Banda district

Banda district बांदा जिला
District of Uttar Pradesh
Location of Banda district in Uttar Pradesh
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Administrative division	Chitrakoot
Headquarters	Banda
Government
• Lok Sabha constituencies	Banda
Area
• Total	4,413 km^2 (1,704 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,799,541
• Density	410/km^2 (1,100/sq mi)
Demographics
• Literacy	68.11 per cent
• Sex ratio	863
Website	Official website

Banda District (Hindi: बांदा जिला) is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Banda is the district headquarters. It is a part of Chitrakoot Division.

Banda is famous for its Shajar stone, used for making jewellery, and the historically and architecturally significant sites Khajuraho and Kalinjar. Khajuraho is a World Heritage Site famous for its elaborately carved temples. The fortress of Kalinjar is famed for its war history and its glorious rock sculptures.

History

In 1998, the tehsils of Karwi and Mau, formerly part of Banda District, became the new Chitrakoot District. Banda was a town and district of British India, in the Allahabad division of the United Provinces. The population in 1901 was 22,565. It was formerly, but is no longer, a military cantonment.

Geography

The district largely consists of irregular uplands with outcrops of rocks intermingling with lowlands, which are frequently under water during the rainy season. The Baghein River traverses the district from south-west to north-east. Other important rivers are the Ken River in the east and the Yamuna to the north. The dominant communities of this area are of Kshatriyas, Patels, Chandrauls, Chandelas, Bundelas etc.

Economy

The economy is predominantly agricultural, with the main crops being paddy rice, wheat and vegetables.

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Banda one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).^[1] It is one of the 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).^[1]

Divisions

The district is divided into five tehsils, Banda, Naraini, Baberu, Atarra and Pailani.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Banda District has a population of 1,799,541,^[2] roughly equal to the nation of The Gambia^[3] or the US state of Nebraska.^[4] This gives it a ranking of 265th in India (out of a total of 640).^[2] The district has a population density of 404 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,050/sq mi) .^[2] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 17.06%.^[2] Banda has a sex ratio of 863 females for every 1000 males,^[2] and a literacy rate of 68.11%.^[2]

Languages

Among Banda's languages are Bundeli, which has a lexical similarity of 72-91% with Hindi^[5] (compared to 60% for German and English)^[6] and is spoken by about 7,800,000 people in Bundelkhand.^[5]

Culture

Kalinjar Mahotsava: Every Year Banda District celebrates week-long Kalinjar Mahotasava to promote Kalinjar Fort's Heritage & Tourism. Kalinjar Mahotsava includes many Cultural and Social activities.

See also

• Banda
• List of Constituencies of the Lok Sabha

References

1. Ministry of Panchayati Raj (September 8, 2009). "A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme" (PDF). National Institute of Rural Development. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
2. "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
3. US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 2011-10-01. Gambia, The 1,797,860 July 2011 est.
4. "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-09-30. Nebraska 1,826,341
5. M. Paul Lewis, ed. (2009). "Bagheli: A language of India". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (16th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
6. M. Paul Lewis, ed. (2009). "English". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (16th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 2011-09-28.

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 25°30′N 80°30′E / 25.500°N 80.500°E