Kanpur

Kānpur (known as Cawnpore before 1948) is the most populous city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Kanpur is located on the banks of the Ganga and is an important industrial center. It has an area of over 1000 km² and had a population of around 2.4 million in the 1991 census. Kanpur is home to several educational institutions, including one of the Indian Institutes of Technology. Kanpur also enjoys the dubious reputation of being the most polluted city in India, a result of vehicular pollution and the poisoning of the Ganga by sewage and toxic effluents from textile and leather industries.

History

Nestled on the banks of the eternal Ganga, Kanpur stands as one of North India’s major industrial centres with its own historical, religious and commercial importance.Believed to be founded by king Hindu Singh of the erstwhile state of Sachendi, Kanpur, it is believed by some, derived its name from Kanhiyapur, the town of Kanhiya (Lord Krishna). In the course of time, Kanhiyapur probably was abbreviated as Kanhapur and subsequently as Kanpur (the anglicized spelling of which was Cawnpore during the British rule). Others believe that the name is derived from Karnapur and is associated with Karna, one of the heroes of Mahabharata. Duryodhana made Karna a king, seeing him as a fitting match to Arjuna, and gifted him this area; hence the name Karnapur, which later became Kanpur. Historically, Jajmau on the eastern outskirts of present day Kanpur is regarded as one of the most archaic tounships of Kanpur district.

Kanpur's growth until the thirteenth century is shrouded in the mists of time. It is interesting to note that while no reference to Kanpur is found in history, the history of two of its suburbs, Jajmau and Bithoor, can be traced back to legendary times. Bithoor is located about 20 km upstream of the river from the city and is approximately 10 km from the IIT Kanpur Campus. Jajmau is about 8 km east of Kanpur city and is nearly 20 km upstream of the river from the IIT Campus. According to Hindu mythology, just after creating the universe, Lord Brahma performed the Ashvamedh Yajna (Horse Sacrifice) at Bithoor (also known as Brahmavart) and established a shivalingam there. Moving further to later times, another mythological site at Bithoor is the Valmiki Ashram, where the famous sage Valmiki is supposed to have written the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. According to this epic, queen Seeta, on being exiled by King Ramachandra of Ayodhya, spent her days in seclusion at the ashram bringing up her twin sons Lava and Kush.

At Jajmau there are remains of an ancient fort, now surviving as a huge mound. Some recent excavations on this mound tend to prove that the site is very ancient indeed, perhaps dating back to the Vedic age. Popular legends have it that the fort belonged to Yayati, a king of the ancient chandravanshi race, the eighth in succession to Lord Brahma. The famous Siddhnath temple of Lord Shiva and Siddha Devi temple at Jajmau belong to the Buddhist period. The place for a while was known as Siddhpuri.

In 1207 AD Raja Kanti Deo of Prayag who was attached to the throne of Kannauj established the village Kohna, which later came to be known as Kanpur. Kanpur continued its association with Kannauj during the reins of Harsha Vardhan, Bhoj, Mihir, Jai Chand and early Muslim rulers. Later it came under the Jaunpur rulers and the Sur Dynasty. The first mention of Kanpur was made in 1579 during Sher Shah's regime. Upto the 1st half of the 18th century Kanpur continued to survive as an insignificant village. Its fate, however, took a new turn soon after. In May 1765, Shuja-ud-daula, the Nawab Wazir of Awadh, was defeated by the British near Jajmau. From 1773 to 1801, it was part of the Oudh kingdom and then came into the hands of the British. It was probably at this time that strategic importance of the site of Kanpur was realised by the British. European businessmen had by this time gradually started establishing themselves in Kanpur. In order to ensure protection to their lives and property the `Awadh local forces’ were shifted here in 1778. Kanpur passed into British hands under the treaty of 1801 with Nawab Saadat Ali Khan of Awadh. This forms a turning point in the history of Kanpur. Soon Kanpur became one of the most important military station of British India. It was declared a district on 24th March 1803. South of Parmat were the British infantry lines and the parade grounds. Indian infantry occupied the space from the present Chunniganj to the Christ Church College. The Company Bagh was laid in 1847 and the construction of the Ganga canal was commenced in 1854.

First Freedom Struggle of India (1857)

In the 19th century, Kanpur was an important British garrison, and had barracks for 7,000 soldiers. In 1857, during the Indian Mutiny, 900 Europeans (about two-thirds of which were women and children) were besieged in the fortifications for 22 days by the rebels under Nana Sahib. They surrendered on the promise that they should be allowed to go safely to Allahabad, but as soon as they got off the boats to go down the river they were fired upon by cannon. Many were killed and the rest brought back to shore. The prisoners were then killed by their captors, and the corpses were discarded into a deep well. Three days afterwards (July 18), the British under General Havelock entered the city. The Bibighar was dismantled by the British during the reoccupation of Kanpur, and a memorial railing and a cross were raised at the site of the well. The well is now bricked over. Only the remains of a circular ridge survive, which can still be seen at the Nana Rao Park. The Kanpur Memorial Church – `All Souls' Cathedral’ - was raised in honor of the fallen at the north-east corner of Wheeler’s entrenchment in 1862 by the British. The marble gothic screen with the famous `mournful seraph’ was transferred to the churchyard of All Souls' Church after independence in 1947, and in its place a bust of Tantiya Tope installed as Nana Rao Park.

Development of Industries

After 1857 it became an important center of the leather and textile industries. Government Harness and Saddler Factory was started for supplying leather material for army in 1860, followed by Cooper Allen & Co. in 1880. The first cotton textile mill, the Elgin Mills were started in 1862 and Moiré Mills in 1882. The British India Corporation (BIC) was headquartered here and led the development of many industries. The Juggilal Kamlapat Singhania family launched many industrial units between 1930 and 1970. The group is known as J K Group of Industries till date. The Jaipuria family contributed to the patriotic cause, by building the Swadeshi Cotton Mills in response to charges that the foreign rulers were raiding India of its cotton only to sell back textiles to the residents. Kanpur was known as the "Manchester of India" during the 20th Century. As of now, the city owns many leather tanneries, a 2-wheeler factory owned by LML India, under collaboration with Italy's Piaggio; and over a dozen Defence Ordnance Factories such as Small-Arms Factory, Ordnance Parachute Factory etc.It is also home to the pan masala and gutkha industry.

Many of the British contributed vigorously to charitable causes in the city by building the Ursula Horseman Hospital, the "Hallet" Hospital, Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, by protecting the Allen Forest (now a Zoo) and many other efforts. Most of these are now renamed, though a lot of residents still call them by their old names. However the distortion of names is most visible at the railway crossing bridge next to the Railway Station, where the now-closed Murray Company is conveniently called Mari (Dead) Company.

Cultural History

Kanpur was a tinderbox in the independence and literary movements during the 1900-1950 period. The largest shopping centre is named Navin Market, after the poet Bal Krishna Sharma aka "Navin". Later poets included Gopal Das "Niraj" who also had a successful spell writing songs for "Bollywood" movies. Kanpur is also the birth place of Shyamlal Gupta `Parshad’, composer of the famous ditty Vijayee Vishwa Tiranga Pyara. The propagation and popularization of Hindi also owes much to this city, with great Hindu literatteurs like Acharya Mahavir Parasad Dwivedi, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Pratap Narain Mishra and Acharya Gaya Prasad Shukla `Sanehi’. The Agricultural University is named after the revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad and the Medical College after Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi; both men spent much time in Kanpur. While ChandraShekhar 'Azad' was born in a village in nearby district of Unnao and shot himself when surrounded by a huge posse of British soldiers at Alfred Park, Allahabad, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was killed during the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1948 at Kanpurm in Phoolbagh.

The Legend of Bithoor

About 25 km from Kanpur is Bithoor. Legend has it that the wife of Lord Rama came to live at the ashram of the sage Valmiki, after Rama expelled her from Ayodhya. It was here that Sita gave birth to the twins Lav and Kush, and disappeared back into the earth (from where she was born, according to mythology) when confronted by a repentant Rama. Bithoor is also the site of the fort to which Nana Sahib escaped following the British retaking of Kanpur. Today, Bithoor is a tourist spot on the banks of the Ganga.

Shri Radhakrishna Temple (J.K. Temple) Beautifully constructed, J.K. temple is a boon to the devotees. Built by J.K. Trust this architectural delight is a unique blend of ancient architecture with the. modern. The even-level roofs o the mandaps have been provided with adequate ventilation for sufficient light and air. Among the five shrines that the temple has the central one s consecrated to Shri Radhakrishna and the other are adorned with idols of Shri Laxminarayan, Shri. Ardhanarishwar, Shri Narmadeshwar and Shri Hanuman.

Geography

With the coordinates 26.4670° North and 80.3500° East, Kanpur is 80 km from Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. It is surrounded by two main rivers of India, Ganges in the north-east and Yamuna in the south. The districts surrounding Kanpur are Hamirpur in the south, Unnao in the north-east, Farrukkhabad in the north and Etawah in the west.

Demography

Kanpur is situated on bank of river Ganga and has a population of 2.72 million as per the 2001 census with 1,483,000 males and 1,289,000 females. Kanpur has an area of about 1040 km² and is 126 meters above sea level. Languages spoken in and around Kanpur include Hindi, English, Urdu and some Bengali and Punjabi. All major religions are practiced in Kanpur.

Climate

Temperatures in cold weather drop to freezing with maximum at almost 12 to 14 °C. Kanpur experiences severe fog in December and January, resulting in massive traffic and travel delays. It does not snow in Kanpur. In summer(April-June) maximum temperatures spiral up to 45 °C and are accompanied by dust storm-cum-heat-waves. Lowest −1 °C [1], 1968

Colleges and Universities

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, (abbr IITK), one of the most prestigious engineering colleges in India.
• Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, (abbr HBTI) one of the oldest engineering colleges in north India, providing degrees in traditional and new areas of engineering and science.
• C.S.J.M Kanpur University, Kanpur,One of the biggest University in India. Established in 1966. It has 170 affiliated colleges in 15 districts.
• Christ Church College, Kanpur
• Dayanand Girls College, KanpurThis college is reknowned for its Psychology department.
• DAV College, Kanpur is the oldest college in city, and counts among its ex-students revolutionaries like Chandra Shekhar Azad and numerous political figures. The college is well-known for its political environment.
• PPN College, Kanpur Established in 1959 is famous for its eminent faculty and discipline in campus.
• Brahmanand College, Kanpur
• BNSD Inter College Chunni Ganj, Kanpur

• V.S.S.D. College, Kanpur
• S N Sen Mahavidyala, Kanpur
• Jamuna Devi Girls College, Kanpur
• Seth Anand Ram Jaipuria School, Kanpur; one of the best school of kanpur with students making mark all over the world.
• Woodbine Gardenia School; One of the best schools affiliated to CBSE board, offering excellent Academic and Sports facilities along with distinguished Faculty members
• Sir Padampat Singhania Education Center
• GCTI, kanpur is one of the oldest engineering college of India. Established in the year 1914, the college is renowned for textile engineering education.
• Dr. Virendra Swarup Education Centre,Kanpur; one of the best school of Kanpur.

Besides those locally famous Public Schools, Kanpur boasts of more than a dozen Kendriya Vidyalayas (Central Schools), an Army School and an Air Force School; most of them situated in Cantonment, Air Force Station and other Defense factories areas. G.S.V.M.Medical College, named after the local martyr Sri Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi, who sacrificed his life at the altar of communal frenzy during communal riots in 1939.This is U>P>'s second largest medical college after that of Lucknow, and has a large group of hospitals attached to it.

IT Companies in Kanpur

http://www.VeragTech.com VeragTech is a privately held company founded in 2004 with headquarters in Kanpur, India with our branch office located in New York, USA.

We are an innovative solutions and services business focusing our efforts in the development of advanced software for colleges, schools and other education providers. Through committing our strengths in industry expertise, it is VeragTech’s mission to become the leading software solutions provider for colleges, schools and other education providers.

Creativatorz Design Studio Initiated by an enterprising Kanpurite, Rishu Monga, Creativatorz is one of the leading Web Design Studio in the country. With clients from all across the world and growing international popularity, the organisation is looking at expanding into many other states besides New Delhi, where the company has already established another office.

Passenger Transport

Local

• Kanpur Mahanagar Bus Seva: The Kanpur City Bus Service is often criticised for rash drivers, overcrowding and lack of punctuality. Even so, it remains the most important means of mass transport.

• Tempos

• Cycle rickshaws are a reliable transport medium, although a bit costlier and only meant for short distances.

Inter - City

Kanpur is well-connected with most other cities of India by Rail, Roads and now by Air also. It lies as one of the most important railway stations on Delhi-Howrah Trunk Line of Indian Railways. The first Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express of India ran via this station. There are direct trains from this station to almost all important stations in India.

The city lies on important National Highways. NH No.2, the oldest road of India, Grand Trunk Road - between Amritsar (legend says - Kabul before partition) to Kolkata (legend again says - Dhaka before partition) - runs right through this city. NH No 25. connects the city to western Indian cities like Mumbai through Jhansi.

Recently [Air Deccan] has started daily flights to and from New Delhi and Lucknow. There are proposals for a daily Indian Airlines flight also to New Delhi after the new Airbuses arrive in its fleet.

Arts and Crafts

Other attractions

• The Green Park and its Modi Stadium, where many cricket Test matches are played.
• The Allen Forest, one of the largest and best preserved zoos in Northern India.
• Rave - The first Cineplex and shopping mall of city.
• The Ganga Barrage which is supposed to finish around this year.
• Anandeshwar Temple situated on the banks of Ganga at Parmat.
• Mishrimath at Bhauti on the outskirts of the city.
• Jungle waterworld on Kalyanpur Bithoor Road.
• Sai Mandir on Mandhana Bithoor Road.

Famous residents

• Peter de Noronha – knighted by Pope Paul VI

See Also

• Ganga
• Ganga Pollution

External Links

Kanpur Portal http://groups.yahoo.com/kanpur