Mirzapur is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India, roughly 650 km from both Delhi and Kolkata, almost 89 km from Allahabad and 57 km from Varanasi. It has a population of 233,691 (2011 census) and is known for its carpet and brassware industries. The city is surrounded by several hills and is the headquarters of Mirzapur District and is famous for the holy shrine of Vindhyachal, Ashtbhuja and Kali khoh and also have Devrahwa Baba ashram. It has many waterfalls and natural spots. It was once the largest district in Uttar Pradesh before the split of Sonebhadra. Before the establishment of the town the area was dense forest and freely used by various states like Benaras (Varanasi), Sakteshgarh, Vijaygarh, Nainagarh (Chunar), Naugarh, Kantit and Rewa for Hunting. British East India Company has established this area to fulfill the need of a trading centre between central and western India. This time Rewa was a well-established state of central India and was directly connected with Mirzapur by the Great Deccan Road. Over the time Mirzapur became a famous trading centre of Central India and started trading of cotton, and silk at very large scale. The East India Company named this place as Mirzapore. The word Mirzapur is derived from 'Mirza' which in turn is derived from the Persian term ‘Trip Kalchu which literally means "child of the ‘Amir" or "child of the ruler". In Persia‘ Amirzad in turn consists of the Arabic title ‘Amir (English. "Emir"), meaning "commander", and the Persian suffix -zad, meaning "birth" or "lineage". Due to vowel harmony in Turkic languages, the alternative pronunciation Morza (plural morzalar; derived from the Persian word) is also used. The word entered English in 1595, from the French émir. The meaning of Mirzapur is the place of King. Most of the city was established by British officers, but the starting development was founded by the most famous officer of British East India Company "Lord Marquess Wellesley". As per some evidence the British construction was initiated from Burrier (Bariya) Ghat. Lord Wellesley has reconstructed the Burrier Ghat as a main entrance in Mirzapur by Ganga. Some of the places in Mirzapur was pronounced as per the name of Lord Wellesley, like Wellesleyganj (The first market in Mirzapur), Mukeri Bazar, tulsi chowk etc. The building of Municipal Corporation is also a precious example of British Constructions. It is the place in India where the Holy River Ganges meets with Vindhya Range. This is considered significant in Hindu Mythology and has a mention in Vedas. Near mirzapur founded a religious place vindhyanchal. Vindhyachal, a Shakti Peeth, is a centre of pilgrimage in Mirzapur District, Uttar Pradesh. The Vindhyavasini Devi temple located here is a major draw and is thronged by thousands of devotees during the Navratris of Chaitra and Ashwin months to invoke the blessings of the Goddess. Other sacred places in the town are Ashtbhuja temple, Sita Kund, Kali Khoh, Budeh Nath temple, Narad Ghat, Gerua talab, Motiya talab, Lal Bhairav and Kal Bhairav temples, Ekdant Ganesh, Sapta Sarovar, Sakshi Gopal temple, Goraksha-kund, Matsyendra kund, Tarkeshwar Nath temple, Kankali Devi temple, Shivashiv Samooh Awadhoot Ashram and Bhairav kund. Mirzapur is the closest railhead. Vindhyachal has regular bus services to the nearby towns. The nearest railway station is at Mirzapur. Regular bus services connect Vindhyachal to the nearby towns. A step towards the awareness for voting the District of Mirzapur came with the Guinness World Record for the biggest Rangoli (Alpana) created in an area of 39,125 sq mts using approx 120,000 kg of color by across 3500 students and teachers from 50 schools on occasion of National Voters Day. For quite some years Mirzapur has been a destination for tourists, particularly for people from adjoining states, owing mainly to the ghats, temples, the famous clock tower(Ghanta Ghar)which are excellent examples of contemporary architecture. Temples and mosques: A few miles away from the city is a site of a pilgrimage for Hindus known as Vindhyachal where according to the mythology a part of Sati (an Avatar of Durga) fell. The river Ganges flows through this city. Other sites of pilgrimage include Kali Khoh (literally 'the cave of the Goddess Kali') where a statue of the Kali has a mouth formed in the shape of a cave, hence the name. Very close to the city is a waterfall. The city itself has many Ghats (steps to a river). There are a few cinema-halls. At first look the city appears to be a confluence of town, village and city life. Power supply in the city is now regular up to some extent. Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower): The famous Ghanta Ghar of Mirzapur is located in the premises of city corporation, about 3 km from the Mirzapur Railway Station. Currently not functioning, it was constructed in the year 1891, with its entire structure made up of finely carved stone and a 1000 kg alloy bell hanging from the tall structure. Ojhala Bridge: The Ojhala Bridge was constructed by Mahant Parshuram Giri in Vikram Samvat 1772. This valuable heritage connecting the cities of Mirzapur and Vindhyachal, with fort like minarets and ramparts on the either side of the bridge, provide a fine instance of contemporary architecture.