Purnia District is situated in the state of Bihar, India. The Purnia town happens to be the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is a part of the Purnia Division. The district extends from Ganga River northwards to the frontier of Nepal.
History of Purnia District
Purnia District has a rich Hindu history and a glorious past. It was mainly an outlying state during the Mughal reign and its revenue was spent on protecting its borders against the tribes from east and north. After the capture of Kolkata, the local governor raised a rebellion against Siraj-ud-Daulah in 1757, along with rest of Bengal. As a result the district came in the control of British.
The district is popular for its uniquely carved Ramakrishna Mission, where, in the month of April, Durja Puja is celebrated. Purnia District is also popular for an ancient temple of Mata Puran Devi, which is located 5 km from the main city. The district got its name from this temple. Some people believe that many years ago Purnia was Purna-Aranya which stands for "complete jungle", and that is why it has got the name Purnia.
Geography of Purnia District
Purnia District encompasses an area of 3,229 square kilometers. It consists of loamy soil of rich alluvial content. There are many rivers that cross the district which comes directly from the Himalayas. This helps in the process of water carriage and irrigation. Its chief rivers are the Mahananda, the Kosi, the Koli and the Suwara Kali. The soil is thickly covered with sand in the west which is deposited by changes in the course of the Kusi. Among other rivers are the Panar and the Mahananda River. Its key agricultural commodities are banana and jute. This district has two subdivisions named Dhumdaha and Purnia and they are further made of fourteen blocks namely Krityanand Nagar, East Purnea, Banmankhi, Amaur, Bainsi, Kaswa, Rupauli, Bhawanipur, Dhamdaha, Barhara Kothi, Jalalgarh, Dagarua and Srinagar
Demography of Purnia District
According to the Population Census in the year 2011, Purnia District had population of 3,273,127. Out of which male and female were 1,695,829 and 1,577,298 respectively. The population of Purnia District constituted 3.15 percent of total population of Bihar. The average literacy rate of Purnia in 2011 was 52.49 compared to 35.10 of 2001. If things are looked out at gender wise, male and female literacy were 61.09 and 43.19 respectively. The total literate in Purnia District were 1,380,052 of which male and female were 834,533 and 545,519 respectively. In 2001, Purnia District had 700,070 in its district.
Culture of Purnia District
The city houses a Dargah of Hazrat Mustafa Jamalul Haque Bandagi, Chimni Baza. The `Dargah and Khanquah Alia Mustafia` is situated hardly 7 km away from main city. It is popular for communal harmony, spirituality, and Sufism. The history of the place goes back 400 years when Hazrat Bandagi came from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh visiting several Khanqahs and Dargahs from all over India such as the Pandawa Sharif, the Bihar Sharif etc. Since its establishment this Darghah plays a crucial role in spreading education, culture, secularism and kindness in the North East part of Bihar.
