Kahalgaon Colgong | |
---|---|
Town | |
Nickname: CITY OF 7th NTPC | |
Coordinates: 25°16′N87°13′E / 25.27°N 87.22°E | |
Country | India |
State | Bihar |
District | Bhagalpur |
Subdivision | Kahalgaon subdivision |
Block | Kahalgaon block |
Assembly constituency | Kahalgaon constituency and Pirpainti constituency |
Ward | 17 |
Government | |
• Type | Municipality |
Area | |
• Total | 297 km2 (115 sq mi) |
• Town | 6 km2 (2 sq mi) |
Elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
Population (2023) | |
• Total | 55,000 |
• Density | 190/km2 (480/sq mi) |
Language | |
• Official | Hindi [1] |
• Additional official | Urdu [1] |
• Regional | Angika [2] |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Vehicle registration | BR 10 |
Kahalgaon (formerly known as Colgong during British rule) is a municipality Town and one of 3 sub-divisions of Bhagalpur district in the state of Bihar, India. [3] It is located close to the Vikramashila, that was once a famous centre of Buddhist learning across the world, along with Nalanda, during the Pala dynasty. The Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Plant (KhSTPP) is located near the town (3 km).Kahalgaon Was Capital (capital-in-exile) Of Jaunpur Sultanate (1494-1505). [4]
Vikramashila (vill-Antichak) is located 13 km from Kahalgaon. It is famous for ancient Vikramashila, founded by Dharmapala, a Pala King, in the 8th century, the educational institution served as a learning center of Tantric Buddhism. At the center of the building was a huge Buddhist temple, surrounded by 108 smaller temples. The remains excavated from this university made Vikramashila one of the most important historic places near Kahalgaon. It produced eminent scholars who were often invited by foreign countries to spread Buddhist learning, culture and religion. The most distinguished and eminent among all was Atisa Dipankara, the founder of Lamaism in Tibet. Subjects like theology, philosophy, grammar, metaphysics, and logic were taught here but the most important branch of learning was tantrism.
Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar, India. The sanctuary is a 60 kilometers stretch of the Ganges River from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district. notified as Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in 1991, it is the protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia. Once found in abundance, only a few hundred remain, of which half are found here.
Archaeological Museum, Vikramshila which was established by the Central government in 2004, It is situated at Vikramshila near Kahalgaon in Bihar.
It is situated on the banks of river Ganges and near to Vikramshila. This temple is an ancient Shiva temple with lots of devotees coming here in shravan month.
It is situated amid of Ganga River, 500 m away from the bank of the river.[ clarification needed ]
Shiv Kumari Mountain is mainly divided in two parts — the small mountain and big mountain, there is a mosque on the big mountain and there is a Shiva temple on the small mountain. This mountain is located in the east direction of Kahalgaon Railway Station. This is the highest mountain of Kahalgaon.
Vikramashila: Close to Kahalgaon are the remains of the great Vikramashila Mahavihara, which was famous as a center of advanced learning across the world in ancient times. Mahmud Shah's Tomb: Kahalgaon also houses the Tomb of Mahmud Shah, the last independent king of erstwhile Bengal, who died here a few days after his army was defeated by Sher Shah. The SSV college, which is a degree college, was the main stock center of business of indigo(Nil, used for white cloth) at the time of British rule in India.
Kahalgaon is named after Kahol Rishi, the father of the saint named Ashtavakra (popularly known in the Mahabharata). Ashtavakra was one of the greatest saints who got his body Vakara from eight places so was named as Ashtavakra. He set free his father from jail of the king by winning the a contest on Shastra.
Kahalgaon was the education hub in the Middle Ages. Vikramashila was one of the two most important centers of Buddhist learning in India, along with Nalanda during the Pala dynasty. Vikramashila was established by King Dharmapala (rule: 770–810 CE) in response to a supposed decline in the quality of scholarship at Nālandā. Atisha, the renowned Pandita, is sometimes listed as a notable abbot.
In the vicinity of the town, now stands the thermal power project from NTPC, known as KhSTPP. The project has an installed capacity of 2340 MW developed in two stages. The first stage had 4 units of 210 MW capacity each and the second expansion had 3 units of 500 MW.
The arrival of NTPC in the town, marked the arrival of world-class infrastructure, healthcare and education, which would have taken years to reach to people otherwise. Kahalgaon now enjoys the luxury of the best. Education has taken a front-runner in the normal routine and the setup has also created enough jobs and businesses around itself. The townships of NTPC are wonderfully planned, with lush greenery. It has parks, shopping complexes, clubhouses, stadiums and transit camps apart from housing for employees. The peace that Kahalgaon has is remarkable.
The nearest airport is Deoghar Airport which is 135 km away. From Deoghar regular flights are available for major Indian cities. Alternatively, one may come to Patna Airport. This route is generally preferred by one travelling from southern or western part of country.
Kahalgaon railway station, one of the oldest stations of Bihar, serves the Howrah–Kiul loop line. The city is situated on the broad-gauge loop line of Eastern Railway. Kahalgaon is well connected to all cities by train.
Kahalgaon is connected by a network of national and state highways, along with district and rural roads. National Highway 80 (NH 80) runs from the Mokama–Farakka via Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon. It links directly with Patna, via Begusarai and Khagaria.
The National Thermal Power Corporation, popularly known as NTPC was also set up in Kahalgaon in the year 1985, the unit has been named Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Plant (KhSTPP) owing to its relatively large production capacity. The total installed capacity of the plant is 2340 megawatts, Stage-I: 840 MW and Stage-II: 1500 MW.
NTPC power plant uses Rajmahal Coal Fields of Eastern Coalfields Limited (Lalmatiya) as the coal source for producing electricity. The river Ganges serves as a major source of water needed for production. Normally PLF is about 70% here because of lack of coal. It has 4x210 MW units of Russian make and 3x500 MW units of German make supplied by BHEL. This power plant serves as a beneficiary for West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Sikkim states.
An anonymous tomb on some rocks on the Ganga River nearby is the subject of a painting by J. M. W. Turner (Rocks at Colgong on the Ganges), an engraving of which, together with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839. [5]
The Kahalgaon Nagar Panchayat has population of 33,700 of which 17,952 are males while 15,748 are females as per report released by Census India 2011.
Population of Children with age of 0-6 is 5221 which is 15.49% of total population of Kahalgaon Nagar Panchyat(NP). In Kahalgaon Nagar Panchayat, Female Sex Ratio is of 877 against state average of 918. Moreover, Child Sex Ratio in Kahalgaon is around 922 compared to Bihar state average of 935. Literacy rate of Kahalgaon city is 76.81% higher than state average of 61.80%. In Kahalgaon, Male literacy is around 81.64% while female literacy rate is 71.26%. Angika is the regional language and is spoken by majority. Hindi, and English are also spoken by different section of the population. Kahalgaon Nagar Panchayat has total administration over 6,315 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorize to build roads within Nagar Panchayat limits and impose taxes on properties coming under its jurisdiction.
Hinduism is major religion in Kahalgaon city with 80.15% Hindus and 19.64% Muslims. [6]
Bihar is a state in Eastern India. It is the third largest state by population, the 12th largest by area, and the 15th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and Jharkhand to the south. Bihar is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east. On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form the new state of Jharkhand. Only 11.27% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas as per a 2020 report. Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, giving Bihar the highest proportion of young people of any Indian state. The official language is Hindi, which shares official status alongside that of Urdu. The main native languages are Maithili, Magahi and Bhojpuri. But there are several other languages being spoken at smaller levels.
The Pāla Empire was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffix Pāla. The empire was founded with the election of Gopāla as the emperor of Gauda in late eighth century CE. The Pala stronghold was located in Bengal and eastern Bihar, which included the major cities of Gauḍa, Vikramapura, Pāṭaliputra, Monghyr, Somapura, Ramavati (Varendra), Tāmralipta and Jagaddala.
Vikramashila was a monastery in the Magadha region of modern-day Bihar in India. It was founded by King Dharmapala between the late eighth and early ninth century.
Bihar Sharif is the headquarters of Nalanda district and the fifth-largest sub-metropolitan area in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Its name is a combination of two words: Bihar, derived from vihara, also the name of the state; and Sharif. The city is a hub of education and trade in southern Bihar, and the economy centers around agriculture supplemented by tourism, the education sector and household manufacturing. The ruins of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located near the city.
Odantapuri was a prominent Buddhist Mahavihara in what is now Bihar Sharif in Bihar, India. It is believed to have been established by the Pala ruler Gopala I in the 8th century. It is considered the second oldest of India's Mahaviharas after Nalanda and was situated in Magadha. Inscriptional evidence also indicates that the Mahavihara was supported by local Buddhist kings like the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya.
Bhagalpur district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. Bhagalpur is the oldest district of Bihar. Bhagalpur city is the administrative headquarters of this district.
Dharmapala was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian subcontinent. He was the son and successor of Gopala, the founder of the Pala Dynasty. Dharmapala was mentioned as the great king of Vangala in the Nesari plates of Rashtrakuta dynasty. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the empire, and made the Palas a dominant power in the northern and eastern India.
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Navinagar is a city cum Nagar Panchayat in Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Bihar, and is the location of Navinagar Super Thermal Power Project.
Fatuha also spelled Fatwah or Fatwa, is a Satellite town in proposed Patna Metropolitan Region, in the Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar. Fatuha lies 24 km east of Patna the capital of Bihar. Fatuha is an important industrial centre known for small industries and its handloom industries. The city's name is said to come from its status as a center of textile manufacturing.
Bhagalpur, historically known as Champa Nagri, is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern bank of the Ganges river. It is the third largest city of Bihar by population and also serves the headquarters of Bhagalpur district, Bhagalpur division, and Eastern Range. It is known as the Silk City and also listed for development under the Smart Cities Mission by Government of India. It is the only district in Bihar after capital city Patna where three major higher educational institutions IIIT Bhagalpur, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, TMBU, and Agriculture University (BAU) are located and also Vikramshila Central University is under construction next to the ruins of the medieval Vikramshila Mahavihara. Bhagalpur Railway Station serves the city. The river around city is home to the Gangetic dolphin, the National Aquatic Animal of India, and the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is established near the town. The city holds the largest Manasa Puja and one of the largest processions in Kali Puja, an intangible cultural heritage of the region.
The state of Bihar in eastern India, is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world with a history going back 3000 years. The rich culture and heritage of Bihar is evident from the innumerable ancient monuments that are dotted all over the state. Bihar is home to many tourist attractions and is visited by large numbers of tourists from all over the world. Around total 6 million tourists visit Bihar every year.
Hinduism is the most followed religion in Bihar, followed by nearly 82% of total population as per 2023 Bihar Caste based census. Islam is the second-most followed religion which is followed by nearly 17.7% of population. There is also a significant population of Buddhists and Christians in the state.
Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar, India. The sanctuary is a 60 kilometers stretch of the Ganges River from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district. notified as Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in 1991, it is the protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia. Once found in abundance, only a few hundred remain, of which half are found here.
Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station (KhSTPP)is located in Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district of Bihar. The power plant is one of the coal based power plants of NTPC. The coal for the power plant is sourced from Rajmahal coalfield of Eastern Coalfields Limited. Source of water for the power plant is Ganga River.
Badri Narain Sinha was born at village Saramohanpur in Darbhanga district of Bihar. An officer of Indian Police Service of 1952 batch of Bihar cadre of India, Sinha died in harness as Deputy Inspector General (CID), Government of Bihar. Sinha, described as ‘erudite and knowledgeable police chief’ by noted sociologist-journalist Arvind N Das, was a poet, critic, journalist, and a close associate of Jayprakash Narayan. Apart from the unique alchemy of brain and brawn that he displayed as an administrator and police officer, he was a thinker, littérateur, poet, a secular devout who broke bread with Muslims during the holy month of Ramzan as much as practicing austere Hindu fast during the whole month of Kartik, personifying in his life the multi-faceted moral actions that he highlights as Gandhi's character and, therefore, his message in his writings on the Mahatma.
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Mahavihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a great vihara and is used to describe a monastic complex of viharas.
Ravindra Kumar Sinha is a Padma Shri awarded Indian biologist and environmentalist. He served as Vice-Chancellor of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University from 2019-2023 and also served in Nalanda Open University. Previously he was the Head of the Department of Zoology at Patna University, and is a pioneer researcher and wildlife conservationist, famous for his efforts for the conservation of Gangetic Dolphins, he is popularly known as the "Dolphin Man of India".
Nandgola is a village located in the Kahalgaon block of Bhagalpur district in Bihar, India. It is situated 12 km away from the town of Kahalgaon and 42 km away from the district headquarter Bhagalpur. The village located near to Vikramashila and Bateshwar hills. Nandgola is part of a Antichak village panchayat.