Mirzapur, the administrative headquarters of
Mirzapur District, is an old city located 75 km southwest of
Varanasi. It lies on the banks of
Ganges and is a major trade center and agricultural area of
Uttar Pradesh.
Allahabad is 80 km west of Mirzapur.
It is believed that the town was founded by Raja Nanner in the 17th century. It was earlier known as Girijapur but later came to be called Mirzapur ('Mir' meaning 'sea' and 'ja' meaning 'outcome’, with the additional 'pur' standing for 'town'). Early mentions about the town had been found in the writings of Tieffenthaler, as a great mart in the central India. Repeated references about this town are also noticed in the records of Jonathan Duncan, who was a resident of Varanasi at that time.
Mirzapur is perched beautifully in the lap of nature and is surrounded by hills. Cotton milling, sandstone dressing, and brassware and carpet manufacture are the major industrial activities of the town. Places of tourist interest include the ancient Kali shrine at Vindhyachal, the ghats along the river, Tanda waterfall, Motia talab, Chunar and Vindham falls.
Mirzapur Railway Station is on the Allahabad-
Buxar line. Nearest airport is at Varanasi. The
National Highway 7 passes through Mirzapur.
