Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

Aligarh (; formerly Allygurh) is a city in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of the Aligarh district. It lies 126 miles (203 km)) northwest of Kanpur and is approximately 90 miles (140 km) southeast of the capital, New Delhi. Notable as the seat of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh is one of the largest cities in Uttar Pradesh as well as the 55th largest city in India. Aligarh has been selected among 100 Smart Cities and 500 AMRUT Cities of India.

History

Before the 18th century, Aligarh was known as Kol or Koil:caste, the name of a place or mountain and the name of a sage or demon. Study of the place-name indicates that the district was once fairly well covered by forests and groves. The history of the district up until the 12th century is obscure.

According to an 1875 gazetteer written by Edwin T. Atkinson, the name Kol was given to the city by Balarama, who slew the great Asura (demon) Kol there and, with the assistance of the Ahirs, subdued this part of the doab. In another account, Atkinson points out a "legend" that Kol was founded by the Dor tribe of Rajputs in 372. This is further confirmed by an old fort, the ruined Dor fortress, which lies at the city centre.

Aligarh (film)

Aligarh is a 2015 Hindi, biographical drama film based on the life of Indian linguist and author Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation. Siras was the professor of Marathi at the Aligarh Muslim University. After successfully appealing his suspension, he died in suspicious circumstances.Manoj Bajpai plays the role of Siras, and Rajkummar Rao plays a journalist. Shooting was held in Bareilly, Agra Uttar Pradesh. The film is slated for its world wide theatrical release on 26 February 2016.

Aligarh had its world premiere at the 20th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea on 4 October 2015. The film was received with a standing ovation.Aligarh had its European premiere at the 59th BFI London Film Festival on 10 October 2015. The response was generally superlative and the film garnered excellent reviews. Screen International in its review called it a "A subtle, sensitive take on a controversial real-life court case involving the victimization of a gay college professor, Aligarh underscores the growing strength and diversity of Indian independent cinema".

Aligarh (Assembly constituency)

Aligarh Assembly Constituency is a constituency of the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh.

Member of Legislative Assembly

References

External links