Bankura district

Bankura district (Pron: baŋkuɽaː) (Bengali: বাঁকুড়া জেলা) is one of the seven districts of Burdwan Division in the Indian state of West Bengal. The district has been described as the "connecting link between the plains of Bengal on the east and Chota Nagpur plateau on the west." The areas to the east and north-east are low-lying alluvial plains while to the west the surface gradually rises, giving way to undulating country, interspersed with rocky hillocks.

Centre of the historic Mallabhum(Malla Kingdom) of western Bengal, Bankura and its surrounding regions are identified with its historical and cultural significance for the later Middle Ages. Vaishnavism, which gained the status of state religion in the Malla Kingdom in the seventeenth century, shaped the culture of the region. The Malla Kingdom was annexed by the British East India Company in 1765 and the modern Bankura district took its form in 1881 and was named after its headquarters.

Etymology

There are different opinions about the etymology of the word Bankura. In the language of the Kol-Mundas, orah or rah means habitation. Banku means extremely beautiful. It may also have come from the word banka which means zig-zag. One of the most influential deities in the district is Dharmathakur and he is locally called Bankura Roy. According to local tradition, the town, which is presently the headquarters of the district, was named after its founder, a chieftain named Banku Rai. Another legend has it the town was named after Bir Bankura, one of the twenty-two sons of Bir Hambir, the Raja of Bishnupur. He divided his kingdom into twenty-two tarafs or circles and gave one to each son. Taraf Jaybelia fell to the lot of Bir Bankura. He developed the town that now bears the name Bankura. It has also been suggested that the name is a corruption of the word Bankunda, meaning five tanks. The name Bacoonda is found in old official records.

Bankura

Bankura (pron: bænˈkʊərə) is a city and a municipality in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Bankura District.

Etymology

In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word Larh or Rarh (in Nagari: rāḍh) was introduced after 6th century A.D. It comes from the old Austric word ráŕhá or ráŕho which means “land of red soil”. In ancient times "China called Ráŕh by the name of 'Láti'". In Santali, lar means thread, rarh means tune and larh means snake. Perhaps the Jain and Greek scholars used this original Austric word Larh to indicate this dry forest region which was very difficult. The popularity of Manasa Puja, the worship of Snake-Goddess Manasa, shows this opinion might have some relevance. According to Nilkantha, a famous commentator of the Mahabharata, the words suhmo[bhumi] (Sanskrit: suhma-bhūmi) and Rarh are synonymous.

Scholars differs in their opinion about the etymology of the name Bankura. In the words of the Kol-Mundas, orah or rah means habitation. Many places of Rarh have an added rah at the end of their names. One of the most influential gods of the district Dharmathakur is called Bankura Roy. The name of the district may come from his name. Linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterjee thinks that the name came from the word banka (zig-zag), and its word-corruption banku, which means extremely beautiful, and he who must be worshiped. In 1979, the word “Bancoorah” was found in the map of Renal. In 1863, Gastrel referred this region as Bancoonda.

Bankura (Vidhan Sabha constituency)

Bankura (Vidhan Sabha constituency) is an assembly constituency in Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Overview

As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No. 252 Bankura (Vidhan Sabha constituency) is composed of the following: Bankura municipality; Bankura I community development block; and Janbedia, Mankanali and Purandarpur gram panchayats of Bankura II community development block.

Bankura (Vidhan Sabha constituency) is part of No. 36 Bankura (Lok Sabha constituency).

Election results

By-election 2012

In 2012, a by-election was necessitated by the death of sitting Trinamool Congress MLA Kashinath Misra . Minati Misra of Trinamool Congress defeated her nearest rival Nilanjan Dasgupta of CPI(M) by 15,138 votes.

2011

.# Swing calculated on Congress+Trinamool Congress vote percentages taken together in 2006.

Note: New constituency – 1, constituencies abolished – 2 (See template talk page for details)

1977-2006

In the 2006 state assembly elections, Partha De of CPI(M) won the Bankura assembly seat defeating his nearest rival Kashinath Mishra of Trinamool Congress. Contests in most years were multi cornered but only winners and runners are being mentioned. Kashinath Mishra of Trinamool Congress defeated Partha De of CPI(M) in 2001. Partha De of CPI(M) defeated Asis Chakraborty of Congress in 1996, and Kashinath Mishra of Congress in 1991 and 1987. Kashinath Mishra of Congress defeated Partha De of CPI(M) in 1982. Partha De of CPI(M) defeated Anandi Kundu of Janata Party in 1977.

Bankura (disambiguation)

Bankura is a city and a municipality in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India.

Bankura may also refer to the following geographical locations: