Ranaghat is a city and a municipality in Nadia district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Ranaghat subdivision. It is compact but one of the densely populated cities of West Bengal. It is known for its handloom industry, various types of flowers and floriculture and a flower market. History After independence Ranaghat was chosen to be the district capital but later Krishnanagar city was selected instead. Ranaghat has existed since the British invaded India. The most likely origin for the name of the town comes from Rani (Queen) or Rana (a Rajput warrior) and Ghat (steps leading to the river). A myth is still prevalent that the name of the town came from the bandit 'Rana Dacoit', who used to pillage this area five or six hundred years back and he used to give pujas to the goddess Kali to thank her. A large percentage of the population are the families of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, who fled during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 with Pakistan. There are also many families who had extensive ties to foreign investments in the town. Ranaghat also played an important role in the struggle of freedom of India. This is the home town of some notable Bengali people. Film actress Raakhee Gulzar was born and brought up in a refugee colony in Ranaghat. Athlete and olympian Soma Biswas is from Ranaghat. Poet Joy Goswami born and brought up in the town near Chotobazar area. Krishna Panti was known as one of the "5 Great Noblemen of Bengal." He and his descendants the Pal-Chaudhuri family donated land and built many of the town's temples and cultural institutions, including the Happy Club and Pal-Chaudhuri school, and many of the streets of the town are named after them. Born in a mud hut, Krishna Panti rose to become one of the greatest merchants of Bengal, and a great philanthropist. He was given the title Pal-Chaudhuri and became Zamindar over a huge area of Nadia. Employing Scottish architects, he built palatial buildings, temples and gardens, which are some of the only such buildings in the region to remain mostly intact. Geography Location The town is exactly 74 kilometres north of Calcutta and 26 kilometres south of Krishnanagar, Nadia District headquarter. It is on the banks of River Churni. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the