Pandua | |
|---|---|
Census Town | |
  Pandua Location in West Bengal, India Show map of West Bengal Pandua Pandua (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:23°05′N88°17′E / 23.08°N 88.28°E /23.08; 88.28 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Hooghly |
| Elevation | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 30,700 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali,English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 712149 |
| Vehicle registration | WB |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Hooghly |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Pandua |
Pandua (Bengali:পাণ্ডুয়া) is acensus town in thePanduaCD block in theChinsurah subdivision of theHooghly district in theIndianstate ofWest Bengal.[1]
Pandua is located at23°05′N88°17′E / 23.08°N 88.28°E /23.08; 88.28.[2] It has an average elevation of 19 metres (62 feet).
Pandua,Purusattompur andNamajgram form a cluster of census towns.[2]
Pandua CD block is a flatalluvial plain, known as the Hooghly-Damodar Plain, that forms part of theGangetic Delta.[3]
The place is best known for itsminar[4] and the ruins of Pandu Raja's Palace where all important state ceremonies were held.[5] The 13th-century minar is 38 metres (125 ft) high.[6]
According toBinoy Ghosh, the tall Pandua Minar can be seen by those travelling in trains or along the Grand Trunk Road. It is locally said that Shah Sufiuddin defeated theHindu king of the Pandua andMahanad area and built this victory pillar. Mahiuddin Ostagar of Santipur composed a poem,Panduar Kechha, in which he describes how Muslim domination of the area was achieved. There was a king named Pandu in Pandua. Inside his palace there was a well blessed by the gods. When the body of a dead person was immersed in its waters, the person regained life. During the reign of king Pandu, mostly Hindus lived in Pandua, and there were a few Muslims. One day a Muslim peasant killed a cow on his son's birthday. This enraged the Hindus and they killed the son. The Muslim peasant complained to king Pandu but he did not take any action. The peasant carried the dead body of his son to theBadshah at Delhi, Feroze Shah. After listening to the complaint, he sent his nephew, Shah Sufi, at the head of an army, to Pandua. He waged war but initially he was unsuccessful, because of the life-giving properties of the divine well. Frustrated Shah Sufi was almost on the verge of returning to Delhi, when a cowherd boy revealed the secret of the divine well to Shah Sufi. The boy, dressed as a yogi, entered the palace and threw some beef into the well, thereby destroying its divine properties. The Muslim forces captured Pandua, and Shah Sufi remained back in Pandua. He built a large mosque there.[7]
Historically, there is no evidence of the existence of king Pandu, but there were many minorHindu kings in theSaptagram-Pandua area. Within a century ofBakhtiyar Khilji's conquest, the Muslim thrust into the southern parts of theRarh region, that included the present-day Hooghly district, started from the end of the 13th century to the 14th century. It was during the rule of the Balban sultans in Delhi (1286–1328) that efforts were made to establish Islam, not only by capturing the thrones and political power, but also by establishing Islam socially.[8][7]
According to the available records, Zafar Khan had come to theTribeni area towards the end of the 13th century and Shah Sufiuddin had come to the Pandua area towards the beginning of the 14th century. During the period that followed Muslim Ghazis built many mosques and tombs on the ruins of Hindu temples.[9] There is tell-tale evidence of the historical role of Muslim Ghazi-Pirs in the Pandua-Mahanad-Tribeni area.[7][10][11]
According to the2011 Census of India, Pandua had a total population of 30,700 of which 15,597 (51%) were males and 15,103 (49%) were females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 2,986. The total number of literate persons in Pandua was 22,604 (81.56% of the population over 6 years).[12]
As of 2001[update] Indiacensus, Pandua had a population of 27,126. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Pandua has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 62%. In Pandua, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.[13]
Pandua police station has jurisdiction overPandua CD block.[14][15]
The headquarters of Pandua CD block are located at Pandua.[16]
This is a rich agricultural area with several cold storages.[17]
S.R.Industry, manufacturer of construction and agricultural machinery was established at Pandua in 1996.[18]
Pandua has a rural hospital (with 30 beds).[19]
| Bari Masjid | |
|---|---|
 The former mosque, in 2013 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam(former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque(former) |
| Status |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Pandua,Hooghly,West Bengal |
| Country | India |
| Administration | Archaeological Survey of India |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Funded by | Shah Sufiuddin |
| Completed | 14th century |
| Specifications | |
| Minaret | One(1477CE) |
| Minaret height | 38 m (125 ft) |
Historic site | |
| Reference no. | N-WB-69 |
The Chhota Pandua Minar pre - dates the Firuz Minar by about 10 years built by Sultan Yusuf Shah in 1477 A D.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
