About Moradabad

Moradabad is a city located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the banks of Ramganga River and is around 167 KM from the national capital Delhi and 344 KM from the state capital of Lucknow. The city is famous for its Brass handicrafts industry and is known as "Pital Nagri". It is also the divisional headquarters of Northern Railway. As of 2011, it is the most populous city in Uttar Pradesh with more than 4 million citizens of diverse religions and ethnicity. The city is among the 98 Indian cities selected for Smart City Mission by Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India.

 

Geography of Moradabad

Moradabad has coordinates of 28.83°N 78.78°E with an average elevation of 198m or 650 feet. The city has an area of 2285 sq. m that is demarcated into three sub divisions by the rivers Ramganga and Sot. The city is situated on the banks of Ramganga River that originates from Doodhatoli ranges and flows to the south west from the Kumaun Himalaya. The city has history of flash floods occuring due to over flooding of Ramganga River. In summers the temperature here shoots to 43 °C while winters it is between 5 °C and 25 °C.

The city is well connected by rail, road and air to all major cities of Uttar Pradesh and rest of India. National Highway 24 and 509 pass through the city connecting it to Delhi and many other important cities of India. Moradabad Railway Station is a major station of the Indian railways and comes under top hundred railway stations of India. It is category 'A' railway station and also one of the oldest railway stations of India that was built in 1873 and was electrified in 2012. The city also has an under construction airport while the nearest domestic airport is Pantnagar airport, located around 86 KM from the city.

History of Moradabad

The city was established in 1625 AD by Rustam Khan and is named after Prince Murad Baksh, son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Initially the city was established as an office for the Chaupala pargana during Emperor Akbar's regime. In 1624 AD it was captured by Rustam Khan, then Governor of Sambhal, who named it as Rustam Nagar. Later in 1625 AD it got renamed to Moradabad. Rustam Khan constructed a mosque here names Jama Masjid for the Mughal Emperor.

Economy of Moradabad

Moradabad is a major industrial and exports hub. The huge handicrafts industry here accounts for more than 40% of the total Indian handicrafts exports. In 2012 -13, the handicraft exports from the city amounted to INR 40 billion or $667 million. The city has a huge brassware industry employing tens of thousands of workers. There are many countries like Britain, Middle East Asia, USA, Canada and Germany that import brassware from here. Few other products that are exported from here include iron sheet, metal wares, aluminum, artworks and glassware. There are more than 600 export units and 9000 industries in the city. The city also has a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that is the only one developed by Uttar Pradesh Government. 

Culture of Moradabad

Moradabad has diverse culture with people from different religions living here. Hindi is the local language spoken here along with Urdu. As per 2011 census, district had a population of 4,773,138 with a population density of 1,284 inhabitants per square kilometer. The city has a sex ratio of 903 females for every 1000 males and a literacy rate of 58.67%.

Tourism in Moradabad

There are many tourist places in Moradabad making it a preferred destination by travelers. There is something here for all age groups and preferred time to visit is October - March when temperature is relatively low. One can experience rich and diverse cultural heritage when being here.
 
Najibudaulah's Fort
The fort was built by Gulam Kadir in the 18th century and is located near to the city of Moradabad. The fort is the place where Sultana dacoit used to live and a must visit for anyone visiting Moradabad.

Raza Library
This is a famous library that was established in the 18th century and is located in Rampur city near Moradabad. It is a must visit place for all book lovers. The library was constructed by Faizullah Khan in an endeavor to spread knowledge.

Jama Masjid
It is a holy place for Muslims and is a masterpiece that was built in 1631. The mosque is located in the Baqipur village of Moradabad. There is Hamsafar Hall located near Jama Masjid that was built by Rustam Khan in the 1631 AD.

Mandawar Ka Mahal
This palace is located in Mandawar and was built by Queen Victoria in 1850 as a gift to Munshi Mazahar Ali. Queen Victoria received knowledge of Urdu and Persian languages from Munshi Mazahar Ali who was well versed in both.

Sai Temple
There is a famous Sai Temple here that has a deity of Sai Baba and is open to devotees of all religions. There are many other tourist destinations near Moradabad like Amarpati Khera, Chandesvara Khera, Prem Wonder Land, Mosque of Karwan Sarai and Gateway of Karwan Sarai that are frequently visited by people visiting here.