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About Kharagpur

The city of Kharagpur is located in Paschim Medinapur district of West Bengal state. It is an important industrial, commercial and educational centre. Besides, it is also fast developing to be a major tourist hub, owing to numerous tourist attractions in and around this city and well developed means of transport. It is home to people belonging to different religions and castes and is thus known for its ethnic and linguistic diversity. Easy availability of basic utility services have added to the allure of this city and have contributed majorly to its progress. This city thus has a lot to offer to its visitors.

About Kharagpur
Sacred Heart Church, Kharagpur

Brief History of Kharagpur

The city of Kharagpur owes its name to Khargeswar, the old Shiva temple, established by King Kharag Singh Pal and thus named after him. According to mythology, it is believed that Hiramba, the demon king was killed by Bhima at this temple. This city was initially a part of the Hijli Kingdom and was ruled by the Bengali Hindu rulers. It thus has a significant past and came under the rule of several notable dynasties including the Kushan, Gupta, and Pal dynasties, Mughals and later the British. The Kharagpur division presently, has boundaries that are similar to the province of Hijli, during the ancient times. The Kharagpur Railway Junction was set up in December 1898 and this contributed to the progress and fame of Kharagpur city.

Geography of Kharagpur

Located between 22.330239° North latitude and 87.323653° East longitude, the Kharagpur city is one of the most populated cities of West Bengal. It enjoys a typical tropical wet and dry climate. Summers, beginning in the month of March are hot and humid with average temperatures, hovering around 30° C. Monsoons are unpredictable, with total annual rainfall being approximately about 1400mm. Winters are chilly and pleasant, with average temperatures as low as 22 °C and thus are ideal for sight-seeing and tourism. According to the census carried out in the year 2011, the total population of Kharagpur city is 206,923, out of which there are 106,735 males and remaining 100,188 are females. The average literacy rate of this city is 86.64 percent, while its sex ratio is 952 girls per 1000 boys.

Tourist Attractions in Kharagpur

Profile of Kharagpur
Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary

There are numerous tourist attractions in and around the city of Kharagpur that attract people of all age groups from all over the country. Apart from religious places of worship, there are numerous picnic spots and places of scenic beauty in and around this city that are worth visiting. Bhim Bandh is one of the most picturesque and popular picnic spots in Kharagpur hill range that is frequented by the locals as well as the tourists. The wild life sanctuary in Bhimbandh is one of the must visit places here. Kharagpur Lake and Haha Panch Kumari waterfall are other prominent picnic spots that gather huge number of visitors from far and wide. Other famous tourist attractions include Sitakund, Kali Mandir, Rishi kund, Shahi Masjid etc.

Culture of Kharagpur

The city of Kharagpur is a cosmopolitan, known for its multiculturalism and ethnicity as well as diversity. People belonging to different religions, castes and communities live here together in peace and harmony. Bengali, English, Hindi, Telugu are the languages widely spoken among the people in Kharagpur. Durga Puja, Ganesh Puja, Navratri, Kali Puja, Saraswathi Puja are some of the festivals celebrated here with the active participation of people belonging to all age groups. Rath Mela, Fool Mela, Book Fair are organised every year by the people here.

Economy and Industrialism in Kharagpur

Its proximity to Kolkata, the presence of IIT campus, excellent transport and communication facilities have facilitated industrial development of this city and as a result, numerous industrial setups can be seen in and around this city. Kharagpur is rapidly developing in the fields of retail, hospitality as well as real estate. Industrial establishments such as Godrej, Siemens, Kharagpur metal, Telcon, ISD Cement, Tata, Rashmi Metaliks, BRG Group, Kalimati Steel, Wellman Wacoma, Sai Fertiliser and numerous other plants can be seen in and around this city. Besides, there are numerous rice mills and iron rolling mills within this city as well as in its vicinity. Various proposals like setting up of tractor manufacturing unit, Biotech Park, iron and steel mills in and around this city are being discussed, to boost the economic condition of this city and thus increase its contribution in the revenue of the state.

Shopping in Kharagpur

When it comes to shopping, there are numerous shopping avenues for the visitors to look forward to in Kharagpur city. Apart from malls and branded retail outlets, there are numerous general stores, optical stores, apparel stores, furniture stores etc, catering to the needs of the visitors as well as the natives. Besides, there are colourful markets like Gol Bazaar, Puratan bazaar, Gate Bazaar, Malancha etc that offer delightful shopping experience to the customers. Besides, there are road side shops, stalls and vendors selling a wide variety of wares at attractive prices.

Transport in Kharagpur

Being an important industrial and educational hub, the city of Kharagpur has a well-defined and systematic network of transport, connecting it to all the important places in its vicinity. The Kharagpur Railway Station is rightly called as the ‘Gateway to South Eastern Railway’ and is one of the busiest railway junctions in the entire state. The Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport at Kolkata is the airport nearest to this city and has regular flights to other cities as well as nearby countries like like Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Southeast Asia etc. The Kharagpur Central Bus Stand has regular buses connecting this city to nearby destinations. Cars, auto rickshaws, tourist cars and buses and private vehicles form the major means of local communication.

Kharagpur Railway Station
Code: KGP
Elevation: 42 m above sea level
Zone: SER/South Eastern Zone
Division: Kharagpur

Kharagpur at a glance

Country: India
District: Paschim Medinapur
State: West Bengal
Languages Spoken: Bengali, English, Hindi, Telugu
Altitude: 29 metres (95 ft)
PIN Code: 721301 / 721304
STD Code: 03222
Major Tourist Attractions: Kharagpur Lake, Bhim Bandh, Haha Panch Kumari waterfall, Sitakund, Kali Mandir, Rishi kund, Shahi Masjid etc.


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