About Raiganj in , Raiganj

Raiganj is a city and a municipality in Uttar Dinajpur district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the district as well as a subdivision. The place oozes heritage. Tradition and a rich past haunt the residents of the 300-year-old town. Even the police station was set up 125 years ago and railway connectivity reached the place 115 years ago. The city houses the 106 year old Raiganj Coronation High School. Raiganj got its railway communication way back in 1896. The train used to go to Parbatipur junction in Bangladesh from Raiganj. The rail link helped the town become an important trading centre, aided by the additional benefit of waterways.EtymologyThe origin of the name Raiganj is not exactly known. There is a debate about the origin of the name. Some say the name is linked to the royal family of Dinajpur whose surname was Rai. There are several views regarding the origin of the name. But, the widely accepted view is that the name originated from the abundance of rai sorshe (a special type of mustard) corps at this place from time immemorial.GeographyRaiganj is known for Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary (also called the Kulik bird sanctuary), home to a large population of Asian openbills and other waterbirds and it has the 2nd largest church in India. Raiganj is situated at the banks of Kulik river which helped the town to become an important place for water connectivity. But, in course of time, navigability of Kulik river decreased and business through the waterway was stopped in the first half of the 1970s, especially after the dam was erected to prevent floods. The port area slowly lost its significance and, at present, it is the most backward locality of Raiganj. A beautiful view of Sunset at Raiganj.jpg|A beautiful view of Sunset at Raiganj Bidrohi More, Raiganj.jpg|Bidrohi More, Raiganj Fowara More, Raiganj.jpg|Fowara More, Raiganj Siliguri More, Raiganj.jpg|Siliguri More, Raiganj