Konnagar (কোন্নগর)(also called Konnagore) is a city and a municipality in Hooghly District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under Uttarpara police station in Serampore subdivision.[1] It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.[2] Konnagar is under the Serampur Loksabbha Kendra and Uttarpara Bidhansava Kendra.The Website of Konnagar Municipality is http
://www.konnagarmunicipality.org/
History:
It was a small town that grew to be a town in the 19th century. Sib Chandra Deb, the renowned Derozian sasasas and Brahmo leader, contributed substantially towards development of Konnagar. A pioneer in women's emancipation, he assisted in the development of schools in the area. The railway station was opened in 1856 and the post office in 1858. In 1931, Tomas Bata, the Czech shoe tycoon, established his first Indian operation at Konnagar. In May 1931, Tomas sold his business interests to his brother Jan Antonin Bata who established Batanagar, Bata's first permanent shoe factory in India. The Bata brand was established on August 24, 1894 in Zlín, Czech Republic. The company first established itself in India in 1931 by renting a building to start an experimental shoe production plant in Konnagar, West Bengal with 75 Czech experts. Though it was under Jan Antonin Bata administration that designed, developed and built the industrial city called Batanagar in 1934. Jan Bata also build factories in Digha near Patna, and elsewhere in India, employing more than 7,000 people. Batanagar, under Jan Bata's ideals became one of the bigger sub-urban towns near Kolkata. The Sens of Konnagar are also very famous for their contribution to the cultural growth in the place. They were the zamindars till late 19th century, but slowly with the British rule coming to an end, the zamindari rules also collapsed. Konnagar has been the home of many notable personalities. It was the ancestral home of the great nationalist and religious leader Sri Aurobindo[1] and noted physicist Sisir Kumar Mitra. [2] Shafiur Rahman one of the martyrs of the language movement in East Pakistan was born in Konnagar. [http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/bengali_heritage/bangla_language_movement.htm)
The town had been visited by the greats like Tagore, Mahasweta Devi and many others. Tagore was believed to be just a child when he and his family came to this town to escape the onslaught of Dengue which hit Kolkata.He revisited the town again when he was 19. He came to visit the Brahmasomaj Ghat along with his father Maharshi Debendranath. Shibram Chakrabarty used to live here for a brief period of time in his childhood near G.T.Road beside Konnagar High School.Sri Aurobindo's father and famous Indian geographer Shashi Bhusan Chatterjee happened to be a pupil of Konnagar High School established in the 19th century.And the town though got recognition chiefly due to the initiatives of Sib Chandra Deb, its antiquity can hardly be denied. Its reference is there even in the 500 years old Mangal Kabyo. The town is known for quality sweets, musical excellence and dense population. Geography:
Konnagar is located at 22°42′N 88°21′E / 22.7°N 88.35°E / 22.7; 88.35. It has an average elevation of 14 metres (45 feet).Konanagar is positioned between Rishra and Uttarpara on the Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line and Grand Trunk Road. It is located on the west bank of the River Hooghly. West side of the Konnagar railway station is called Nabagram. Most of the population in Nabagram is migrated from East Bengal. Being situated only 13.5 K.M from the heart of Kolkata the area enjoys semi urban status. Nabagram is typically beautiful as it is soothingly vegetation covered and neatly planned. Nabagram is known for its classy cultural tastes and excellence in fields of music. Nabagram has numebrous bands, theatre groups and dance troups. Off late, the annual worship of "Tara Maa", an incarnation of goddess Kali, during the month of August/September, has become a popular practice in Nabagram, apart from the regular quota of magnificent Durga Pujas held here. Nabagram has a much culturally youthful outlook, which contrasts it from Konnagar. Konnagar is also the place of the famous Kalitala and Baro Mandir. Baro Mandir(Twelve Temples)was built in 1821. Thousands of devotees visit Kalitala during the puja of Goddess Kali. The goddess is known as Sukhantala Kali Thakur and in the month of Bashikh (April) a month long Mela(Carnival)is celebrated with fun. The unique feature of this puja is, the idol is created and decorated in one single day. Later it is immersed in the river Ganga, after the puja is over, on the same day. Rajrajeshwari Puja is held in the month of February in Maghi Purnima. This festival is 300 years old and is celebrated for three days.
