The South Dinajpur is a district in the state of West Bengal. It is also known as Dakshin Dinajpur. People in this district are mainly engaged in agriculture. The major part of the land in the district is under cultivation. The district of South Dinajpur or Dakshin Dinajpur can be called an agro-based district, as there is practically no large-scale industry in the district. Although some scattered cottage industries can be found here and there.
In the district of South Dinajpur, Bengali is the main language and is spoken by most of its population. Hindus and Muslims are the two major groups of people that live in the district.
Four main rivers drain and irrigate the district of South Dinajpur in West Bengal. These are:
- Brahmani,
- Punarbhaba,
- Atreyee and
- TangonSouth Dinajpur has a rich history and tradition that go back to the ancient times. Many places in the district are associated with legends and epic stories. In Mahabharata, the great epic, this place has been referred many times. The Shami tree is a unique kind of tree that the flora of South Dinajpur is blessed with.There is a village in the vicinity that has been named Pancha Bhaya, which means five brothers. It refers to the Pandavas of the Mahabharata. The places like Karanji, Karandighi, Karnajora in the district of South Dinajpur have their mention in the mythological epic. These places are associated to Karna, one of the heroes in the epic.
outh Dinajpur came into existence after the division of old West Dinajpur into North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur in April, 1992. Its history dates back to the Pal and Sen Dynasties of North Bengal and shares a rich historical heritage. Archeological excavations have revealed that a highly developed civilization flourished here in the past.
The people of South Dinajpur or Dakshin Dinajpur are largely dependent upon agriculture for their livelihood. The four rivers, namely, Brahmani, Atreyee, Tangon and Punarbhaba flow through South Dinajpur and sustain a large community of fishermen.
South Dinajpur has many interesting places to visit, some of them are mentioned below:
BALURGHAT – It is the district headquarters of South/Dakshin Dinajpur. A small town with lot of greenery and void of any form of pollution. The Raghunathpur forest is located one kilometer away from Balurghat. Another small forest called Dogachhi is located 6 km from the town; it also possesses a canal where boating facility is available. A forest department bungalow is available in Raghunathpur.
HILI – Hili is situated along the Indo-Bangladesh international border. It is 25 km from Balurghat. Here you can see hundreds of large trucks plying across the border for the exchange of goods and commodities. Hili has one tourist bungalow owned by the Public Works Department.
SARONGBARI – Sarongbari is an attractive picnic spot within a small forest; a small hut and drinking water facilities is available for the tourists.
COLLEGE MUSEUM – It is a small museum in Balurghat that houses many valuable collections of antiques like coins, sculptures, terracotta, inscriptions and ornamental stones from ancient periods.
BOLLA KALI TEMPLE – Located 20 km from Balurghat is the Bolla Kali Temple alongside the Balurghat-Malda highway. It is a famous temple that has a legend associated with it. A story goes that a zamindar was arrested by the British for not paying his taxes and Goddess Kali had rescued him. To show his gratitude he had built a temple here known as the Bolla Kali Temple.
TAPAN – Tapan is located 35 km from Balurghat town. It is famous for the lake called Tapan Dighi. This lake has a mound on the northern side which dates back to times of Lord Buddha. No excavation has yet taken place in this area.
BANGARH – Bangarh is historically a very important place in South Dinajpur. Most of the ancient ruins in the district were found here. It is located 45 km from Balurghat and 65 km from Malda. The history of this place dates back to the Gupta period.
Professor Kunia Gobinda Goswami led an excavation team in 1938-1941 and found many historical objects and ruins here from the Mauryan period to the time when North Bengal was under Muslim rule.
Some of the objects found in the excavation were: manuscript of King Naipala (11th century AD), statue of Darpal, pillars of Lord Vishnu Temple, walls of an ancient building, many statues and small relics, grave of the Turkish warrior Bakhtiar Khilji. Also a road was found called the Usha Haran Road, which is believed to be the road used by the grandson of Lord Krishna, Anirudha, to kidnap his wife Usha.
