The Jaina Bhagavati-Sutra of the 5th century AD mentions that Purulia was one of the sixteen mahajanapadas and was a part of the kingdom known as Vajra-bhumi in ancient times.

[1][2] 106 districts spanning 10 states across India, described as being part of the left wing extremism activities, constitutes the Red corridor.

In West Bengal, the districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum are part of the Red corridor.

However, as of July 2016, there had been no reported incidents of Maoist related activities from these districts for the previous 4 years.

[4] Certain reports also included Manbazar I and Joypur CD blocks and some times indicted the whole of Purulia district.

[5] The Lalgarh movement, which started attracting attention after the failed assassination attempt on Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then chief minister of West Bengal, in the Salboni area of the Paschim Medinipur district, on 2 November 2008 and the police action that followed, had also spread over to these areas.

Although the epi-centre of the movement was Lalgarh, it was spread across 19 police stations in three adjoining districts – Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, all thickly forested and near the border with Jharkhand.

The movement came to an end after the 2011 state assembly elections and change of government in West Bengal.

The Kangsabati River forms the boundary between the Arsha and Joypur and Purulia I CD blocks.

The upper Kangsabati basin has undulating land and the elevation rises from 200 to 300 m and the general slope is from west to east and south-east.

[13] Other villages in the Arsha CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Puara (3,900), Beldi (3,337), Mankiari (1,784) and Hetgugui (3,029).

See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 119,561 and formed 77.27% of the population in the Arsha CD block.

[16] Others include Christian, Addi Bassi, Marang Boro, Santal, Saranath, Sari Dharma, Sarna, Alchchi, Bidin, Sant, Saevdharm, Seran, Saran, Sarin, Kheria,[17] and other religious communities.

It includes factory, mining, plantation, transport and office workers, those engaged in business and commerce, teachers, entertainment artistes and so on.

[24] There are 95 inhabited villages in the Arsha CD block, as per the District Census Handbook, Puruliya, 2011.

[25] In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in the Arsha CD block could be classified as follows: bargadars 0.77%, patta (document) holders 11.59%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 6.81%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 21.04% and agricultural labourers 59.79%.

The fund, created by the Government of India, is designed to redress regional imbalances in development.