MIRZAPUR-VINDHYACHAL

city, southeastern Uttar Pradesh state, northern India, southwest of Varanasi (Benares), on the Ganges River. Mirzapur was probably founded in the 17th century; by 1800 it had become the greatest trading centre in northern India. When the railway to Allahabad was opened in 1864, Mirzapur began to decline, but it became increasingly important in local trade. Located at a road junction on a major rail line, it is also a centre of industry, including cotton milling, sandstone dressing, and brassware and carpet manufacture. There are temples and ghats, or bathing stairs, along the river; in Vindhyachal is an old temple of Kali, visited by pilgrims. The surrounding region includes part of the Ganges alluvial plain to the north and some of the Vindhya Range to the south. The area to the south is drained by the Son River; its tributary, the Rihand, has been dammed to create a large reservoir and provide hydroelectric power. Most of the land is irrigated by canals, and rice, barley, and wheat are grown. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 169,368.