Jainism. Old Mandar Parvat (also known as Mandarachal Parvat in Puran) is home to many religious attractions. A Jain temple at the summit, in close proximity to a Vishnu temple, is a sign of religious tolerance. Every year in January, Bounsi Mela is organised, which depicts the village life of the Mandar region. A Ratha-Yatra procession of Lord Madhusudanah occurs every year on the same day as the Ratha-Yatra procession in Puri. Fourteenth-century Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started this Ratha-Yatra during his visit to Mandar. Banka is a largely agrarian economy and is considered the "rice bowl" of Bihar. The main crops are rice, wheat, corn, and lentils. The Amarpur belt produces sugar cane and is home to gur sugar mills. An issue for many smaller village industries in Bihar is the lack of branding for products. High-quality, locally produced goods, even in large volumes, contribute to lower earnings for business owners because of a lack of awareness of more profitable business practices. Banka is strategically located near the source of raw materials for heavy industries. Its proximity to Jharkhand (bordering Deoghar, Dumka, and Godda) and the River Chandan makes it a very strong contender for coal-based power plant investment and other heavy industry. There is a 4000 MW thermal power plant is planned in Kakwara village. Abhijeet Group has planned to built a 1320 MW thermal power plant at Baunsi. Ericsson Power Ltd has planned to set up a 1320 MW thermal power plant at Prabhawati Nagar. Dalmia Power has planned to set up a 1320 MW coal-based thermal power project in Dona village. In 2006, the Indian government named Banka one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 38 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Education Banka district has one Government college, PBS College. Other colleges and universities include DNS College, Pt Tarni Jha Women College, and Shyama Charan Vidyapeeth. Subdivisions and blocks The district comprises only one subsdivision, Banka, which is further divided into eleven blocks: Banka, Amarpur, Shambhuganj, Belhar, Fullidumar, Katoria, Chandan, Baunsi, Barahat, Dhoraiya, and Rajoun. Transport A railway line connects the existing Bhagalpur with Jasidih and Rampurhat, which is well-connected to Howrah. Banka is also connected to Patna, the capital of Bihar, by a dedicated Express train. Demographics According to the 2011 Indian census, Banka