Dhanaura

Dhanaura (धनौरा) is located at 28.97°N 78.25°E / 28.97; 78.25,[1] 17 km from Gajraula. It has an average elevation of 212 metres (695 feet). Dhanaura has a railway station well connected to Dehradun, Moradabad, Delhi, Lucknow, and Chandigarh.

Dhanaura and Gajraula railway junction and Indira Gandhi International Airport are the nearest access points.

In Dhanaura area there are about 65 sugar crushers. Dhanaura also has agriculture as a major source of income. The city’s main income also floats from markets fulfilling medical, hospitality, and general needs of the city and its nearby villages.

Dhanaura is a Nagar Palika Parishad city in the district of Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Uttar Pradesh (also known as Amroha District). Dhanaura is divided into 25 wards for which elections are held every five years. The Dhanaura Nagar Palika Parishad has a population of 60,007, of which 30,603 are males, and 30,000 of which are females, as per report released by Census India 2011. The population of children aged 0–6 is 3,957 (13.19% of the total population of Dhanaura). The female sex ratio is 896 against the state average of 912. Moreover, the child sex ratio in Dhanaura is around 813 compared with the Uttar Pradesh state average of 902. The literacy rate of Dhanaura city is 76.44%, higher than the state average of 67.68%. In Dhanaura, male literacy is around 84.34% while the female literacy rate is 67.76%.

Dhanaura Nagar Palika Parishad has total administration over 5,566 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage. It is also authorized to build roads within Nagar Palika Parishad limits and impose taxes on properties coming under its jurisdiction. Out of the total population, 8,555 were engaged in work or business activity. Of this 7,684 were males while 871 were females. In the census survey, a worker is defined as person who engages in business, a job, service, or cultivator and labour activity. Of a total working population of 8,555, 84.80% were engaged in Main Work, while 15.20% of total workers were engaged in Marginal Work.

Dhanaura has a majority of 76,000 Muslim voters, followed by Jats and Jatavs (45,000 each), 7,000 Prajapati, 7,000 Chauhan, 8,000 SC and about 22,000 Yadav voters.[2]

Dhanaura is a main city of the sugar belt area in Western Uttar Pradesh. The land is very fertile because land is nearer to the river Ganga and has alluvial soil. Sugarcane, wheat rice, pulses and green vegetables are the main crops. It is a very big market for 'GUR', or jaggery. The main source of income here is the trading of commodities. That is why this place is known as Mandi Dhanaura. Apart from commodities the trade of jewellery and cloths are the other major sources of income. Mandi Dhanaura is also known for temples. In 2010 the nearby area of the city was badly affected by a flood in which thousands of people and pets were affected, leaving their homes to take shelter in safe areas. The flood also destroyed thousands of acres farmland which resulted in a great loss to the farmers. Most of the villages near the Ganga area were also badly affected.

Recently, however, Dhanaura has been developing at a faster rate. It received its first MLA seat in 2012 and the seat was won by a Samajwadi candidate. Dhanaura has been famous for its Mandi and nowadays richer people of Dhanaura are starting up with new ventures and spreading the commercialisation of the town. Many new industries are setting up in the town providing with the service opportunities to the lower class. Many women here at Dhanaura are from highly educated families and are coming up with new ideas. One will find many shops being run by women. The boutique system is also spreading out in Dhanaura. Dhanaura is a hub for rural peoples for shopping and other advances. Dhanaura is well connected with its District and nearby places.

Garhi Mandir is one of the oldest temples in the city. Temples such as the Patthar Kuti, Mahadev Temple, Santoshi Mata Temple, and Ganesh Mandir are also among the holiest and famous temples in the city. The Patthar Kuti Temple is the most popular temple dedicated to the God Shiva, which is a center of attraction during the Maha Shivaratri festival. It is visited not only by the residents of Dhanaura, but also by devotees of various surrounding cities and villages. Sikh Gurudwara is an old temple for Sikh worship and nearby people of the Sikh community gather every year to celebrate birthday of Guru Nanak in the month of November. Jain Mandir is an old and holy temple in the city visited by masses of the Jain faith. Jama Masjid is the largest and oldest Masjid in the town; Sunheri Masjid and Choti Masjid are also famous.

Data as per the Indian Census of 2011 showed the following breakdown of religions observed in Dhanaura:

Hindu 66.38%
Muslim 32.17%
Christian 0.27%
Sikh 0.66%
Jain 0.47%
Others 0.05%