Ballia (Bhojpuri: बलिया, Hindi: बलिया) is a city with a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar
Pradesh. The eastern boundary of the city lies at the junction of the Ganges and the Ghaghara. The city is situated from 141 km from Varanasi. Bhojpuri, a dialect of Hindi, is the primary local language.
Ballia is also known as Baghi Ballia (Rebel Ballia) for its significant contribution in India's freedom struggle. During the first Independence War of India in 1857, Ballia came in picture in front of the world and Shree Mangal Pandey was that first freedom fighter of that war who was born in village Nagwa Ballia district of India.[1] During the Quit India Movement of 1942 Ballia gained independence from British rule for a short period of time when the district overthrew the government and installed an independent administration under Chittu Pandey.
History
Ballia is an ancient city. Many great saints and sages of India had their ashrams in Ballia, including Valmiki, Bhrigu, Durvasa, Parashara muni and Jamadagni. Ballia was a part of the Kosala Kingdom in ancient times. It also came under the Buddhist influence for some time. Earlier the district was a part of Ghazipur district, but later it was created as an independent District.
Sahatwar, Sheikhpur and Sikanderpur are also very old towns of Ballia, populated during the reign of Feroze Shah Tughlaq where famous Muslim saints came and inhabited the area and served Muslims and non-Muslim alike
Origin of the name Ballia
The origin of the name Ballia, has long been a matter of dispute. It is locally said to have been derived from the name of the sage Valmiki, the celebrated Hindu poet and the author of Ramayana, whose having resided here was commemorated by a shrine, which has long been washed away. Another belief about the origin of the name is that it has been derived from the sandy nature of the land of the place, locally known as "Ballua" (balu meaning sand). It was initially named as 'balian', later transformed to Ballia
Transportation
Ballia is a station on the Broad Gage Indian Railways[6] with about 35 trains daily (including 2 Rajdhani express)[7] Major railway stations include Belthara Road, Surimanpur, Phephna, and Rasra. Belthara Road is connected with Gorakhpur by many trains like Dadar Express, Chauri Chaura Express, Gorakhnath Express etc. Road connectivty from Varanasi-to-Ballia, Gorakhpur-to-Ballia and Ballia-to-Patna is very good. It takes about 4 hours by road and 2–3 hours by train from Varanasi-to-Ballia. The road passes through Ghazipur district then small towns like Nagra, Sikanderpur then Ballia.
Dadri Mela (fair)
Dadri Mela is the second largest cattle fair of India which is located at 5 KM from Ballia town nearby NH 19 and 3 KM from Bus station of Ballia city.[3][4] The fair starts on full moon of Kartik Poornima (October–November) with Holy dip in Ganges. This fair is held annually in the honour of Dadar Muni, the disciple of Maharishi Bhrigu.
This fair is celebrated for more than one month and is organized in two phases. The first phase starts before 10 days of Kartik Poornima in which traders bring some excellent hybrids of cattle from across India for sale/purchase. On or after Kartik Poornima, various cultural programs are organized and one can find shops of different items at one stop during the next Fortnight.
Notable places
Notable temples:
Maharshi Bhrigu Mandir in the heart of the city
Jangli baba temple - 16 km from Ballia in Garwar.
Shri Baleshwer Mandir
Habib Manzil
Chain Ram Baba mandir is in Sahatwar
Nath Baba temple at Rasara
Shokharan Nath mandeer In Ashega, Beruarbari.
Panchmandir at village Sahatwar.
Sri Sahajanand Baba Dev Sthan at village Chandpur at the bank of holy river Saryu (25 KM North-East from Ballia City)
Narhari Das Kuti (Temple) - Guru of famous Poet Tulsi Das in Sitabdiyara
Shri Jangli Baba Mandir (Temple) place at Garwar (Fair of Dhanteras before one day Diwali)
Hanuman Mandir, 4 KM from Ballia city.
Parashurama Temple in Maniyar (Only few temples of Parashurama)
Kameshwar Nath Dham (Shiv Mandir), Karon, Ballia (U.P.)
Mata Kapilashweri Bhwani Mandir (Temple), Near Sager Pali, Ballia (UP)
Shahid Smarak, Sukhpura is dedicated to our freedom fighters and situated beside the Sukhpura Inter College's entrance.
Bramani mata temple is situated about 6k.m. from Ballia
KEVAL BABA temple is located in Hanshnagar
- Lakhnesar, first republic of the Sengars having no kings to rule over.
- swami Maharaj Baba Temple in Milki Village Near RaniGanj Bazar Bairia Ballia.
- Jalpa mata Temple in Sikanderpur, Ballia.
- Munishwara nand(khapadiya baba) temple, sripalpur, lalganj (dwaba) ballia
- Sudistpuri - Raniganj bazar near Suraimanpur.Shri chhiteshwar nath mandir chhitoni
- Shri chhiteshwar nath mandir chhitoni
Area villages
- A village named Dharnipur is located 9 KM from Ballia.
- Aamghat Village is 7.7 km far from its District Main City Ballia.
- A village Aundi (via Piyaria)is 20 km (west) from Ballia city / 10 km from Phepana Junction.- located on Ballia-Mau road.
- A village called Majhuan (24 km far from Ballia city) . It is situated on the bank of the Ganges river.
- Shivpur Diar Nai Basti (Bayashi) village which is having 20 thousand population with 90% literacy and 7 km far from Ballia.
- A village named Akhar famous for its wrestlers located 6 km East from Ballia town.
- A village named Dubhar village which is having 30 thousand
population with 40% literacy and 9 km far from Ballia.famous for its
literacy .
- A village named Khejuri is located 15 KM from Ballia.
- A village named Shahpur near Garwar police station is located 19 KM from Ballia.
- Bansdih located 18 KM far from Ballia. It is having population more than 50,000.
- Tengarhin village is located at Bairia - Ballia Road on Distance 36 KM from Ballia .
- Hanshnagar is small village that is located 17 k.m. far from Ballia and 3 k.m. far from Haldi.
Notable personalities of Ballia
Swaraj singh
Mangal Pandey
Chittu Pandey
Hazari Prasad Dwivedi
Jayaprakash Narayan
Narad Rai-present M.L.A of ballia sadar
Chandra Shekhar Singh - 9TH Prime Minister of India
Murli Manohar - Politician
Dr.Ganesh Prasad - Mathematician
Kedarnath Singh - Hindi poet
Dr. Sandeep Pandey - Ramon-Magsasy Award Winner, Social Activist and Founder of "Asha for Education"
Janeshwar Mishra(Chhote Lohiya) - Politician
Dr. Janardan Chaturvedi - Translated Shrimad Bhagvat Geeta into Bhojpuri (regional language of eastern U.P. and Bihar) called "Janardan Geeta".
Anand Swroop Verma - A Senior Journalist
Netaji Santosh Pratap Singh- Kshatriya Sena
Pt. Murlidhar shukla- founded first Hindi school in West Bengal with shyama Prasad Mukherjee
Anant Kumar Pushpak-Senior Civil Engineer in KEC International Limited
Mr. Bachha Pathak EX-Minister (govt of up)
Mr.Pradeep Pathak (All India Rank 3 in gate )
[Shri Bharat Singh " Akela"] A Senior Journalist, Teacher, Samajwadi Leader and Founder "(Rashtravadi Loktantrik Janta Party)"
[Gajendra Pratap singh ] Social Activist and Founder of "(Samarpan India Janseva Foundation)"
Jagdish Sukla Ji (Professor at George Mason University in the United States)
Bharat Singh Ji (M.P. Ballia)
Education
Major Educational Institutions:
Holy Cross School, Amritpali, Ballia(U.P)
St. Xavier's School - Dharahara, Ballia (U.P.)
Sacred Heart School, Saharaspali, Ballia (U.P.)
Town Polytechnic, Tikhampur Road, Ballia (U.P)
Naga ji Saraswati Vidya Mandir Maldepur, Ballia (UP)
Shri Jangli Baba Inter College (JBIC), Garwar, Ballia (UP)
Gandhi Inter College Chilkahar, Ballia (UP)
Bansi Bazar Inter College (BBIC), Navanagar, Ballia (UP)
Pachrukha Devi Inter College (PDIC), Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.)
Modern Convent School, Gaighat (Reoti), Ballia (U.P.). This is 22 years old school and established in 1989.
Oracle Institute of Management & Information Technology, Sankat Mochan Colony, Civil Lines, Ballia (U.P.)[14]
Kunwar Singh Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
Kendriya Vidyalaya ballia
Satish Chandra Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
Murli Manohar Town Degree College, Ballia (U.P.)
Gandhi Degree College in Mirdha village, Ballia (U.P.)[15]
Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballia (U.P.)[16]
Gyan Peethika Sr. Sec. School, Zeerabasti, Ballia (U.P.)
MG Inter College, Dalan Chhapra, Ballia (U.P.)
Sukhpura Inter College, Sukhpura, Ballia (U.P)
Sri Haribansa Baba Inter College, Pur, Ballia (U.P.)
Ratsar Inter College, Ratasar, Ballia (U.P.)
Sri Ram Baba Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Akwari-Bisukia, Ballia (U.P.)
Sri Swaminath Singh Surendara Mahavidyalya Mahathapar, Ballia (U.P.)
Reoti Inter College Reoti, Ballia (U.P.)
Amar Shahid Bhagat Singh Inter College Rasra, Ballia (U.P.). Formerly Known as King Gorge Silver Jubly Inter College Rasra, Ballia (U.P.).
St Marys School.Abhanpur Rasra Ballia
PMHS parasia bisouli Ballia U.P.
CB Inter college sahatwar ballia U.p.