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'Meerut' (Hindi: मेरठ, Urdu: میرٹھ) IPA: is a city and a municipal corporation in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an ancient city located 72 km (44 miles) north-east of New Delhi. Meerut also has one of the major army garrisons/cantonments in this part of the country. 'Meerut' can also refer to the district in which Meerut is located.

Contents

Name Etymology

History

Geography

Demographics

Media

Education

Mythological significance

Trivia

See also

References

External links

Name Etymology

Ravana's wife Mandodari (in Ramayana) hailed from Meerut. The town may have derived its name from "Maya Rashtra", the capital of the kingdom owned by Mandodari's father Mayasura.

History

Meerut is famously associated with the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company, when chants of popular Hindi slogan "''Dilli Chalo''" ("Let's march to Delhi!") were first raised here. Meerut cantonment is the place where the rebellion started when Hindu and Muslim soldiers were given rifle cartridges with a coating made of animal fat. The bullet wrapping was to be opened by mouth before use, which affected religious sensibilities of both Muslims and Hindus as the animal coating was alleged to be composed of pork and beef. Meerut leapt into international prominence during the revolt of 1857, when on 24 April, 1857, eighty-five troopers out of ninety of the third cavalry refused to touch the cartridges and after court martial, were sentenced to ten years imprisonment. This marked the beginning of a general movement of freedom from the British yoke, with the support of the civilian populace. Meerut is also famous in Indian history as one of the famous controversial case happened in India which is known as Meerut Conspiracy Case in the year 1929.

Geography

Meerut is located at ^[1]. It has an average elevation of 219 metres (718 feet).
The map of Meerut can be found at Meerut Map

Demographics

Meerut City is also the headquarters of Meerut district which consists of 1,025 villages with a population of around (3.44 million) according to the 1991 census. As of 2001 India census^[2], Meerut had a population of 1,074,229. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Meerut has an average literacy rate of 58%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 64%, and female literacy is 52%. In Meerut, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

District population

District	Male	Female	Totals
Urban	681,209	595,348	1,276,557
Rural	1,180,533	990,822	2,171,355
Totals	1,861,742	1,586,170	3,447,812

Meerut has one of the largest Muslim populations among the major cities of India(close to 45%). There is also a significant Christian population. Meerut was the site of one of India's worst communal riots during the 1980's.

Media

Meerut is becoming an important media center, as journalists from all over Uttar Pradesh and other Indian states are working in Meerut.
'Newspapers'

★ Times of India

★ Navbharat Times

★ Dainik jagran

★ Hindustan Times

★ Economics Times

★ Amar ujala

★ Heera Times (evening)

★ Dainik Prabhat

Education

Meerut is becoming an important center for education in Western Uttar Pradesh. Students from all over U.P. and other states come to Meerut to study in programs leading to B.Tech., M.Tech., MBBS, MD, B.A., M.A., B.Com, M.Com, B.Sc. M.Sc., BBA, BCA, MBA, MCA, L.Lb., L.LM, B.Pharma, BHMCT & various other degrees in Para Medical Sciences. Also, a large number of government & private institutes provide education in these fields.
The city's young graduates today are contributing to the Indian Information Technology industry boom. Many of them are working for the topmost companies around the world.
'School enrollments'
'2000-01'

★ 1580 Primary Schools

★ 585 Junior Schools

★ 243 Higher Secondary Schools

★ 21 Degree Colleges

★ 1 University

★ 2 Industrial Training Institutes

★ 2 Polytechnics

★ 7 Engineering College

★ 1 Govt Medical College

★ 1 Private Medical College
'Well known Educational Institutions'

★ Meerut Institute of Engineering & Technology,Delhi-Haridwar bypass,NH-58,Meerut

★ L.L.R.M Medical College, Garh Road, Meerut

★ Subharati Medical College, Bypass Road, Meerut

★ Darshan Academy-founded in 1995.Head-Biswajit Dutta

★ Kendriya Vidyalaya , Punjab Lines , Meerut Cantt.

★ Kendriya Vidyalaya , Sikh Lines , Meerut Cantt.

★ Dayawati Modi Academy, Modipuram Meerut,

★ Meerut Public School West End Road Meerut Cantt

★ Deewan Public School West End Road Meerut Cantt

★ Guru Tegh Bhadur Public School West End Road Meerut Cantt

★ Delhi Public School, Baghpat Road, Meerut

★ St. Mary's Academy, Carriappa Street, Meerut Cantt.

★ Angel's School, C-11 Shastri Nagar, Meerut.

★ Meerut College, Meerut.

★ NAS College, Meerut.

★ DN College, Meerut.

Mythological significance

★ ''Lakshyagrah'' (home of lac) described in the Mahabharata — designed in conspiracy to burn Pandavas alive by Kauravas — was situated here.

★ In the great Hindu epic, Ramayana, 'Shravan Kumar' carried his feeble parents on his shoulders to all the pilgrimage sites in India, but it is believed that when he passed through Meerut, he was filled with evil feelings and put down his parents for some time to get some rest and water. It was here that Lord Rama's father, the king, mistook Shravan Kumar for a deer and shot him with an arrow by accident. Shravan Kumar's parents declared that the king's own first son would abandon him when he most needed him.

★ Meerut is also called as 'Ravan Ki Sasural' Ravan's Wife's home town.

Trivia

★ On December 21, 2005, Meerut gained notoriety when a video appeared in the national media showing police officers physically abusing men and women (Yahoo News) as part of ''Operation Romeo.'' This "operation" targeted young couples out on a date, ostensibly to "prevent the sexual harassment of women".

★ Mall Road is a wide road in Meerut near what was originally a British Military cantonment. Raghbir Sarang was known to have raced horses and buggies on this road and was whipped for having beaten up an Englishman.

★ In the 1940s, Meerut movie theatres had a "Don't Move" policy during playing of the British national anthem.

★ Meerut is famous for its sweets, especially Gazaks and Rewri.

★ In 2006 a fire in Meerut killed over 225 people at a consumer electronics fair, held in Victoria park stadium. This was followed by fire at Multiplex Cinema named as PVS Mall.

★ meerut is famous for its sports goods(specially cricket goods),which are used all over the globe

See also

★ Indian Rebellion of 1857

★ 2006 Meerut fire

★ Meerut district

★ Meerut division

References

1. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Meerut
2.

External links

★ Official Meerut district site

★ Insights into British era Meerut, plus a look at contemporary Meerut city