Midnapore

Midnapore (Pron: med̪iːniːpur) is the district headquarters of Paschim Medinipur district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River (variously known as Kasai and Cossye). This area had taken a pioneering role in India's freedom struggle. A large number of freedom fighters who had bravely faced the gallows are the sons of the soil of Midnapore. To free their motherland from the yokes of bondage, they had willingly sacrificed themselves in the freedom pyre.

Etymology

There are conflicting accounts of how the name Medinipur came to be. One account claims that Medinipur was named after a local deity "Medinimata" (literally "mother of the world", a Shakti incarnation). Another account claims that Midnapur was so named because in the heyday the number of mosques rivalled those in Medina.

History

Paschim Medinipur district

Paschim Medinipur district (Pron: pɔʃʧɪm med̪iːniːpur) or West Midnapore district (Pron: ˌmɪdnəˈpʊə) (Bengali: পশ্চিম মেদিনীপুর জেলা) (also known as Midnapore West) is the districts of the state of West Bengal, India. It was formed on 1 January 2002 after the Partition of Midnapore into Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur. The district has 4 sub-divisions: Kharagpur, Medinipur Sadar, Ghatal and Jhargram. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.

Geography

Major cities and towns

Midnapore is the district headquarters. Other important towns and cities in the district include: Kharagpur, Jhargram, Ghatal, Belda, Chandrakona, Garbeta, Balichak, Dantan, Mohanpur, Gopiballavpur, Nayagram, Keshiari, Keshpur, Narayangarh, Sabang, Daspur.

Economy

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

Purba Medinipur district

Purba Medinipur district (Pron: purbɔ med̪iːniːpur) (Bengali: পূর্ব মেদিনীপুর জেলা), or East Midnapore district (Pron: ˌmɪd̪naˈpur) is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the southernmost district of Burdwan division – one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The headquarters is located at Tamluk. It was formed on 1 January 2002 after the Partition of Midnapore into Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur which lies at the northern and western border of it. The state of Odisha is at the south-west border whereas the Bay of Bengal lies in the south; the Hooghly river and South 24 Parganas district to the east and Howrah district to the north-east.

Purba Medinipur is formed of the sub-divisions of Tamluk, Contai and Haldia of erstwhile Midnapore district. Another sub-division, Egra has been created out of the erstwhile Contai sub-division during the partition of Midnapore. In 2011, the state government has proposed to rename the district as Tamralipta district after the ancient port city of Tamralipta which used to lie near the modern district headquarters.