Ballia

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Ballia (Bhojpuri: बलिया, Hindi: बलिया) is a city with a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The eastern boundary of the city lies at the junction of the Ganges and the Ghaghara. The city is situated 76 KM from Ghazipur and 150 KM from Varanasi.

Bhojpuri, a dialect of Hindi, is the primary local language.

Ballia is also known as Baghi Ballia (Rebel Ballia) for its significant contribution in India's freedom struggle. During the first Independence War of India in 1857, Ballia came in picture in front of the world and Shree Mangal Pandey was that first freedom fighter of that war who was born in village Nagwa Ballia district of India.^[1] During the Quit India Movement of 1942 Ballia gained independence from British rule for a short period of time when the district overthrew the government and installed an independent administration under Chittu Pandey.

History

Ballia is an ancient city. Many great saints and sages of India had their ashrams in Ballia, including Valmiki, Bhrigu, Durvasa, Parashara muni and Jamadagni. Ballia was a part of the Kosala Kingdom in ancient times. It also came under the Buddhist influence for some time. Earlier the district was a part of Ghazipur district, but later it was created as an independent District.

Sahatwar, Sheikhpur, Sikanderpur, Masumpur, Ibrahimpatti of Koth and Awayan are also very old villages in Ballia, populated during the reign of Feroze Shah Tughlaq where famous Muslim saints came and inhabited the area and served Muslims and non-Muslim alike.^{[citation needed]}

Origin of the name Ballia

The origin of the name Ballia, has long been a matter of dispute. It is locally said to have been derived from the name of the sage Valmiki, the celebrated Hindu poet and the author of Ramayana, whose having resided here was commemorated by a shrine, which has long been washed away. Another belief about the origin of the name is that it has been derived from the sandy nature of the land of the place, locally known as "Ballua" (balu meaning sand).other view is that it has been named after being capital state owned by king bali who was famous for generous nature who has given up his kindom and body to lard vishnu in banam incarnation.it was initially named as 'balian', later transformed to ballia.^[2]

Geography

Ballia is located at 25°27′N 84°06′E / 25.45°N 84.10°E / 25.45; 84.10.^[3] The eastern boundary of the city lies at the junction of the Ganges and the Ghaghara.

Demographics

At the 2001 Indian census,^[4] Ballia had a population of 102,226. Males constituted 54% of the population and females 46%. It had an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, with 58% of the males and 42% of females literate. Eleven percent of the population was under six years of age.

Transportation

The Ganga Expressway terminates in Ballia which starts in Noida.

Ballia is a station on the Broad Gage Indian Railways^[5] with about 35 trains daily (including Rajdhani express)^[6] Major railway stations include Belthara Road and Rasra. Belthara Road is connected with Gorakhpur by many trains like Dadar Express, Chauri Chaura Express, Gorakhnath Express etc. Road connectivty from Varansi-to-Ballia and Gorakhpur-to-Ballia is very good. It takes about 4 hours by road from Varansi to Ballia. The road passes through Gazhipur district then small towns like Nagra, Sikanderpur then Ballia.

Road roundabouts

Many road roundabouts in Ballia feature statues of leaders of the Indian Independence Movement. See for example This photo of Chandrashekhar Azad statue

Dadri Mela (fair)

Dadri Mela is the second largest cattle fair of India which is located at 5 KM from Ballia town nearby NH 19 and 3 KM from Bus station of Ballia city.[4][5] The fair starts on full moon of Kartik Poornima (October–November) with Holy dip in Ganges. This fair is held annually in the honour of Dadar Muni, the disciple of Maharishi Bhrigu.^[7][8]

This fair is celebrated for more than one month and is organized in two phases. The first phase starts before 10 days of Kartik Poornima in which traders bring some excellent hybrids of cattle from across India for sale/purchase. On or after Kartik Poornima, various cultural programs are organized and one can find shops of different items at one stop during the next Fortnight.^[7][8]

Notable places

Notable temples:

• Maharshi Bhrigu Mandir in the heart of the city
• Jangli baba temple - 16 km from Ballia in Garwar.
• Shri Baleshwer Mandir
• Habib Manzil
• Chain Ram Baba mandir is in Sahatwar
• Nath Baba temple at rasara.
• Panchmandir at village Sahatwar.
• Sri Sahajanand Baba Dev Sthan at village Chandpur at the bank of holy river Saryu (25 KM North-East from Ballia City)
• Narhari Das Kuti (Temple) - Guru of famous Poet Tulsi Das in Sitabdiyara
• Shri Jangli Baba Mandir (Temple) place at Garwar (Fair of Dhanteras before one day Diwali)
• Hanuman Mandir, 4 KM from Ballia city.
• Parashurama Temple in Maniyar (Only few temples of Parashurama)
• Pachrukha Devi Temple, Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.) est. 1103 (Situated in west side of the village near P.D. Inter college on the main road)
• Kameshwar Nath Dham (Shiv Mandir), Karon, Ballia (U.P.)
• Mata Kapilashweri Bhwani Mandir (Temple), Near Sager Pali, Ballia (UP)
• Shahid Smarak, Sukhpura is dedicated to our freedom fighters and situated beside the Sukhpura Inter College's entrance.

^{[Please discuss here before adding more names]}

Area villages

• Aamghat Village is 7.7 km far from its District Main City Ballia.
• A village called Majhuan (24 km far from Ballia city) . It is situated on the bank of the Ganges river.
• Shivpur Diar Nai Basti (Bayashi) village which is having 20 thousand population with 90% literacy and 7 km far from Ballia.^{[citation needed]}
• A village named Akhar famous for its wrestlers located 6 km East from Ballia town.
• A village named Dubhar village which is having 30 thousand population with 40% literacy and 9 km far from Ballia.famous for its literacy .
• A village named Khejuri is located 15 KM from Ballia.
• Bansdih located 18 KM far from Ballia. It is having population more than 50,000.
• Reoti located 27 KM far from Ballia It is Having Population more thane 60,000. Reoti is very anciant city in ballia. update By Amar Deep Tiwari

^{[Please discuss here before adding more names]}

Notable Personalities of Ballia

• Mangal Pandey^[9]
• Chittu Pandey^[9]
• Hazari Prasad Dwivedi^[9]
• Jayaprakash Narayan^[9]
• Chandra Shekhar Singh - 9TH Prime Minister of India
• Murli Manohar - Politician^[10]
• Dr.Ganesh Prasad^[11] - Mathematician
• Kedarnath Singh - Hindi poet
• Dr. Sandeep Pandey - Ramon-Magsasy Award Winner, Social Activist and Founder of "Asha for Education"
• Janeshwar Mishra(Chhote Lohiya) - Politician
• Dr. Janardan Chaturvedi - Translated Shrimad Bhagvat Geeta into Bhojpuri (regional language of eastern U.P. and Bihar) called "Janardan Geeta".
• Anand Swroop Verma- A Senior Journalist

Geographic features

Suraha Tal Lake. Its circumference is about 25.6 km.^{[citation needed]} Junction of Ganges and the Ghaghara rivers mark the eastern boundary of Ballia. The fairgrounds is at this point.

^{[Please discuss here before adding more names]}

Education

Major Educational Institutions:

• Holy Cross School, Amritpali, Ballia(U.P)
• SPDRD Inter collage Bahuara Bigahi Ballia(U.P)^[12]
• St. Xavier's School - Dharahara, Ballia (U.P.)
• Sacred Heart School, Sahraspali, Ballia (U.P.)^[13]
• Town Polytechnic, Tikhampur Road, Ballia (U.P)
• Naga ji Saraswati Vidya Mandir Maldepur, Ballia (UP)
• Shri Jangli Baba Inter College (JBIC), Garwar, Ballia (UP)
• Bansi Bazar Inter College (BBIC), Navanagar, Ballia (UP)
• Pachrukha Devi Inter College (PDIC), Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.)
• Modern Convent School, Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.). This is 22 years old school and established in 1989.
• Indian Institute of Hardware Technology Limited, Station Malgodam Road, Ballia (U.P.)^[14]
• Oracle Institute of Management & Information Technology, Sankat Mochan Colony, Civil Lines, Ballia (U.P.)^[15]
• Kunwar Singh Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
• Satish Chandra Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
• Murli Manohar Town Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
• Gandhi Degree College in Mirdha village, Ballia (U.P.)^[16]
• Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballia (U.P.)^[17]
• Gyan Peethika Sr. Sec. School, Zeerabasti, Ballia (U.P.)
• MG Inter College, Dalan Chhapra, Ballia (U.P.)
• Sukhpura Inter College, Sukhpura, Ballia (U.P)
• Sri Haribansa Baba Inter College, Pur, Ballia (U.P.)
• Ratsar Inter College, Ratasar, Ballia (U.P.)
• Sri Ram Baba Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Akwari-Bisukia, Ballia (U.P.)
• Sri Swaminath Singh Surendara Mahavidyalya Mahathapar, Ballia (U.P.)
• Gopal Ji Mahavidyalaya Reoti, Ballia (U.P.)
• Reoti Inter College Reoti, Ballia (U.P.)

^{[Please discuss here before adding more names]}

References

Gopal Ji Mahavidyalay Reoti, Ballia

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Ballia.

• Official Website
• ballia directory