Malda district is a district inWest Bengal, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of Kolkata, the state capital. Mango, jute and silk are the most notable products of this district. The special variety of mango produced in this region, popularly known by the name of the district, is exported across the world and is acclaimed internationally. The folk culture ofgombhira is a feature of the district, being a unique way of representation of joy and sorrow of daily life of the common people, as well as the unique medium of presentation on national and international matters.
District headquarters is English Bazar, also known as Malda, which was once the capital of Bengal. The district maintains the traditions of the past in culture and education. Old Malda, the town which lies just east of the confluence of the Mahananda and Kalindi rivers, is part of the English Bazar urban agglomeration. The town rose to prominence as the river port of the old capital of Pandua. During the 18th century it was the seat of prosperous cotton and silk industries. It remains an important distributing centre for rice, jute, and wheat. The area between the historical monument of Jame Masjid (1566) and the landmark of Nimasarai tower across the river Mahananda, constituted a municipality in 1867. Rice, jute, legumes, and oilseed are the chief crops in the surrounding area. Malda is the largest producer of excellent quality of jute in India. Mulberry plantations and mango orchards occupy large areas; mango trade and silk manufacture are the main economic activities. The Independence Day of Malda is 17 August 1947.
The latitude range is 24°40’20″ N to 25°32’08″ N, and the longitude range is 87°45’50″ E to 88°28’10″ E. The district covers an area of 3,733.66 square kilometres (1,441.6 sq mi). The total population (as of 2001 Census) was recorded as 3,290,160.
Malda is called the gateway of North Bengal. It was once the capital of Gour-Banga with its 3,733 square kilometres (1,441 sq mi) lay of the land classified into Tal, Diara, and Barind.
To the south is Murshidabad district, to the north are North Dinajpur district and South Dinajpur district. To the east is the international border with Bangladesh. To the west is Santhal Parganas of Jharkhand and Purnea of Bihar.
Jalpaiguri is located at 26.52°N 88.73°E. It has an average elevation of 75 metres (246 feet).Jalpaiguri lies in the middle of the vast fertile plains (Terai) south of the Himalayas, watered by innumerable rivers and rivulets rising from and flowing down the Himalayas. On a clear sunny day, the Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak is visible from the city. The city lies on the banks of the Teesta River which is the second largest river in West Bengal after the Ganges. A mass flood in 1968 nearly flattened out the city and huge spurs had to be built and the river diverted to some km. outside the city to avoid the same carnage as it caused. Other than the Teesta, the Karala River, nicknamed the “Thames of Jalpaiguri”, flows through the city thereby bisecting it into two halves
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Malda one of the country’s 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the eleven districts in West Bengal currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
According to the 2011 census Malda district has a population of 3,997,970, This gives it a ranking of 58th in India (out of a total of 640).] The district has a population density of 1,071 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,770 /sq mi) .] Its population growth rateover the decade 2001-2011 was 21.5%. Malda has a sex ratio of 939 females for every 1000 males, and aliteracy rate of 62.71%..
Malda has special cultural sorts like Gombhira, Alkap, Kavigan etc.