City in West Bengal, India
Nabadwip
(
), also spelt
Navadwip
, anciently
Nadia
or
Nudiya
, is a heritage city in
Nadia district
in the Indian state of
West Bengal
. It is regarded as a holy place by Hindus, and is the birthplace of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
. Famous for Rass festival where city is illuminated with lights, deities of God and goddesses are made on each corner of Nabadwip town. Hundreds of people gather to this small town on the occasion of raas utsab. Located on the western bank of the
Hooghly River
, it is considered to have been founded in 1063 CE, and served as the old capital of the
Sena dynasty
. A center of learning and philosophy in medieval India, the city is still noted for its traditional Sanskrit schools.
[2]
The
Navya Nyaya
school of
logic
reached its peak with the efforts of some well known contemporary philosophers of Nabadwip. The great
Vaishnava
saint, social reformer and an important figure of the
Bhakti movement
,
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
(1486?1534) was born here. It was after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birth that Nabadwip became an important center of pilgrimage for the Vaishnavas worldwide as well as for Hindus in general. Many who follow
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
visit Nabadwip to celebrate the auspicious birthday day of Shri Mahaprabhu, which, as per lunar calculations, occurs on Phalguni Purnima (i.e. on the Full moon day of February?March). This day is commonly known as
Gaura-purnima
.
[3]
Aside from this, Nabadwip is visited for various other festivals like Dol Jatra and Rash purnima.
The
Bhagirathi river
originally flowed down the west of Nabadwip in the past, forming a natural boundary between the districts of
Purba Bardhaman
and
Nadia
. With time it has shifted its course to where it is at present, cutting the city off from the rest of the Nadia district.
Etymology
[
edit
]
The name of the city is derived from the conjunction of the Bengali words
/naba/ (new) and /dwipa/ (island)
meaning New-island. In the down stream of the river
Ganges
, the alluvial deposits carried over during its course that starts at the Himalayas, were gradually deposited, forming a new island which is present day's Nabadwip. The name Nabadwip and Nadia has the same connotation of the same geographical location flanked at west and north by the
Ganges
at earlier times.
[4]
Kabi Karnapur used
Nabadwip
as
Nab?na db?pa?
(Bengali:
???? ??????
), mean
New Island
in his book
Chaitanya Charitamritam
[5]
[6]
The claim that the name Nabadwip refers to an area comprising nine islets has no ground. There are many historical references in this respect. The misconception around the nomenclature of the name "Nabadwip" arose due to the publication of the book "Bhakti Ratnakar" of Narahari Chakraborty. Hence "Nabadwip" i.e. nine islands, namely Antardwip, Simantadwip, Rudradwip, Madhyadwip, Godrumdwip, Ritudwip, Jahnudwip, Modadrumdwip, and Koladwip. However again, it is to mention that all these islands are loosely scattered over a vast geographical area that the Historians do not approve of the idea as being "Nabadwip".
[7]
History
[
edit
]
Although significant examples of the history of Nabadwip have been found since the
Sen dynasty
, various historians have been referring to Nabadwip in the
Pala period
and the Shura dynasty.
[8]
English historian
John Clark Marshman
mentioned Nabadwip as the capital of Adishur.
[9]
Sena era
[
edit
]
It is known from the Deopara stone slab of
Rajshahi district
that Raja Samanta Sena, a resident of
Karnataka
, lived in the Ganges-Pulin in his last years when he was defeated by his
tenants
and
zamindars
. According to the eminent historian
Harprasad Shastri
, Samanta Sen lived on the shores of
Bhagirathi
, probably in Nabadwip in his last years.
[10]
Prior to
Gour
, Nabadwip was the capital of
Sena dynasty
during the reigns of
Ballal Sen
and
Lakshman Sen
. They ruled Bengal from here in the period from 1159 to 1206. The Ballal Dhipi in the Bamanpukur area adjacent to Nabadwip, which is associated with the history of
Sen dynasty
, has been protected by the
Archaeological Survey of India
.
[11]
During the reign of
Lakshman Sen
, in 1202 AD,
Bakhtiyar Khalji
invaded and plundered Nabadwip and defeated
Lakshman Sen
, a victory that led to Muslim rule in Bengal. At that time the prosperity of Nabadwip was particularly damaged. During the Muslim rule, various temples, golden monasteries and idols of Bengal and Nabadwip were destroyed.
[12]
Chaitanya era
[
edit
]
The birth of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
is an important chapter of the fifteenth century. With the advent of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
,
Vaishnava culture
was well established in Nabadwip. However, even before the birth of Mahaprabhu, during the reign of
Jalaluddin Fateh Shah
(1481?87), royal fear appeared in Nabadwip. The ruling society and the
Brahmin
society obstructed the spread of
Vaishnava
culture in Nabadwip at that time.
[13]
Many
Brahmin
scholars and common people had to leave Nabadwip at that time due to the oppression of the king. However, when Chand Kazi, the then ruler of Nabadwip, issued an order to the
Vaishnava community
to stop chanting,
Mahaprabhu
went to Kazi's house with his companions and convinced the Kazi to allow the chanting, which is the first instance of civil disobedience movement in the history of India.
[14]
During Chaitanya and later, various
Pandits
-Sadhaks-Vidyalankars and Sanskrit Pandits were born in Nabadwip. During the period of Chaitanya,
Basudev Sarvabhauma
,
Raghunath Shiromani
,
Raghunandan
etc. and later
Krishnananda Agamavagisha
,
Buno Ramnath
etc., Nabadwip became the main center of Sanskrit practice and learning.
[15]
At the time of Raja Rudra Roy, there were four thousand students and six hundred professors teaching in Nabadwip, leading to its nickname as the "Oxford of Bengal".
[16]
Next centuries
[
edit
]
Buno Ramnath, Shankara Tarkabagish and other scholars and logicians made the name of Nabadwip famous in the eighteenth century.
Shakti
worship spread in Nabadwip during the time of
Raja Krishnachandra
of Nadia royal family. During the reign of Raja Krishnachandra Roy and later Raja Girish Chandra, the popularity, glory and pomp of
Shakta Rash
increased. Various temples and idols were established in that time.
[17]
Geography
[
edit
]
1.5km
1mile
Horse Shoe Lake
Jalangi River
Hooghly River
Gouranga Setu
F
Nabadwip bus stand
F
Bishnupriya RS
F
Nabadwip Dham RS
F
Birthplace of Bishnupriya
H
Manipur Rajbari
H
Birthplace of Mahaprabhu
H
ISKCON temple
R
Buro Shiva temple
R
Dwadash Shiva temple
R
Sribas Angan temple complex
R
Mahaprabhutala temple complex
R
Poramatala temple complex
R
Nabadwip-Mayapur
R: temple, F: facility, H: historical site
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
Demographics
[
edit
]
In the 2011 census, Nabadwip
Urban Agglomeration
had a population of 175,474, out of which 90,810 were males and 84,664 were females. The 0?6 years population was 8,388. In education section, total literates in Nabadwip city are 102,793 of which 55,569 are males while 47,224 are females. Average literacy rate of Nabadwip city is 87.75 percent of which male and female literacy was 91.14 and 84.07 percent. Total children (0-6) in Nabadwip city are 8,388 as per figure from Census India report on 2011. There were 4,329 boys while 4,059 are girls. The child forms 6.68% of total population of Nabadwip City.
[1]
[18]
The following municipality and census towns were part of Nabadwip Urban Agglomeration in 2011 census: Nabadwip (M),
Char Maijdia
(CT),
Char Brahmanagar
(CT),
Bablari Dewanganj
(CT),
Tiorkhali
(CT),
Gadigachha
(CT) and
Majdia
.
[19]
As of 2001
[update]
India
census
,
[20]
Nabadwip had a population of 115,036. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Nabadwip has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 70%. In Nabadwip, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Religion
[
edit
]
Religion in Nabadwip (2011)
[21]
Hinduism
is the majority religion in Nabadwip city with 98.97% followers. Islam is second most popular religion in city of Nabadwip with approximately 0.79% following it. In Nabadwip, Christianity is followed by 0.04%, Jainism by 0.00%, Sikhism by 0.01% and Buddhism by 0.00%. Around 0.01% stated
Other Religion
, approximately 0.18% stated
No Particular Religion
.
Civic administration
[
edit
]
Police station
[
edit
]
Nabadwip police station has jurisdiction over Nabadwip municipality and the
Nabadwip
CD block.
[22]
[23]
The total area covered by the police station is 102.94 km
2
and the population covered is 260,843 (2001 census).
[24]
Education
[
edit
]
There are a total of 18 high and higher secondary schools in Nabadwip, Notables among them are
Nabadwip Bakultala High School
(1875),
Nabadwip Hindu School
(1873), Nabadwip Siksha Mandir (H.S), R.C.B Saraswatmandir, Jatiya Vidyalaya, Tarasundari Girls High School, Nabadwip Bakultala Girls High School, Nabadwip Balika Vidyalaya, Sudarshan High School and Techno India School etc. There is a college namely
Nabadwip Vidyasagar College
(in the name of the Great Social Reformer and the Father of Bengali Prose) affiliated under
University of Kalyani
.
Climate
[
edit
]
From April to June, the weather remains hot and temperature ranges from a maximum of 35 °C to a minimum of 26 °C.
Monsoon season prevails during beginning-June to mid-September. Also retrieving monsoon from mid-October till mid-November.
[25]
The weather is quite pleasant, the summers and winters are moderate. The level of moisture increases during summers.
Climate data for Nabadwip
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
26
(79)
|
29
(84)
|
34
(93)
|
37
(99)
|
37
(99)
|
35
(95)
|
33
(91)
|
33
(91)
|
33
(91)
|
33
(91)
|
31
(88)
|
27
(81)
|
32
(90)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
12
(54)
|
15
(59)
|
20
(68)
|
24
(75)
|
25
(77)
|
26
(79)
|
25
(77)
|
25
(77)
|
25
(77)
|
23
(73)
|
18
(64)
|
13
(55)
|
21
(70)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
1
(0.0)
|
2
(0.1)
|
3
(0.1)
|
4
(0.2)
|
107
(4.2)
|
243
(9.6)
|
377
(14.8)
|
321
(12.6)
|
280
(11.0)
|
129
(5.1)
|
1
(0.0)
|
1
(0.0)
|
1,469
(57.7)
|
Average rainy days
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
6
|
12
|
18
|
23
|
22
|
18
|
11
|
3
|
1
|
125
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
63
|
55
|
52
|
58
|
65
|
75
|
83
|
83
|
81
|
74
|
66
|
65
|
68
|
Mean daily
sunshine hours
|
6.6
|
7.1
|
7.3
|
7.8
|
7.3
|
4.1
|
3.0
|
3.4
|
3.9
|
5.9
|
6.4
|
6.6
|
5.8
|
Source:
[2]
|
Festival
[
edit
]
Many festivals are celebrated in Nabadwip throughout the year. Among them
Shakta Rash
,
Dol Purnima
Ratha Yatra
are the most popular religious festivals in Nabadwip. Other major festivals are
Kali Puja
,
Durga Puja
,
Gaura-purnima
(the birthday of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
), Shiber Biye,
Gajan
,
Pohela Boishakh
,
Jhulan Purnima
etc. An extinct festival of Nabadwip is Dhul??a (Bengali: ?????). It is the general conferences of Kirtaniyas, occurred in month of
Magh
.
[26]
Typically, it is a thirteen-day-long
Sankirtana
, performed by renowned Kirtaniyas from all over
Bengal
who gathered in Nabadwip in that time.
[27]
Shakta Rash
[
edit
]
Shakta Rash is the most celebrated age-old festival of Nabadwip, celebrated thirty-five days after the autumnal
Durga puja
celebration, or fifteen days after
Kali puja
in Kartik Purnima. The main feature of the festival is to make huge idols of different types of goddesses and to worship
Shakti
. After the patronize of Raja
Krishnachandra Roy
and mainly
Girish Chandra Basu
, Nabadwip
Shakta Rash
became more popular and glorious.
[28]
Rath Yatra
[
edit
]
Left:
Notkona
fruit, specially found in
Ratha Yatra
in Nabadwip; Right: The Ratha-Yatra of Jagannath In Nabadwip features unusual images with hands.
[29]
Although
Ratha Yatra
is the main festival of Odisha, still Nabadwip have a pride of Ratha Yatra because of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
. Nearly 20-25 Ratha Chariots are bloom in this occasion. Here in Nabadwip one can found some exceptions like full hand idols of Lord Jagannatha. Here another speciality is a fruit called "Notkona" which is specially found in this eve, mainly brought from Assam. This Fruit is a vital part of Eastern part of Bengali.
[29]
Transport
[
edit
]
Rail services
[
edit
]
Nabadwip Dham railway station
is the main railway station of Nabadwip. The railway inaugurated in 1913. It is situated 105 km from Howrah on the
Bandel-Katwa Branch Line
.
[30]
Nabadwip Dham Railway Station is seventh longest railway station of India (2362 ft).
Bishnupriya railway station
is another Halt station of Nabadwip, 107 km from howrah junction and 38 km from katwa junction.
Nabadwip Dham is 65 km from
Bandel
,105 km from
Howrah
and 112 km from
Sealdah
on the Bandel-
Katwa
-Azimganj section of
Eastern Railway
.
[31]
It has very good railway communication with North Bengal,
Assam
,
Bihar
,
Odisha
and
Kolkata
.
[32]
Bus services
[
edit
]
There is a good bus services in Nabadwip. From Nabadwip bus stand, it connect with
Krishnanagar
,
Shantipur
,
Phulia
,
Ranaghat
,
Chakdaha
,
Nadanghat
,
Kusumgram
,
Bardhaman
,
Karimpur
,
Samudragarh
,
Memari
,
Tarapith
Via
Katwa
etc. A long-distance bus services like
Durgapur
,
Asansol
,
Tarakeswar
,
Siliguri
,
Dinhata
Via
Berhampur
,
Maldah
,
Coochbehar
,
Bolpur
,
Puruliya
,
Bankura
,
Suri
,
Gangarampur
provided here.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Chattopadhyay, Nripendra Krishna (1961).
Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita
.
- ^
"Navadwip"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
.
- ^
Ro'sel, J.A. (1990). "The Evolution And Organization Of Pilgrimage To Jagannstha At Purt".
- ^
Mandal, Mrityunjoy (2013).
Nabadwiper Itibritta
. Nabadwip: Nabadwip Sahityo Somaj. p. 59.
- ^
Mandal, Mrityunjoy (2013).
Nabadwiper Itibritta
. Nabadwip: Nabadwip Sahityo Somaj. p. 58.
- ^
Kabi Karnapur, Sri Chaitanya Charitam, 6|23
- ^
Mandal, Mrityunjoy (2013).
Nabadwiper Itibritta
. Nabadwip: Nabadwip Sahityo Somaj. p. 62.
- ^
Smith, vincent A. (1923).
The Oxford History Of India,ed.2
. pp. 184?185.
- ^
Marshman, John Clark (1853).
Marshman's History of Bengal, in Bengali
.
- ^
Sastri Haraprasad (1896).
A School History Of India
. p. 34.
- ^
R??h?, K?nticandra (2004).
Nabadv?pa-mahim?
(in Bengali). Nabadv?pa Pur?tattva Parishada. p. 55.
- ^
J?zj?n?, Minh?j Sir?j (1881).
Taba??t-i-N??ir?: A General History of the Muhammadan Dynasties of Asia, Including Hind?st?n, from A.H. 194 [810 A.D.], to A.H. 658 [1260 A.D.], and the Irruption of the Infidel Mug?h?als Into Islam
. Asiatic Society of Bengal. p. 559.
- ^
Ja??nanda; Majumdar, Bimanbehari; Mukhopadhyay, Sukhamay (1971).
Jay?nanda?s Caitanya-ma?gala = Ja??nanda biracita Caitanyama?gala
. Calcutta: The Asiatic Society.
OCLC
499557268
.
- ^
"?????? ???????? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????????"
.
anandabazar.com
(in Bengali)
. Retrieved
18 June
2020
.
- ^
Mookerji, Radhakumud (1989).
Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist
. Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN
978-81-208-0423-4
.
- ^
Cotton, Sir Evan (1980).
Calcutta, Old and New: A Historical and Descriptive Handbook to the City
. General Printers & Publishers. p. 1.
- ^
Roy, Alok Ed (1958).
Sekaler Darogar Kahini Ed. 2nd
.
- ^
"Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above"
(PDF)
.
Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011
. Retrieved
21 October
2011
.
- ^
"Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011"
(PDF)
.
Constituents of Urban Agglomeration Having Population Above 1 Lakh
. Census of India 2011
. Retrieved
18 October
2020
.
- ^
"Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)"
. Census Commission of India. Archived from
the original
on 16 June 2004
. Retrieved
1 November
2008
.
- ^
"Nabadwip Religion 2011"
. Retrieved
22 March
2017
.
- ^
"District Statistical Handbook 2014 Nadia"
.
Table 2.1
. Department of Planning and Statistics, Government of West Bengal
. Retrieved
7 October
2020
.
- ^
"Nadia District Police"
.
Police Unit
. West Bengal Police
. Retrieved
17 May
2017
.
- ^
"Nabadwip Police Station Details"
. Nadia Police. Archived from
the original
on 29 March 2016
. Retrieved
17 May
2017
.
- ^
"Maps, Weather, and Airports for Krishnanagar, India"
.
www.fallingrain.com
. Retrieved
5 April
2018
.
- ^
Mandal, Mrityunjoy (2013).
Nabadwiper Itibritta
. Nabadwip: Nabadwip Sahityo Somaj. p. 142.
- ^
Bhatia, Varuni (2017).
Unforgetting Chaitanya: Vaishnavism and Cultures of Devotion in Colonial Bengal
. Oxford University Press. p. 80.
ISBN
978-0-19-068624-6
.
- ^
Basu, Girish Chnadra (1888).
Sekaler Daroga Kahini
. kolkata: Pustak Biponi. pp. 34?35.
- ^
a
b
???????????????, ???????.
"?? ???????, ???????? ????????? ??????? ????? ???????"
.
anandabazar.com
. Retrieved
5 April
2018
.
- ^
Railway local time table
- ^
Eastern Railway time table.
- ^
"India Rail Info: A Busy Junction for Travellers and Rail Enthusiasts"
.
indiarailinfo.com
. Retrieved
5 April
2018
.
External links
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]
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