Basti district

Basti came from the original name Vasisthi. The sage Vasishtha's ashram was situated in this area.[6] Sher Shah Suri made a well and a sarai here and hence receiving the name.

In 1801, the town Basti became a tehsil headquarter, and in 1865, it was chosen as the headquarters of the newly established Basti district of Gorakhpur Commissionary.[7]

Amorha Khas is a historical place situated at a distance of 41 km from the district headquarters. Its old name is Amorha, and it was once a province (state) of Raja Zalim Singh. Raja Zalim Singh's Mahal is here, old wall of mahal is still there with the mark of a bullet used by the English. The famous temple Ramrekha Mandir is here. Ramrekha Temple is one of the most ancient Hindu Mandir of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. Lord Shri Ram stayed here for one day during his journey of Janakpur-Ayodhya. Lord Shri Rama and Sita with Lakshmana journeyed towards Ayodhya by the road called Ram Janki Marg (present-day State Highway 72) near Chhawani.[3][4][5]

The district lies between the parallels of 26° 23' and 27° 30' North Latitude and 82° 17' and 83° 20' East longitude. Its maximum length from north to south is about 75 km. and breadth from east to west about 70 km. The district lies between newly created district Sant Kabir Nagar on the east and Gonda on the west on the south, the Ghaghra river near Amorha Khas previously known as Amorha Province or State of Raja Zalim Singh separates it from the Faizabad and newly created district Ambedkar Nagar. On the north it is bounded by district Sidharth Nagar.[8][9][10]

According to the 2011 census, Basti district had a population of 2,464,464, of which only 5.6% lived in urban areas. This ranked it the 178th most populous district in India. The district had a population density of 917 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,380/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 18.21%. Basti had a sex ratio of 963 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 67.22%. The child sex ratio of Basti was 922 females for every 1000 males.[12]

During the mid to late 1800s many people from the district of Basti migrated through the Indian indenture system to Fiji, Mauritius and South Africa, as well as to Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and other Caribbean countries. Most of them stayed and carried their traditions in those then European colonies.[15] The former President of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan's parents were from Basti district.[16] In Trinidad, the name of the Indian majority village, Basta Hall, is derived from Basti.[17]

The district have medical college named Maharshi Vashishtha Autonomous State Medical College[18] and one Rajkiya Engineering College in Government Polytechnic, Basti.[19] The district follows a usual 10+2+3 pattern of education as elsewhere in India. Some notable schools and institutions of the district are :

Established in 1911, the Government Inter College, Basti celebrated its centenary year on February 11, 2011. Former President of India Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam graced the event as Chief Guest.

• Central Academy (affiliated to CBSE)
• Government Inter College (GIC), Basti (affiliated to BHSIEUP)
• Kendriya Vidyalaya[20](affiliated to CBSE)
• St. Basil's School (affiliated to CISCE)
• Sarla International Academy (affiliated to CBSE)
• Little Flower School, Harraiya(affiliated to CBSE)

• Maharshi Vashishtha Autonomous State Medical College Basti (U.P.)[21]
• AAMAN Hospital (Private)[22]
• Hajra Hospital, Basti (Private)
• Dental Care Clinic (Private)[22]
• District Govt. Hospital (Government)[22]
• Happy Care Hospital (Private)[22]
• J.K. Hospital (Private)[22]
• Khair Memorial Hospital (Private)[22]
• OPEC Hospital (Government)[22]
• Pindari Hospital (Private)[22]
• PMC Hospital (Private)[22]
• RP Singh Hospital (Private)[22]
• Sant Kabir Eye Hospital (Private)[22]
• Sri Krishan Mission Hospital (Private)[22]
• T.B. Hospital (Private)[22]
• V.R.T.K. District Woman Hospital (Government)[22]

Raja Zalim Singh Smarak Sthal, Amorha, Basti, Uttar Pradesh (राजा ज़ालिम सिंह स्मारक स्थल, अमोढ़ा, बस्ती उ0प्र0)

Basti town is the district headquarters of the district.[6] Basti district, a part of Basti division, is formed of four tehsils: Basti Sadar, Harriya, Bhanpur and Rudhauli and 15 development blocks,[23] 139 Nyay Panchayats, two Parganas named Amorha and Nagar as well as 10 Gram Sabhas. The development blocks included are:

• Amorha (Pargana)
• Nagar (Pargana)
• Basti
• Bahadurpur
• Bankati
• Dubauliya
• Gaur
• Harraiya (Tahsil)
• Kaptanganj
• Kudaraha
• Paras Rampur
• Ramnagar
• Rudhauli (Tehsil)
• Saltaua Gopal Pur
• Sau Ghat
• Vikram Jot

The district is noted for its cotton textiles and sugar industries. Cottage industries and small-scale industries including the manufacturing units of brassware, iron and carpentry goods, agricultural implements, bricks, agro-products, foot-wear, soaps, candles, and pottery are present here. Basti is also known for its bamboo, eucalyptus (Eucalyptus teritrornis), mango and shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) populations. Four sugar factories are housed in the district. Sugarcane, maize, paddy, pulses, wheat, barley, and potato are commonly cultivated. Most of the population depends for their livelihood on agricultural practices. The district is well-connected through NH 28 which reflects on its good economy. The city is well-connected through railways also.

Basti Railway platform

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Basti one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).[24] It is one of the 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[24] City is also known for nationwide youth organisation National Association of Youth founded by Bhavesh Kumar Pandey and run from Basti. [25] The organization organizes Basti Mini Marathon every year since 2012.

NH 28 passing near Basti facilitates inter-district road transport

Basti railway station lies on the main line connecting Lucknow with Gorakhpur and places in Bihar and Assam in the east passes through the south of the district. The main line has 7 railway stations which are, from east to west, Munderwa,[26] Orwara, Basti, Govindnagar, Tinich, Gaur, and Babhnan within the district. There is a daily Intercity express between Gorakhpur, Basti, Gonda, and Lucknow. National Highway 28, a part of the East West Corridor project of Government of India and NHAI,[27] also passes through Basti.

The forest cover of the district has dwindled with increasing use of land for agriculture. There are areas with high prevalence of mango (Mangifera indica), mahua (Madhuca longifolia), sal (Shorea robusta), and bamboo (Bambusa arundinacea) trees. Some of the wild animals of the district are the nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), antelok (Anelok cervicapra), pig (Sus scrofa), wolf (Canis lupus), jackal (Conis aureus), fox (Vulpes bengalensis), hare (Lepus ruficandatus), monkey (Macaca mulatta), wild cat (Felis bengalensis) and the porcupine (Hystric leucura). Several species of game birds are also seen, including the peafowl (Pavo cristatus), the black partridge (Frencolinus francolinus) and the gray partridge (Francalinus pondicervanus). A number of migratory water fowls visit the water bodies of the district in winter, such as the goose (Anser anser), common teal (Anas crecca), red-crested pochard (Netta rufina), white-eyed pochard (Aythya rufa) and the wigeon (Mareca penelope). The cobra (Naja naja), krait (Bungarus caeruleus), and rat-snake (Ptyas mucosus) are commonly found. The Indian crocodile or naka (Crocodylus palustris), and the ghariyal (Gavialis gangeticus) are also found in the river Ghaghra. The common fish species are rohu (Lebeo rohita), bhakur (Catla catla), nain (Cirrhina mrigala), parhin (Wallagonia attu), krunch (Labeo calbasu), and tengan (Mystus seenghala).[6]

Ramrekha Mandir, Amorha, Basti, Uttar Pradesh, India (रामरेखा मन्दिर – अमोढ़ा)

Notable people from the district include:

• Arvind Kumar Chaudhary – former Member of Parliament for Basti (Lok Sabha constituency).
• Ram Prasad Chaudhary – former cabinet minister in UP Government.
• Harish Dwivedi – BJP elected at the 2014 Indian general elections from the Basti (Lok Sabha constituency).[Member of parliament].
• Jagdambika Pal – former chief minister of UP Government
• Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena – Hindi poet who received the government Sahitya Academy prize
• Brijesh Shandilya - playback singer from Basti Uttar Pradesh.
• Ramchandra Shukla – regarded as the first codifier of the history of Hindi literature in a scientific system
• Obaid Siddiqi – biologist (geneticist), referred to as the founder of modern biology in India; founded TIFR (Molecular Biology Dep.) and NCB, Bangalore
• Yogendra Singh, sociologist
• Raj Kishor Singh – former cabinet minister in UP Government.

• Basdila
• Sagra
• Mugraha
• Walterganj

• Official website of Basti district
• Munderwa, Basti District
• Introduction – Basti District
• Agriculture Basti
• Basti District map
• District Court of Basti