Kushinagar district

Kushinagar District (Hindi: कुशीनगर जिला, Urdu: کُشی نگر‎) is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. Padarauna is the district headquarters. The district is named for Kushinagar, a Buddhist pilgrimage site where Gautama Buddha attained parinirvana in the 6th or 5th centuries BCE.

Location

Kushinagar District is bounded on the east by Bihar state, on the southwest by Deoria District, on the west by Gorakhpur District, and on the northwest by Maharajganj District. It is part of Gorakhpur Division.

Economy

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

Transport

The Indian government has approved a project for the construction of an international airport.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Kushinagar district has a population of 3,560,830, roughly equal to the nation of Lithuania or the US state of Connecticut. This gives it a ranking of 81st in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 1,226 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,180/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 23.08%. Kushinagar has a sex ratio of 955 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 67.66%.

Kushinagar

This article is about a town. For information related to the district, see Kushinagar District.

Kushinagar, Kusinagar or Kusinara is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in the Kushinagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh located around NH-28, and is 52 km east of Gorakhpur city. It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana after his death. Outside India, it is an International Buddhist Pilgrimage Centre. The followers of Buddhism, especially from Asian Countries, wish to visit this place at least once in their lifetime.

Etymology

According to one theory, Kushwati was capital of Kosala Kingdom and according to Ramayana it was built by King Kush, son of Rama, protagonist of the epic Ramayana. While according to Buddhist tradition Kushawati was named prior to the king Kush. The naming of Kushwati is believed to be due to abundance of Kush grass found in this region.

Demographics

As of 2011 India census, Kushinagar had a population of 22,214, with 3462 households. Males constitute 52% (11,502 Men) of the population and females 48% (10,712 Women). Kushinagar has an average literacy rate of 78.43%, higher than the national average of 74%, male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 72%. In Kushinagar, 11% of the population is under 10 years of age. Schedule Caste (SC) constitutes 5.03% while Schedule Tribe (ST) were 2.39% of total population in Kushinagar Nagar Panchayat.