Barakar

Barakar
Neighbourhood in Asansol
Begunia Temple at Barakar, Asansol
Barakar Location in Asansol, West Bengal, India
Coordinates: 23°44′N86°51′E / 23.73°N 86.85°E / 23.73; 86.85 Coordinates: 23°44′N86°51′E / 23.73°N 86.85°E / 23.73; 86.85
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Paschim Bardhaman
City	Asansol
Municipal Corporation	Asansol Municipal Corporation
AMC wards	Ward Nos. 66,67,68,69
Languages*
• Official	Bengali, Hindi, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Lok Sabha constituency	Asansol
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Kulti
Website	paschimbardhaman.co.in

Barakar is a neighbourhood in Asansol, Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is governed by the Asansol Municipal Corporation ^[1] It is situated at the border of the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Grand Trunk Road passes through Barakar. The neighbourhood is located on the banks of the river Barakar.

Geography

[Interactive fullscreen map]

Cities, towns and ECL Areas in the western portion of Asansol Sadar subdivision in Paschim Bardhaman district
MC: municipal corporation, P: rural administrative centre, CT: census town, N: neighbourhood, OG: out growth, T: temple
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Urbanisation

As per the 2011 census, 83.33% of the population of Asansol Sadar subdivision was urban and 16.67% was rural. ^[2] Asansol Sadar subdivision has 26 (+1 partly) Census Towns.

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

.

Asansol Municipal Corporation

According to the Kolkata Gazette notification of 3 June 2015, the municipal areas of Kulti, Raniganj and Jamuria were included within the jurisdiction of Asansol Municipal Corporation. ^[3]

*For language details see Salanpur (community development block)#Language and religion

Begunia temples

This is a group of four temples, out of which two consists of a simple cell each, surmounted by a tower-roof and there are traces of a mandapa in front. ^[4]

There are four temples in one complex known as Begunia temples. The fourth temple, last from the entrance, seems to be the oldest and was built around 8th-9th century. It is amongst the oldest rekh-deul temples in West Bengal. Two other temples are dated around 14th-15th century. The temples have Shiva lingams and idols of Ganesha and Durga. Many stone idols have been discovered in the complex. Some are Vishnu idols but others are Jain idols, possibly belonging to the older fourth temple. Thereafter, it became a Shaivite centre and was also a Vaishnavite centre at some point of time. ^[5]

Barakar picture gallery

• 
  Front view of Ganesh and Durga temples, photographed by JD Beglar in 1872
• 
  Panchanana temple, photographed around 1872
• 
  Siddheswara temple, photographed by JD Beglar in 1872
• 
  Hanuman Mandir, Barakar

References

1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
2. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 Burdwan". Table 2.2, 2.4(a). Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
3. "The Kolkata Gazette" (PDF). Notification No. 335/MA/O/C-4/1M-36/2014 dated 3 June 2015. Department of Municipal Affairs, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
4. "ASI, Kolkata Circle".
5. Ghosh, Binoy, Paschim Banger Sanskriti, (in Bengali), part I, 1976 edition, pp. 219-221, Prakash Bhaban