Ilambazar

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Ilambazar | type = city | latd = 23.63 | longd = 87.53
locator_position = right | state_name = West Bengal
district = Birbhum
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 54
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 144,490| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone = 91 3463
postal_code = 731214
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio = 843
unlocode =
website =
footnotes = CD Block

Ilambazar ( _bn. ইলামবাজার) is a town with police station and a community development block in Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal. A traditional weaving and trading centre it serves as a gateway to Birbhum district.

Geography

Ilambazar is located at coord|23.63|N|87.53|E|. It has an average elevation of m to ft|54|m|abbr=on. [cite web
url = http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Ilam_Bazar.html | title = Ilam Bazar, India Page | accessdate = 2008-08-19 | last = | first = | work =West Bengal | publisher = Falling Rain Genomics] Ilambazar is located on the northern bank of Ajay River. It is on the four-lane Panagarh-Morgram highway connecting Panagarh on Grand Trunk Road or NH 2 with Morgram on NH 34. While the highway passes through Bolpur/Santiniketan, there is a road connecting Ilambazar to Suri via Dubrajpur. The highway has been completed at a cost of $150-million. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=9669&usrsess=1| title = $210 m ADB loan for north-south corridor | accessdate = 2007-09-17 | last = | first = | work = | publisher ="The Statesman", 28 May 2001 ]

Most of the forests in Birbhum district are on laterite soil but the Choupahari sal forests in the Ilambazar area (area 13.9 km²) are on alluvial soil. [Ghosh, Kanailal, "Birbhumer Bon Udbhidjo O Banyapran", "Paschim Banga", Birbhum Special Issue, February 2006, Bn icon, p. 193, Information & Cultural Department, Government of West Bengal.]

The forests around Ilambazar was on the verge of extinction in the nineties of the previous century but it has got back much of its flora and fauna. The villagers, living in 32 villages located inside the forest, have realised that they can make a living by selling plates ("thalis") made of "sal" leaves and mushrooms (locally called "toshor ghuti") both abundantly available in the forest. The forest department formed 12 ‘Bonosamrakshan committees’ (forest preservation committees) comprising the villagers and made them understand how their survival was linked with that of the forest. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=6&id=3650&usrsess=1 | title = Collective effort to restore greenery | accessdate = 2007-09-17 | last = | first = | work = | publisher ="The Statesman", 9 October 2002 ]

Demographics

In the 2001 census, Ilambazar community development block had a population of 144,490 out of which 74,366 were males and 70,124 were females. [cite web | url =http://www.wbcensus.gov.in/DataTables/02/Table4_8.htm | title = Census of India 2001 | accessdate = 2007-09-17 | last = | first = | work = Provisional population totals, West Bengal, Table 4 | publisher = Census Commission of India ]

History

Ilambazar developed as a trade mart because of its location at the junction of thoroughfares and the river front. It also had the advantage of being near to weaving centres. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, "The Economic Life of a Bengal District: Birbhum 1770 – 1857", p. 14, The University of Burdwan, 1984.] The English assumed the direct administration of the district in 1786 and the British East India Company had a factory at Ilambazar. At that time the French East India Company also made a foray in the Ilambazar area. It helped in the weavers securing higher prices. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, p. 152]

Birbhum was one of the worst sufferers of the famine of 1770. Many hundreds of villages were entirely depopulated and in the towns not a fourth of the population survived. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, p. 257] In the late 18th century, Birbhum and surrounding areas were affected by famines followed by a peasants’ insurrection. Although the insurrection was against zamindars and the government, trade marts were also plundered. In June 1789, Ilambazar, the chief manufacturing and trade centre in the area was sacked in open dylight. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, pp. 44, 47] Ilambazar survived the sack of 1789 and re-emerged as a busy manufacturing and trade centre since the opening of the 19th century.At the time of Shewill’s survey operations it contained a population of 2,235 souls. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, p. 260]

Cotton goods were not the only items of trade. In the mid 19th century, John Erskine of Ilambazar was one of the leading sugar manufacturers and exporters in the area. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, p. 188] The Erskine family also had indigo factories. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, p. 191] Ilambazar was once an area for indigo cultivation, traces of which can still be found. [Sarkar, Joydeep, "Paryatan Boichitre Birbhum Jela", "Paschim Banga", Birbhum Special Issue, February 2006, Bn icon, p. 199, Information & Cultural Department, Government of West Bengal.]

Culture

Temples

The Gouranga temple at Ilambazar, and the Shiva temple at Ghurisha are amongst the state protected temples in the area. [cite web | url = http://www.wbgov.com/e-gov/English/Departments/DeptDetails.asp?DPId=120&LinkId=6&Type=1
title = List of State Protected Monuments & Sites | accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = District Birbhum | publisher = Deptt of Information and Culture, Government of West Bengal] Rameswara Shiva temple is one of the three temples at Ilambazar with exquisite terracotta work. [cite web | url = http://www.indianheritages.blogspot.com/ | title = Indian Heritage | accessdate = 2007-09-17 | last = | first = | work = Rameswara Shiva temple | publisher = indianheritages.blogspot.com ]

Craft

John Erskine and John Cheap took an important part in the development of the shellac industry. Erskine constructed a large shellac and lac dye factory at Ilambazar and as Cheap retired from the field, virtually monopolized it. The lac was collected from the forests and lac dye and shellac manufactured in the factory at Ilambazar. Lac artisans, locally called "nuris", worked out a variety of lacquered items namely, cups, inkpots, bracelets and toys ‘of excellent design and craftsmanship’. Some of the ornamental items were sent to the Great Paris Exhibition of 1855. However, Sherwill noted that ornamental items were manufactured at Ilambazar by only two men. [Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, p. 196] The descendants of fine lacquer craftsmen are still there at Ilambazar. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=3&id=71410&usrsess=1| title = Protecting a Legacy II | accessdate = 2007-09-17 | last = Gupta | first = Anupam | work = | publisher ="The Statesman", 14 May 2004 ]

The National Institute of Fashion Technology has trained almost 2000 artisans from various parts of Birbhum in handicraft and handloom as a part of its consolidated cluster development project undertaken in collaboration with the ministry of rural development and its counterpart in the state. Estimated at Rs 15 crore this project is underway in five selected parts of the country.The main project in the eastern zone was implemented in Bolpur, Nalhati, Ilambazar and Rajnagar. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=6&id=112942&usrsess=1 | title = NIFT in a new role, to train artisans | accessdate = 2007-09-17 | last = Roy Chowdhury| first = Amrita | work = | publisher ="The Statesman", 1 August 2005]

References

ee also