Forbesganj

History

The city has got its present name from its British ruler named Forbes. After the Independence this place was named Forbesganj. It is said that the British used this place for Indigo farming. Still the remains of the British premises can be seen at the banks of the famous landlocked water body Sultan Pokhar

Climate

This small city has hot and wet summers and cold and dry winters. During summers the temperature reaches up to 40 ∘ C and in winters the mercury drops up to 5 ∘ C sometimes. During rainy season it receives plenty of rainfall.

Geography

Forbesganj is located at 26.3°N 87.25°E / 26.3; 87.25. It has an average elevation of 46 meters (150 feet). The Nepalese border is only 12 km away.

Demographics

As of the 2012, Forbesganj had a population of 373,933.The female to male ratio here is 89.98%. Forbesganj has an average literacy rate of 47%,. Male literacy is 49.47%; female literacy is 26.89%.The non-working population is 51.47% of the total population. There is a total of 79,741 children under the age of 6 in Forbesganj.

Architecture

The city is well planned with a central road named sadar road which runs through the heart of Forbesganj. Most of the major shops are located on both the sides of this road. Besides, there is another major road called the hospital road which connects to the main bus stand; passes through the other part of the city and joins to the highways.

Administration and politics

Forbesganj Municipal Corporation is responsible for maintaining the city's civic infrastructure and carrying out associated administrative duties. Forbesganj (Vidhan Sabha constituency) (Hindi: फरबेसगन्ज विधान सभा निर्वाचन क्षेत्र) is an assembly constituency in Araria district in the Indian state of Bihar. In Bihar Legislative Assembly election, 2015, Forbesganj was one of the 36 seats to have VVPAT enabled electronic voting machines.

Economy

In addition to its role as an educational and administrative place, the economy of this small city is fueled by fertilizer production, rice production, building and construction material supply, etc. Since, Nepal border is very close to this place so this place also entertains a fair amount of tourists throughout the year.

Culture

Forbesganj has a very rich culture. The people of this place are deeply attached to their traditions. The way of life is simple but people also welcome modernity. The society allows overall growth of the people.

Cuisine

Typical dishes include Dal Bhaat and Aloo ka Chokha (very easy to cook and common in all kitchens), Seasonal Mixed Veg., All Non-Veg Curry's (Chicken/Egg/Fish/Mutton), Rice items (Plain rice/Pulao or Briyani's), etc. Sweet dishes include Rasgoolla, Gulabjamoon, Khajoor ki Mithai, Khaja, Chana Barfi, Balushahi and many more.

Among street foods the most common is Samosa-Chat, Aaloo Chop, Gupchup (Golgappa), Bhunja.

Languages

The main language spoken over here is Hindi. But, there are people who speak, Bhojpuri, Maithali, Bengali, Marwari, etc.

Places of interest

There are several beautiful, religious as well as historical spots which one can visit after reaching this place. A list of some of these places is as follows:

1. Sultan Pokhar
2. Hawai Adda
3. Kali Mandir
4. Badi Masjid
5. Vishnu Yagya
6. Mahavir Mandir
7. Kotihat Nahar
8. Gandhi Maidan
9. Sundarnath Temple (Sundari )
10. Vishnu Dhaam
11. Birpur Barrage
12. Malang Baba ka Darbar
13. Bara shiv Mandir
14. College Chowk
15. Dak Bangla
16. Haunted House Naka(near police station)
17. Lal Kothi
18. Post office chowk

Sports

The major game played here is cricket. Several local district level cricket tournaments are organized on a regular basis at the famous Gandhi Maidan. In almost every small lane children can be found with a bat and a ball. Other games include Kabaddi, Football, etc.

Education

There are several CBSE and State Board schools present in this city. The list of a few famous schools are as below:

1. Mithila Public School
2. Sri Rani Saraswati Vidya Mandir
3. Sishu Bharti High School
4. Ebenezer Mission High School
5. District Institute of Education & Training, for training of all government teachers of Araria district.
6. Industrial Training Institute, Forbesganj
7. Women's Industrial Training Institute, Forbesganj
8. Aryabhatt Public School, Pro. colony Forbesganj

An engineering college has also started at Forbesganj named MBIT which is adding to the city's technical education.

Media

Major daily Hindi newspapers in Forbesganj include Hindustan, Dainik Jagaran, Sahara News and Prabhat Khabar.

Road

NH-57 connects to Forbesganj. Daily bus service is available from the Patna and Siliguri.

Rail

Forbesganj railway station is a junction. There are direct trains available to the major cities (Delhi/Kolkata/Patna, etc.) of the country.

Air

The nearest airport to this place is Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri, West Bengal and the second nearest is Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport, Patna. From Bagdogra Airport it takes 3–4 hours to reach the city by road.