Kotulpur is a community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Bishnupur subdivision of the Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Etymology
The important river in the area is "Amodor" (not Damodar). Its origin is from a fountain at Knuchiakol. This has a great impact on agriculture and thus on local economy. It has gone through almost to the south-east direction. It has some historical importance also. Gar Mandaran (a nearby place, now in Hooghly district and the capital of the then king of this region) is surrounded by this river and in a war Kotlu Khan was defeated in Mughal age because of its geographical location. This Kotulpur is known by the name of this Kotlu Khan.
History
From Bishnupur kingdom to the British Raj
From around the 7th century AD till around the advent of British rule, for around a millennium, history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur. The Bishnupur Rajas, who were at the summit of their fortunes towards the end of the 17th century, started declining in the first half of the 18th century. First, the Maharaja of Burdwan seized the Fatehpur Mahal, and then the Maratha invasions laid waste their country.
Bishnupur was ceded to the British with the rest of Burdwan chakla in 1760. In 1787, Bishnupur was united with Birbhum to form a separate administrative unit. In 1793 it was transferred to the Burdwan collectorate. In 1879, the district acquired its present shape with the thanas of Khatra and Raipur and the outpost of Simplapal being transferred from Manbhum, and the thanas of Sonamukhi, Kotulpur and Indas being retransferred from Burdwan. However, it was known for sometime as West Burdwan and in 1881 came to be known as Bankura district.
Geography
Kotulpur is located at .
Kotulpur CD block is located in the eastern part of the district and belongs to the fertile low lying alluvial plains, similar to the predominating rice lands in the adjacent districts of West Bengal. Here, the eye constantly rests on wide expanses of rice fields, green in the rains but parched and dry in summer.
Kotulpur CD block is bounded by Indas CD block on the north, Goghat II CD block, in Hooghly district, on the east and on the south and Joypur CD block on the west.
Kotulpur CD block has an area of 250.38 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 8 gram panchayats, 141 gram sansads (village councils), 170 mouzas and 165 inhabited villages. Kotulpur police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Kotulpur.
Gram panchayats of Kotulpur block/ panchayat samiti are: Deshra Koalpara, Gopinathpur, Kotulpur, Lego g.p., Lowgram, Madanmohanpur, Mirzapur and Sihar.
Places of interest
Joyrambati - famous for Sarada Devi, wife of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Sri Laxminarayan Jew Mandir, Harihar Jew Mondir, Sri Ganesh Jew Mandir, Sri Bhoirab Thakur Jew Mandir : these mandirs were constructed around 1907 by Late Kshetramonhan Rakshit by registered Arpannama. Now they are over 100 years old. Every year they celebrate Jhulan Jatra with 3 days functions. Local people participate in these celebrations. These mandirs are situated in Rakshit Para in Kotalpur. Koalpara - tourists visit the place for another house of Sarada Devi. Here she used to encourage Swadeshi movement against the British rulers. Sihar - There is a pancharatna temple of Sri Sri Raghunath of Dr Gunamoy Mukherjee's family of 267 yrs old and Sri Sri Durga Mandir of 150 years old, Sri Sri Santinath temple (temple's art is of Jain age), Sri Sri Ratanti Kalika temple (Sri Sivananda Saraswati, Sri Shyamananda Saraswati) and Sri Sarada Math have made the village a place of interest.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2011 Census of India, Kotulpur CD block had a total population of 188,775, of which 180,292 were rural and 8,483 were urban. There were 96,394 (51%) males and 92,381 (49%) females. Population in the age range of 0 to 6 years was 20,430. Scheduled Castes numbered 66,780 (35.38%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 6,211 (3.29%).
According to the 2001 census, Kotulpur block had a total population of 167,543, out of which 86,288 were males and 81,255 were females. Kotulpur block registered a population growth of 15.92 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 15.15 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.
Census Towns in Kotulpur CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Kotulpur (8,483).