| Khardaha | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | India West Bengal#India3 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in West Bengal, India |
| Coordinates: | 22.72°N 88.38°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | West Bengal |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | North 24 Parganas |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Greater Kolkata |
| Government Type: | Municipality |
| Governing Body: | Khardaha Municipality |
| Leader Title: | Chairman |
| Leader Name: | Nilu Sarkar[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 6.87 |
| Elevation M: | 15 |
| Population Total: | 108,496 |
| 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: | 700115, 700116, 700112, 700117, 700118 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone code |
| Area Code: | +91 33 |
| Registration Plate: | WB |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Lok Sabha constituency |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | Dum Dum |
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | Vidhan Sabha constituency |
| Blank2 Info Sec1: | Khardaha |
| Website: | khardahmunicipality.in |
Khardaha is a city and a municipality[2] of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is close to Kolkata and also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
Initially Khardah was a part of South Barrackpore and West Barrackpore municipalities established in 1877. South Barrackpore Municipality was renamed Khardah Municipality in 1920.[3]
Khardaha is located at .[4] It has an average elevation of 15m (49feet). It has a railway station on the Sealdah-Ranaghat section, sandwiched between Sodepur and Sukchar (to the south) and Titagarh (to the north). The railway station divides the town into two parts - the eastern part is known as Rahara, while the western part is known as Khardaha.
Khardaha is bounded by Titagarh to the north, Patulia and Bandipur to the east, Panihati to the south and the Hooghly River to the west.[5]
96% of the population of Barrackpore subdivision (partly presented in the map alongside, all places marked in the map are linked in the full screen map) lives in urban areas. In 2011, it had a density of population of 10,967 per km2. The subdivision has 16 municipalities and 24 census towns.[6]
As per the 2011 Census of India, Khardaha had a total population of 108,496, of which 54,879 (51%) were male and 53,617 (49%) were female. 7,332 were under 6 years old. The total number of literates in Khardaha was 95,469 (94.37% of the population over 6 years).[7]
As of the 2001 India census,[8] Khardaha had a population of 116,252. Males constituted 53% of the population and females 47%. Khardaha had an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 83% and female literacy was 79%. 8% of the population was under 6 years old.
The following Municipalities, Census Towns and other locations in Barrackpore subdivision were part of Kolkata Urban Agglomeration in the 2011 census: Kanchrapara (M), Jetia (CT), Halisahar (M), Balibhara (CT), Naihati (M), Bhatpara (M), Kaugachhi (CT), Garshyamnagar (CT), Garulia (M), Ichhapur Defence Estate (CT), North Barrackpur (M), Barrackpur Cantonment (CB), Barrackpore (M), Jafarpur (CT), Ruiya (CT), Titagarh (M), Khardaha (M), Bandipur (CT), Panihati (M), Muragachha (CT) New Barrackpore (M), Chandpur (CT), Talbandha (CT), Patulia (CT), Kamarhati (M), Baranagar (M), South Dumdum (M), North Dumdum (M), Dum Dum (M), Noapara (CT), Babanpur (CT), Teghari (CT), Nanna (OG), Chakla (OG), Srotribati (OG) and Panpur (OG).[9]
Khardaha police station under Barrackpore Police Commissionerate has jurisdiction over Khardaha Municipal area and Barrackpore II CD Block.[10] [11]
As per the District Census Handbook 2011, Khardaha covered an area of 6.87 km2, with both open and closed drains. It had 115 medicine shops, 37 primary schools, one middle school, 13 secondary/senior secondary schools and one college for arts/science/commerce, one orphanage home, one stadium, three cinemas, three public libraries and three reading rooms. It had 6 bank branches.[12]
Major industries in Khardaha are:
B.T. Road passes through Khardaha.[20]
78 is the most frequent bus in Khardaha which runs from Barrackpore Court to Esplanade. Besides many buses connect Khardaha to various neighbourhoods - 81/1 (Barasat to Rajchandrapur), C28 and S32 (Barrackpore Court to Howrah Station), S11 (Nilganj to Esplanade), E32 (Nilganj to Howrah Station) etc.
Khardaha railway station on the Sealdah-Ranaghat line is 18.5 km from Sealdah railway station.[21] [20] It is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system.
Around a total of 3.2 million people from all around the city commute to Kolkata daily for work. In the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section there are 34 trains that carry commuters from 30 railway stations. In the Sealdah-Shantipur section 32 trains carry commuters from 29 stations.[22]
Rahara Ramakrishna Mission Boys' Home High School has facilities for teaching from class 1 to 12 (Higher secondary) in both Bengali and English mediums. It is an all boys' school.[23] Khardaha also has an all boys' college which is called, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, a part of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Both graduate and post graduate courses are taught. But, only Science subjects are offered here.[24]
An all girls' school is located right by the side of Rahara Mission, called, Bhabhanath Institution for Girls.[25] Kalyannagar Vidyapith, another school is also located in the area. There are also two High school situated at right side, they are Shibnath High School for Boys and Priyanath Girls School for Girls. Recently another English Medium school for secondary section has been established in the name of Khardaha Indira Memorial School
Khardaha Municipal hospital or Balaram sevamandir is the main Govt. funded hospital in Khardaha.[26] There are many private medical dispensaries with their own doctors and specialists scattered through town.
Every year in the month of December, Khardaha municipality organizes a flower show.[27] Khardaha Sanskritik Utsav (Cultural Festival) is organized on a regular basis, where performers from all over India come to entertain people.[28] Khardaha book fair is a culturally significant event that takes place every year.[28]
Nityanandu Mahaprabhu, a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Bengal, came and settled in a hut named Kunjabati at Khardaha.[29] [30]
26 Shiva temples were built on the bank of the Ganges, in the early 19th century by Ramhari Biswas and his son, Prankrishna.[30]
David J. McCutchion describes several temples at Khardaha:[31]
Rabindranath Tagore's House but today only the entry Gate remains.