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{{Short description|Historical City in Uttar Pradesh, India}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Kalpi
| native_name = Kalpriya
| native_name_lang = Hindi
| other_name =
| image_skyline = Chaurasi Gumbad 2.JPG
| image_alt =
| image_caption = South facing view of Chaurasi Gumbad
| nickname =
| image_map =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = India Uttar Pradesh#India3
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|26.12|N|79.73|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = India
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Jalaun district|Jalaun]]
| established_title = 
| established_date = recaptured by [[Delhi Sultanate]]
| founder = Vasu Dev (Rajput monarch of [[Kanauj]]) <ref>{{Cite book |last=Burton-Page |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aDP_jlCYouAC&dq=kalpi+an+area+of+one+town+which+get+from+name+with&pg=PA153 |title=Indian Islamic Architecture: Forms and Typologies, Sites and Monuments |date=2008 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-16339-3 |page=153 |language=en}}</ref>
| named_for =
| government_type = Municipality
| governing_body = Nagar Palika Parishad
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = Baikunthi Devi
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 112
| population_total = 51670
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 285204<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citypincode.in/UTTAR_PRADESH/JALAUN/Kalpi_PINCODE |title=Kalpi Pincode 285204 STD code 05164 |access-date=25 May 2014 |archive-date=7 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107141707/http://www.citypincode.in/UTTAR_PRADESH/JALAUN/KALPI_PINCODE |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| registration_plate = UP 92
| website = {{URL|up.gov.in}}
| footnotes =
}}
[[File:Chaurasi Gumbad..JPG|thumb|right|The historical Chaurasi Gumbad built during Lodhi Sultanate]][[File:Part of circular dome of Chaurasi Gumbad..JPG|thumb|right|The part of circular dome of Chaurasi Gumbad]]
'''Kalpi''' is a historical city and [[municipal board]] in [[Jalaun district]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]. It is on the right bank of the [[Yamuna]].<ref name=EB1911>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Kalpi |volume=15 |page=644}}</ref>
It is situated 78 kilometres south-west of [[Kanpur]] from which it is connected by both road and rail.

==History==
The ancient name of Kalpi was Kalapriya.<ref>{{cite book |author=A.M. Shastri |author-link=Ajay Mitra Shastri |title=India as Seen in the Bṛhatsaṁhitā of Varāhamihira |year=1969 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=9780896842212 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQAbAAAAMAAJ |page=15 }}</ref>

=== Paleolithic ===
Lithics and fauna from the [[Middle Paleolithic]] of Kalpi have been described, aged at around 45,000 ka. These tools consist of diminutive [[quartzite]] [[Chopper (archaeology)|choppers]], possible [[Manuport|manuports]], [[Lithic core|cores]], atypical points, [[Scraper (archaeology)|scrapers]], and [[debitage]]; [[Bone tool|bone tools]] include end-scrapers, points, notched tools, [[Burin (lithic flake)|burins]], and atypical end scrapers in greater abundance than their stone counterparts. They exhibit evidence of charring, suggesting [[Control of fire by early humans|fire usage]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chauhan |first=Parth R. |date=2008 |title=Large mammal fossil occurrences and associated archaeological evidence in Pleistocene contexts of peninsular India and Sri Lanka |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1040618207002078 |journal=Quaternary International |language=en |volume=192 |issue=1 |pages=20–42 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2007.06.034|bibcode=2008QuInt.192...20C |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Medieval===
Kalapriya was an important [[Tirtha (Hinduism)|tirtha]] dedicated to [[Surya]]. [[Skanda Purana]] and [[Samba Purana]] state about the existence of a shrine to Surya that had been consecrated by [[Krishna]]'s son, Samba, alongside those in [[Multan Sun Temple|Multan]] and [[Konark Sun Temple|Konark]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hazra |first=R. C. |url=http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.15670 |title=Studies in the Upapuranas vol.1 |date=1958 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2021-01-13 |title=Installation of Muṇḍīra, Kālapriya and Mūlasthāna [Chapter 76] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc493440.html |access-date=2026-01-11 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref> The [[Rashtrakuta Empire|Rastrakuta]] king [[Indra III]] sacked the city, including the temple, while on his [[Tripartite Struggle|Kannauj expedition]], as it was under the rule of his enemy, the [[Pratihara dynasty|Pratihara]] king [[Mahipala I]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tyagi |first=Prabhakar |date=22 May 2015 |title=Military system of Northern India 606 AD-1206 AD — A study |chapter-url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/history/essay/military-system-in-northern-india-study/d/doc1878874.html |chapter=6.3 — The triangular struggle for supremacy in North India |publisher=[[Chaudhary Charan Singh University]] |via=shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in}}</ref>

In 1196, it fell to [[Qutb-ud-din Aibak]], the viceroy of [[Mohammed Ghori]], and during the subsequent Muslim period it played a significant part in the history of central India. In the early 16th-century [[Rajput]] king of [[Chittor]] [[Rana Sanga]] defeated [[Ibrahim Lodhi]] twice and establish his control over some parts of [[Uttar Pradesh]] including Kalpi and Chandawar and appointed Manik Chand Chauhan to rule there.{{sfn|Gopinath Sharma|1954|p=27}} [[Rana Sanga]] also died in Kalpi in January 1528 poisoned by his own Nobles.{{sfn|Gopinath Sharma|1954|p=44}} The city was then captured by the [[Mughals]] under [[Babur]]. During [[Akbar]]'s reign, Kalpi was a governor's seat and had a mint for copper coinage.<ref name="EB1911" /> The witty [[Raja Birbal]] of Akbar's court is considered to be born near this city. About the middle of the 18th century the city was lost by the [[Mughals]] and it passed into the hands of the [[Maratha Empire|Marathas]].<ref name="EB1911" />

===Modern===
The town was captured by the British in 1803, and after 1806 remained in British possession<ref name=EB1911/> until India's independence in 1947. Kalpi was a part of [[Bundelkhand Agency]], formed in 1811, and also housed its headquarters from 1818 to 1824. During this period the political agent to [[Governor General of India]] was appointed and headquartered in Kalpi. The [[British East India Company]] made it one of their principal stations for providing "commercial investment".<ref name=EB1911/> In May 1858 [[Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn|Hugh Rose (Lord Strathnairn)]] defeated here a force of Indian rebels led by the [[Rani Lakshmibai|Rani of Jhansi]].<ref name=EB1911/> The fortified post of Kalpi, the former residence of the rulers of [[Jalaun State]], was dismantled in 1860 by the British and its place was taken by a market known as Whiteganj.<ref>Great Britain India Office. ''[[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]]''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908.</ref>

==Geography==
Kalpi is located at {{Coord|26.12|N|79.73|E|}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/36/Kalpi.html|title=Maps, Weather, and Airports for Kalpi, India|website=Fallingrain.com|access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref> It has an average elevation of 112 metres (367 feet).The climate in Kalpi is warm and temperate. The rainfall in Kalpi is significant, with precipitation even during the driest month. The temperature averages 25.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 892 mm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.climate-data.org/asia/india/uttar-pradesh/kalpi-767109/|title=Kalpi climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Kalpi weather averages - Climate-Data.org|website=En.climate-data.org|access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref>

==Location==
The old town, which is on the [[Yamuna]] river has the ruin of a fort, and several temples of interest, while in the neighborhood are many ancient tombs.<ref name=EB1911/> Away from the river to the south-east is a lofty modern town ornamented with representations of the battles of the [[Ramayana]].

The [[Goud Saraswat Brahmin|Gaud Sarasawath Brahmin]] (GSB) community who are followers of [[Kashi Math|Kashi Math Samsathan]] Varanasi has set up a temple of Shri Bala Veda Vyasa in memory of the great sage Veda Vyasa. In 1998 [[Sudhindra Tirtha (Kashi Math)| Sudhindra Thirtha]], the swami of Kashi Math Samsthan, envisioned setting this temple right at the birthplace of Veda Vyasa. It is also a tourist attraction.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PVVlmQZ-8c|title = कालपी -महर्षि वेद व्यास मंदिर. Maharashi Ved Vyaas birth place Mandir, Kalpi, UP. Vision TV World|website = [[YouTube]]| date=30 June 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/current-affairs/180116/he-kindled-wisodm-and-benevolence.html|title=He kindled wisdom and benevolence|date=18 January 2016}}</ref>

==Economy==
Kalpi is still a centre of local trade (principally in grain, [[ghee]] and cotton) with a station on the North Central Railway (India) line from [[Jhansi]] to [[Kanpur]], which crosses the Yamuna here.<ref name=EB1911/> In late 1970s and early 1980s, Kalpi was one of the areas in central India affected by [[dacoit]]s, and was frequented by the much dreaded [[Phoolan Devi]] gang. It has been declared an industrial belt by the [[Government of India]] and handmade paper is produced there.

==Transport==
'''Railways'''

Kalpi is a major Railway Station of Kanpur-Jhansi railway section of North Central Railway.[[File:Kalpi Railway Station (Plateform).JPG|thumb|Kalpi Railway Station (Platform)]]

'''Roadways'''

Kalpi lies on [[National Highway 27 (India)|NH 27]] in the Kanpur-Jhansi section of the National Highway. It is connected to the cities of Kanpur, Jhansi, and Orai by [[Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation|UPSRTC]] buses from the Kalpi bus station.

'''Airways'''

The nearest airport is at [[Kanpur Airport|Kanpur]] near [[Chakeri]] (100 kilometres) which has direct flights to [[Delhi]], [[Mumbai]] and [[Kolkata]] but is expected to be connected to major cities of India by 2021.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Closed Cemetery- Treasure on right bank of river Yamuna at Kalpi..JPG|The British Memorial Cemetery on the banks of Yamuna River
File:Closed British Cemetery.jpg|The majestic British Cemetery situated next to River Yamuna
File:Yamuna River( Road Bridge).JPG|Yamuna River (road bridge)
</gallery>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book|author=Gopinath Sharma|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jIs9AAAAMAAJ|title=Mewar & the Mughal Emperors (1526-1707 A.D.)|date=1954|publisher=S.L. Agarwala|language=en}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kalpi}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060515090423/http://www.uparchaeology.org/home.asp Excavation in Kalpi] (archived)

{{Jalaun district}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Jalaun district]]
[[Category:Bundelkhand]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Uttar Pradesh]]

Kalpi - Revision history

Marinaupu at 04:26, 17 January 2026