Kirnahar

Geography

Kirnahar is located at 23.75°N 87.87°E / 23.75; 87.87. It has an average elevation of 29 m (95 ft). Kirnahar is located in the south-eastern corner of the district which is an alluvial plain between Ajay River and Mayurakshi River. It has hot and dry summers, spread over March – May, followed by the monsoon from June to September. 78 per cent of the rainfall occurs during this period.

Administration

Kirnahar I & II are village panchayats (local self-government) under Nanoor Panchayat Samity of Birbum Zilla Parishad. A police outpost is located at Kirnahar.

Transport

Kirnahar is midway station on the 52 km Ahmedpur Katwa Railway. It is well-connected by bus routes with Sainthia, Bolpur, kolkata, Ahmedpur, Suri and Rampurhat of this district and also with different places of the adjacent districts of Murshidabad and Burdwan.

Economy

Traditionally, there used to be a weekly market, locally called hat. Apart from vegetables, such needs as pottery, wooden materials, iron materials, baskets, seeds etc. were available. With the passage of time the periodicity gradually increased till it became a daily market. A fair is organised at Kirnahar on the occasion of Ras Mela.

Education

Kirnahar has two higher secondary schools. They are:
1. Kirnahar Shib Chandra High School
2. Kirnahar Tarapado Memorial Girls High School.

The first one is one of the oldest schools in Birbhum (Estd. 1895). It was established on the land provided by the local Sarkar zamindars in the memory of one of their ancestors Sri Shib Chandra Sarkar. The school produced many great personalities who made their marks in political, cultural and scientific world. To name a few: Sri Debnath Das (One of the Advisors of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and the INA), Sri Pranab Mukherjee (Currently President of India), Sri Mrinal Thakur (Eminent scientist, currently in Auburn University) etc.
There are 7 Govt.-aided primary schools, 5 S.S.K.(Sishu Siksha Kendra), one M.S.K.(Madhyamik Siksha Kendra) and a few private schools in Kirnahar and its surroundings. The Govt.-aided primary schools are:

1. Kirnahar Junior Basic School.
2. Uttar Kirnahar Primary School.
3. Kirnahar Nabin Chandra Smriti Primary School.
4. Kirnahar Laxmimata Primary School.
5. Parota Primary School.
6. Maheshgram Primary School.
7. Nimrha Primary School.
8. Mohasay School.

Kirnahar has one govt. sponsored library - Kirnahar Rabindra Smriti Samity Town Library. The library was established on 17 August 1941 (32nd Shravana,1348 B.S.) just after ten days of the demise of great poet Rabindranath Tagore. The founder-secretary was Dr.Krishnagopal Chandra. In 1957 it became sponsored by the West Bengal Govt. Satyaranjan Sengupta was the first employed librarian. It was upgraded to a Town Library in 1986. At present(March,2015), the library possesses over 15,000 books and over 1,400 members.

Personality

Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, was born at Miriti, Kirnahar.

Kirnahar Sarkar family is home to Dr. Deb Kumar Sarkar-an eminent homeopath who has been practicing in the town for over 55 years. His son Dr. Dip Kumar Sarkar did MBBS from the prestigious Calcutta Medical College during the early 70s. Dr. Dip Kumar Sarkar was the first to install an X-Ray machine in the remote town of Kirnahar. He later moved his practice to Bolpur. He was highly regarded in the practice of orthopedics & surgery.

Eminent Scientist Prof. Mrinal Thakur was born in Kirnahar.