Barddhaman is the 140th most populous city in India with a total population of 3,30,211. Highest employment in the district is in Agriculture, Cotton textile, Wool, Silk, Leather and other household industries. The district has 45% of the workforce employed in the Agricultural Sector, 51% in the Industrial Sector and the remaining 4% are Household workers. The chief rivers of Barddhaman are the Damodar and the Banka. The major field crops are Rice, Jute, Potato, Oilseeds. Apart from these, horticultural crops like Mango, Banana, Brinjal, Cabbage, Cucurbits are also produced. During the period of Jahangir, this place was named Badh-e-dewan (district capital). The city owes its historical importance to being the headquarters of the Maharajas of Burdwan, the premier noblemen of lower Bengal. Barddhaman Raj was founded in 1657 by Sangam Rai, of a Hindu Khatri family of Kotli in Lahore, Punjab, whose descendants served, in turn, the Mughal Emperors and the British government. It is the headquarters of Purba Barddhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, has remained in use since that period. Burdwan has a multi-cultural heritage. The Deuls (temples) found here are reminiscent of Bengali Hindu architecture. The old temples bear signs of Hinduism, mostly belonging to the Sakta and Vaishnava followers.
