Kanpur
Kanpur is the most important
industrial centre in Uttar Pradesh. It lies on the banks of Ganga. It is famous for leather and textile goods of fine quality.
It is now one of the major industrial cities with aviation, wool and
leather industries, cotton, flour and vegetable oil mills, sugar
refineries and chemical works. Formerly known as Manchester of the
country, it is now also called the commercial capital of the state.
Geography of Kanpur
Kanpur is situated on the the
banks of river Ganga and also on most important national highways
no. 2 & 25 and state highway. It is also situated on the main
Delhi-Howrah railway trunk line. It has an area of over 1000 km² and
it is about 126 meters above the sea level. Kanpur has benefited
from its fertile agricultural hinterland of the Upper Ganga Valley
and Bundelkhand plateau, the available developed links of
transportation and the stimulant of World War-2 with its industrial
demand. In this city, in spite of a low percentage of irrigated
area, the density is high and that is obviously due to great
industrial concentration. Apart from playing a stellar role in the development of the country as a
whole, Kanpur has also been instrumental in making an unforgettable
contribution to the Indian freedom struggle.
History of Kanpur
Believed to be
founded by king Hindu Singh of the erstwhile state of Sachendi,
Kanpur was originally known as 'Kanhpur'. Upto the 1st half of the
18th century Kanpur continued to survive as an insignificant
village. In May 1765, Shuja-ud-daula, the Nawab Wazir of Awadh, was
defeated by the British near Jajmau. It was probably at this time
that strategic importance of the site of Kanpur was realized by the
British. European businessmen had by this time gradually started
establishing themselves in Kanpur. Kanpur came under the British
Rule by the treaty of 1801 with Nawab Saadat Ali Khan of Awadh. This
forms a turning point in the history of Kanpur. Soon Kanpur became
one of the most important military stations of British India. It was
declared a district on 24th March 1803.
Later, Kanpur became the epicentre of the outbreak of 1857, as some
of the leading luminaries of the War of Independence hailed from
this place, namely – Nana Sahib, Tatiya Tope, Azimoolah Khan and
Brigadier Jwala Prasad. The three strategic events of the 1857 war
at Kanpur were the fight at `wheeler’s entrenchment’, the `massacre
at Sati Chaura Ghat’ and the `Bibighar massacre’. Nana Sahib had
declared independence on the 7th of June 1857 at Kanpur.
The British under Commander Hugh Wheeler retreated into a shallow
earth entrenchment in the cantonment area, later known in history as
`wheeler’s entrenchment’. The English garrison surrendered in the
last week of June 1857 on terms of safe passage to Allahabad. But
when on the morning of 27th June, the soldiers along with the women
and children were about to embark into the boats at Sati Chaura Ghat,
fighting broke out and most of the men were killed. The survivors,
women and children were rescued and imprisoned in Savada Kothi and
later shifted to Bibighar in the `cantonment magistrates’ compound.
But when it became clear that the relieving forces under General
Havelock were nearing the city and the defeat was inevitable, the
captives-all women and children were massacred and their dismembered
bodies were buried in the well of the compound on 15th July 1857.
The Bibighar was dismantled by the British and reoccupation of
Kanpur and a `memorial railing and a cross’ raised at the site of
the well. Only the remains of a circular ridge survive, which can be
still seen at the Nana Rao Park. The Kanpur Memorial Church – `The
all soul cathedral’ was raised in honor of the fallen at the
north-east corner of Wheeler’s entrenchment in 1862 by the British.
The marble gothic screen with famous `mournful seraph’ was
transferred to the churchyard of All Souls church after independence
in 1947, and in its place a bust of Tantiya Tope installed as Nana
Rao Park.
After 1857, the development of Kanpur was even more phenomenal.
Government Harness and Saddler Factory was started for supplying
leather material for army in 1860, followed by Cooper Allen & Co. in
1880. The first cotton textile mill, the Elgin Mills were started in
1862 and Moiré Mills in 1882.
The propagation and popularization of Hindi also owes much to this
city, with great Hindu literatures like Acharya Mahavir Parasad
Dwivedi, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Pratap Narain Mishra, Acharya
Gaya Prasad Shukla `Sanehi’ and Balkrishna Sharma `Navin’ having
hailed from here.
Tourist Attractions of Kanpur
·
The Kanpur Memorial
Church (All Soul’s Cathedral)
The Kanpur Memorial Church
built in 1875, was designed by Walter Granville. This Gothic style
building has fine stained glass windows and interesting memorials.
There is a Memorial Garden on the eastern side. There is a carved
gothic screen, designed by Henry Yule and in the center there is a
beautifully carved figure of an angel by Baron Carlo Marochetti,
representing the 'symbol of peace'. The Cemetery has a number
of graves from the late 19th century.
·
Jain Glass Temple
It is situated in
Maheshwari Mohal behind the Kamla Tower. It is a beautiful temple
highly decorated with glass and enamel works.
·
Jajmau
Jajmau, known as
Siddhapuri in ancient times, is supposed to have been the kingdom of
Yayati, the Pauranic king and the high mound overhanging the Ganga
is known as the site of his fort. Excavations of the Jajmau mound
during 1957-58 unearthed antiquities ranging from 600 BC to 1600
AD. Now, Jajmau houses the Siddhnath and Siddha Devi temples and the
mausoleum of Makhdum Shah Ala-ul-Haq, the famous Sufi saint, built
by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1358. A mosque built by Kulich Khan in 1679
is also here.
·
Shri Radhakrishna
Temple
This beautifully
constructed temple is a unique blend of ancient and modern
architecture. The even-level roofs of the mandaps have been provided
with adequate ventilation for sufficient light and air. Among the
five shrines in the temple, the central one is dedicated to Shri
Radhakrishna and the others have idols of Shri Laxminarayan, Shri
Ardhanarishwar, Shri Narmadeshwar and Shri Hanuman.
·
Phool Bagh
(Ganesh Udyan)
It is a beautiful park in
the heart of the city on the Mall Road. In the centre of the park
there is a Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi Memorial generally used for
public meetings. The annual flower shows are held here. It has a
Summer House and a large Public library.
·
Kamla Retreat
Situated on Kamala Nehru
road, Kamla Retreat houses a museum which has a good collection of
historical and archaeological artifacts. Besides parks and a canal
with facilities for boating, a zoo is also here.
·
Nana
Rao Park
Formerly
known as Memorial Well Garden, it is the biggest park in Kanpur and
is situated in the heart of the city on the Mall Road. After
Independence, it has been renamed after Nana Rao Peshwa, the hero of
the first War of independence in 1857. It is very beautifully laid
out and has a plant nursery.
·
Brijendra Swarup Park
Situated in Aryanagar area
of Kanpur, this park has spacious lawns and play grounds.
· Moti
Jheel
This has the drinking
water reservoir of Kanpur Waterworks and is situated Benajhabar area
of the city. The area around the Jheel or lake has lately been
developed into a beautiful recreation grounds and children's park.
·
Green
Park
This is the best and
most famous playground of Kanpur. International Cricket matches are
held here and it has one of the best pitches in the world.
·
Allen
Forest Zoo
The Kanpur Zoo was opened in
1971 and ranks among one of the best zoos in the country. It is an
ideal place for picnics in picturesque surroundings. |
