Malda District is bounded by north and south Dinajpur districts in the northern region,
Murshidabad in the south, and the state of
Bihar in the west. It shares an international border with Bangladesh in the east. The district headquarters is Engraj Bazar. The district, spread over an area of 3,733 sq km, has a population of around 2.7 million.
Malda town, located at a distance of 365 km from Kolkata, was once a capital of Royal Bengal. A factory was established here in the year 1771 and hence the place was also called English Bazaar during British reign. The region is fortunate to have excellent soil conditions and irrigation facilities. The land is ideal for mulberry and mango cultivation. Agriculture is the main source of income for the people. Malda is an important distributing center for rice, jute, and wheat.
Major tourist destinations include Gaur,
Pandua, Adina, Malda town, and Farakka. Some significant archeological sites are also found, including the
Adina Mosque built in 1369 and
Eklakhi Mausoleum in Pandua.
