West Champaran district

Mahatma Gandhi started the Champaran Satyagraha movement from here in 1917 along with nationalists Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Brajkishore Prasad.{{cite web |last1=Prasad |first1=Rajendra |author-link=Rajendra Prasad |title=Satyagraha in Champaran |url=https://vvgnli.gov.in/sites/default/files/Satyagraha%20in%20Champaran.pdf |website=vvgnli.gov.in |access-date=3 March 2025}}

The district occupies an area of {{convert|5228|km2|sqmi}},{{cite book | last1 = Srivastava, Dayawanti et al. (ed.) | title = India 2010: A Reference Annual | chapter = States and Union Territories: Bihar: Government | edition = 54th | publisher = Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Government of India | year = 2010 | location = New Delhi, India | pages = 1118–1119 | isbn = 978-81-230-1617-7}} comparatively equivalent to Canada's Amund Ringnes Island.{{cite web | url = http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm | title = Island Directory Tables: Islands by Land Area | access-date = 11 October 2011 | date = 18 February 1998 | publisher = United Nations Environment Program | quote = Amund Ringnes Island 5,255km2 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://archive.today/20151201081219/http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm | archive-date = 1 December 2015 }}

In 1989 West Champaran district became home to Valmiki National Park, which has an area of {{convert|336|km2|mi2|abbr=on|1}}. It is also home to two wildlife sanctuaries: Valmiki (adjacent to its namesake national park) and

Udaypur Wildlife Sanctuary.{{cite web|author=Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment|title=Protected areas: Bihar|url=http://oldwww.wii.gov.in/envis/envis_pa_network/index.htm|access-date=25 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823163836/http://oldwww.wii.gov.in/envis/envis_pa_network/index.htm|archive-date=23 August 2011}} Fauna include the Bengal tiger.{{citation |title=Status of the Tigers, Co-predators, and Prey in India |editor1=Jhala, Y. V. |editor2=Gopal, R. |editor3=Qureshi, Q. |publisher=National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India, New Delhi; Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun |year=2008 |series=TR 08/001 |url=http://projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/status_of_tigers_in_india_2008.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602124630/http://projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/status_of_tigers_in_india_2008.pdf |archive-date=2 June 2013 }}Jhala, Y. V., Qureshi, Q., Sinha, P. R. (Eds.) (2011). [https://web.archive.org/web/20120120232451/http://www.projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/Tiger_Status_oct_2010.pdf Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India, 2010.] National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. TR 2011/003 pp-302

Freedom Fighter and author Ramesh Chandra Jha was the first person who penned down the rich literary history of Champaran. His research based books including Champaran Ki Sahitya Sadhana (चम्पारन की साहित्य साधना) (1958), Champaran:Literature & Literary Writers (चम्पारन: साहित्य और साहित्यकार) (1967) and Apne Aur Sapne:A Literary Journey Of Champaran (अपने और सपने: चम्पारन की साहित्य यात्रा) (1988) meticulously document the rich literary heritage and history of Champaran, Bihar. These seminal books continue to serve as foundational reference points for researchers, scholars, Ph.D. students, and journalists alike. Jha's insightful exploration and preservation of Champaran's historical and literary legacy have solidified his place as a cornerstone in the field of literary research.[https://archive.org/details/ApneAurSapneALitereryJourneyOfChamparanByRameshChandraJha/ Apne Aur Sapne : Online PDF book at Archive.org]

The West Champaran district is divided into 3 Tehsil (sub-division):

1. Bettiah
2. Bagaha
3. Narkatiaganj

The West Champaran district is divided into 18 Blocks:{{Cite web |title=Blocks in Pashchim Champaran District, Bihar |url=https://www.census2011.co.in/data/district/55-pashchim-champaran-bihar.html |access-date=10 May 2024 |website=www.census2011.co.in}}

• Bettiah
• Sikta
• Mainatanr
• Chanpatia
• Bairia
• Lauriya
• Bagaha
• Sidhaw
• Madhubani
• Gaunaha
• Narkatiaganj
• Manjhaulia
• Nautan
• Jogapatti
• Ramnagar
• Thakraha
• Bhitaha
• Piprasi

The district is well connected by roads and railways to all major cities.

Lok Sabha constituencies in the district are Paschim Champaran, Valmiki Nagar.

Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the district are Valmiki Nagar, Ramnagar, Narkatiaganj, Bagaha, Lauriya, Nautan, Chanpatia, Bettiah, Sikta

{{transcluded section|source=17th Bihar Assembly}}

{{#section:17th Bihar Assembly|MLA Header}}

{{#section:17th Bihar Assembly|West Champaran district}}

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{{historical populations|11=1901|12=7,62,628|13=1911|14=8,12,855|15=1921|16=8,26,679|17=1931|18=9,13,931|19=1941|20=10,21,217|21=1951|22=10,71,382|23=1961|24=13,25,122|25=1971|26=15,87,019|27=1981|28=19,72,610|29=1991|30=23,33,666|31=2001|32=30,43,466|33=2011|34=39,35,042|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:{{cite web |title=Table A-02 Decadal Variation in Population Since 1901: Bihar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/43343/download/47022/10%20A-2%20Bihar.pdf |website=census.gov.in|publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}|align=center}}

{{bar box

|title=Religions in West Champaran district (2011){{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-01 Population by Religion: Bihar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11366/download/14479/DDW10C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

|titlebar=#Fcd116

|left1=Religion

|right1=Percent

|float=right

|bars=

{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|77.44}}

{{bar percent|Islam|green|21.98}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.58}}

}}

According to the 2011 census West Champaran district has a population of 3,935,042,{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=District Census Handbook: West Champaran |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/296/download/834/DH_2011_1001_PART_A_DCHB_PASHCHIM_CHAMPARAN.pdf |website=Census of India |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}} roughly equal to the nation of Liberia{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | access-date = 1 October 2011 | quote = Liberia 3,786,764 July 2011 est. | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927165947/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | archive-date = 27 September 2011 }} or the US state of Oregon.{{cite web|url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php|title=2010 Resident Population Data|publisher=U. S. Census Bureau|access-date=30 September 2011|quote=Oregon 3,831,074|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019160532/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php|archive-date=19 October 2013}} This gives it a ranking of 63rd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of {{convert|750|PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 28.89%. Pashchim Champaran has a sex ratio of 906 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 58.06%. 9.99% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Tribes made up 14.08% and 6.35% of the population respectively.

{{Pie chart

|thumb = right

|caption = Languages of West Champaran district (2011)

|label1 = Bhojpuri |value1 = 91.86 |color1 = gold

|label2 = Hindi |value2 = 3.32 |color2 = orange

|label3 = Urdu |value3 = 2.97 |color3 = green

|label4 = Bengali |value4 = 0.99 |color4 = orchid

|label5 = Others |value5 = 0.86 |color5 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 91.86% of the population in the district spoke Bhojpuri, 3.32% Hindi and 2.97% Urdu as their first language.{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Bihar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10196/download/13308/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-1000.XLSX|website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

Languages include Bhojpuri, a tongue in the Bihari language group with almost 51 million speakers, written in both the Devanagari and Kaithi scripts.{{cite encyclopedia | editor = M. Paul Lewis | encyclopedia = Ethnologue: Languages of the World | title = Bhojpuri: A language of India | url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=bho | access-date = 30 September 2011 | edition = 16th | year = 2009 | publisher = SIL International | location = Dallas, Texas | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111006002323/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=bho | archive-date = 6 October 2011}}

• Manoj Bajpayee, film actor.
• Vinay Bihari, actor, lyricist.
• Mahatma Gandhi, freedom fighter who started the Champaran Satyagraha movement here.
• Sanjay Jaiswal, politician
• Prakash Jha, film director.
• Manish Jha, film director and theatre actor.
• Sanjeev K Jha, script writer, filmmaker
• Sunil Kumar Kushwaha , Member of Parliament
• Baidyanath Prasad Mahto, politician, Member of Parliament.
• Krishna Kumar Mishra, politician.
• Vikas Mishra, economist, writer an academic administrator
• Gopal Singh Nepali, Hindi poet.
• Gauri Shankar Pandey, politician.
• Kedar Pandey, former Chief Minister of Bihar
• Raghaw Sharan Pandey, IAS (Retd), former Union Petroleum Secretary, politician
• Damodar Raao, film music director, actor & singer
• Valmiki Rishi, an ascetic who wrote Hindu epic Ramayana here.

• East Champaran district

{{Reflist}}

{{EB1911 poster|Champaran}}

• [https://westchamparan.nic.in/ West Champaran Official website]

{{Geographic location

|Centre = West Champaran district

|North = {{NEP|Nepal}}

|Northeast =

|East =

|Southeast = East Champaran district

|South = Gopalganj district

|Southwest =

|West = Kushinagar district, Uttar Pradesh

|Northwest = Maharajganj district, Uttar Pradesh

}}

{{Districts of Bihar}}

{{Minority Concentrated Districts in India}}

{{Tirhut Division}}

{{Tirhut Division topics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:West Champaran District}}

Category:Tirhut division

Category:Districts of Bihar

Category:Minority concentrated districts in India

Category:1972 establishments in Bihar