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Bithoor
—  city  —
Brahmavart Ghat Picture taken on Shivaratri day shows the pilgrims about to start their two-day austerity trek.
Bithoor Location of Bithoor in Uttar Pradesh and India
Coordinates	26°36′46″N 80°16′19″E / 26.6127°N 80.2719°E / 26.6127; 80.2719Coordinates: 26°36′46″N 80°16′19″E / 26.6127°N 80.2719°E / 26.6127; 80.2719
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District(s)	Kanpur
Population	9,647 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Codes • Telephone • +0512 • Vehicle • UP-78
Website	[http://Official Website Official Website]

Bithoor is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage in Kanpur District near Kanpur city, in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Location[link]

Bithoor is situated on the Kannauj Road, 27 km from center of Kanpur. Situated on the banks of the Ganges. It is a tourist place.

Demographics[link]

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[1] Bithoor had a population of 9647. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Bithoor has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 70% and female literacy of 53%. 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

History[link]

There are many views as to how it came to be known as Bithoor. The most plausible one relates to Bajirao Peshwa of Maharashtra who had made Bithoor his home after being expelled from Satara by the British. The Peshwa was a devotee of Lord Bithoba. He built a temple dedicated to the Lord and renamed Brahmavart as Bithoba Nagar. Over a period, Bithoba Nagar came to be called Bithoor.

Bithoor has been closely associated with the Indian independence movement, especially the war of 1857. It was home to many of its heroes and the singular heroine the Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai.

Bithoor is also very closely associated with the legends of Rama, Valmiki, Lav and Kush, and Dhruv, the legendry prince.

Indian Rebellion of 1857[link]

Bithoor has been closely associated with the Indian independence movement, especially the war of 1857. It was at one time home to many of the rebellion's most prominent characters including the Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai. During the British Raj, Bithur used to be part of Cawnpore district (now Kanpur) in the United Provinces. The last of the Peshwas, Baji Rao II, was banished to Bithur; his adopted son, Nana Sahib, made the town his headquarters. Bithur was captured by Havelock on July 19, 1857. The town was laid waste by the British who razed Nana Sahib's palace and the temples in the town in retaliation for the brutal killing of over 500 British men, women and children who had been lured out of their defences at Cawnpore with a promise of truce.

In and around Bithoor[link]

Valmiki Ashram Some of the most significant moments of Hindu religion and mythology are said to be created here, as being the place of the forest-rendezvous of Sita after Lord Rama left her, the birth-place of Lavand Kush, the site where the Ramayana was written.

Brahmavart Ghat This is the holiest of the holy ghats of Bithoor, where the disciples of Lord Brahma pray at the alter of the 'Wooden Slippers' after a ritual bath.

Patthar Ghat The redstone ghat whose foundation stone was laid by the minister of Avadh, Tikait Rai, is a symbol of incomparable art and architecture. There is a massive Shiv temple where the Shivling is made of 'Kasaauti' stone.

Dhruva Teela This is the fabled spot where the child Dhruv meditated single-mindedly on one leg. God was so pleased that he not only appeared but granted him a divine boon--to shine for all time to come as a star.

Apart from these, there are some other landmarks as well, such as the Ram Janki temple, Lav-Kush temple, Haridham Ashram, Jahangir Mosque and Nana Saheb Smarak

Recent developments[link]

Recently, at Dhruv Teela, Digital Gangetic Plains- Media Lab (an IIT Kanpur initiative) has established a direct link from IIT Kanpur. The research at MLA Kanpur-Lucknow lab will demonstrate the application of recent developments in Wireless LAN technologies for rural connectivity by provisioning wireless Internet along the Kanpur-Lucknow corridor.

How to get there[link]

Air : The nearest airport is Kanpur Airport at Chakeri city. The latter has become operational since January 1996 and is serviced by some private airlines.

Rail : Brahmavart Station of Bithur only supports local trains. Kalyanpur is the nearest station, but serviced only by passenger trains. Kanpur Central is the most suitable station for Bithoor.

Road : Major road distances are :-

• Kanpur - 22 km (via Kalianpur)
• Lucknow - 109 km (via Shuklaganj)
• Agra - 308 km (via Akbarpur, Ramabai Nagar (Kanpur Dehat))
• Kannauj - 103 km (via Bilhaur)
• Sankisa - 166 km
• Delhi - 430 km (via Kannauj)
• Allahabad - 224 km (via Jajmau)
• Ayodhya - 252 km (via Shuklaganj)

External links[link]

• Incredible India - site dedicated to tourism in India
• UP Tourism - site with information on Uttar Pradesh

References[link]

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.