Tarakeswar

Tarakeswar (pronounced Tarokeshwar) is a famous sacred city and a municipality in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Tarakeswar is called "Baba Dham" or "The city of Shiva". It is one of the major tourist and holy place of West Bengal as well as India. Tarakeswar is a place of pilgrimage of Lord Shiva sect in West Bengal 58 km away from State Capital Kolkata.

Location
Tarakeswar is located at 22.89°N, 88.02°W. It has an average elevation of 18 metres (59 feet). It is in the Chandannagore sub-division, in the middle of the district, in Hooghly District of Burdwan Division in the state of West Bengal. The town is connected both by railway and State Highway. The town is 48 km from Chinsurah, the district headquarter and 45 km from Chandannagore, the Sub-Divisional Headquarter and 58 km from Kolkata, the state capital by railway (BG). It is also connected with other urban centers of district with motorable roads.

Climate
Tarakeswar has a tropical wet and dry climate under Köppen climate classification.

Pollution Level
Tarakeswar has been ranked No.1 as the least polluted cities in Central and South Asia achieved annual PM2.5 concentrations in 2022 that met WHO Guidelines. The PM2.5 level of Tarakeswar was 0.9 as of 2022 report.

Area and Administrative boundary
At present the area of the town is 3.88 km2. The Tarakeswar Municipality area is divided into 15 wards for administrative purposes. Tarakeswar town is situated in the center of Tarakeswar Block. Four Gram Panchayats surround this Municipality. North portion of this town is Bhanjipur Gram Panchayat, south portion is Ramnagar Gram Panchayat, east portion is Baligori (1) Gram Panchayat and west portion is Santoshpur Gram Panchayat.

Administrative set up
Tarakeswar is in the Chandannagore Sub-Division under the Burdwan Division in the District of Hooghly. It is also under the Tarakeswar Police Station. It received the status of Municipality on 6 August 1975.

Police station
Tarakeswar police station has jurisdiction over Tarakeswar municipal areas and Tarakeswar CD Block.

CD Block HQ
The headquarters of Tarakeswar CD Block are located at Tarakeswar.

Demographics
As per 2011 Census of India, Tarakeswar had a total population of 30,947 of which 16,049 (52%) were males and 14,898 (48%) were females. Population below 6 years was 2,685. The total number of literates in Tarakeswar was 23,711 (83.90% of the population over 6 years).

India census, Tarakeswar had a population of 28,178. Males constitute 53% of the population (i.e., 14,986) and females 47% (i.e., 13,192). The Sex ratio (i.e. number of female per 1000 males) of population is 880. In Tarakeswar, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. The gross density of population is 7262 person per km2. Tarakeswar has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 66%.

Out of a total population of 30,947, 93.22% were Hindu, 4.97% were Muslim while other religions and atheism comprised the rest.

Economy
The main occupation of the town is agriculture. Trade and commerce also play an important role.

Approximately 32 lakh people from the city commute to Kolkata daily for work. In the Howrah-Tarakeswar section there are 38 trains that carry commuters from 21 railway stations.

Taraknath Temple
Taraknath Temple is a famous Hindu shrine located at Tarakeswar. The temple enshrines a Shayambhu linga of Lord Shiva. The temple is believed to be constructed in 1729 AD by Raja Bharamalla Rao.

To begin with, Vishnudas, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, native of the Tarakeswar temple, is a Shiva devotee. He came from Uttar Pradesh and started living in Hooghly.

The temple is named after Tarakeswara form of Mahadev. At present the temple as said, is being built by Malla Raja of Bishnupur. Taraknath Mandir was built in an ‘Atchala’ structure of Bengal temple architecture with a ‘natmandir’ in front. The temple features four roofs above the sanctum and extended galleries for the congregation of the devotees. Dudhpukur pond, located north of the temple, is believed to fulfill the prayers of those taking a dip in it. The temple is also claimed to be one of the Jyothirlinga shrines of Mahadev.

Pilgrims visit the Taraknath Temple throughout the year, especially on Mondays. Each year between July and August (on the eve of the month of Shrawan) in Tarakeswar Yatra held, nearly 10 million devotees come from various part of India bringing holy water of Ganga from Nimai Tirtha Ghat of Baidyabati, which is almost 39 km (25 mi) from Tarakeswar, in order to offer it to Lord Shiva. During that month, a line of people in saffron-dyed clothes stretches over the full 39 km (25 mi). It is the longest and largest Mela of West Bengal.

Education

 * Tarakeswar Degree College was established at Tarakeswar in 1986.
 * Rani Rashmoni Green University in Tarakeswar is under construction.

Transport
Road Transport:

State Highway 15 & State Highway 2 passes through Tarakeswar. Tarakeswar has 45.493 km road out of which 13.436 km is bituminous Road, 10.483 km is concrete, 11.801 km is brick pavement; 1.857 km is Bats-Moorum roads and 7.914 km Kancha Road.

Bus : The largest bus terminus of Hooghly district situated in Tarakeswar. More than 50 bus routes present from Tarakeswar including express and local bus service. Tarakeswar has bus connection with several districts of West Bengal. Express Buses bound Bankura, Bishnupur, Barddhaman, Durgapur, Bolpur, Khatra, Kharagpur, Digha, Howrah, Medinipur, Mecheda, Memari, Haldia, Panskura, Jhargram, Katwa, Krishnanagar, Nabadwip, Kalna and many more destination are available from Tarakeswar bus stand. Frequent long distance bus service available between Tarakeswar and Bankura, Bardhaman, Medinipur, Nabadwip, Ghatal. There is also many local bus route like 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 22, 23 from Tarakeswar that covers Hooghly and some other districts. Many mini bus routes like Tarakeswar - Bargachiya, Tarakeswar - Khusiganj, Tarakeswar - Udaynarayanpur etc are also present.

Rail Transport:

The town has a status of Model Station of Eastern Railway. The distance between Howrah and Tarakeswar is 58 km. It serves as a transportation center for potato and other green vegetables in the southern Bengal.

The Howrah-Tarakeswar line was opened in 1885. Tarakeswar railway station was also a terminal for the Bengal Provincial Railway. It is part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway system. Tarakeswar Railway Station is declared as a Multifunctional Station. Tarakeswar railway station is one of the most important station of Eastern Railway. The present Railway Line between Sheoraphuli railway station and Tarakeswar has been extended to Bishnupur in Bankura. Tarakeswar Railway station Enquiry number is: 03212276190. There are also many new rail projects from Tarakeswar. Those projects are Tarakeswar - Dhaniakhali - Magra Line, Tarakeswar - Champadanga - Amta - Bagnan Line, Tarakeswar - Baruipara line etc.

Communication
Champadanga area Telephone Exchange with dialling code 03212 serves: Begampur, Bhagabatipur, Champadanga, Chanditala, Dihi-batpur, Dwarhatta, Piyasara, Gopinagar, Haripal, Harinkhola, Jangipara, Jinpur, Dulalbati, Mashat, Nalikul, Rajbalahat, Shaympur, Pratiharpur, Loknath, Tarakeswar, Talpur, Taukipur and Mayapur. WCDMA and LTE network are also available here.