Contai

Contai
কাঁথি
Municipal Town
Contai ( কাঁথি ) Railway Station
Contai
Location in West Bengal, India
Coordinates: 21°47′N 87°45′E / 21.78°N 87.75°E / 21.78; 87.75Coordinates: 21°47′N 87°45′E / 21.78°N 87.75°E / 21.78; 87.75
Country  India
State West Bengal
District Midnapore East
Government
 • Type Democratic Municipality
 • Body Contai Municipality
 • Chairman Soumendu Adhikari
Area
 • Total 17.25 km2 (6.66 sq mi)
Elevation 6 m (20 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 92,226
 • Density 4,492/km2 (11,630/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Bengali, English
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN 721 401
Telephone code 91-3220
Vehicle registration WB-31-xxxx, WB-32-xxxx
Lok Sabha constituency Kanthi
Vidhan Sabha constituency

Kanthi Uttar,

Kanthi Dakshin
Website purbamedinipur.gov.in

Contai (also known as কাঁথি) is headquarters of Contai subdivision in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, India. There are three community development blocks in Contai. According to the geologists, the present geographical dimension of contai, has formally came into existence, with the great natural disaster of the third century AD (flood) which created Chilka lake out of the Chilka Bay. Kanthi, that is contai, means "Sand-bound reefs" or sand walls. The name Contai may thus be an English expression of the local jargon meaning "sand heaps".The Contai town lies within the Contai Block I.

Etymology

In the 15th century, during the visit of Fa-Hien, Contai was uninhabited and had no name for the outside world. In Valentine’s travelogue, a harbour, Kendua by name, was mentioned. This harbour was on the bank of the river, a short distance from the Rasulpur estuary. Later the harbour was shifted to the present site of the Contai Town. However, it is said, the name of the abandoned port was retained for its new location, In foreigners tongue, Kendua is said to have changed first to Cauntee and finally to Contai, whereas in local tongue it has changed to Kanthi (কাঁথি).

But linguists raise serious doubts about such change of pronunciation. They offer other suggestions.Mr. Yogesh Chandra Sarkar thinks that the name Kanthi owes its origin to outstretched sand-dune, about 27 miles from Rasulpur estuary to Peeplipattan, that from the sea looked like a long wall or Kanth (কাঁথি) as it is called by local people. Some suggest that the name may originate from the custom of local people to build long walls or Kanths around their habitation in order to keep off wild beasts like buffaloes, tigers and rhinoceroses that were found in abundance then and these Kanths gave the place its name.

Yet, some people, conversant with the local history, give another explanation. They say on the sand dunes lived Saints and Fakirs or witch doctors to whom afflicted people often came for cure and who asked them affectionately in somewhat Hindi, "Kanha thee?" meaning to say, ’where are you from? Gradually the cure-seeking people coming from distant places came to identify this unnamed place by those two words "Kanha thee", and in course of time the words merged into one to give the virgin or Ahalya land a name.

History

Location of Contai in Purba Medinipur district

Contai was originally a part of Hijli Kingdom, a tributary state of Orissa ruled by the Hindu king Gopinath Pattanayak. In 1852 the East India Company of British India announced Contai as a Sub-Division consisting of six police stations - Contai, Khejuri, Ramnagar, Bhagwanpur, Egra and Patashpur. But the Government continued working from Negua. The Sub-Division that covered 912 square miles (2,400 km2) was the second largest in Bengal . In 1863 when Nimak Mahal (the salt factory and business center) at Contai, in the teeth of a serious crisis, ceased functioning, the Sub-Divisional office was shifted from Negua to the abandoned Nimak Mahal building.

Bankim Chandra Chottopadhyay, the precursor of Bengali novel, worked as the Deputy Magistrate of Contai, though for a short period, from January 1860 to November of the year. In 2002, Medinipur District was divided into two parts – Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur for the sake of administrative efficiency and expediency. Purba Medinipur consists of four Sub-Divisions – Tamluk, Contai, Egra and Haldia. Contai Sub-Division now consists of eight blocks of Ramnagar, Digha, Kanthi (Contai), Khejuri and Bhupatinagar.

For details history of Contai, see History of Contai

Contai
Climate chart (explanation)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Weather 2[1]

Geography and climate

Contai is about 160 km from Kolkata and 31 km from the beach town Digha.Contai receives heavy rains during Monsoon.Winters are not that severe.Summers are average and cooler that Delhi or U.P.

Demographics

As per 2011 Census of India Contai had a total population of 92,226 of which 49,031 (53%) were males and 43,195 (47%) were females. Population below 6 years was 8,440. The total number of literates in Contai was 78,500 (93.69% of the population over 6 years).[2]

As of 2001 India census,[3] Contai had a population of 77,497. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Contai has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85% and, female literacy is 78%. In Contai, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Police stations

Located at the heart of the town, Contai police station has jurisdiction over Contai I and Deshapran CD Blocks. It covers an area of 370.80 km2 with a population of 382,216.[4]

Contai Women police station was opened on 18 March 2012. It has jurisdiction over Contai subdivision.[5][6]

Economy

Contai is famous for its tourism, cashew crop, fishing and processing industries. Fishing is the predominant high earning business apart for Cashew processing in Contai. Many people are associated with Prawn cultivation. Processing of dry fish is also practised in certain regions. The cultivation fields are generally outside the main town. Paddy is the main food crop cultivated in Contai. Cashew processing industry is mainly practised in the areas in and around Majna, a village 5 km off Contai town. It is the second highest paddy producing district in West Bengal.The land is highly fertile and therefore, agriculture is also the major driving force that sustains the middle-class economy of this region. However, sometimes agriculture is affected by frequent floods due to torrential Monsoon rain and Cyclone formed from depressions in the Bay of Bengal. A major portion of the towns dwellers are associated with business. Businessmen still form the major number of workforce in the main town. The main bazaar of Contai town is Contai Super Market.Apart from that there are New Market, Raja Bazaar, and unorganized market distributed throughout. Contai is also famous for Salt Industry.

Transportation

One of the busiest junctions in Contai Caltex More, in Holidays

Contai is well-connected by roads/highways with other nearby cities and towns and several important junctions like, Digha, Dantan, Jhargram, Kharagpur, Midnapore, Tamluk, Haldia, Howrah, and Kolkata. The town is also connected by a rail link to Howrah/Kolkata which is again extended to Digha. Kandari Express, Tamralipta Express and Howrah-Digha Superfast A/C Express connects Kolkata and Contai. Local trains are available too.Contai is directly connected by rail to Asansol, Malda Town and Siliguri of West Bengal, Puri of Odisha and Vishakapatnam of Andhra Pradesh. The rail line is believed to have given a rise to the local economy. For local transportation, bus, mini-bus, taxi, toto, auto and cycle rickshaws are available.

The opening of Central Cental Bus Terminus has eased the traffic congestion within the town to a great deal. The NH-116B from Nandakumar to Digha which passes through Contai is scheduled to get converted to Dual road within 2020 thus enabling swifter trade, commerce and tourism. There are several bus stops in the town like Rupasree Busstop, Kharagpur More Bus stop, Junput More Bus stop.The region holds great potential in tourism but lamentably enough, no other place except Digha has been developed properly. But efforts are on to develop other areas as well.

Education

There are numbers of well-known schools and colleges in Contai. For higher education, besides the Prabhat Kumar College, Contai under the Vidyasagar University, there is an Ayurvedic Medical College named Raghunath Ayurved Mahavidyalaya and Hospital, a Polytechnic Engineering College named Contai Polytechnic, a private management college named Contai College of Learning and Management Science etc. There are future plans to upgrade the Contai Sub-divisional hospital into a Medical College. The literacy rate of Contai town is as high as 90%. Being in the most educated district of West Bengal, Contai boasts of having a lot of highly talented students and teachers along with higher secondary schools. There is one CISCE board 12th standard School.

List of schools in Contai

Health

There are many hospitals in the Contai town. one is named as Contai Subdivisional Hospital.[8] People of this subdivision mainly depends on this hospital. There are also two primary health clinics newly inaugurated at Old Outdoor Hosptal and Contai Central Buus Terminus. There are also many private nursing home. Health of common people is generally well.Rotary Polyclinic is a well-known private NGO-clinic in the locality.

Culture

Durga Puja in Contai

Among many festivals in Contai, "Gandhi Mela" is the most popular.it is a type of fair. It is held during January/February each year and it continues for 10 or 15 days. Many people from Contai and neighbouring subdivisions take part in "Gandhi Mela" not only for amusement but also for agricultural and industrial exhibitions. There is also some cultural institution like Contai Bramho Samaj, Contai Harisabha,Contai Club etc. The regular Bengali festivals like Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and Kali Puja are well attended. Other common pujas in the worship of Sitala, Jagaddhatri, Holi, Janmastami, Bheema Puja,viswakarma also takes place.Film productions has newly seen a growth in recent years in this town.Several cultural programmes are frequently organised at the Town Hall. There is also an annual Book Fair held in the town. Baishakhi mela is another popular fair organised recently by The Contai Nandanik Club. There are frequent T20 tournament held in winter in the various stadiums of Contai. Muharram Mela and Tajiya demonstration is a popular festival in Contai observed by Muslims of the region and collectively shared and enjoyed by Hindus and other communities of the region as well. There is a competition held in Darua Karabala maidan for the best decorated Tajiya.

Art and Craft

Contai is famous for Pital (Brass) Kansa (Tin) Silpo and Madur ( Mat made of a kind of grass ) Silpo. Beautiful place to visit.

Notable people

  • Birendranath Sasmal, Freedom fighter
  • Raghunath Maity, Freedom fighter
  • Bolai Das Mahapatra, Freedom fighter
  • Esichar chandra Mal, Freedom fighter

Tourist Spot

References

  1. ↑ "Climate History for Contai". Weather 2. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables". West Bengal – District-wise. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
  4. ↑ "Contai PS". Purba Medinipur District Police. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Contai Women PS". Purba Medinipur District Police. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "Existing Women Police Stations along with their jurisdiction and Date of Inauguration". West Bengal Police. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  7. ↑ "Contai Public school". www.contaipublicschool.com. Retrieved 2018-01-07.
  8. ↑ "Contai Sub Divisional Hospital". Contai.info. Retrieved 2013-06-24.

Junput travel guide from Wikivoyage

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