Etawah

Etawah
Ishtikapuri
Metro City
Etawah
Coordinates: 26°46′N 79°02′E / 26.77°N 79.03°E / 26.77; 79.03Coordinates: 26°46′N 79°02′E / 26.77°N 79.03°E / 26.77; 79.03
Country India
State Uttar Pradesh
District Etawah
Government
 • MLA (Etawah constituency) Sarita Bhadauria (Bharatiya Janata Party)
Elevation 197 m (646 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 256,838[1]
 • Rank 180th
 • Density 684/km2 (1,770/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Etawian
Languages
 • Official Hindi, Urdu
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
206001 2060xx
Telephone code 05688
Vehicle registration UP-75
Coastline 0 kilometres (0 mi)
Sex ratio 896/1000 ♂/♀
Literacy 81.75%
Website www.etawah.nic.in

Etawah is a city on the banks of Yamuna River in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District and is about 160 km west of Kanpur. The city was an important center for the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Also is the place of sangam or confluence between Yamuna and Chambal. The noted Hindi writer Gulabrai was a native of Etawah.

Demographics

As per 2011 census, Etawah city had a population of 257,838 - an increase of 22% from 211,460 in 2001 census. (The entire Etawah district had a population of 1,581,810 in 2011.) The literacy rate was 82.89 per cent.[1][2]

Religions in Etawah
Religion Percent
Hindus
 
 78.64 %
Muslims
 
 19.61%
Jains
 
 1.05%
Not Stated
 
 0.19%
Others†
 
 0.50%
Distribution of religions
†Includes Sikhs (0.24%), Christians (0.07%), Buddhists (0.10%).

History

Ancient era

An engraving of ruins at Etawah, in the first half of the 19th century AD

This region is believed to have existed even in the Bronze Age. The earliest Aryans who lived here were the Panchalas.They are said to have had close connections with Kurus.

The Guptas, Kanvas, Kanishka, Naga kings ruled over this area. In the fourth century A.D., it was part of united India under the Guptas.

During the ninth and tenth centuries, this region was governed by Gurjara Pratihara rulers. The conquest of Kannauj by Nagabhata II handed Pratiharas control over this region. During the reign of Gurjara Pratihara monarch Mihir Bhoj, the region is mentioned as prosperous, safe from thieves and rich in natural resources.[3]

In 1244, Ghiyas ud din Balban attacked the region.[4]

Revolt of 1857

During the First War of Independence in 1857, major disturbances occurred in Etawah and the district was occupied by the freedom fighters from June to December. British rule was not completely restored till the end of 1858.[5]

Modern history and economy

Etawah has experienced modernization and development under British Raj and in the post-independence period.

The district is partly watered by branches of the Ganges canal.[5]

It is traversed by the main line of the Indian railway (northern zone) from Delhi to Howrah (Calcutta).

Cotton, oilseeds, ghee and other agricultural produce are grown and exported.[5] Special breed of goat Jamunapaari and special breed of buffalo Bhadawari are raised and exported.

The region has a 652 MW natural gas-based power generation plant. However, it lacks manufacturing industries.

Etawah was known for its handloom products; most of them are converted into power looms thanks to the advent of better technology. 'Etawah' is derived from the burner of bricks (where bricks are made); it has thousands of brick centre between its boundaries.

Notable people

Transport

Air

City is served by Saifai Domestic Airport, which is around 15 km from city center. The airport has only unscheduled chartered flights. The nearest domestic airport is at Kanpur which is 175 km. The nearest International Airport is Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport located at a distance of around 220 km.

Rail

Mainpuri-Etawah Branch Railway Line
Towards Farrukhabad on Kasganj-Kanpur route
Mainpuri
Towards Shikohabad on Tundla-Etawah-Kanpur route
Keerath Pur
Karhal
Vaidhpura
Etawah
Etawah Jn

Etawah Junction railway station is the main station of the city as well as of the Howrah-Delhi main line and Guna - Etawah Rail Line . It also has secondary railway line to Agra via reserved sanctuary area. Etawah - Mainpuri line is also constructed and train is running between Etawah and Mainpuri. One another railway line from Etawah to Bindki is to be constructed. It has halt for fastest trains like Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express, Kanpur New Delhi Shatabdi Express and many more. Etawah Junction is one of the cleanest railway station of Indian Railways. The city is also served by four other railway stations (Udi more, Sarai Bhopat and Ekdil and Vaidhpura).

Road

Etawah is well-connected by roads with the rest of Uttar Pradesh state. Etawah is the regional office of Etawah Region of UP Roadways and one of the largest and busiet bus station of state. It has buses for all cities of Uttar Pradesh as well as for all neighbouring states. It has buses to Delhi for every 15 minutes. National Highway 19 passes through Etawah, connecting it to important cities like Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Mughalsarai, Dhanbad and Kolkata. There are three big cities namely Gwalior, Agra and Kanpur, are nearby to Etawah with well connected roads.

Agra Lucknow Expressway Expy Cut And Toll Plaza In Baralokpur Etawah Uttar Pradesh

Within the city, auto-rickshaw and cycle rickshaw are the major forms of transport. Bus services run at high frequencies. Etawah city is waiting for city bus services as it was announced by UPA government to run 85 city buses to connect the city and to develop a ring road around the city. City buses will be available from Udai Pura in North to Udi More in South, from Sarai Bhopat in the west to Pilkhar in the east. It will cover 50 km (approx.) distance if starts.

Education

Colleges

Schools

  • St. Mary's Inter College, Etawah is an English medium School in Etawah. The school is affiliated to CBSE, New Delhi and NCERT published books onwards. The school has recently celebrated its 50years.
  • H. M. S Islamia inter college is considered as one of the oldest school of the city

Places of interest

Etawah Safari Park

Etawah Safari Park
Etawah Safari Park

The uniqueness of Etawah Safari Park lies in the fact that while at other such places the animals remain caged and the tourists move freely in the area. While in Etawah Lion Safari, people will move in caged paths while the lions and other animals are seen moving freely in the jungle. The Lion Safari, which is mainly being developed to provide an alternate home to Asiatic lions, which are now limited only to Gir Forests in Gujarat will also feature a Lion Breeding Centre.

National Chambal Sanctuary

National Chambal Sanctuary is spread over the Agra and Etawah districts, and a total of 290 different species of migratory and resident birds have been identified in the region so far. Winter is the best time to visit the sanctuary. A boat ride in its tranquil waters during this time is an exhilarating experience with spectacular sightings of the big reptiles basking along the 180 km sparkling sand stretches in the morning sun. But the main draw of the sanctuary are the flamingoes that arrive here in November and stay till May. The Rudy Shelduck also arrives a little earlier in September & stays here till May. The Indian Skimmers have huge colonies in the sanctuary and breed prolifically here.

Sarsai Nawar Wetland

Sarsai Nawar Wetland is a Small wetland, en route to Saman Wildlife Sanctuary, in Etawah District of Uttar Pradesh. It comprises two small lakes that attract Sarus Cranes, White Ibis and other water birds in large numbers. It has a large population of the threatened species of Sarus Cranes, the world's tallest flying birds. Ten Sarus Crane pairs breed here regularly, which is more than twice the number of breeding pairs in the bird sanctuary of Bharatpur in Rajasthan. In winters, almost more than 40,000 migratory birds from northern arc visit Sarsai Nawar wetland.

Agra-Etawah Cycle Highway

Agra-Etawah Cycle Highway in Uttar Pradesh now has Asia's first cycle highway. A first-of-its-kind project, the 207-km-long cycle highway runs between Etawah and Agra and was declared open on Saturday, 27 November 2016. The track begins from the lion safari in Etawah. On its way to Agra are tourist destinations like Naugava ka Quila, Raja Bhoj ki Haveli, and Bateshwarnath Temple. It ends at the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Notable Buildings

Religious

References

  1. 1 2 "{title}". Archived from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  2. ↑ "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  3. ↑ District Gazetteer Etawah (Uttar Pradesh). "History". Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  4. ↑ The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History, Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization, Peter Jackson, Cambridge University Press, 2003 p. 135
  5. 1 2 3 Wikisource Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Etawah". Encyclopædia Britannica. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 804.
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