Bareilly
India · Asia
About Bareilly
Bareilly, also spelled Bareli, is a city in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is among the largest metropolises in Western Uttar Pradesh and is the centre of the Bareilly division as well as the historical region of Rohilkhand. The city lies in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, about 252 kilometres (157 mi) northwest of the state capital, Lucknow, and 265 kilometres (165 mi) east of the national capital, New Delhi. With a population of 903,668 in 2011, it is the eighth most populous city in the state, 17th in northern India and 54th in India. It is located on the bank of Ramganga River and is the site of the Ramganga Barrage built for canal irrigation.
The earliest settlement in what is now Bareilly was established in 1537 by a local chieftain Jagat Singh Katehriya who named it 'Bans-Bareli' after his two sons Bansaldev and Bareldev. The town came under the rule of the Mughals in 1569 and had become the capital of a local pargana by 1596. The foundation of the modern city of Bareilly was laid by Mughal governor Mukrand Rai in 1657, and in 1658 it became the seat of the governor of Budaun. The weakening of Mughal Empire lead to the rise of the Kingdom of Rohilkhand, of which Bareilly was a major centre. The city came under the control of Oudh State in 1774 after the fall of Rohillas in the First Rohilla War and was then ceded to the British East India Company by the Nawab of Oudh in 1801. A Military station was established in 1811 to the south of the city, where a fort was constructed in 1816. Bareilly was freed by the rebels during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and remained independent under the rule of Khan Bahadur Khan until it was re-annexed by the British in 1858.
Bareilly is renowned for being the place of origin of the Barelvi movement, a Sunni Islamic movement formed by Islamic scholar Ahmad Raza Khan to counter the growing influence of the Deobandi movement and Wahhabism. His shrine, located at the Bareilly Dargah, is visited by millions of his followers every year on the occasion of Urs-e-Razavi.
The city has been known as Nath Nagri due to the presence of several ancient Shiva temples, and more recently as Jumka City. It is a centre for furniture manufacturing and trade in cotton, cereal and sugar. Bareilly is one of the 100 Smart Cities being developed in India, and one of the nine counter magnet cities of the National Capital Region (NCR). The city is served by the Bareilly Airport which has direct flights to Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Bangalore. The Bareilly Junction railway station located in the city is among the top 100 booking stations of Indian Railways while Izzatnagar is the divisional headquarters of one of the three divisions of North Eastern Railways.
Bareilly travel guide
Understand
Bareilly lies in the upper Ganges plain, roughly 70 km north of the river and within sight of the outer foothills of the Central Himalaya. It is an important railway and transportation hub, about half-way between Delhi and Lucknow, well connected to most of the major cities in India by rail, and the western part of Nepal by road. According to tradition the city was founded in 1537 by two brothers, Bans Deo and Barel Deo. They built a fort and named it Jagatpur, after their father, at that time the governor of the region. The term is still used to refer to a neighborhood which is now part of the old city. A small town developed around the fort. During the Moghul period Mirzai Mashid and Jama Mashid were built along with a new fort. After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, Afghan clans, known as Rohillas, consolidated their positions in the area and then after the region became known as Rohilkhand. In 1774 the region fell into the hands of the nawab of Awad. Later the area was ceded to the East India Company and Bareilly became the headquarters of the district. Administrative buildings were built in the southern suburb of the town and in 1811 Bareilly Cantonment was established. During the mutiny of sepoys in 1857 Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla formed his own government in Rohilkhand. One year later the rebellion failed and the town was recaptured by the British Army. During the British Rule railways were constructed to link the city to Delhi and Lucknow. Before World War II, various factories were established in Bareilly and the city's economic growth continued at a high rate after independence.
Getting there
Bareilly City is equidistant from the state capital Lucknow & National Capital Delhi.
By plane 1 Bareilly Airport (BEK IATA). The domestic airport, north of the city, has regular flights to and from Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. (updated May 2024)
By train Six railway stations serve the city. The main station is 2 Bareilly Junction lying on the Delhi-Kolkata line. It's a huge and busy station with regular trains from other major cities of the country.
Ala Hazrat Express (14312) leaves Bhuj at 12:25PM and reach Bareilly at 8:30PM next day. Triveni Express (Queen of Sonbhadra) from Shaktinagar/Singrauli to Bareily via Chopan, Mirzapur, Allahabad Jn., Lucknow
By bus Bareilly has regular buses from Agra, Delhi Jaipur Lucknow, Mathura, and Varanasi. 3 Roadways Bus Stand is the terminus for the State owned buses.
See
1 Tomb of Ahmed Raza Khan (Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat). (updated Feb 2016) 2 Panchala Museum, M.J.P. Rohilkhand University Campus, ☏ +91 581 252 7263. The collection of the museum includes prehistorical stone sculptures, goddess heads of Mauryan era, and a chariot of Gupta period. The numismatic section displays 500 coins belonging to periods earlier than that of Guptas. Most of the artifacts are from the archaeological site of Ahichatra (or Ahi-Kshetra) (updated Feb 2016)
Hindu temples Famous Temples Santoshi Mata Ka Mandir: Near Madhinath, Bareilly (Old Temples). This is the Rural Area. Shiv Mandir Madhinath Bareilly City Railway Station. (Old Temples). This is the Rural Area. Muni Mandir Nekpur: This is Radha Krishna Mandir. (Old Temples ) OBC almost here. This is the Rural Area. Famous Temples in Nekpur: Near Lalita Devi Mandir Nekpur Bareilly. (Old Temples) OBC almost here. This is the Rural Area. 3 Alakhnath Temple, Alakhnath, SH 37. The main centre of Naga Sanyasins belonging to the Shiva order of Anand Akhara. (updated Feb 2016) 4 Gauri Shankar Mandir, Gulab Nagar. (updated Feb 2016) 5 Tapeshwar Nath Temple, Subhash Nagar Colony. This is the oldest temple in town. (updated Feb 2016) 6 Trivatinath Mandir, State Highway 37, B.D.A. Colony. (updated Feb 2016) Shri Hari Mandir, Model Town, Shahdana, Police Chuki Road. A beautiful Lord Radha Krishna Swaroop temple established in the 1960s with a big AC hall & music fountain, big garden
Do
1 Fun City, Pilibhit Bye Pass Road. A big amusement park including an amphitheater, a 7 Days Restaurant and a water park named Boond. (updated Feb 2016)
Excursions Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. One of the few well forested areas in Uttar Pradesh, 70 km away from the city centre. The reserve has its own tourist lodges. (updated Feb 2016)
Buy
1 Amrapali Mall, Lohia Vihar (opposite Wimco Factory, C B Ganj Police Station). The Bareilly’s most important thoroughfare. (updated Feb 2016) 2 Phoenix United, Pilibhit Bypass, Mahanagar Colony. (updated Feb 2016)
Eat
1 Delhi Mughlai Food, Civil lines (near the bus stand), ☏ +91 97614 05016. 10AM–midnight. (updated Feb 2016)
Drink & nightlife
Warehouse, 228-A, Civil Lines, Station Road. noon-12:30AM. The night pub of Swarn Towers Hotel (updated Feb 2016) Hard Rock (Allure), 204 B, Civil Lines, Station Road. The cocktail bar at Pancham Continental with live screen and music. (updated Feb 2016)
Sleep
Budget 1 Amaya Hotel, Saree Sansar Building, 35A, Civil Lines, Chowki Chouraha, ☏ +91 581 297 0101. A business hotel for budget travellers, located in the most famous market of Bareilly. (updated Feb 2016) 2 New R K Guest House, Bareilly College Road, ☏ +91 581 255 0888, +91 975 822 8842. (updated Feb 2016) Sparsh Hotel & Resort by Spree, Suresh Sharma Nagar, Pilibhit Bypass Road (10 km from Bareilly Junction), ☏ +91 7351010561, [email protected]. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. It has huge wedding gardens, restaurant & swimming pool along with all the facilities of star hotel. (updated May 2022)
Mid-range 3 Swarn Towers, 228-A, Civil Lines, Station Road, ☏ +91 581 242 6666. (updated Feb 2016) 4 Diplomat Residency, 63, Choupla Road, Civil Lines (near the train station). A 46-room, boutique 3-star hotel. €50 per night (2016). (updated Feb 2016) 5 Sobti Continental, Green Park, Bisalpur Road, ☏ +91 81714 12424. US$55 per night (2016). (updated Feb 2016) 6 Pancham Continental, 204 B, Civil Lines, Station Road,, ☏ +91 581 251 1881. US$34 per night (2016). (updated Feb 2016) Rahi Hotel Rohila, 2 Civil Lines (Near Gandhi Udyan). (updated Feb 2016)
Splurge
Go next
Nepal - The 4 Banbasa-Mahendrenagar border crossing in the extreme west of Nepal, is the one closest to Bareilly (about 115 km.)
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.