Siddharthnagar district (Hindi: सिद्धार्थनगर ज़िला, is one of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in Northern India. Naugarh town is the district headquarters. Siddharth Nagar district is a part of Basti division. The district is known for the ruins of the Shakya Janapada, at Piprahwa.
22 km from the district headquarters Naugarh. According to Government
of India, the district Siddharthnagar is one of the muslim concentrated
districts in India on the basis of the 2001 census data on population,
socio-economic indicators and basic amenities indicators.
Today's Piprahwa (22 km from Naugarh) is identified by some people[who?] with ancient Kapilavastu where Buddha spent the early years of his life. Kapilavastu was the capital of the Shakya clan whose ruler was the father of Gautama Buddha, and therefore Lord Buddha is also called as Shakyamuni. The Shakya domain was one of the sixteen independent principalities of the 6th century BC.
Prince Siddhartha, as the Buddha was then known, left his palace in Kapilvastu at the age of 29, and revisited 12 years later, after attaining enlightenment.
Today, Siddharthnagar district comprises several villages, mainly Piprahwa and Ganvaria. A large stupa stands at the ancient site which is said to have housed the bone relics of Lord Buddha. The presence of these relics is testified by an ancient Brahmi inscription found at Piprahwa. The ruins of the royal palace are spread over a large area. Excavations by archaeological survey of India have revealed the relation of this place to the Kushan period. An excavated stupa bears text that proves the existence of an ancient monastery named Devaputra in this place. Two mounds have also been excavated at only a little distance (1.5 km) from this village which, is considered to be the ruins of King Suddhodhana's palace.
Notable individuals of the region Ahmad Hussain Akrahra, Khajuria Baadshah Mehdi Hasan Khan Khajuria, freedom fighter Qazi Adeel abbasi, Qazi Iftekhar Ahmad, Late Haji Noorul Haque (Naugarh Bazar) and Maulana Abdul Qayyum Rahmani. Saddened by communal riots and massacre during partition of India, Maulana Abdul Qayyum Rahmani, an eminent leader of Congress, abandoned politics and settled down in his native place village of Dudwania to spent his remaining life. Freedom Fighter Prabhudayal Vidyarthi, arrested at Sevagram and put in isolation cell from 1942 to 1945, in Nagpur Jail, Maharashtra, belonged here. The bridge on Farenda Naugarh-Barhni Shravasti Road is named Prabhu Dayal Vidyarthi Van Ganga Bridge to honour him.
Minority population is about 27% of the total population of the district. Siddharth Nagar is a category "A" district, that is having socio-economic and basic amenities parameters below the national average.
Etymology
The district was named after prince Siddhartha, the pre-enlightenment name of Buddha, as he spent his early years (till the age of 29 years) in Kapilavastu, parts of which included territory in this district.History
Siddharthnagar district was carved out on 29 December 1989 by bifurcating Basti district. The new district comprised the Northern part of the erstwhile Basti district.Today's Piprahwa (22 km from Naugarh) is identified by some people[who?] with ancient Kapilavastu where Buddha spent the early years of his life. Kapilavastu was the capital of the Shakya clan whose ruler was the father of Gautama Buddha, and therefore Lord Buddha is also called as Shakyamuni. The Shakya domain was one of the sixteen independent principalities of the 6th century BC.
Prince Siddhartha, as the Buddha was then known, left his palace in Kapilvastu at the age of 29, and revisited 12 years later, after attaining enlightenment.
Today, Siddharthnagar district comprises several villages, mainly Piprahwa and Ganvaria. A large stupa stands at the ancient site which is said to have housed the bone relics of Lord Buddha. The presence of these relics is testified by an ancient Brahmi inscription found at Piprahwa. The ruins of the royal palace are spread over a large area. Excavations by archaeological survey of India have revealed the relation of this place to the Kushan period. An excavated stupa bears text that proves the existence of an ancient monastery named Devaputra in this place. Two mounds have also been excavated at only a little distance (1.5 km) from this village which, is considered to be the ruins of King Suddhodhana's palace.
Notable individuals of the region Ahmad Hussain Akrahra, Khajuria Baadshah Mehdi Hasan Khan Khajuria, freedom fighter Qazi Adeel abbasi, Qazi Iftekhar Ahmad, Late Haji Noorul Haque (Naugarh Bazar) and Maulana Abdul Qayyum Rahmani. Saddened by communal riots and massacre during partition of India, Maulana Abdul Qayyum Rahmani, an eminent leader of Congress, abandoned politics and settled down in his native place village of Dudwania to spent his remaining life. Freedom Fighter Prabhudayal Vidyarthi, arrested at Sevagram and put in isolation cell from 1942 to 1945, in Nagpur Jail, Maharashtra, belonged here. The bridge on Farenda Naugarh-Barhni Shravasti Road is named Prabhu Dayal Vidyarthi Van Ganga Bridge to honour him.
Geography
Siddharthnagar district lies between 27°N to 27°28'N and 82°45'E to 83°10'E. It is part of Purvanchal. The district borders Nepal's Kapilvastu district on the north and Rupandehi district on the northeast. Otherwise it is surrounded by other districts of Uttar Pradesh: Maharajganj on the east, Basti and Sant Kabir Nagar on the south, and Balrampur on the west. Siddarthnagar's area is 2,752 km2.Economy
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Siddharthnagar one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).[3] It is one of the 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).Divisions
Siddharthnagar district comprises 5 tehsils;5 Vidhan Sabha constituencies are located within this district. These are Shohratgarh, Kapilvastu, Bansi, Itwa and Domariyaganj. The only Lok Sabha constituency in this district is the Domariyaganj.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Siddharthnagar district has a population of 2,553,526, [9] roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait[10] or the US state of Nevada.[11] This gives it a ranking of 164th in India (out of a total of 640).[9] The district has a population density of 882 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,280/sq mi) .[9] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 25.17%.[9] Siddharth Nagar has a sex ratio of 970 females for every 1000 males,[9] and a literacy rate of 67.81%.[9]Minority population is about 27% of the total population of the district. Siddharth Nagar is a category "A" district, that is having socio-economic and basic amenities parameters below the national average.
Siddharth University
Steeped in history and washed by the gurgiing rivers flowing down the Himalayas, Siddharthnagar is the place, well known worldwide as the ‘playground’ of Prince Siddhartha-later known as Lord Buddha. With an objective of furthering the sense of enlightenment, In a blend of traditionalism and modern education, the great socialist stalwart Shri Mulayam Singh Vadav started the process of developing the area since 1989. This was indeed the start of journey to the culmination of great dream of establishing this University. Subsequently, Shri Akhilesh Yadav, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, laid the foundation stone of the University on October 30, 2013 and the Government of Uttar Pradesh formally notified the Gazzett on June 17, 2015 regardIng the opening of this Centre for Higher Learning. The newly established Siddharth University, in fact, is a holy stream of historical tradition and legacy of the Philosophy and preaching of Lord Buddha and is aimed at enlightening and igniting the youth of this area with His great messages. Momentum to the idea envisaged was put into practice by a leader of the land Shri Mata Prasad Pandey, Hon’ble Speaker of the U.P. Assembly. It Is due to his consistent efforts, endeavor and “Bhaglrath Prayas” that the UP Assembly resolved the proposal of establishing Siddharth University in Kapilvastu on March 28, 2013. Dr. Rajnikant Pandey of DDU Gorakhpur University was nominated as “Officer on Special Duty” and subsequently as the founder Vice Chancellor of the University. With more than 185 affiliated colleges; The University is heading towards the commencement of its maiden academic session from this year. The word ‘Education’ originates from the Latin word ‘Educare’ which means ‘to bring out the hidden talent in the individual’. Through education, we aim at giving enough opportunity for the latent talents to be ignited so that the whole society can be gradually transformed. The university is aimed at producing enlightened citizens who can meet the global challenges of the advanced knowledge era and to reset and rebroadcast the messages of Lord Buddha acress the Globe once again. Click here to visit Siddharth University homepage: http://www.sidunikapilvastu.edu.in/
