Birnagar

Birnagar is a Municipality Town under Ranaghat subdivision in the district of Nadia, West Bengal. The Birnagar town is divided into 14 wards for which elections are held every 5 years. The Birnagar Municipality has population of 30,799 of which 15,658 are males while 15,141 are females as per report released by Census India 2011.Birnagar Municipality has total administration over 6,702 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorized to build roads within Municipality limits and impose taxes on properties coming under its jurisdiction.It is situated 81 kilometres north of Kolkata. It is one of the oldest railway station in the Sealdah - Murshidabad railway sectionHistoryAs per the records Birnagar was an island in the Hoogly river that changed its course away of the then ULA around 1707 A.D. Before British colonization, Birnagar was called Ula or Ulo. The "Ula" name is still present in the names of some local institutions, such as the library and hospital. It is mentioned in the short story Post Master by Rabindranath Tagore and in the novel Aporajito by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. Birnagar Municipality is around 150 years old. The first chairman of the Birnagar Municipality was Kabi Nabinchandra Sen. It earlier had two zamindars. One part of Birnagar belonged to the Mukherjees, and the other part belonged to the Mustafis. Late Birendranath Basu (1928-2006), a reputed teacher of Birnagar high attached primary school, was awarded as National teacher by Government of India in 1979.DemographicsAs per the 2011 Indian census, Birnagar has a population of 30,799 of which 15,658 are males while 15,141 are females as per report released by Census India 2011.