The Geography: Purvanchal is a geographic region of north-central
India, which comprises the eastern end of Uttar Pradesh state. It is bounded by
Nepal to the north, Bihar state to the east, Bagelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh
state to the south, the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh to the west and the end of
Doab (at Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh to its southwest.
The Constituancy: Purvanchal area is represented by 23
Members of Parliament to the Lok Sabha and 117 legislators in the 403 member Uttar
Pradesh state assebly or Vidhan Sabha.
Divisions: Purvanchal consists chiefly of three divisions-the
eastern-Awadhi region in the west, the western-Bhojpuri region in the east and the
northern-Baghelkhand region in the south. It lies on the Indo-Gangetic plain, and
together with western Bihar is the most densely populated area in the world. The
rich quality of soil and the high earthworm density in the soil than adjoining districts
of U.P. is favourable for agriculture. Most of the countryside is given to intensive
Language: Bhojpuri is the predominant language or dialect
in the region in addition to Hindi although Awadhi and Baghelkhandi are also spoken
in the western and southern areas. Like Bihar state to the east, a large population,
slow economic growth, agricultural mechanisation, and the closure of sugar mills
have led to increased unemployment, social and political discontent, and some unrest
in the region.
Personality: Baba Raghavdas was the father of the Independence
Struggle in this region following the principles of Gandhi. He was called the 'Purvanchal
Gandhi'. In 1991 the government of Uttar Pradesh established the Purvanchal Vikas
Nidhi, to fund regional development projects that advance balanced development,
meet local needs, and redress regional disparities.
Districts: Purvanchal includes the districts of Varanasi,
Chandoli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Gorakhpur,
Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau, Maharajganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharth
Nagar and Ballia.