East India · West Bengal
Durgapur, West Bengal
Sources: wikimedia
About Durgapur
- Riverside
Where it is
Durgapur is a planned industrial city on the northern bank of the Damodar River in the Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, north-west of Kolkata on the main road and rail route to Asansol.
History
Durgapur was planned in 1955 under Chief Minister Bidhan Chandra Roy, with the American architects Joseph Allen Stein and Benjamin Polk. The Damodar Valley Corporation's barrage came first, followed by the Durgapur Steel Plant, built with British help, and a string of public-sector industries.
People
Bengali is the main language, with Hindi, Santali and Urdu spoken by families who came to work in the plants. Durga Puja is the biggest festival, and the city's engineering colleges and industries draw students and workers from across India.
Known for
- Durgapur Steel Plant
- Durgapur Barrage on the Damodar
- NIT Durgapur
- Garh Jungle forest
- Its nickname, the Ruhr of India
Did you know?
One of Durgapur's planners, the American architect Joseph Allen Stein, went on to design Delhi's India International Centre and India Habitat Centre.
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