Malda, West Bengal

{{Hatnote group|{{Distinguish|Malta|Moldova}}{{redirect|English Bazar}}}} {{more citations needed|date=December 2012}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Malda | other_name = Old Malda, English Bazar | official_name =  | settlement_type = Urban Agglomeration | image_skyline = Malda skyline.jpg | image_alt = | image_caption = Malda City Skyline view | nickname = Mango City | pushpin_map = India West Bengal#India3#Asia | pushpin_label_position = right | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in West Bengal, India | coordinates = {{coord|25.0119|N|88.1433|E|region:IN-WB_type:City|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_type3 = Division | subdivision_type4 = Total wards | subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon image|Emblem of West Bengal (Banglarmukh) before 2018.png}} West Bengal | subdivision_name2 = Malda | subdivision_name3 = Malda | subdivision_name4 = 49 | established_title =  | established_date = | founder = | named_for = | government_type = Municipality | governing_body = English Bazar Municipality <br /> Old Malda Municipality | leader_party = TMC | leader_title1 = Chairman | leader_name1 = Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury | leader_name2 = Nitin Singhania, IAS | leader_title2 = District Magistrate | leader_name3 = Pradeep Kumar Yadav, IPS | leader_title3 = Superintendent of Police | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|title=English Bazar Municipality|url=https://www.sudawb.org/wbdma_oldversion/HTM/DIS/MUNI_ULB_English_bazar.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727130917/https://www.sudawb.org/wbdma_oldversion/HTM/DIS/MUNI_ULB_English_bazar.htm|archive-date=27 July 2021|website=sudawb.org|access-date=7 February 2024}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 13.25 | area_urban_km2 = 22.79 | area_urban_footnotes = <ref name='wbdma'>{{cite web|title=Old Malda Municipality|url=https://www.sudawb.org/wbdma_oldversion/HTM/DIS/MUNI_ULB_Old_Malda.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727130919/https://www.sudawb.org/wbdma_oldversion/HTM/DIS/MUNI_ULB_Old_Malda.htm|archive-date=27 July 2021|website=sudawb.org|access-date=7 February 2024}}</ref> | area_metro_km2 = 206.6 | area_rank = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 17 | population_total = 216,083 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_footnotes = <ref name="2011Cities" /> | population_density_km2 = auto | population_urban = 300,088 | population_urban_footnotes = <ref name='wbdma'/> | population_metro = 324,237 | population_metro_footnotes = | population_rank = 6th in West Bengal | population_blank1_title = City rank | population_blank1 = 223rd in India | population_demonym = Maldabasi | demographics_type1 = Languages | demographics1_title1 = Official | demographics1_info1 = Bengali<ref name="wblangoff">{{cite web|title=Fact and Figures|url=https://wb.gov.in/portal/web/guest/facts-and-figures;jsessionid=JzdD9RHb7aMY5esZPtcsIVLy|website=www.wb.gov.in|access-date=15 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India|url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf|website=nclm.nic.in|publisher=Ministry of Minority Affairs|access-date=15 January 2019|page=85|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141614/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf|archive-date=25 May 2017}}</ref> | demographics1_title2 = Additional official | demographics1_info2 = English<ref name="wblangoff"/> | timezone1 = IST | utc_offset1 = +5:30 | postal_code_type = PIN | postal_code = 732101, 732102, 732103, 732141, 732142, 732128 | area_code = 03512 | area_code_type = Telephone code | registration_plate = WB-65/WB-66 | blank1_name_sec1 = Lok Sabha constituency | blank1_info_sec1 = Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin | website = {{URL|www.englishbazarmunicipality.com}} | footnotes = | unemployment_rate = | blank2_name_sec1 = Vidhan Sabha constituency | blank2_info_sec1 = Malda, English Bazar | blank3_info_sec1 = Mahananda River | blank3_name_sec1 = River }}

'''Malda''', also known as '''English Bazar''', is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the sixth largest city (urban agglomeration) in West Bengal.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/India2/Table_3_PR_UA_Citiees_1Lakh_and_Above.pdf | title = Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above |work=Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011 |access-date = 10 October 2011 }}</ref> It is the headquarters of the Malda district as well as of the Malda division of West Bengal. It consists of two municipalities, viz. English Bazar Municipality and Old Malda Municipality, under Malda Metropolitan Area. The city is located on the banks of the Mahananda River. Malda was an undeveloped city which was enlarging from 1925 to 1930. The city is growing rapidly nowadays with its population inching towards half a million.

==Etymology== The name ''English Bazar'' is a calque of ''Angrezābād'' ("English-town"), applied in the 17th century to the surroundings of the English factory.<ref name="Hobson">{{cite book |last1=Yule |first1=Henry |last2=Burnell |first2=Arthur |title=Hobson-Jobson |date=1903 |publisher=William Crooke, B.A. |location=London |page=344 |edition=New |language=en |chapter=E}} English-Bazar</ref> It was named in accordance with the factories built on the banks of River Mahananda by the British. The English traders set their factories here for the high profitable trade.

==Geography== ===Location=== Malda is located at {{Coord|25.0119|N|88.1433|E|}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/28/Ingraj_Bazar.html|title=Maps, Weather, and Airports for Ingraj Bazar, India|work=fallingrain.com}}</ref> It has an average elevation of 17 metres (56 feet). It is situated on both the western and eastern banks of the river Mahananda.

===Climate=== Like many other places in northern West Bengal, the weather of Malda is usually extremely humid and subtropical. Temperatures can reach as high as {{cvt|42|°C}} during the day in May and June and fall as low as {{cvt|8|°C}} overnight in December and January. Malda's highest recorded temperature was {{cvt|45.0|°C}} on 27 May 1958 and lowest recorded temperature was {{cvt|3.9|°C}} on 3 February 1905.

In Malda, the average annual temperature is {{cvt|26.4|°C}}. Precipitation is about {{cvt|1554|mm}} per year. The driest month is December. There is {{cvt|4.3|mm}} of precipitation in December. The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in July, with an average of {{cvt|352|mm}}.

{{Weather box |location = Malda (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020) |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |Jan record high C = 32.5 |Feb record high C = 38.7 |Mar record high C = 41.7 |Apr record high C = 44.1 |May record high C = 45.0 |Jun record high C = 44.4 |Jul record high C = 39.2 |Aug record high C = 40.0 |Sep record high C = 40.9 |Oct record high C = 40.5 |Nov record high C = 34.4 |Dec record high C = 31.7 |year record high C = 45.0 |Jan high C = 23.3 |Feb high C = 27.7 |Mar high C = 32.7 |Apr high C = 35.3 |May high C = 35.1 |Jun high C = 34.4 |Jul high C = 32.7 |Aug high C = 33.0 |Sep high C = 32.7 |Oct high C = 31.9 |Nov high C = 29.6 |Dec high C = 25.4 |year high C = 31.1 |Jan low C = 12.3 |Feb low C = 15.8 |Mar low C = 20.1 |Apr low C = 23.4 |May low C = 25.1 |Jun low C = 26.6 |Jul low C = 26.9 |Aug low C = 27.1 |Sep low C = 26.5 |Oct low C = 24.4 |Nov low C = 19.5 |Dec low C = 14.6 |year low C = 21.8 |Jan record low C = 4.1 |Feb record low C = 3.9 |Mar record low C = 7.2 |Apr record low C = 11.1 |May record low C = 13.7 |Jun record low C = 18.0 |Jul record low C = 18.5 |Aug record low C = 19.3 |Sep record low C = 17.9 |Oct record low C = 11.7 |Nov record low C = 8.3 |Dec record low C = 5.0 |year record low C = 3.9 | rain colour = green | Jan rain mm = 9.1 | Feb rain mm = 13.7 | Mar rain mm = 16.7 | Apr rain mm = 52.1 | May rain mm = 114.6 | Jun rain mm = 252.8 | Jul rain mm = 338.0 | Aug rain mm = 295.2 | Sep rain mm = 281.9 | Oct rain mm = 128.2 | Nov rain mm = 10.4 | Dec rain mm = 2.2 | year rain mm = 1514.9 |Jan rain days = 0.7 |Feb rain days = 1.1 |Mar rain days = 1.3 |Apr rain days = 3.2 |May rain days = 6.0 |Jun rain days = 11.2 |Jul rain days = 14.8 |Aug rain days = 14.3 |Sep rain days = 12.1 |Oct rain days = 4.6 |Nov rain days = 0.5 |Dec rain days = 0.4 |year rain days = 70.3 | time day = 17:30 IST |Jan humidity = 67 |Feb humidity = 56 |Mar humidity = 47 |Apr humidity = 54 |May humidity = 62 |Jun humidity = 73 |Jul humidity = 79 |Aug humidity = 79 |Sep humidity = 80 |Oct humidity = 75 |Nov humidity = 68 |Dec humidity = 70 |year humidity = 67 |source 1 = India Meteorological Department<ref>{{cite web | url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climatological%20Tables%201991-2020.pdf | title = Climatological Tables of Observatories in India 1991-2020 | publisher = India Meteorological Department | access-date = April 8, 2024 }}</ref><ref> {{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205040301/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf | title = Station: Malda, Climatological Table 1981–2010 | work = Climatological Normals 1981–2010 | publisher = India Meteorological Department | date = January 2015 | pages = 465–466 |access-date= 10 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/localwx.php|title=Climate for Malda city|access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref><ref name=IMDextremes> {{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205042509/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf | title = Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012) | publisher = India Meteorological Department | date = December 2016 | page = M238 |access-date= 19 October 2020}}</ref> }}

==Demographics== {{See also| List of cities in West Bengal by population}} {{bar box|width = 300px |barwidth = 250px |cellpadding="0" |title=Religion in Malda Municipality |titlebar=#Fcd116 |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right |bars= {{bar percent|Hinduism|DarkOrange|86.95}} {{bar percent|Islam|green|11.02}} {{bar percent|Christianity|dodgerblue|0.29}} {{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|1.73}} }} {{As of|2011|alt=As of the}} 2011 census, Malda metropolitan city had a total population of 324,237.<ref name="2011UA">{{cite web | url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/India2/Table_3_PR_UA_Citiees_1Lakh_and_Above.pdf | title=Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011; Urban Agglomerations/Cities having population 1 lakh and above | publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India | access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref>

{{As of|2011|alt=As of the}} 2011 census, English Bazar municipality had a population of 216,083.<ref name="2011Cities">{{cite web | url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/India2/Table_2_PR_Cities_1Lakh_and_Above.pdf | title=Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011; Cities having population 1 lakh and above | publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India | access-date=27 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507135928/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/India2/Table_2_PR_Cities_1Lakh_and_Above.pdf |archive-date=7 May 2012}}</ref> The municipality had a sex ratio of 877 females per 1,000 males and 14.9% of the population were under six years old.<ref name="2011Cities" /> Effective literacy was 84.69%; male literacy was 85.44% and female literacy was 83.86%.<ref name="2011Cities" />

{{As of|2001}} India census,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=16 June 2004|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=1 November 2008|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Old Malda Municipality had a population of 62,944. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Old Malda has an average literacy rate of 61%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 54%. In Old Malda, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age. {{bar box|width = 300px |barwidth = 250px |cellpadding="0" |title=Religion in Old Malda Municipality |titlebar=#Fcd116 |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right |bars= {{bar percent|Hinduism|DarkOrange|86.43}} {{bar percent|Islam|green|13.22}} {{bar percent|Christianity|dodgerblue|0.11}} {{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.22}} }}

===Religion=== As of 2011 census, the majority of the population of the English Bazar municipality were Hindus with 86.95% adherents, followed by 11.02% Muslims and small populations of Sikhs and Christians.<ref>{{cite web |title=C-1 Population By Religious Community |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW19C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=census.gov.in |access-date=27 December 2020}}</ref>

==Civic administration== There are two municipalities in Malda, i.e. the English Bazar Municipality and the Old Malda Municipality.

The municipality of English Bazar is divided into 29 wards. The Trinamool Congress (with 25 councillors) holds the power in this municipality (as of 2022).

The municipality of Old Malda is divided into 20 wards.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maitra |first1=Subhro |title=Battle of couples in Malda civic polls |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Battle-of-couples-in-Malda-civic-polls/articleshow/46681826.cms |access-date=19 September 2023 |work=The Times of India |date=25 March 2015}}</ref>

==Culture and tourism==

The city has a museum, Malda Museum.<ref>{{cite book | last=Mahmud | first=Firoz | title=The Museums in Bangladesh | publisher=Bangla Academy | date=1987 | url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2wPXAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=malda+museum&q=malda+museum&hl=en&redir_esc=y | access-date=28 May 2026 | page=97}}</ref>

==Transport==

=== Road === thumb|A busy Rathbari Junction Night View {{jct|NH|12|country=IND}} crosses through the city. The Gour Kanya Bus Terminus serves as the bus depot for both private buses and government bus service operated by the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC).

=== Rail === thumb|Malda Town Railway Station thumb|Malda Tourist Lodge (Amarapali) There are four railway stations which serves the metropolitan city. Malda Town railway station serves the English Bazar area; Old Malda Junction serves the Old Malda area; Malda Court serves Mangalbari and Naldubi area, and Gour Malda serves Mahadipur and Gauḍa (Gour) area.

===Air=== Malda Airport (IATA: LDA, ICAO: VEMH) was closed in 1972 due to the Bangladesh War. Before that there were direct daily flights from Malda to Kolkata, Delhi, and Guwahati. In 2014, direct helicopter services were started between Malda and Kolkata, by the government of West Bengal. As of 2017, the airport is under construction and the flight service will start very soon but the construction work has not been started yet.

==Education== thumb|Malda Town thumb|Nimasarai Minar

=== University ===   * University of Gour Banga

===Colleges===   ;General degree colleges * Malda College * Gour Mahavidyalaya * Malda Women's College

;Engineering colleges * Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering & Technology (GKCIET) * IMPS College of Engineering and Technology [[File:University of Gour Banga.jpg|thumb|The main building of the University of Gour Banga]]

;Polytechnic colleges * Malda Polytechnic

;Medical colleges * Malda Medical College and Hospital

===Schools===   Some of the notable high schools of the city include ;Boys' high schools thumb|A.C. Institution during prize ceremony * A. C. Institution * Lalit Mohan Shyam Mohini High School * Malda Town High School * Malda Zilla School * Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir

;Girls' high schools * Barlow Girls' High School

;Rail schools * Malda Railway High School

;English medium schools * Usha Martin School, Malda

==Notable people==    * Subhamita Banerjee – Bengali singer * Subhash Bhowmick – Indian international football player and manager * Sandip Chakrabarti – scientist * Shibram Chakraborty—Bengali-language humorist and story writer * A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury – politician and leader of the Indian National Congress * Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury – politician * Nihar Ranjan Ghosh – politician * Khagen Murmu - politician * Mausam Noor – politician * Sukhendu Sekhar Roy – politician * Uma Roy – politician * Krishna Jiban Sanyal – freedom fighter * Benoy Kumar Sarkar – Indian social scientist, professor and nationalist * Santi Gopal Sen – freedom fighter and social reformer

==See also== * English Bazar (community development block) * Malda Museum * List of cities in West Bengal * List of metropolitan area in West Bengal * [https://www.sdomaldasadar.in/ Malda SDO Office]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Chakrabarti D.K. (1992). Notes on the archaeology of Maldaha and West Dinajpur districts, West Bengal. South Asian Studies, 9:pp. 123–135

==External links== * [http://malda.nic.in/ Malda District - Home]

Category:Cities and towns in Malda district Category:Maldah Category:Cities in West Bengal