Surul | |
|---|---|
Census Town | |
 Terracotta decoration in a Surul temple | |
  Surul Location in West Bengal, India Show map of West Bengal Surul Surul (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:23°40′13″N87°39′25″E / 23.6702900°N 87.6569520°E /23.6702900; 87.6569520 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Birbhum |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.142 km2 (3.144 sq mi) |
| Population (2001) | |
• Total | 12,160 |
| • Density | 1,493/km2 (3,868/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali,English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | WB |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Bolpur |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Bolpur |
| Website | birbhum |
Surul is acensus town inBolpur SriniketanCD block inBolpur subdivision ofBirbhum district in theIndianstate ofWest Bengal.
Surul is a village adjacent toVisva-Bharati University, founded byRabindranath Tagore. A major part of this central university, with the whole of itsSriniketan campus, stands within Surul Mouja.
Surul consists of a large population ofBagdis,Bauris,Haris andDoms, as well as weavers. The Sarkars ofSurul Raj,[1] who wereZamindars of thisBirbhum District brought inBrahmins and other upper castes. The Sarkar family at Surul had contributed a vital role towards socio-economic development of the overall area and also towards establishment of Visva-Bharati, an Institution of National Importance.[2]
During British rule in India, this Surul used to be a very significant area, being the strategic centre of business/commerce/trade and was also the site of a commercial residency under John Cheap. AfterEast India Company gave up its mercantile dealings in 1835, the residency was allowed to fall into decay.[3]
Sriniketan now adjoins a part of Surul. It is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) fromSantiniketan.[4]
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Surul is located in the south-eastern part of the district which is an alluvial plain betweenAjay andMayurakshi Rivers. It has hot and dry summers, spread over March – May, followed by the monsoon from June to September. 78 per cent of the rainfall occurs during this period.[5]
As per the2011 Census of India, Surul had a total population of 12,160 of which 5,999 (49%) were males and 6,161 (51%) were females. Population below 6 years was 1,166. The total number of literates in Surul was 8,735 (79.45% of the population over 6 years).[6]
As per the District Census Handbook 2011, Surul covered an area of 8.1424 km2. There is a railway station atBolpur 5 km away. Buses are available in the town. It has 11 km roads and open drains. The major source of protected water supply is from service reservoir and bore well pumping. There are 1,185 domestic electric connections. Amongst the medical facilities it has 1 hospital with 30 beds, 1 dispensary/ health centre, 1 nursing home and 25 medicine shops. Amongst the educational facilities it has are 4 primary schools, 1 middle school, 1 secondary school and 1 senior secondary school. Amongst the social, recreational and cultural facilities there is a working women's hostel. It has the branches of 2 nationalised banks, 1 private commercial bank and 1 cooperative bank.[7]
Surul Junior High School is a Bengali-medium institution established in 2009. It has arrangements for teaching from Class V to VIII.[8]
As a result of the affluence and influence of Surul Rajbari, Sarkarbari, the overall area was rich in culture apart from being economically sound. The temples at Surul are well-protected andterracotta carvings thereon are distinct. A few of the temples were built in 1830, within a few years of John Cheap's death. Most of the temples are much older, dedicated toShiva, one toManasa and onepancharatna (five-towered) temple to Lakshmi-Janardan. Most of the carvings are traditional depictions such as theRamayana war but the depictions of Europeans need special mention.[2](See the picture alongside).
During the late 1940s Indian artistMukul Dey extensively photo-documented the terracotta temples of Surul, which were subsequently published in an album titledBirbhum Terracottas,Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1959.
Durga Puja,Dharmaraj Puja,Kali Puja of Surul Sarkarbari still carries the tradition of the soil. The colossal buildings are still attracting visitors around the world and presently became favorite destination for film shootings.
Surul travel guide from Wikivoyage
