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Purnia district

Purnia district
पूर्णिया जिला,ضلع پورنیہ
District of Bihar
Location of Purnia district in Bihar
Location of Purnia district in Bihar
Country India
State Bihar
Administrative division Purnia
Headquarters Purnia
Government
 • Lok Sabha constituencies Purnia
 • Assembly seats Kasba, Banmankhi, Rupauli, Dhamdaha, Purnia,
Area
 • Total 3,229 km2 (1,247 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 3,264,619
 • Density 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
Demographics
 • Literacy 52.08 per cent
 • Sex ratio 921
Major highways NH 31, NH 57, NH107 and NH131A
Website Official website

Purnia district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. The town of Purnia is the administrative headquarters of this district. Purnia district is a part of Purnia Division. The district extends northwards from the Ganges river.

During the Mughal rule, Purnea was an outlying military province, and its revenue was mostly spent on protecting its borders against tribes from the north and east. Its local governor raised a rebellion against Siraj ud-Daulah in 1757, after the capture of Calcutta. In 1765, along with the rest of Bengal, the district became a British possession. The district of Purnea in modern history was formed by the East India Company on February 10, 1770.

Purnea is famous for its uniquely designed Ramakrishna Mission where Durga Puja in the month of April is celebrated with due devotion and honour. Purnea is also famous for the oldest temple of Mata Puran Devi, which is hardly 5 km away from the main city. There is a theory that Purnia got its name from that temple. Some people believe that many years ago Purnea was Purna–Aranya which stands for "complete jungle", and that is why it has got the name Purnea.

Purnia has seen three districts partitioned off from its territory: Katihar in 1976, and Araria and Kishanganj in 1990.

Purnia district occupies an area of 3,229 square kilometres (1,247 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to the Solomon Islands' Makira Island. It is a level, depressed tract of country, consisting for the most part of a rich, loamy soil of alluvial formation. It is traversed by several rivers flowing from the Himalayas, which afford great advantages of irrigation and water-carriage. Its major rivers are the Kosi, the Mahananda, the Suwara Kali and the Koli. In the west the soil is thickly covered with sand deposited by changes in the course of the Kosi. Among other rivers are the Mahananda and the Panar. Its major agricultural products are jute,otr and banana.


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