Wikipedia

Bettiah

Bettiah is a city and the administrative headquarters of West Champaran district (Tirhut Division)[4] - (Tirhut). It is near the Indo-Nepal border, 225 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Patna, in the state of Bihar, India.

Bettiah
City
Anticlockwise from top left -Bettiah Raj mahal Saheed Park, Sagar pokhra and Shiv Mandir, Supriya Cinema road, Bettiah auditorium and Maharaja Stadium, Gandhi statue at Hariwatika Chowk, Aeria view of Station chowk.
Anticlockwise from top left -Bettiah Raj mahal Saheed Park, Sagar pokhra and Shiv Mandir, Supriya Cinema road, Bettiah auditorium and Maharaja Stadium, Gandhi statue at Hariwatika Chowk, Aeria view of Station chowk.
Bettiah is located in Bihar
Bettiah
Bettiah
Location in Bihar, India
Coordinates: 26°48′05″N 84°30′10″E / 26.80139°N 84.50278°E / 26.80139; 84.50278
Country India
StateBihar
DistrictWest Champaran
Founded byGangeshwar Dev
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • BodyBettiah Municipal corporation
Area
 • City
30 km2 (10 sq mi)
 • Urban
64 km2 (25 sq mi)
Elevation
65 m (213 ft)
Population
 (2020)as estimated[1]
 • Rank14th(as in 2011)in Bihar
 • Urban
414,453
Language
 • OfficialHindi[2]
 • Additional officialUrdu[2]
 • RegionalBhojpuri[3]
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
845438
BTH06254
ISO 3166 codeIN-BR
Vehicle registrationBR-22
Sex ratio53% male : 47% female ♂/♀
Lok Sabha constituencyPaschim Champaran/was before Bettiah
Vidhan Sabha constituencyBettiah
Websitewestchamparan.bih.nic.in

History

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Ghanta Ghar of Bettiah Raj Palace

In 1244 A.D., Gangeshwar Dev, a Brahmin of the Jaitharia clan, settled at Jaithar in Champaran.[5] One of his descendants, Agar Sen, acquired large territories during the reign of Emperor Jehangir, and was bestowed the title of 'Raja' by Emperor Shah Jahan. In 1659, he was succeeded by his son Raja Guj Singh, who built the palace of the family at Bettiah. He died in 1694 A.D. The palace stands today and is used as a marketplace.

In 1740, a Roman Catholic mission was founded in the city.[6]

In 1765, when the East India Company acquired the Diwani, the Bettiah Raj held the largest amount of territory under its jurisdiction.[7] It consisted of all of Champaran except for a small portion held by the Ram Nagar Raj (also held by a Brahmin family).[7]

Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh was the last king of Bettiah Raj.[5] He was born in 1854 and succeeded his father, the late Maharaja Rajendra Kishore Singh Bahadur in 1883. In 1884, he received the title of Maharaja Bahadur as a personal distinction and a Khilat and a sanad from the hands of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson. He was created a Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire on 1 March 1889. He was appointed a member of the Legislative Council of Bengal in January 1891. He was also a member of The Asiatic Society. He was the last ruler of Bettiah Raj. Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh Bahadur died heirless on 26 March 1893, leaving behind two widows, Maharani Sheo Ratna Kunwar and Maharani Janki Kunwar. There are a few institutions named after the queen Maharani Janki Kunwar, such as M.J.K College and M.J.K Hospital. The Bettiah Gharana was one of the oldest styles of vocalized music.[8] Madhuban was part of the erstwhile 'Bettiah Raj'. Internal disputes and family quarrels divided the Bettiah Raj as time went on. As a result, the Madhuban Raj was created.

In 1869, Bettiah was constituted and affirmed as a municipality.

A section of Dhrupad singers of Dilli Gharana (Delhi Gharana) from the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's court had migrated to Bettiah under the patronage of Bettiah Raj, and thus was sown the seed of Bettiah Gharana.[8] The well-known Dagar brothers had praised the Bettiah Dhrupad singers and some of them were invited to the Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal to perform with other accomplished singers in 1990.[8]

The University of Bihar has a local branch of its college in Bettiah, M.J.K. College, first established in 1955 under the name of Bettiah Mahavidyalya. The current name is in honor of Maharani Janki Kunwar of the Bettiah Raj.[9]

On 26 December 2020, Bettiah became a municipal corporation. It includes Tola San Saraiya, Banuchapar, Kargahiya east and nearby areas. Development and upgrades to the local infrastructure are planned.[1]

Geography

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Climate

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The climate of Bettiah is characterised by high temperatures and high precipitation especially during the monsoon season. The Köppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is "Cwa" (Dry-winter humid subtropical climate).

Climate data for Bettiah
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 23.3
(73.9) 		26.3
(79.4) 		32.4
(90.3) 		37.3
(99.1) 		38.7
(101.7) 		37
(99) 		33.5
(92.3) 		32.8
(91.1) 		33.3
(91.9) 		32.3
(90.1) 		29.2
(84.6) 		24.6
(76.2) 		31.7
(89.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 16.2
(61.1) 		18.7
(65.6) 		24.2
(75.5) 		29.2
(84.6) 		32
(89) 		32
(89) 		29.6
(85.3) 		29.1
(84.4) 		28.9
(84.1) 		26.6
(79.9) 		21.9
(71.4) 		17.4
(63.3) 		25.4
(77.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 9.1
(48.3) 		11.1
(51.9) 		16.1
(60.9) 		21.2
(70.2) 		24.6
(76.2) 		26.2
(79.1) 		25.7
(78.3) 		25.4
(77.8) 		24.6
(76.3) 		21.0
(69.8) 		14.6
(58.2) 		10.2
(50.4) 		19.2
(66.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 13
(0.5) 		13
(0.5) 		10
(0.4) 		18
(0.7) 		46
(1.8) 		200
(7.7) 		380
(14.9) 		360
(14) 		230
(8.9) 		66
(2.6) 		5.1
(0.2) 		5.1
(0.2) 		1,330
(52.4)
Average precipitation days 1.4 1.1 1.1 1.0 2.1 5.4 10.9 11.9 7.3 2.4 0.6 0.7 45.7
Mean daily sunshine hours 11.1 11.7 12.4 13.2 13.9 14.2 14.1 13.5 12.7 11.9 11.2 10.9 12.6
Source: Weatherbase[10]

Demographics

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Religions in Bettiah
Religion Percent
Hindus
 
 64.08%
Muslims
 
 33.72%
Christians
 
 1.90%
Others
 
 0.30%

As of 2011 Indian Census, Bettiah NP had a total population of 132,209, of which 69,529 were males and 62,680 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 18,995. The total number of literates in Bettiah was 91,298, which constituted 69.1% of the population with male literacy of 72.7% and female literacy of 64.9%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Bettiah was 80.6%, of which male literacy rate was 85.0% and female literacy rate was 75.8%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 8,266 and 828 respectively. Bettiah had 24,463 households in 2011.[11]

As per 2011 census, the Bettiah Urban Agglomeration had a total population of 156,200, with 82,663 males and 73,537 females. The population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 22,067, and the effective literacy rate (literacy of people above the age of 7) was 80.89%.[12] The urban agglomeration includes Bettiah (municipal corporation), Tola Mansaraut (census town), Kargahia Purab (census town) and Hat Saraiya (census town).[13]

On 26 December 2020, Bettiah became a municipal corporation. It included Tola San Saraiya, Banuchapar, Kargahiya east, and other nearby areas. The total population at this time was 414,453[1]

Tourism

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Transport

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Railway

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Bettiah Railway Station

Bettiah is connected to different cities of India through railways. Bettiah railway station is the main railway station serving the city. Direct trains are available to all the major destinations across India like Patna, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ahemdabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Jammu & Katra, etc.

Prajapati Halt railway station, also known as Bettiah Cant Railway station, is another railway station serving the city.

Roadway

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The National Highways 727, 139W, 28B, 727aa, and State Highway 54 pass through the city.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has declared a new Patna-Bettiah road as National Highway 139W, setting the stage for the construction of a high-quality four-lane road between the two towns that would reduce the distance between them to 167 kilometres from the current 200-odd km, and travel time to around two hours.[16]

The new Gopalganj-Bettiah Road passes through the New Town section of Tola San Saraiyan. Through this new road, a distance of 60 km (37 mi) is shortened from the commute to Gopalganj-Bettiah.[17]

A new expressway is currently being constructed via Bettiah which links Gorakhpur to Siliguri.[18]

A direct NH is being constructed to link Bettiah to Gorakhpur, designated 727aa. NH727AA connects Manuapul (Bettiah), Patzirwa, Paknaha, Pipraghat, and Sevrahi in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.[19]

Airway

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The nearest airport is Kushinagar International Airport which is about 97 km (60 mi) from Bettiah. The nearest airport in Bihar is Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport located in Patna which is about 200 km (120 mi) from Muzaffarpur and 177 km (110 mi) from Areraj.

Education

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Schools

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  •  
    St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School
  •  
    St. Joseph's School
  •  
    St. Michael's Academy
  •  
    Khrist Raja High School
  •  
    Assembly of God Church School

Colleges

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  •  
    GMC Academic block
  •  
    Administrative block of Government Engineering College Bettiah, W.Champaran
  •  
    Chanakya College of education

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "पश्चिम चंपारण में बेतिया बना नगर निगम, अब नागरिक सुविधाओं में होगा इजाफा". Dainik Jagran (in Hindi). 26 December 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Bhojpuri". Ethnologue. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Tirhut Division". tirhut-muzaffarpur.bih.nic.in. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015.
  5. ^ a b Lethbridge, Sir Roper (2005). The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire. Aakar Books. p. 67. ISBN 978-81-87879-54-1. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Bettiah | Bettiah | Town, Temple, Palace | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b Ram, Bindeshwar (1998). Land and society in India: agrarian relations in colonial North Bihar. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-0643-5.
  8. ^ a b c "Many Bihari artists ignored by SPIC MACAY". The Times of India. 13 October 2001. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
  9. ^ "» History | Maharani Janki Kunwar College, Bettiah". www.mjkcollege.ac.in. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved on 27 August 2015.
  11. ^ "Census of India: Bettiah". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Constituents of urban Agglomerations Having Population 1 Lakh & above" (PDF). Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  14. ^ "Amwa Man, the state's first water sports zone, opens for tourists". Dainik Jagran. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  15. ^ "boating started in sagar pokhra of bettiah". Dainik Bhaskar. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  16. ^ Pathak, Subhash (9 July 2021). "New Patna-Bettiah NH gets a nod, to cut travel time to 2.5 hours". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  17. ^ Kumar, Arun (14 March 2016). "Need to shun politics for Bihar's growth: Nitish". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  18. ^ "बिहार के लिए खुशखबरी पश्चिम चंपारण होकर गुजरेगा सिलीगुड़ी गोरखपुर एक्सप्रेस हाइवें - Good news for Bihar Siliguri Gorakhpur Express Highway will pass through West Champaran". Jagran (in Hindi). 7 July 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  19. ^ "सड़क प琇रवहनप琇रवहनप琇रवहनप琇रवहन औरऔरऔरऔर राजमाग榁राजमाग榁राजमाग榁राजमाग榁 मं灴ालयमं灴ालयमं灴ालयमं灴ाल" (PDF). Egazette.nic.in. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Schools". | Official Website of West Champaran | India. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  21. ^ "About JNV". navodaya.gov.in. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Home| KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA BEIA". Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  23. ^ "R.L International School". Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  24. ^ "www.stremijius.online". Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  25. ^ a b "Public Utilities". Official Website of West Champaran | India. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  26. ^ Mitra, Arnab (16 March 2022). "Bihar Board 12th Result 2022 Updates: BSEB Declares Inter Result; Marksheets At Results.biharboardonline.com". NDTV. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  27. ^ "mrrg college". Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  28. ^ "St. Teresa's Primary Teacher's Education College Bettiah". Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  29. ^ "Chanakya College of Education, Bettiah". Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  30. ^ "Raj Inter College Bettiah". Retrieved 27 December 2023.
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