Aihar, Raebareli Explained

Aihar
Other Name:Aihār
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:India Uttar Pradesh
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates:26.1874°N 81.0314°W[1]
Subdivision Type:Country India
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Uttar Pradesh
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Raebareli
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:10.822
Population Total:7502
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Hindi
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Registration Plate:UP-35

Aihar is a village in Dalmau block of Raebareli district, Uttar Pradesh, India.[2] Located east of Dalmau on the road from Lalganj to Raebareli,[3] Aihar hosts a Baleshwar mela on Phalguna Badi 13 that is associated with the Shivratra festival and is dedicated to the worship of Shiva.[4] It also hosts a market twice per week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, specialising in cattle, cloth, and vegetables.[4] As of 2011, the population of Aihar is 7,502, in 1,337 households, and it has 4 primary schools and 1 small clinic.[2]

History

The late 16th-century Ain-i-Akbari lists Aihar as a division of the sarkar of Lucknow.[3] At the turn of the 20th century, Aihar was described as a large farming village, but one that was unremarkable apart from its size and age.[3] It consisted of five mahals, each one held separately in zamindari tenure.[3] Four were held by Bais Rajputs and the other one (the smallest) was held by a Brahmin.[3] Aihar's population was recorded as 2,442 at the 1901 census, including a large proportion of Brahmins.[3] The village had a large primary school and a market held twice per week.[3] It was noted that the name "Aihar" was considered unlucky to say, and locally it was also called Nuniagaon.[3]

The 1961 census recorded Aihar as comprising 12 hamlets, with a total population of 3,157 people (1,599 male and 1,558 female), in 609 households and 550 physical houses.[4] The area of the village was given as 2,683 acres.[4] It had a post office and a government-run dispensary then.[4] Average attendance of the Baleshwar mela was listed as about 400 people at the time, and attendance of the twice-weekly market was about 100.[4]

The 1981 census recorded Aihar as having a population of 4,707 people, in 919 households, and having an area of 1,085.78 hectares.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Geographic Names Search WebApp . Search for "Aihar" here .
  2. Web site: Census of India 2011: Uttar Pradesh District Census Handbook - Rae Bareli, Part A (Village and Town Directory) . 306–30 . Census 2011 India. 27 July 2021.
  3. Book: Nevill . H.R. . Rai Bareli: A Gazetteer, Being Volume XXXIX Of The District Gazetteers Of The United Provinces Of Agra And Oudh . 1905 . Government Press . Allahabad . 211–2 . 27 July 2021.
  4. Book: Census 1961: District Census Handbook, Uttar Pradesh (39 - Raebareli District) . 1965 . Lucknow . 144, 170–1, 174, lxxx-lxxxi of section "Dalmau Tahsil". 27 July 2021.
  5. Book: Census 1981 Uttar Pradesh: District Census Handbook Part XIII-A: Village & Town Directory, District Rae Bareli . 1982 . 158–9 . 27 July 2021.