Ballia district is the easternmost part of the Uttar Pradesh state and borders on Bihar State. It comprises an irregularly shaped tract extending westward from the confluence of the Ganga and the Ghaghra, the former separating it from Bihar in the south and the latter from Deoria and Bihar in the north and east respectively. The boundary between Ballia and Bihar is determined by the deep streams of these two rivers. It is bounded on the west by Azamgarh, on the north by Deoria, on the north-east and south-east by Bihar and on the south-west by Ghazipur. The district lies between the parallels of 25º33' and 26º11' North latitudes and 83º38' and 84º39' East longitudes.
Jay Prakash Narayan( 1902-1979 ) was born in Sitabdiara a village in Ballia of Uttar Pradesh, where Ganga and Sarayu meet. He did his High school from Sisabdiara and thereafter was sent to Patna to do his college and with the blessings of Gandhi he was married in Patna, but his wife was sent to Sarbarmati Asharam. While JP did his studies and went to USA for further studies where he did odd jobs in order to pay for his education.In 1929 he returned to India and joined the Congress Party. In 1932 he was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for his participation in the civil-disobedience movement against British rule in India, thereafter he formed Congress Socialist Party, a left-wing group within the Indian National Congress. J P was imprisoned by the British again in 1939 for his opposition to Indian participation in World War II on the side of Britain, but escaped and for a short time tried to organize violent resistance to the government before his recapture in 1943. After his release in 1946 he tried to persuade the Congress leaders to adopt a more militant policy against British rule. In 1948 he, together with most of the Congress Socialists, left the Congress Party and formed the Praja Socialist Party in 1952. Soon fed up with the political atmosphere he announced in 1954 that he would now concentrate and devote his life exclusively to the Bhoodan Yajna movement founded by Vinoba Bhave. In 1959 he floated a new agenda for a "reconstruction of Indian polity" by means of a four-tier hierarchy of village, district, state, and union councils. In 1974 Narayan came back to politics when he saw the rise of corruption in India and the increasingly undemocratic government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He gained a following from students and opposition politicians and from the masses. Narayan was one of the people who wanted Mrs Gandhi to resign, and therefore in Emergency he was put in Jail. In prison his health broke down. He was released after five months but never regained his health. When Gandhi and her party were defeated in elections in 1977, Narayan became the advisor of the Janata party in its choice of leaders to head the new administration. He too died a broken man dreaming to build India where there was true freedom to all.
The brave son of Ballia Shree Chittu Pandey was born on 10th may 1865 in Rattuchak (Baina) village which is 6 kms away from Sagarpali Railway station in distt. Ballia (U.P). His father name was Sri Ram Narayan Pandey. He was born in an ordinary farmer family. He was keen to make his native land free since his childhood. He was Hero of 1942 revolution in Ballia district. He lead the Quit India Movement in Ballia " on 19th Aug. 1942. He proclaimed as first collector of free Ballia.
The first freedom fighter and martyr Shree Mangal Pandey was born in village Nagwa District Ballia. He was famous for bravery amongst his colleagues.An english scholar "Fisher" has written that Shri Mangal Pandey was having all qualities of a good soldier. He was so brave and capable to embrace his death peacefully. According to the records available in Jabalpur museum( general order books). Shri Mangal Pandey was due to be executed on 18th April but he was hanged ten days before i.e. 8th April and it was kept secret. Because english rules were well aware of the fact that if Mangal Pandey remains alive it will endanger British rule. Thus Mangal Pandey became the first freedom fighter and martyr of 1857. The name of Mangal Pandey became an emblem of revolt against British rule.
Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi (1907-1979), a critic, novelist, and essayist, was born in Arat-Dubeka Chhapra, a remote village of Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh, inherited a passion for astrology, a love for Sanskrit, and a mind inquiring into the mysteries of Indian religion and cultural tradition. Dwivedi got his early education in Sanskrit. In 1930, he passed the Intermediate and Acharya examinations in Astrology from Banaras Hindu University and left for Santiniketan on a teaching assignment. From 1940 to 1950 he held the office of the Director of Hindi Bhavan in Visvabharati. His close association with Rabindranath Tagore, Kshitimohan Sen, Vidhusekhar Bhattacharya and Banarasidas Chaturvedi served as a stimulus to his literary activity. He was awarded ‘Padma Bhushan' in 1957. In 1960 he was offered the post of Professor and Head of the Department of Hindi by the Punjab University, Chandigarh. However, a little before retirement, he came back to the Banaras Hindu University as its Rector and ultimately chaired the U.P. Hindi Academy, a position, which he held till his death in Lucknow. He was awarded the Sahitya Academia Annual Prize for his collection of essays Alok Parva in 1973. Dwivedi was one of the most important literary figures of post-Acharya Shukla phase. He made an effort to analyze Hindi literature in the context of Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit and Apabhramsha literature and also as a natural development of a composite Indian thought which imbibed both Brahmanic and other non-brahmanic religious influence like those of Buddhism, Jainism and the Siddh and Natha sects.Dwivedi was a man of phenomenal reading and had an encyclopaedia mind. Acharya Dwivedi had mastered many languages and had fathomed their literature such as Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Apabramsa, and Hindi. He knew Gujarati and Punjabi also. Through English he acquainted himself with the classic of ancient Greece and modern Europe and became familiar with the Western philosophy. A library of a doyen of this stature with a mastery of several languages, an associate of contemporary scholars, writers, painters, nationalists, is a storehouse of information. The collection of 10,000 volumes of Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi has been donated by children to IGNCA for facilitating further dissemination. This collection includes rare editions of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit works and a sizable collection of creative and critical writings in modern Indian languages and literature especially in Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali and Punjabi literature. It also comprises a large volumes on religion, philosophy, linguistics, history, and science in general. The collection also includes journals, thesis, reports and commemorative volumes on various topics.There are several volumes of Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts of various institutes. The collection include books on research methods like Sodha pravidhi, Anusandhan evam sarveksan ki pravidhiyam; books on Journalism like Patra kala, Samachar Sampadan, Samachar Samkalan aur lekhan etc. In the field of Philosophy books like Vaigyanik Darshan ka udaya, Padarth Sastra, Tattva Mimamsa, Vedant Siddhant mat marinated, Brahmasutra bhasya are available. In the fielf of religion it includes books on Hinduism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, Tantrism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism. Various editions of Ramayana are also available like Kambharamayana, Krtivasaramayana, Ramakatha, Kashmiri-ramavtara carita, Maithili sriramacarita-manasa, etc. Hindi translation of classical works like the Republic of Plato, etc. are part of this collection. A good number of books on Gandhian study and Marxism are also available in this collection.This collection known as Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Collection (HPD collection) is housed in a separate section in IGNCA, and is accessible to scholars for reference purposes. The IGNCA deeply appreciates the gesture of generosity of his children in donating the collection to the IGNCA.
Acharya Parushram Chturvedi was born in july 25th 1884 in village JAVAHI distt. Ballia. His father was Shree Ramchabila Chaturvedi and mother was Smt. Surjee Devi. He was having keep interest in knowing about religious books. After doing his MA in phsycology from Prayag Vishvavidhyalaya he did LLB in 1925 . He started practice in his native district Ballia. Due to his love for truth he was not having interest in his profession. He was having knowledge of almost every language. In hindi literature he did a lot job. At that moment of time nothing was done in hindi literature. Due to work of his and Acharya Hajari Prasad Kabir became Kabir (great). This greate Sant survived in this world for 84 yrs and left to join GOD on 4th jan. 1979.
Ballia which is land of Maharshi Bhragu, Martyre Mangal Pandey and many more also gave birth to wife of first President of independent India Smt. Rajvenshi Devi . She was born in a kayasta family of Shree Harnandan Sahay Rampur (Dalanpur Chapra) in Ballia. She was very eager for the independence of India and worked a lot against English rule. A greate hate was in the mind of this girl of Rampur for English officers and people. She also worked to communicate messages of freedom fighters and inspired people for the independence of India. With the result whole country steped into the movement for free India.
Chandra Shekhar was born in Ibrahimpatti which is situated in block Siar (Belthra Road) of distt. Ballia (U.P). He was born in an agricultural family. He did his primary education from junior high school Bhimpura Ballia which is 15 kms away from his village. He used to go on foot to his school daily.Thereafter came to Ballia city for college education and did BA in 1947 from Satish Chandra College Ballia. He did MA(Political Science) in 1951 from university of Allahabad, Allahabad (U.P).Father's Name Late Shri Sadanand Singh
Date of Birth :17 April 1927
Place of Birth :Ibrahimpatti in Distt. Ballia (Uttar Pradesh)
Spouse's Name : Smt. Dwija Devi
Children: Two sons
Educational Qualifications : M.A.
Educated at Allahabad University, Allahabad
Profession : Agriculturist, Political and Social Worker
Permanent Address Vill. and P.O. Ibrahimpatti Block Siar (Belthra Road), Distt. Ballia (Uttar Pradesh)
Positions Held : 1951 Secretary, P.S.P., Distt. Ballia
1952 Joint Secretary, P.S.P., Uttar Pradesh
1955 General Secretary, P.S.P., Uttar Pradesh
1962 Elected to Rajya Sabha
1964 He joined Cogress Party 1967 General Secretary, C.P.P.
1977 Elected to Lok Sabha (Sixth)
1977-78 President, Janta Party
1980 Re-elected to Lok Sabha (Seventh) 1989 Elected to Lok Sabha (Ninth) for the third time
1990 He became Prime Minister of India and incharge of Ministries/
Industry, Labour, Welfare, Planning, and Programme Implementation on 10 Nov 1990 and resigned in March 1991 on the request of President of India he remained PM upto 20 june 1991.
1991 Elected to Lok Sabha (Tenth) for the fourth time
1996 Elected to Lok Sabha (Eleventh) for the fifth time 1998 Elected to Lok Sabha (Twelth) for the sixth time 1999 Elected to Lok Sabha (Thirteenth) for the seventh time
Books Published : 'Meri Jail Diary' (Hindi) and 'dynamics of Social Change'
Literary, Artistic and Scientific Accomplishments : Founder-Editor and Chairman, Editorial Advisory Board of 'Young Indian'
Social and Cultural Activities : Undertook Padyatra of 4,260 kms. from Kanyakumari to Rajghat, New Delhi (6 January 1983 to 25 June 1983) to establish rapport with the masses and understand their problems and
established 15 'Bharat Yatra Centres' in various States to train social and political workers for mass education and grassroot work.
Special Interests : Primary education and health services
Favourite Pastime and Recreation : Gardening, travelling and discussions
Other Information : Arrested under Misa during Emergency, even being a member of the Central Election Committee and Working Committee of A.I.C.C.I
He died on 08 July 2007.
Dadri Mela (fair) -
Dadri Mela is the second largest cattle fair of India which is located at 5 KM from Ballia town nearby NH 31 and 3 KM from Bus station of Ballia city.The fair starts on full moon of Kartik Poornima (October–November) with Holy dip in Ganges. This fair is held annually in the honour of Dadar Muni, the disciple of Maharishi Bhrigu.
This fair is celebrated for more than one month and is organized in two phases. The first phase starts before 10 days of Kartik Poornima in which traders bring some excellent hybrids of cattle from across India for sale/purchase. On or after Kartik Poornima, various cultural programs are organized and one can find shops of different items at one stop during the next Fortnight.
Surha Taal
Sahid Smarak
Brigu Mandir
Dardari Mela ( In Nov-Dec)
Basant Vihar Jeera Basti, Botanical Garden type
Sri. Chain Ram baba Temple, Sahatvar Ballia
Sri. Khapdia Baba Temple, Lalganj, Ballia
Sri. Vigyan Dev Jee Maharaj Temple, Poor Pakdi, Ballia
Sri. Kameshwar Dham ,Karron , Ballia
Sri. Jangli Baba mandir
Mangla Bhawani mandir, Ujiwar, Ballia
Jai Prakash Nagar Samark, Jai Prakash Nagar, Ballia
Bihar became the first state in India to have separate web page for every city and village in the state on its website www.brandbihar.com (Now www.brandbharat.com)
See the record in Limca Book of Records 2012 on Page No. 217