Ilambazar is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

In the east, the flood plains of the major rivers, such as the Ajay, Bakreshwar, Mayurakshi and Brahmani, have soft alluvial soil.

Although coal is found in the district and Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station has a capacity of 1050MW, the economic condition of Birbhum is dominated by agriculture.

[2] In Birbhum district, 19,968 hectares of vested agricultural land has been distributed amongst 161,515 beneficiaries, till 2011.

[3] Culturally rich Birbhum, with such traditional landmarks as Jaydev Kenduli and Chandidas Nanoor, is home to Visva-Bharati University at Santiniketan, having close association with two Nobel laureates – Rabindranath Tagore and Amartya Sen.[4] Ilambazar is located at 23°38′N 87°32′E / 23.63°N 87.53°E / 23.63; 87.53.

Ilambazar CD Block is part of the Suri-Bolpur Plain, one of the four sub-micro physiographic regions of Birbhum district.

[8] Gram panchayats of Ilambazar block/panchayat samiti are: Batikar, Bilati, Dharampur, Gurisha, Illambazar, Jaydev Kenduli, Mongaldihi, Nanasole and Sirsha.

[9] As per the 2011 Census of India, Ilambazar CD Block had a total population of 168,709, of which 161,584 were rural and 7,125 were urban.

[10] Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Ilambazar CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Sahapur (4,369), Shripur (4,134) and Chaupahari Jangal (4,445).

[10] Other villages in Ilambazar CD Block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Jaydev Kenduli (3,280), Batikor (3,086), Nanasol (265), Mangaldidhi (2,668), Dharampur (1,127), Shirsha (2,319), Bilati (749)and Makra (1480).

[10] See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate Primary Census Abstract Data

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

[19] There are 127 inhabited villages in Ilambazar CD Block, as per District Census Handbook, Birbhum, 2011.

114 villages (89.76%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones).

Other crops grown in Birbhum are gram, masuri, peas, wheat, linseed, khesari, til, sugarcane and occasionally cotton.

Other rivers such as Ajoy, Brahmani, Kuskurni, Dwaraka, Hingla and Kopai are also helpful for irrigation in the district.

[22][23] In 2013–14, there were 72 fertiliser depots, 19 seed stores and 37 fair price shops in Ilambazar CD block.

Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only large-scale industry in the district and employs about 5,000 people.

According to the District Human Development Report, “more people are now engaged in non-agricultural activities, such as fishing, retail sales, vegetable vending, selling milk, and so on.

As all these activities are at the lower end of the spectrum of marketable skills, it remains doubtful if these activities generate enough return for their family’s sustenance.”[26] Birbhum district is listed as a backward region and receives financial support from the Backward Regions Grant Fund.

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

[29] Jaydev Kenduli is the site of one of the biggest and 800-year old religious fair held annually during Makar Sankranti.

[32] Khustigiri is the place where the tomb (mazhar sharif) of the Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Shah Abdullah Kermani is located.