Katihar district | |
|---|---|
 Fields in Katihar district | |
 Location of Katihar district in Bihar | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Bihar |
| Region | Mithila |
| Division | Purnia |
| Headquarters | Katihar |
| Tehsils | 16 |
| Government | |
| • Lok Sabha constituencies | Katihar |
| • Vidhan Sabha constituencies | Katihar,Kadwa,Balrampur,Pranpur,Manihari,BarariKorha |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,056 km2 (1,180 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 3,071,029 |
| • Density | 1,005/km2 (2,603/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Sex ratio | 916 |
| Language | |
| • Official | Hindi,Urdu |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | BR-39 |
| Major highways |  NH 27, NH 231 NH 12, NH 31, NH 81, NH 131A, SH 98, SH 62, SH 77, SH 65 |
| Website | http://katihar.bih.nic.in/ |
Katihar district is one of the thirty-eightdistricts of Biharstate in India, andKatihar city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district is a part ofPurnia Division.It is prominently known for itsKatihar Junction Railway Station, which is a Category A1 station on theBarauni–Guwahati line. It has been included in the Aspirational Districts Program of the Government of India since 2018, to improve its socio-economic indicators.[1] Katihar was the largest maize producing district of Bihar in 2022.[2]
Katihar district occupies an area of 3,057 square kilometres (1,180 sq mi),[3] comparatively equivalent toCanada'sAkimiski Island.[4]
Rivers: Mahananda, Ganges, Koshi, Righa
Katihar district is situated in the plains of North Eastern part of Bihar State, surrounded byPurnia district (Bihar) in the north and the west,Bhagalpur district (Bihar) andSahebganj district (Jharkhand) in the south andMalda district andUttar Dinajpur district (Paschim Bengal) in the east.
| District | No. | Constituency | Name | Party | Alliance | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katihar | 63 | Katihar | Tarkishore Prasad | BJP | NDA | |||
| 64 | Kadwa | Dulal Chandra Goswami | JD(U) | |||||
| 65 | Balrampur | Sangita Devi | LJP(RV) | |||||
| 66 | Pranpur | Nisha Singh | BJP | |||||
| 67 | Manihari (ST) | Manohar Prasad Singh | INC | MGB | ||||
| 68 | Barari | Bijay Singh | JD(U) | NDA | ||||
| 69 | Korha (SC) | Kavita Devi | BJP | |||||
In 2006, theMinistry of Panchayati Raj named Katihar one of the country's 250most backward districts (out of a total of640).[5] It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from theBackward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[5] It has also been included in the Aspirational Districts Program of the Government of India since 2018, to improve its socio-economic indicators.[1]
The main source of economy in Katihar is agriculture, and most of its industries are agro-based. Rice is the main crop, while banana, jute and maize are the chief cash crops of the district. Makhana Phodi, an agro-industry where edible makhana (foxnuts) is produced from raw makhana, is a rapidly-rising industry in Katihar.[6]
Katihar was once known as the "jute capital" of Bihar and boasted of two major jute mills, Sunbio Manufacturing Private Limited (also known as Old Jute Mill) and Rai Bahadur Hardutroy Motilal Chamria (RBHM) Jute Mill (also known as New Jute Mill).[7]
The district has seen immense activity during freedom struggle. There has been renowned freedom fighters likeAlhaj Azhar Ali after whose name there is a village called Ajhrail. The busiest market square, Shaheed Chowk, has been named so in the memory of martyrs of1942 Quit India Movement.[9] Among notable freedom fighters from Katihar are, Dhrub Kundu, his father Dr Kishori Lal Kundu, Nakshtra Malakar (known as Robinhood of the Kosi belt).
TheKatihar Lok Sabha constituency has been represented by politicians likeSitaram Kesri formerTeasurer and President of AICC,Tariq Anwar,Nikhil Choudhary,Mohammad Yunus Saleem. Kashmiri veteran politicianMufti Mohammad Sayeed also unsuccessfully tried his luck in 1996 Lok Sabha elections.
Katihar District comprises 3 Sub-divisions:
Katihar sub-division is further divided into 10 blocks: Katihar, Korha, Falka, Sameli, Barari, Kursela, Pranpur, Hasanganj, Dandkhora and Mansahi. Barsoi sub-division consists 4 blocks: Barsoi, Kadwa, Azamnagar and Balrampur. Manihari sub-division has 2 blocks: Manihari and Amdabad.
Hasanganj being the largest block which was under Zamindari rule with acres of land under the possession of then Late Shri Jogendranarayan Roy Choudhury. The entire landmass with school, temple and market has been donated to the people from the predecessors who remain in Katihar now with little of the possession under the Paul Choudhury fame. Mansahi was also very active Zamindari estate which was at par with Kursela and Falka.
HarnathpurBhaisbandhaSonapur
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 484,667 | — |
| 1911 | 520,805 | +0.72% |
| 1921 | 556,136 | +0.66% |
| 1931 | 601,533 | +0.79% |
| 1941 | 654,841 | +0.85% |
| 1951 | 694,986 | +0.60% |
| 1961 | 911,037 | +2.74% |
| 1971 | 1,136,994 | +2.24% |
| 1981 | 1,428,622 | +2.31% |
| 1991 | 1,825,380 | +2.48% |
| 2001 | 2,392,638 | +2.74% |
| 2011 | 3,071,029 | +2.53% |
| source:[11] | ||
According to the2011 census, Katihar district has apopulation of 3,071,029,[12] roughly equal to the nation ofOman[13] or the US state ofIowa.[14] This gives it a ranking of 117th in India (out of a total of640).[12] The district has a population density of 1,004 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,600/sq mi).[12] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 28.23%.[12] Katihar has asex ratio of 916females for every 1000 males,[12] and aliteracy rate of 53.56%. 8.92% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 8.57% and 5.86% of the population respectively.[12]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 54.85% | |||
| Islam | 44.47% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.68% | |||
| CD block | Hinduism | Islam | Others |
| Falka | 69.94% | 29.38% | 0.68% |
| Korha | 59.16% | 39.78% | 1.06% |
| Hasanganj | 62.91% | 36.66% | 0.43% |
| Kadwa | 47.33% | 52.27% | 0.40% |
| Balrampur | 45.67% | 53.45% | 0.88% |
| Barsoi | 27.61% | 72.06% | 0.33% |
| Azamnagar | 43.48% | 56.21% | 0.31% |
| Pranpur | 61.37% | 38.17% | 0.46% |
| Dandkhora | 85.89% | 12.76% | 1.35% |
| Katihar | 70.91% | 28.08% | 1.01% |
| Mansahi | 55.87% | 43.79% | 0.34% |
| Barari | 52.28% | 46.70% | 1.02% |
| Sameli | 91.30% | 8.57% | 0.13% |
| Kursela | 92.25% | 7.51% | 0.24% |
| Manihari | 62.86% | 35.67% | 1.47% |
| Amdabad | 45.57% | 54.13% | 0.30% |
Hinduism is the majority religion, although in rural areas Hindus and Muslims are in equal numbers. In the eastern part of the district Muslims are in majority.
At the time of the2011 Census of India, 25.86% of the population in the district spokeSurjapuri, 19.73%Hindi, 12.04%Bengali, 9.11%Urdu, 2.97%Santali and 2.29%Bhojpuri as their first language. 25.46% spoke languages recorded as 'Others' under Hindi on the census. Surjapuri speakers are largely concentrated in Kadwa, Azamnagar, Barsoi and Balrampur blocks borderingWest Bengal, while Bengali is nearly in majority in Amdabad block.
Katihar is a district in the state of Bihar, India, and while it may not be as well-known as some other tourist destinations, it does have a few places of interest for visitors.[original research?] Here are some tourist places in and around Katihar:
1.Kosi River Katihar is located near the Kosi River, which is known as the "Sorrow of Bihar" due to its history of flooding.
2. Manihari Ghat Manihari is a town near Katihar and is known for its historical significance as a trade center during the British colonial period. Manihari Ghat is a common spot for taking a boat ride on theGanges River.[citation needed]
3.Kalki Mandir: This is a well-known temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. It's a place of religious importance and is often visited by locals and tourists alike.
4.Kastaharni Ghat: This ghat on the Ganges River is believed to have the power to relieve people of their sufferings and sins. It's a place of religious importance and tranquility.
5.Durga Mandir: Katihar is known for its Durga Puja celebration.[citation needed] During the Puja, the whole ofKatihar is decorated as best can be seen different types of pandals at each other step.[clarification needed] Each year, pandals are created using different types of materials and with different themes.
At the time of the2011 Census of India, 25.86% of the population in the district spokeSurjapuri, 19.73%Hindi, 12.04%Bengali, 9.11%Urdu, 2.97%Santali and 2.29%Bhojpuri as their first language. 25.46% spoke languages recorded as 'Others' under Hindi on the census. Surjapuri speakers are largely concentrated in Kadwa, Azamnagar, Barsoi and Balrampur blocks borderingWest Bengal, while Bengali is nearly in majority in Amdabad block.[16]
Akimiski Island 3,001km2
Oman 3,027,959
Iowa 3,046,355
Places adjacent to Katihar district | |
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25°33′00″N87°34′12″E / 25.55000°N 87.57000°E /25.55000; 87.57000
