Pandua, Hooghly
| Pandua পাণ্ডুয়া | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
  Pandua Location in West Bengal, India | |
| Coordinates: 23°05′N 88°17′E / 23.08°N 88.28°ECoordinates: 23°05′N 88°17′E / 23.08°N 88.28°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Hooghly |
| Elevation | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 30,700 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali, English |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN |
712149 vehicle_code_range = |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Hooghly |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Pandua |
Pandua (also spelt Pandooah) is a census town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a police station in Chinsurah subdivision.[1] It is 61 kilometres (38 mi) from Howrah station and 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Bandel on the Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line of Eastern Railway and is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system.[2]
History
The place is best known for its minar[3] and the ruins of Pandu Raja's Palace where all important state ceremonies were held.[4] The 13th century minar soars to a height of 125 feet.[5]
Shahid Shah Safiuddin was the nephew of Feroz Shah Khilji the Sultan of Delhi. It is said that a Pandu Raja lived in Mahanad in Hooghly where cow slaughter was totally banned. However the Sultan settled in Pandua for the occasion of his son's circumciscion (Khatnah) ceremony. So he had slaughtered a cow for feast to offer to his guests. This enraged the King and he sacrificed the saint's son to Goddess Kali. Shah Safiuddin went to Delhi and complained to the Firoz Shah Khilji about this horrific incident.The Sultan sent a large army under the command of Jaffar Khan Ghazi during {1290-1295 AD}. Taking the spiritual guidance from his guide Shah Bu Ali Qalandar at Panipat, Pandua was attacked. The imperial army was victorious after a long battle. However Shah Safiuddin was fatally wounded. He was buried at the spot where he fell during the battle, with lot of respect and joy. There remains his Dargah near Pandua GT road. A mosque was also built later.
The Shrikkhala Devi Shrine as a Shakti Peeth
The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and even had impact on the culture of India. It led to the development of the concept of Shakti Peethas and there by strengthening Shaktism. Enormous mythological stories in puranas took the Daksha yaga as the reason for its origin. It is an important incident in Shaivism resulting in the emergence of Shree Parvati in the place of Sati Devi and making Shiva a grihastashrami (house holder) leading to the origin of Ganapathy and Subrahmanya.[6][7][8]
Shakti Peethas are shrines or divine places of the Mother Goddess. These are places that are believes to have enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered throughout Aryavartha in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit.
Geography
Pandua is located at 23°05′N 88°17′E / 23.08°N 88.28°E. It has an average elevation of 19 metres (62 feet).
Demographics
As of 2011 India census,[9] Pandua had a population of 30700. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Pandua has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 62%. In Pandua, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. Percentage between Hindu and Muslim is as follows 62% and 38%.
Economics
This is a rich agricultural area with several cold storages.[10]
Visitor attractions
- Bari Masjid: The meaning of the bari is "the big mosque which shows the incredible architecture styled with Bricks". It was built by Shah Sufiuddin in 14th century.
- Pandua Minar: It was built by Shah Sufiuddin in 1340 AD and it is symbol of victory.
References
- ↑ District-wise list of statutory towns
- ↑ Eastern Railway time table.
- ↑ Chota Pandua Minar - Banglapaedia
- ↑ Bari Mosque – Bangalpaedia
- ↑ Minars and Minarettes of India
- ↑ (Translator), F. Max Muller (June 1, 2004). The Upanishads, Vol I. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1419186418.
- ↑ (Translator), F. Max Muller (July 26, 2004). The Upanishads Part II: The Sacred Books of the East Part Fifteen. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1417930160.
- ↑ "Kottiyoor Devaswam Temple Administration Portal". http://kottiyoordevaswom.com/. Kottiyoor Devaswam. Retrieved 20 July 2013. External link in
|work=(help) - ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ "List of functioning Cold Storage of West Bengal District wise as on 18.01.07". West Bengal State Marketing Board. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
11. www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=342652
External links
- Pandua Image gallery
- Travel article on Pandua by Rangan Datta
- Rangan Datta's Home Page
- Shrinkhala Shaktipith at Pandua
- Penro Mela - Pandua
- Pandua Chhota Minar
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