Shukratal, is a well known religious town under Muzaffarnagar district. It is the place where Rishi Suka narrated the Bhagwat Purana to Parikshit Maharaj for 7 days before he was bitten to death by snake king takshaka as per the prophecy/curse . The thousands of years old Vat Vriksha (banyan tree) associated with times of Mahabharata and under which the historical event of Bhagwat Purana narration by rishi Suka to grandson of arjuna, the dying king Parikshit happened. It is said that because the tree witnessed and heard the Bhagwat Purna staight from rishi Suka maharaj it has become immortal. Every year lakhs of devotees come to do Parikrama (circling the perimeter of tree on foot) of this ancient tree. The divine tree Kalpavriksha planted by Swami Omanand ji and Vijaypal Baghel in Navgriha Vatika of Shuktirth. Shukratal is also famous for it’s temple with sky-high statues of Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. The river Ganga also passes through Shukratal, flowing straight from Haridwar.
Sankirtan Bhawan, popularly known as Kirtan Bhawan, is also very famous. It is situated in prime residential area of New Mandi. A Kirtan (singing of Bhajans in praise of Lord) is conducted daily in evening here; the temple got its name on this daily activity. It is the only temple in 5 districts nearby to have a statue of Lord Tirupati Balaji (an avatar of Lord Vishnu) in accordance with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. A Bhandaara (free distribution of food as Lord’s Prasada) is being organised at this temple’s “Anna Shetra” (Food Area) daily at 12.00 noon. More than 1,00,000 poor people are being served annually here. It was started by a well known philanthropist and businessman of his time, Late Giani Ram Gupta, in 1979 out of his own funds but by Lord’s blessing very soon the initiative received heavy donations and today it supports similar initiatives in areas nearby.
There are a number of good schools and colleges in the city. Schools are mostly associated with CBSE and UP Board. A few well-known schools of the city are L.J.P. SVM Inter college,Bhagwanti Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College,Islamia inter & degree college,Nawab azmat ali khan Muslim girls degree college, Deep Chandra Grain Chember Inter College(DCGC Inter College), S.D. Public School, G.C. Public School, Holy Angels Convent School, M.G. Public School(CSIR Adopted Schoo, ISA awarded School by British Council of India), Flora Public Junior High School, DAV Public School, J.V. Public School, Shardein school, Raj Public Inter College, Stepping Stones School, Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, S.D. Inter College, Gyan Deep Public School, DAV Inter College, M.M.M Inter Collage, ascent public school and several others.
It is important to mention contributions of Swami Kalyan Devji Maharaj in field of education. He was a unique personality who had dedicated himself to community service and had been serving villagers and others. Due to his efforts, nearly 200 institutions of national importance got established during the last one hundred years. These include: Gandhi Polytechnic, Ayurved Medical College, Ayurved Research Centre, Agriculture College, Agriculture Science Centre, Hospitals, Eye Hospitals, Degree Colleges, Inter Colleges, Senior Secondary Schools, Navodaya School, Girls’ Schools, Junior High Schools, Primary Schools, Sanskrit Pathshalas, Dumb Deaf and Blind School, Yoga Training Centre, Dharmshalas, Orphanage, Old Persons’ Ashram, Old Cow’s Protection Centre and several other spiritual and religious centres.
The city has several institutions of higher education. It is home to a major medical college and also privately funded colleges. The state-sponsored colleges like S.D Degree College, S.D College Of Management Studies, D.A.V Degree College, Choudhary Chotu Ram post Graduate College, Jain Degree College also add to this list. Self Finance colleges are SD Group of colleges, Shri Ram Group of Colleges and Deen Dayal Group of Colleges. Dr Sidharth Sharma, (A Retired Defence Serviceman), formerly Director General, Deen Dayal Group of Colleges and now Director (Administration) in S. D.Group of Colleges has taken the higher education in the district to the new highs and created new strategic path. Most of the colleges are associated to CCS university and UP Technical University.
Gangaram Pura, Abupura, Thakurdwara, Lohiya Bazaar, Panchmukhi, Krishnapuri, Hanuman Chowk, Dwarka Puri, Daal Mandi, Gudari, Janakpuri, Gandhi Nagar, Keshav Puri(South Civil line), Gadderia Coloney, Numaish Camp, Gandhi Colony, Aryapuri, Adarsh Colony, Brahmpuri, Gaushala, Gandhi Colony, Tyagi Complex, Tyagi Colony, Rampuri, Kewal Puri, Indira Colony, Jat Colony, Khalapar,Malhupura,Sarwat, Kundan Pura, Mahatma Colony, Laddawala, Ramlila Ground, New Mandi, Patel Nagar, Prem Puri, South & West Krishna Puri, Pal Nagar, Ram Puram, Saket Colony, Sarwat Gate, Kachi Sadak, Dayalbagh Colony (A colony of Radhaswami faith followers), Laxman Vihar, Agarsen Vihar, Avadh Vihar etc. A new residential venture by ANSAL builders is soon to come up in the city.
Bhopa Road (Transport area and Commercial area for Muzaffarnagar), Shiv Chowk (Heart of the City), Devi Ahiliya Bai Holkar Chock, Bhagat Singh Road (Main Market), Court Road, Lohia Bazaar or Loha Mandi (market of steel and iron products), Ansari Road, Jhansi-ki-Rani Chowk, S.D. Market (consisting of cloth merchants and wholesalers, as well as many respected outlets), Zila Parishad market (pharmaceutical), Sadar Bazaar (Hospitals, Hosiery wholesalers, Stock-brokers etc.), Gandhi Colony, Roorkee Road Market (Heavy Engineering Products), Meerut Road (Automobile showrooms), and New Mandi (Most private/public banks, Cloth Retailers showrooms etc.). Sadar Bazaar and New Mandi are the most expensive areas in terms of real estate prices.
Muzaffarnagar is well connected by road and railway networks. The Ghaziabad – Saharanpur line passes through the city thus forming the backbone of the long-distance and best possible travel from the city. Indian Railways provides connections to New Delhi, Western, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, South India and other parts of the country. Dehradun Shatabdi and Dehradun Jan Shatabdi express trains pass through and halt at the Muzaffarnagar station. The Meerut – Shaharanpur section of this railway route is now being developed as a part of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. The corridor extends from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni in West Bengal.
More than 40% of the region’s population is engaged in agriculture. According to Economic Research firm Indicus Analytics, Muzaffarnagar has the highest agricultural GDP in Uttar Pradesh. It has the largest granary in UP. Despite of this much of economic power, the city has been absent from the map of the foreign and modern business establishments. However, the situation is now changing and many MNC’s are looking to open business in the city. Infrastructure development is also happening with several housing, highway and civil works being undertaken by the government. Improvement of the railway infrastructure is also currently underway.
Muzaffarnagar ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city was established in Mughal period by a Sayyid Jagirdar, Munawar Lashkar Ali, and so named in honour of his father, Muzaffar Ali Khan. It is the headquarters of the Muzaffarnagar district. It is a major steel and sugar manufacturing hub of northern India. Many popular farmer leaders come from Muzaffarnagar. It is situated midway on Delhi and Dehradun National Highway (NH 58), the city is also well connected with the national railway network.
Bhairo-ka-Mandir, the Bhairo Temple, is situated in the heart of the city on Ansari Road. It is a very quiet and spiritual place to spend some time. It is most visited during festival season. This temple is of special significance because it contains Ekadash-Shivlinga (eleven Shivalingas). The temple is situated right in the heart of the city, yet is hidden and few people know about it. If you need spiritual awakening do visit this temple in the morning and evening to chant the daily arti. Pandit Bunty is looking after the mandir premises.
Muzaffarnagar lies in what is called the Sugar Belt of Western Uttar Pradesh. The region is one of the important sugarcane producing regions in the world. Sugar and jaggery production are important industries in the Muzaffarnagar district. As a result of the farming activities around, the city is an important hub of jaggery trading business. Naveen Mandi Sthal situated in the eastern outskirts of the city is the trading hub for Jaggery and other agriculture produce.
The National Highway – 58 (NH-58) passes through Muzaffarnagar city. This highway provides connections towards Delhi on the southern direction and upper reaches of the Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state on the northern direction. The highway is the backbone of the road transportation for the Muzaffarnagar city as well as Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Cities and areas of Hardwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun as well as Badrinath and Kedarnath are served by this highway.
Muzaffarnagar lies in the Doab region in the Western Uttar Pradesh and hence is a city in the middle of one of the most fertile farming land in the India. It has one of the biggest jaggery trading markets in whole of Asia. Jaggery is also exported from Muzaffarnagar to countries around Asia. Muzaffarnagar is the education hub for the nearby towns and villages. It is the most developing city of Western Uttar Pradesh after Meerut, Noida and Ghaziabad.
As of the 2011 census, Muzaffarnagar municipality had a population of 392,451 and the urban agglomeration had a population of 494,792. The municipality had a sex ratio of 897 females per 1,000 males and 12.2% of the population were under six years old. Effective literacy was 80.99%; male literacy was 85.82% and female literacy was 75.65%. The city has 44% Hindus, 46.5% Muslims, 7% Sikhs, 2% Christians and 0.5% Jains.
Muzaffarnagar is an important industrial town with sugar, steel and paper being the major industries. District Muzaffarnagar has 11 sugar mills. Many steel companies market their steel products, including angles and bars, through media in the country. Hence adding another aspect to Muzaffarnagar’s popularity in the country.
Dargah Har Shrinath is one of the famous places for the devotees, situated at Ansari Road. The branches of the place are almost in every city of India with its Head-Office in Delhi. Every Shivratri, here is a very big function. The annual function of the temple is celebrated on 9 March with great pomp and show.
Muzaffarnagar city is governed by Municipal Corporation which comes under Muzaffarnagar Urban Agglomeration. Although Muzaffarnagar city has population of 392,451; its urban / metropolitan population is 494,792 of which 261,338 are males and 233,454 are females.. Languages spoken are Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.
The city also has a Medical College Muzaffarnagar Medical College situated on Meerut – Muzaffarnagar Highway nearly 10 km on the outskirts of the city which is affiliated to CCS university & approved by Medical Council of India. Along with M.B.B.S, this college is offering various other courses.
Muzaffarnagar lies approximately at the middle of the road journey from Delhi to Rishikesh (also on NH-58). As a resultant, many roadside resorts and eateries have sprung up on the highway near the city. Especially, the town of Khatauli is famous for its canal side forest park named Cheetal.
Shukratal, is a well known religious town under Muzaffarnagar district. It is the place where Rishi Suka narrated the Bhagwat Purana to Parikshit Maharaj for 7 days before he was bitten to death by snake king takshaka as per the prophecy/curse . The thousands of years old Vat Vriksha (banyan tree) associated with times of Mahabharata and under which the historical event of Bhagwat Purana narration by rishi Suka to grandson of arjuna, the dying king Parikshit happened. It is said that because the tree witnessed and heard the Bhagwat Purna staight from rishi Suka maharaj it has become immortal. Every year lakhs of devotees come to do Parikrama (circling the perimeter of tree on foot) of this ancient tree. The divine tree Kalpavriksha planted by Swami Omanand ji and Vijaypal Baghel in Navgriha Vatika of Shuktirth. Shukratal is also famous for it’s temple with sky-high statues of Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. The river Ganga also passes through Shukratal, flowing straight from Haridwar.