Raipur, Birbhum Explained

Raipur
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:India West Bengal#India
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in West Bengal, India
Coordinates:23.6368°N 87.6469°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:West Bengal
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Birbhum
Government Type:Panchayati raj (India)
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Total:2,320
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Bengali, English
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:731204
Area Code Type:Telephone/STD code
Area Code:03463
Registration Plate:WB
Blank1 Name Sec1:Lok Sabha constituency
Blank1 Info Sec1:Bolpur
Blank2 Name Sec1:Vidhan Sabha constituency
Blank2 Info Sec1:Bolpur
Iso Code:IN-WB

Raipur is a village under Raipur - Supur gram panchayat of Bolpur Sriniketan block in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.[1]

History

In 1863, Debendranath Tagore took on permanent lease 20acres of land, with two chhatim trees, at a yearly payment of Rs. 5, from Bhuban Mohan Sinha, the talukdar of Raipur. He built a guest house and named it Santiniketan (the abode of peace). Gradually, the whole area came to be known as Santiniketan.[2] [3]

Satyendra Prasanno Sinha, a subsequent talukdar of Raipur, was elevated to the peerage as Baron Sinha, of Raipur, in 1919, becoming the first Indian member of the British House of Lords.[4]

Geography

Location

Raipur is located at 23.6368°N 87.6469°W.

The village lies on the road that bypasses the town of bolpur and is near to the BITM.

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.

Physical features

Raipur is located in the south-eastern corner of the district which is an alluvial plain between Ajay and Mayurakshi 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]

Demographics

As per the 2011 Census of India, Raipur had a total population of 2,320 of which 1,195 (52%) were males and 1,125 (48%) were females. Population below 6 years was 246. The total number of literates in Raipur was 1,613 (77.77% of the population over 6 years).[6]

In 2001, Raipur had an area of 37 ha and a population of 2,063, of which 987 belong to scheduled castes and 149 to scheduled tribes.[1]

Tourist Interest

The ruins of the ancestral house of Bhuban Mohan Singha still stands at the end of the village. Tourists bound for Bolpur-Sriniketan-Santiniketan may easily pay a visit to this site. Although in ruins, the grandeur and vast expanse of the once stately mansion can still be recognized. Next to the ruined palace is an active temple complex.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Census Data District Name: Birbhum(08) Block Name: Bolpur-Sriniketan (0016) . PDF. Government of West Bengal. 2009-04-03.
  2. News: Data . Rangan . Santiniketan’s Raipur Rajbari — from grand house to crumbling masonry . 13 April 2024 . My Kolkata . The Telegraph . 19 March 2024.
  3. Basak, Tapan Kumar, Rabindranath-Santiniketan-Sriniketan (An Introduction), p. 2, B.B.Publication
  4. News: The language of difference. https://web.archive.org/web/20140608145321/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140607/jsp/opinion/story_18484855.jsp. dead. 8 June 2014. The Telegraph. 2018-01-08.
  5. Choudhuri, Tapan, Unnayaner Alokey Birbhum, Paschim Banga , Birbhum Special Issue, February 2006,, pp. 60-61, Information & Cultural Department, Government of West Bengal.
  6. Web site: 2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables . West Bengal – District-wise . Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India . 16 July 2019.