Purnea has a rich Hindu history and a glorious past.During Mughal rule Purnea was an outlying military province, its revenue was mostly spent on protecting its borders against tribes from the north and east. Its local governor raised a rebellion against Siraj ud-Daulah in 1757, after the capture of Calcutta. In 1765, along with the rest of Bengal, the district became a British possession.  Purnea is famous for its uniquely designed Ramakrishna Mission where Durga Puja in the month of April is celebrated with due devotion and honour. Purnea is also famous for the oldest temple of Mata Puran Devi, which is hardly 5 km away from the main city. There is a theory that Purnia got its name from that temple. Some people believe that many years ago Purnea was Purna - Aranya which stands for "complete jungle", and that's why it has got the name Purnea.

Purnia has an area of 3,202 square km. It is a level, depressed tract of country, consisting for the most part of a rich, loamy soil of alluvial formation. It is traversed by several rivers flowing from the Himalayas, which afford great advantages of irrigation and water-carriage. Its major rivers are the Kosi, the Mahananda, the Suwara Kali and the Koli. In the west the soil is thickly covered with sand deposited by changes in the course of the Kosi. Among other rivers are the Mahananda and the Panar. Its major agricultural products are jute and banana.

It has a total population of 2,543,942  of which 1,720,743 are rural and 158,142 urban. It had 1,185,356 electors in the 2005. The literacy Rate is 35.10% Purnia district has four subdivisions: Purnea , Baisee , Banmankhi and Dhumdaha and they are further composed of fourteen blocks namely East Purnea,Krityanand Nagar, Banmankhi, Kaswa, Amaur, Bainsi, Baisa, Dhamdaha, Barhara Kothi, Rupauli, Bhawanipur, Dagarua, Jalalgarh and Srinagar.

The city also has the Darghah of Hazrat Mustafa Jamalul Haque Bandagi, Chimni Baza. The 'Dargah and Khanquah Alia Mustafia' is located hardly 7 km away from main city. It is also famous for spirituality, communal harmony and Suffism. Its history goes 400 years back, when Hazrat Bandagi came from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh visiting several Khanqahs and Dargahs from all over India such as the Pandawa Sharif, the Bihar Sharif etc. The Darghah is playing a major role to spread culture, education, kindness, secularism and spiritual spirits in the North East Bihar since its establishment. Deorhi at Garbanili (Purnea) still has the ruins of Kala Bhawan the ancient Darbar (Palace) of Raja Kalanand Singh, where his successor still lives.

Physical Features
		Latitude		25° - 13'-80" ~ 27°-07'-59" N
		Longitude		86°-59'-06" ~ 87°-52'-35" E
		Rural Area		2800.10 sq. kms
		Urban Area		400.21 sq. kms
		Total Area		3202.31 sq. kms
		Height above Sea-Level		171.2 Feet
		Normal Rainfall		1,470.4 mm
		Avg. Number of Rainy Days		73 Days in a Year
		Average Temperature		28°C
		- Maximum		48°C
		- Minimum		03°C
Administrative Units
		Districts		Purnea
		Sub-Divisions		4
		CD Blocks		14
		Panchayats		251
		Number of Revenue Villages		1296
		Number of Urban Agglomerations		3
		Number of Towns		3
		- Statutory Towns		1
		- Non-Statutory Towns		2
		Police Stations		27
		- Civil Police Stations		27
		- Railway Police Stations		0
Key Statistics - as per 2001 Census (Provisional)
		Population		2,543,942
		- Male		1,328,417
		- Female		1,215,525
		Population (0~6 Years Group)		536,851
		- In Absolute Numbers
				272,748
				264,103
		- Percentage of Total Population		21.19%
				20.53%
				21.73%
		Literacy
		- In Absolute Numbers		700,070
				478,689
				221,381
		- Percentage of Total Population		35.10%
				45.63%
				23.42%
		- Highest Literacy		Purnea East
		- Lowest Literacy		Baisee
		Decadal Population Growth (1991-2001)
		- Absolute		2,543,942
		- As Percentage		35.23%
		Schedule Caste Population		312,088
		- Percentage to Total Population		12.27%
		Schedule Tribe Population		111,947
		- Percentage to Total Population		4.40%
		Total Workers		960,700
		- Main Workers		782,364
		- Marginal Workers		178,336
		Density of Population		794.49 per sq kms
		- Highest Density		1246 Per sq kms
		- Lowest Density		410.42 Per sq. kms
		Sex Ratio (Females/Thousand Males)		915
		Sex Ratio (0-6 Years)		967

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