Bettiah is a city and administrative headquarters of West Champaran district ( Tirhut Division) - ( Tirhut), near Indo-Nepal border, north-west of

Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...

, in

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

state of India.

History

In 1244 A.D., Gangeshwar Dev, a Bhumihar Brahmin of "Jaitharia" clan, settled at Jaithar in Champaran. One of his descendants, Agar Sen, acquired large territory in the reign of

Emperor Jehangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...

and was bestowed the title of 'Raja' by Emperor

Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...

. In 1659, he was succeeded by his son Raja Guj Singh, who built the palace of the family at Bettiah. He died in 1694 A.D. The palace stands today but serves as marketplace. In 1765, when the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sou ...

acquired the ''

Diwani Diwani is a calligraphic variety of Arabic script, a cursive style developed during the reign of the early Ottoman Turks (16th century - early 17th century). It reached its height of popularity under Süleyman I the Magnificent (1520–1566). ...

'', Bettiah Raj held the largest territory under its jurisdiction. It consisted of all of

Champaran Champaran is a region of Bihar in India. It is now divided into an East Champaran district and a West Champaran district. Notable people * Manoj Bajpai – Indian film actor * Dinesh Bhramar – poet and noted figure in Hindi and Bhojpuri l ...

except for a small portion held by the Ram Nagar Raj (also held by

Bhumihar Bhumihars, also called Babhan, are a Hindu caste mainly found in Bihar (including the Mithila region), the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, and Nepal. The Bhumihars claim Brahmi ...

family). Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh was the last king of

Bettiah Raj Bettiah Raj was the second-largest zamindari in the region of India now known as Bihar. It generated annual land revenue rentals of more than 2 million rupees. History Before British rule Gangeswar Deo, a Brahmin of Jaitharia clan, popularly ...

. He was born in 1854 and succeeded his father, the late Maharaja Rajendra Kishore Singh Bahadur in 1883. In 1884, he received the title of Maharaja Bahadur as a personal distinction and a Khilat and a sanad from the hands of the Lieutenant

Governor of Bengal The Governor was the chief colonial administrator in the Bengal presidency, originally the "Presidency of Fort William" and later "Bengal province". In 1644, Gabriel Boughton procured privileges for the East India Company which permitted them t ...

, Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson. He was created a Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire on 1 March 1889. He was appointed a member of the Legislative Council of Bengal in January 1891. He was also a member of

The Asiatic Society The Asiatic Society is a government of India organisation founded during the Company rule in India to enhance and further the cause of "Oriental research", in this case, research into India and the surrounding regions. It was founded by the p ...

. He was the last ruler of

. Maharaja Sir Harendra Kishore Singh Bahadur died heirless on 26 March 1893, leaving behind two widows, Maharani Sheo Ratna Kunwar and Maharani Janki Kunwar. There are a few institutions named after the queen Maharani Janki Kunwar, such as M.J.K College and M.J.K Hospital. The Bettiah Gharana was one of the oldest style of vocal music.

Madhuban Madhuban is a small area of Jorhat City and is under Jorhat municipality Board, Assam, India. The only road that passes through Madhubon is the Madhuban Path. It connects two important roads of Jorhat; Malow Ali and Choladhara road. Madhuban is ...

was part of the erstwhile 'Bettiah Raj'. Internal disputes and family quarrels divided the Bettiah Raj in course of time. Madhuban Raj was created as a consequence. A section of

Dhrupad Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South I ...

singers of Dilli Gharana ( Delhi Gharana) from Mughal emperor

’s court had migrated to Bettiah under the patronage of

and thus was sown the seed of Bettiah Gharana. The famous Dagar brothers had praised the Bettiah

singers and some of them were invited to the

Bharat Bhavan Bharat Bhavan is an autonomous multi-arts complex and museum in Bhopal, India, established and funded by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.The architect of the Bharat Bhavan is Charles Correa. Opened in 1982, facing the Upper Lake, Bhopal, it ho ...

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

to perform with other accomplished singers in 1990. On 26 December 2020, Bettiah became a municipal corporation. It includes Tola San Saraiya, Banuchapar, Kargahiya east and nearby area for its upgradation.

Geography

Climate

The climate of Bettiah is characterised by high temperatures and high precipitation especially during the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

season. The

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

sub-type for this climate is " Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

Connectivity

Railway

Bettiah is connected to different cities of India through railways. Bettiah railway station is the main railway station serving the city. Direct trains are available to all the major destinations across India like Patna, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ahemdabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Jammu & Katra, etc. Prajapati Halt railway station, also known as Bettiah Cant Railway station, is another railway station serving the city.

Roadway

National Highway 727 , 139W , 28B and State Highway 54 passes through the city. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has notified a new Patna-Bettiah road as National Highway 139W, setting the state for construction of a high-quality four-lane road between the two towns that would reduce the distance between them to 167 kilometres from the current 200-odd km and travel time to around two hours. Tola San Saraiyan new town aided village. The new Gopalganj-Bettiah Road passed through this new town aided village. Through this new road a distance of become shorten for Gopalganj-Bettiah.

Airway

The nearest airport is

Kushinagar International Airport Kushinagar International Airport is an international airport serving Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. In August 2021, the airport was licensed to operate as a customs notified airport, facilitating the movement of international passengers and ...

which is about from Bettiah. The nearest airport in bihar is Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport located in

which is about via Muzaffarpur and via areraj.

Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Bettiah NP had a total population of 132,209, of which 69,529 were males and 62,680 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 18,995. The total number of literates in Bettiah was 91,298, which constituted 69.1% of the population with male literacy of 72.7% and female literacy of 64.9%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Bettiah was 80.6%, of which male literacy rate was 85.0% and female literacy rate was 75.8%. The

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

population was 8,266 and 828 respectively. Bettiah had 24463 households in 2011. As per 2011 census, the Bettiah Urban Agglomeration had a total population of 156,200, with 82,663 males and 73,537 females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 22,067 and the effective literacy (literacy of people above the age of 7) was 80.89. The urban agglomeration includes Bettiah (municipal corporation), Tola Mansaraut (census town), Kargahia Purab (census town) and Hat Saraiya (census town). On 26 December 2020, Bettiah became a municipal corporation. It included Tola San Saraiya, Banuchapar, Kargahiya east and nearby area for its upgradation. The total population 414,453

Education

Schools

* Alok Bharati Shikshan Sansthan English Medium School, Bettiah * Amna Urdu High School, Bettiah * Assembly of God Church School, Bettiah * Bipin High School, Bettiah * Delhi Public School, Bettiah * Jawahar Navoday Vidyalaya, Vrindavan, Bettiah *

Kendriya Vidyalaya The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of central government schools in India that are instituted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,248 schools in India, and three abroad in Mo ...

, Bettiah *

Khrist Raja High School, Bettiah Khrist Raja High School is a private Catholic primary and secondary school located in Bettiah, in the state of Bihar, India. Founded by the Jesuits in 1927, the school became coeducational in 1998. History Khrist Raja High School (K.R.), Bettiah, ...

* Kidzee Play School, Bettiah * Krishna International Public School, Bettiah * National Public Higher Secondary School, Bettiah * Notre Dame Public School, Bettiah * Raj Enter Secondary School, Bettiah * R.L international School, Bettiah * S.S. Girls High School, Bettiah * Sacred Heart High School, Bettiah * Sarsawati Vidya Mandir, Bettiah * St. Joseph’s School, Bettiah * St. Mary/Remijius High School, Bettiah * St. Michael’s Academy. Bettiah * St. Teresa's Girls' Senior Secondary School, Bettiah *

St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School, Bettiah St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School is a private Catholic primary and senior secondary school located in Bettiah, Bihar, India. The school was founded in 1998 and is run by the Society of Jesus. The school offers kindergarten through higher secon ...

File:St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School Bettiah.jpg, St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School File:St joseph bth building.jpg, St. Joseph's School File:St. Michael's Academy Bettiah.jpg, St. Michael's Academy File:Khrist Raja High School.jpg, Khrist Raja High School File:Assembly of God Church School Bettiah.jpg, Assembly of God Church School

Colleges

Government Medical College, Bettiah Government Medical College and Hospital, Bettiah is a government medical college situated at Bettiah, in the West Champaran district of the Indian state of Bihar.This college came into existence into year 2008. History It is affiliated with Bih ...

* Government Engineering College, West Champaran *Maharani Janki Kunwar College, Bettiah *Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav College, Bettiah *Gulab Memorial College, Bettiah *MRRG College, Bettiah *MNM Mahila College, Bettiah *St. Teresa Primary Teachers Training College, Bettiah *Chanakya College of Education, Bettiah *Raj Inter College, Bettiahhttps://xn--11bunzmsdr5h2fbz.com/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BE/Alpaha/30.1.137/Raj_Inter_College_Bettiah/1654964734549271/ File:Inside of of GMC Bettiah.jpg, Inside view of Government Medical College File:Administrative block of Government Engineering College Bettiah W.Champaran.jpg, Administrative block of Government Engineering College Bettiah, W.Champaran File:Chanakya College of education Bettiah.jpg, Chanakya College of education

Notable people

Manoj Bajpai Manoj Bajpayee (born 23 April 1969), also transliterated as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi cinema and has also done Telugu and Tamil language films. Regarded as one of the finest actors of Hindi cinema, he i ...

, Indian film actor *

Prakash Jha Prakash Jha (born 27 February 1952) is an Indian film producer, actor, director and screenwriter, mostly known for his political and socio-political films such as “Hip Hip Hurray” (1984), '' Damul'' (1984), ''Mrityudand'' (1997), ''Gangaaj ...

, Indian film producer, director, and screenwriter *

Renu Devi Renu Devi (born 1 November 1958) is an Indian politician who served as the 5th Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 16 November 2020 to 9 August 2022. She became the fifth female Deputy Chief Minister of India from Bihar in 2020. A former nati ...

, first female and 7th Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar *

Sanjay Jaiswal Sanjay Jaiswal (born 29 November 1965) is an Indian politician who has represented Paschim Champaran constituency of Bihar since 2009 as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), winning the seat in 2009, 2014, and 2019. He served as the p ...

, politician and president of

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the List of ruling p ...

, Bihar * Damodar Raao, Indian film Music Director, Singer, Producer, and Lyrics writer *

Krishna Kumar Mishra Krishna Kumar Mishra (also known as ''Lalu Mishra'') was a member of Bihar Legislative Assembly. He was elected twice from Chanpatia Vidhan Sabha constituency in 1990 and 2000. He served as a Minister of Revenue and Land Reforms in the Gover ...

, former member of Legislative assembly, Chanpatia (Bihar) * Vikas Mishra, former Vice-Chancellor,

Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (KUK) is a university established on 11January 1956 in Kurukshetra, in the Indian state of Haryana, from the capital, Delhi. It is a member of Association of Commonwealth Universities. History The unive ...

Gopal Singh Nepali __NOTOC__ Gopal Singh Nepali (11 August 1911 – 17 April 1963) was an Indian poet of Hindi literature and a lyricist of Bollywood. He was the son of Rel Bahadur Singh and Saraswoti. He was born on birthday of Lord Krishna (Krishna Janmashtam ...

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

poet and Bollywood lyricist *

Gauri Shankar Pandey Late shri Gauri Shanker Pandey (गौरी शंकर पाण्डेय), was a veteran Indian politician and a former Minister of Bihar. He represented Bettiah constituency in Bihar assembly and served in various ministerial portfoli ...

, former member of Legislative assembly, Bettiah (Bihar) *

Kedar Pandey Kedar Pandey (14 June 1920 – 3 July 1982) was an Indian freedom fighter and Indian National Congress politician, who remained the Chief Minister of Bihar from March 1972 to 2 July 1973, and Minister of Railways in the Union Cabinet from 12 ...

, 14th Chief Minister of Bihar * Raj Kumar Shukla, Indian independence activist

References

External links

West Champaran Information Portal

Official Website of Tirhut Division

Galaxy International School Bettiah-GEG Group

{{Authority control Cities and towns in West Champaran district