Jaynagar Majilpur

For other places with the same name, see Jaynagar (disambiguation).

A temple city in the southeast region of West Bengal, Jaynagar Majilpur (Bengali: জয়নগর মজিলপুর) is also famous for its confectionery Jaynagarer Moa.

Understand

History

Jaynagar Majilpur carries the memory of a very significant incident in the history of Bengal. When King Pratapaditya Roy of Jessore was defeated by the Mughal forces, the State Diwan's (Grand Vizier) family and the State Priest's family were forced to flee to avoid persecution and conversion. They settled in this city to form the estate of the Duttas, and the Brahmin priest, Sree Krishna Udgata, who came over, settled in what is today the Bhattacharya Para. All the Bhattacharyas in the city are his scions, with the current 13th generation being settled out of the town.

Jaynagar was also known as "Half-Calcutta" because of its mounting development before Indian independence, with stalwarts like Sivanath Shastri emerging. It was also a centre for active independence movement, with names like Kanailal Bhattacharya and Rajaram Bhattacharya.

Economy

Initially, most of the residents of Jaynagar Majilpur were government employees. Gradually, the importance of the city increased due to its geographic location and now it is also a business hub. Due to its historical significance, the city earns a good number of tourists, thus making tourism another prominent industry there.

The city has been witnessing radical changes, along with rapid development in segments like industry, real estate and education, since the advent of the twenty-first century. The changes are with respect to infrastructure and industrial growth for knowledge-based industries. Housing co-operatives and flats, shopping malls, multiplexes, hotels, and sports complexes have also come up.

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU ^IATA) in Kolkata. Once you get off, you will need to take a taxi or hire a car. The distance to Jaynagar Majilpur is about 49 km (30 mi), and the drive can take between 75 and 90 minutes depending on the traffic.

By train

• Jaynagar Majilpur railway station. On the Sealdah–Namkhana line, it is one of the busiest railway stations of the Sealdah railway division. More than 30 pairs of EMU local trains ply through the railway station on a daily basis. (updated Oct 2022)

By bus

Jaynagar Majilpur is also connected by road. The entire area of this city is well connected through State Highway 1. State buses run by West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) are available.

By taxi

Kolkata's yellow Ambassador taxis are allowed into Jaynagar Majilpur. The prepaid taxi service available at the airport is the recommended hassle-free way of getting to Jaynagar Majilpur. The fare you pay at the counter includes the toll you need to pay when you leave Kolkata.

See

• Ambulinga Shiva Temple. (updated Nov 2022)
• 1 Jaychandi Mandir. 
• 2 12 Shiva Temples. 
• 3 Radhavallabha Temple. 
• 4 Shyamsundar Temple. 
• 5 Dhanwantari Kali Temple. The temple is believed to listen to the prayers of her devotees promptly. 
• 6 Satsang Thakurbari. This temple is inaugurated and dedicated to Thakur Anukulchandra by Satsang Deoghar. (updated Nov 2022)
• 7 Moyda Kalibari. 
• 8 Ramakrishna Ashrama. 

Do

An annual event is held, called the "Besher Mela", where the goddess Kali is dressed up as Radha Krishna and other goddesses. It attracts thousands of devotees, and is one of the most iconic yearly events in the city.

Every year, during Kali Puja, it is mandatory to host a Kali Puja in every Brahmin household of the place. It used to be a big annual festival, with hundreds of houses performing Kali Puja on the night of the Diwali, and going out on the next day in a beautifully orchestrated procession, going around the city, before the immersion or the "visarjana". However, over the past few years, the number of houses performing Kali Puja has fallen drastically for, mainly due to the gradual outward immigration of people from the city, the reluctancy of the younger generation and the rise of "barowari puja".

Buy

Jaynagar Majilpur is one of the major shopping areas of Southeast Bengal other than Kolkata. There are many shopping malls in this city where all types of branded products are available.

Eat and drink

Jaynagar Majilpur is famous for the confectionery of "Jaynagarer Moa", made with Nolen Gur (jaggery made from date palm tree extract with exquisite taste and aroma), Kanakchur Khoi (a form of popped rice made from a special variety of aromatic rice), Gawa Ghee (a type of clarified butter made from cow's milk), Elach (cardamom), and Posto (poppy seed). Both Nolen Gur and Kanakchur Rice are winter products, available around November to January, and hence "Jaynagarer Moa" is available during this period only. There are over 250 sweetmeat shops around the city, which produce it with the original ingredients. The "Jaynagarer Moa" manufacturers in Jaynagar Majilpur had been attempting to get Geographical Indication status for "Jaynagarer Moa". Besides, there are many shops of other Bengali confectionery too.

There are plenty of non-vegetarian Bengali restaurants here. The city also has many excellent North Indian and South Indian vegetarian restaurants ranging from budget to expensive ones.

Cope

Police stations

• 1 Jaynagar Police Station. (updated Nov 2022)

Nearby

• 9 Jatar Deul. A temple stands isolated on a small hill in the surroundings of the locality of Kanakan Dighi. The discovery of Jatar Deul dates back to the mid-19th century, when land surveyors stumbled upon a towering brick structure in the midst of the Sundarbans. A fair is held and a horse race is organised on the Bengali date of 2 Boishakh every year near the temple. (updated Nov 2022)

Go next

• Diamond Harbour

Routes through Jaynagar Majilpur

South Kolkata ← Rajpur Sonarpur ←

N  S

→ Kakdwip → Bakkhali