol. The responsibility of this Goddess was shouldered on the part of -1.Sri Taraprassana Adhikari, 2. Kaliprassana Adhikari and now, the 7th generation persionality Sri Sonatan Adhikari is the priest of this Temple. Long ago scarifies of human to the altar of the Temple was in vogue. But at present he-goat, ram, sugarcane, gourd etc. take the place of human. The Goddess is worshipped during the new moon in the month of Kartik.
Anantabasudev Mandir is situated at Shyamrai Para. It is about 250 years old. His Honour, Maharaj Bahktipromode Puri Goswami had renovated this Temple about 60 years back. Now Moharaj’s nephews, nieces and their husband have got the responsibility of looking after it. About 250 years back, his Highness Maharaj of Burdwan founded this Temple.
In the past Pathuria Mahal Ghat was used for the purpose of Ferry-ghat. Now it has got its identity as an auspicious bathing-ghat in the name of Late Naresh Chandra Kumar, an extraordinary personality and donor of Kalna. It is located at Pathuriyamahal, Kalna.
Worth-mention festival of Kalna is of-course Mahishmardini Puja. Numbers of people gather on this auspicious occasion from all corners of Kalna Subdivision and even from out side. The puja lasts for 4 days. A voluminous fair takes place encircling the religious festival, covering almost half of the area of Kalna. Merry-go-rounds, Toy Train, Puppet Show, Magic Show etc. are the special attractions of the fair.
in Nadia district and Kalna of Bardhaman district, both traditionally renowned centres for hand-woven fabrics. With government encouragement and support, the talented weavers soon revived their ancestral occupation and the art of exquisite weaving once again flourished. Today, finely woven feather-touch textiles and saris in exotic designs and colours are being produced in the vast weaving belt of Shantipur
, Phulia
, Samudragarh, Dhatrigram
and Ambika Kalna each centre producing superb fabrics in its own unique weaving style. Kalna is famous for tangails and gorgeous jamdanis. The produce is marketed through co-operatives and various undertakings. Raksha Bandhani and Bindi are manufactured at Kalna. In fine it is one sort of cottage industry here. Many people specially women are placed at the cottage industry and earn their living.
Kalna is one of the areas of Bardhaman district which is affected by arsenic contamination of ground water.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and head quarters of Kalna subdivision
Kalna subdivision
Kalna subdivision is a subdivision of the Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Kalna municipality and five community development blocks: Kalna–I, Kalna–II, Manteswar, Purbasthali–I and Purbasthali–II. The five blocks contain 47 gram...
in 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 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...
. It is situated on the western bank of the Bhāgirathi. The town is more popularly known as Ambika Kalna, named after a very popular Deity of Goddess Kali, Maa Ambika. It has numerous historical monuments such as the Rajbari (the palace) and the 108 Shiva temples. The town of Kalna, is 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from Bardhaman, the district headquarter.
Geography
Kalna is located at 23.22°N 88.37°E. It has an average elevation of 11 metres (36 ft).The town can be accessed by rail or road. By rail it is connected on the loop line route from Howrah towards Katwa. Ambika Kalna, 81 km from Howrah, is the main railway station. There are several local trains as well as express trains, on the route and almost all of them stop at the Ambika Kalna rail station. By road, the town can be accessed from primarily 4 places, Bandel, Pandua, Bainchi and Barddhaman.
Though part of the Burdwan district of West Bengal, it is located near the border with Nadia and Hooghly District, and is very near to the famous pilgrimage place called Nabadwip and Mayapur, famous for the centre of ISKCON.
Kalna is located on the agriculturally rich alluvial plains between the Bhagirathi
Bhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
, 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...
and 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...
rivers. Temperatures in this region varies from 17-18 °C in winter to 30-32 °C in summer.
Gram panchayat
Gram 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 under Kalna I Panchayat Samiti are: Kankuria, Begpur, Sultanpur, Bagnapara, Hat Kalna, Krishnadevpur, Dhatrigram, Nandai and Atghoria-Simlon.
Gram panchayat
Gram 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 under Kalna II Panchayat Samiti are: Baradhamas, Baidyapur, Anukhal, Badla, Pindira, Kalyanpur, Satgachi and Akalpoush.
Demographics
India 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...
, Kalna had a population of 52,176. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Kalna has an average literacy rate of 84.4%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 90.1%, and female literacy is 78.4%. In Kalna, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Steady flow of refugees from East Pakistan swelled the population of the area in the fifties.
Attractions
Kalna - The Temple City |
|---|
Popularised by the sage Bhaba Pagla, the temple of Debi Bhabani holds a special puja on the last Saturday of the Bengali month of Baisakh. Close to it is Sri Gauranga Mandir. The temple complex houses Sri Chaitanya's manuscripts and personal belongings. A major landmark is the Siddheshwari Temple. It is dedicated to Debi Ambika, and it is after her that Kalna is also known as Ambika Kalna.
A major attraction is the Nava Kailash or 108 Shiv Mandirs. Built in 1809, the temples are constructed in two circles. One consists of 74 temples while the other circle has 34. The former has white marble and black stone shivlingas, while the latter has only white marble ones. Due to its ingenious planning, all the shivlingas can be seen from the centre of the temple complex.
The Krishna Chandra Mandir (A.D. 1751-1752), with its 25 steeples, is another popular landmark. Scenes from the epics are depicted on its terracotta walls. Doors remain closed from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Worthwhile mentioning are also Lalji Mandir (A.D.1739) with 25 steeples and Pratapeshvara Mandir (A.D.1849)of the rekha style.
Maijir Bari was established in 1752 A.D and has the Shyamchand Radharani Mondir. It has preserved a tradition of nearly 300 years and even today festivals like Dol Purnima, Rath yatra, Jhulan Purnima, Annakot and Rash are celebrated every year involving the people of the region irrespective of caste , creed or religion.
Projapoti Bari is also quite well known. This landmark house has a huge butterfly emblem on top. Hemanta Banerjee who inherited the house from his father also owned Sur-O-Sathi. Apurba Banerjee, brother of Hemanta Banerjee, started Kali puja in 1947.
Gopalbari Mandir consisting with 25 monuments signifies a perfect sculpture. On the walls of this Temples many Terracotta are ornamented. There is an image of copulation engraved here. A hall adjacent to the Temple for devotional dancing and musical performances was erected. It is an indication of traditional sculpture, located in Bhaduri Para.
In the year 688 A.D, Siddheswari Kali Mandir was established by Rishi-Amburish. First time the Goddess was worshipped through the ritual of earthen-pot (ghatt). The ghatt sticks to a stone winnowing tray. This auspicious image is made of a single Neem log. This image represents the Bamakali Idol. The responsibility of this Goddess was shouldered on the part of -1.Sri Taraprassana Adhikari, 2. Kaliprassana Adhikari and now, the 7th generation persionality Sri Sonatan Adhikari is the priest of this Temple. Long ago scarifies of human to the altar of the Temple was in vogue. But at present he-goat, ram, sugarcane, gourd etc. take the place of human. The Goddess is worshipped during the new moon in the month of Kartik.
Anantabasudev Mandir is situated at Shyamrai Para. It is about 250 years old. His Honour, Maharaj Bahktipromode Puri Goswami had renovated this Temple about 60 years back. Now Moharaj’s nephews, nieces and their husband have got the responsibility of looking after it. About 250 years back, his Highness Maharaj of Burdwan founded this Temple.
In the past Pathuria Mahal Ghat was used for the purpose of Ferry-ghat. Now it has got its identity as an auspicious bathing-ghat in the name of Late Naresh Chandra Kumar, an extraordinary personality and donor of Kalna. It is located at Pathuriyamahal, Kalna.
Festivals
Saraswati Puja is the most attention drawing festival of Kalna, which attracts people from all part of the state. Large decorated pandals, illumination through excellent lighting and beautiful artistic idols make the crowd to enjoy and pay homage to Goddess Saraswati.Worth-mention festival of Kalna is of-course Mahishmardini Puja. Numbers of people gather on this auspicious occasion from all corners of Kalna Subdivision and even from out side. The puja lasts for 4 days. A voluminous fair takes place encircling the religious festival, covering almost half of the area of Kalna. Merry-go-rounds, Toy Train, Puppet Show, Magic Show etc. are the special attractions of the fair.
Education
Kalna College, one of the oldest colleges under the University of Burdwan, is founded in 1943. It is accredited B++ by NAAC. Kalna Polytechnic is established in 2000. Besides, there are several Higher Secondary and Secondary schools. Some reputed schools in Kalna- Maharaja High School
- Ambika Mahishmardini High School
- Hindu Girls' High School
- Mahishmardini Boys Institution
- Mahishmardini Girls' Institution
- Nigamananda High School
- Sasibala Saha High School
- Mayasundari High School
- Gajalaxmi High School
- Acme Academy(ISC Board)
- Holy Child School
Economy
Kalna is famous for rice, food grains, potato and jute production. Agriculture based economy is flourishing here. There are several rice mills and cold storages here. After partition of India, many skilled weavers of Dhaka came and settled in West Bengal around ShantipurShantipur
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...
in Nadia district and Kalna of Bardhaman district, both traditionally renowned centres for hand-woven fabrics. With government encouragement and support, the talented weavers soon revived their ancestral occupation and the art of exquisite weaving once again flourished. Today, finely woven feather-touch textiles and saris in exotic designs and colours are being produced in the vast weaving belt of 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...
, Phulia
Phulia
Phulia is a census town under Shantipur police station of Ranaghat subdivision in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal....
, Samudragarh, Dhatrigram
Dhatrigram
Dhatrigram is a census town under Kalna police station and subdivision in Barddhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is about 8 km away from Kalna town.-Geography:...
and Ambika Kalna each centre producing superb fabrics in its own unique weaving style. Kalna is famous for tangails and gorgeous jamdanis. The produce is marketed through co-operatives and various undertakings. Raksha Bandhani and Bindi are manufactured at Kalna. In fine it is one sort of cottage industry here. Many people specially women are placed at the cottage industry and earn their living.
Transport
Being situated at the junction of three districts(Bardhaman, Hooghly and Nadia), Kalna has a well-developed transportation network. The main mode of local transport is cycle rikshaw and auto rikshaw.Rail
Though main railway station is Ambika Kalna, the northern part of the city can be accessed through Baghnapara station. There are many local trains(EMU) and a few express and passenger trains from Howrah and Sealdah. Fom Howrah, it takes around 2 hours to reach Kalna by local trains.Train List
| Up | Train Name | Dn |
|---|---|---|
| 5959 | Howrah-Dibrugarh Town Kamrup Express | 5960 |
| 5643 | Puri-Kamakhya Express | 5644 |
| 3465 | Howrah-Malda Town Intercity Express | 3466 |
| 3141 | Sealdah-New Alipurduar Teesta Torsha Express | 3142 |
| 3163 | Sealdah-Saharsha Hatey Bazarey Express | 3164 |
| 3145 | Kolkata-Radhikapur Express | 3146 |
| 219 | Howrah-Malda Town Fast Passenger | 220 |
| 203E | Howrah-Ajimganj Passenger | 204E |
Road
Kalna is linked to important cities of South Bengal by road. The main bus stand is situated beside the STKK Road. Many private local and long route express buses are available. There is a Govt. bus depot of South Bengal State Transport Corporation(SBSTC). Long distance express buses, connecting various cities(Asansol, Durgapur, Bardhaman, Bankura, Dumka, Digha, Malda, Bishnupur, Balurghat etc.) of West Bengal and Jharkhand, are in service from SBSTC bus depot. Bus services are available for Krishnanagar, Shantipur, Phulia and Ranaghat from Kalna Ghat bus stand on the bank of Bhagirathi River.Health
Kalna Subdivisional Hospital is a good support to the people belonging to all corners of the Kalna Subdivision. The hospital is established in 1971. It is on the STKK Road spreading over 13.53 acres (54,754 m²) and having total bed capacity of 300. There is a reputed eye hospital(Lions Eye Hospital), veterinary hospital and several nursing homes in the city.Kalna is one of the areas of Bardhaman district which is affected by arsenic contamination of ground water.