Baghpat बागपत باغپت |
|
---|---|
town | |
Location in Uttar Pradesh, India | |
Coordinates: 28°57′N 77°13′E / 28.95°N 77.22°ECoordinates: 28°57′N 77°13′E / 28.95°N 77.22°E | |
Country | India |
State | Uttar Pradesh |
District | Baghpat |
Elevation | 253 m (830 ft) |
Population (2001) | |
• Total | 36,365 |
Languages | |
• Official | Hindi |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Vehicle registration | UP 17 |
Website | http://bagpat.nic.in/ |
Baghpat (Hindi: बाघपत or बाग़पत, Urdu: باغپت) is a town of NCR and a Municipal board in Baghpat district in western Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Baghpat District. Prior to the establishment of Baghpat district in 1997, Baghpat was a Tehsil in Meerut district. The town's name derives from the Hindi word for tiger (बाघ Baagh). Baghpat town is located on the banks of river Yamuna at 28 deg 57' North Latitude and 77 deg 13' East Longitude. It is 52 km from Meerut City and is on the main Delhi–Saharanpur Highway around 40 km from Delhi toward north.
The city, founded by the Pandava brothers of Mahabharata, was originally known as Vyghraprastha (Sanskrit: व्याघ्रप्रस्थ, lit. "tiger city") because of the population of tigers found many centuries ago, and was one of the five villages asked by the Pandava brothers from Duryodhan to avoid the Mahabharat. Barnava, near Baraut is the site of the Lakshagraha - palace made of wax, that was built by Purochana a minister of Duryodhana to kill the Pandavas.
There are many versions of the story as to how the city derived its name. One less popular version states that the city has derived its name from the Sanskrit word Vakyaprastha (Sanskrit: वाक्यप्रस्थ, lit. "city of delivering speeches"). Inspired by such words and versions, the city was finally named Baghpat during the Mughal Era.