Brief History

Maldah district (Bengali: মালদহ জেলা) (also spelled as Malda orMaldaha) is a district of West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of Kolkata, the state capital. Jute , Mango and silk are notable products of this district. The special variety of mango produced in this region, popularly known by the name of the district, is exported across the world and is acclaimed internationally. The folk culture of gombhira is a feature of the district, being a unique way of representation of joy and sorrow of daily life of the common people, as well as the unique medium of presentation on national and international matters.

District headquarters is English Bazar, also known as Malda, which was once the capital of Bengal. The district maintains the traditions of the past in culture and education. Old Maldah, the town which lies just east of the confluence of the Mahananda and Kalindi rivers, is part of the English Bazar urban agglomeration. The town rose to prominence as the river port of the old capital of Pandua. During the 18th century it was the seat of prosperous cotton and silk industries. It remains an important distributing centre for rice, jute, and wheat. Historical monuments include the mosque Jami' Masjid (1566) and the landmark Nimai sarai tower across the river. Constituted as a municipality in 1867, it has several colleges affiliated with the University of Gour Banga. Rice, jute, legumes, and oilseed are the chief crops in the surrounding area.Malda is the largest producer of excellent quality of JUTE in India. Mulberry plantations and mango orchards occupy large areas; mango trade and silk manufacture are the main economic activities. Interestingly the Independence Day of Malda is 17 August 1947.

Culture

Malda has special cultural sorts like Gombhira, Alkap, Kabigan etc. Major festivals and cultural fairs are

• Durga puja
• Kali Puja
• Id-ul-Fitr
• Id-uz-Zoha
• Guru Nanak Jayanti, Especially in Old Maldah
• X-mas

   

• Fairs

  Book fair and Expo are organized yearly.

  • Ramkeli Fair, Gour
  • Gazole Utsab
  • Kartik puja Fair
  • Charu Babu Mela
  • Charak Fair
  • Piran-e-Pir fair
  • Chobbish (24) Prahor at Shingabad and Rishipur

Places of interest

Early 19th century lithograph of the Muslim ruins of Dakhil Darwaza at Gour

• Adina Relics

1. Adina Mosque
2. Gol ghar
3. Eklakhi mosque
4. Adina deer park

• Relics of Gour

1. Firoz minar
2. Chika Masjid
3. Qutwali Gate
4. 12-gated mosque
5. Qudm-e-Rasul, shrine believed to contain footprint of the Prophet

• Nimai Sarai Tower
• Jami Masjid
• Pandua Shrine
• Piran-e-Pir Shrine.
• Lost monastery of Jagjivanpur.
• Temple of Ramakrishna Mission.
• Chanchal palace
• Aquatic Bengal
• Temple of Jahura Kali (Local avatar of Goddess Chandi)

Notable personalities

• See List of rulers of Bengal
• Dr Ranajit Kumar Ghosh, General Physician of Malda Town
• A. B. A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury, former railways minister of India (1982–84)
• Asim Dasgupta, former finance minister of West Bengal, who studied in Malda Zilla School
• Shibram Chakraborty, Bengali satirist
• Ramesh Chandra Ghosh- Lawyer and Politician.
• Ramhori Roy-former MLA
• Dr Jayanti Kumar Ghosh, reputable physician in Northumberland,England UK
• Subhashis Sen, Independent Historical Researcher,Special Educator & Freelance Journalist.
• Professor Ajit Kumar Ghosh, Former Principal of Howrah Bejoy krishna Girls' College near Kolkata

 Facebook     Twitter     Blog    FlickR