Indas (community development block)

Indas (also spelled Indus) is a community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Bishnupur subdivision of the Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

From around the 7th century AD till around the advent of British rule, for around a millennium, history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur. The Bishnupur Rajas, who were at the summit of their fortunes towards the end of the 17th century, started declining in the first half of the 18th century. First, the Maharaja of Burdwan seized the Fatehpur Mahal, and then the Maratha invasions laid waste their country.

Bishnupur was ceded to the British with the rest of Burdwan chakla in 1760. In 1787, Bishnupur was united with Birbhum to form a separate administrative unit. In 1793 it was transferred to the Burdwan collectorate. In 1879, the district acquired its present shape with the thanas of Khatra and Raipur and the outpost of Simplapal being transferred from Manbhum, and the thanas of Sonamukhi, Kotulpur and Indas being retransferred from Burdwan. However, it was known for sometime as West Burdwan and in 1881 came to be known as Bankura district.

Indas is located at 23°09′00″N 87°37′00″E / 23.15°N 87.616667°E / 23.15; 87.616667.

Indas CD block is located in the eastern part of the district and belongs to the fertile low lying alluvial plains, similar to the predominating rice lands in the adjacent districts of West Bengal. Here, the eye constantly rests on wide expanses of rice fields, green in the rains but parched and dry in summer.

Indas CD block is bounded by Khandaghosh CD block, in Purba Bardhaman district, on the north and the east, Kotulpur and Joypur CD blocks on the south and Patrasayer CD block on the west.

Indas CD block has an area of 254.99 km². It has 1 panchayat samity, 10 gram panchayats, 129 gram sansads (village councils), 131 mouzas and 129 inhabited villages. Indas police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Indas.

Gram panchayats of Indas block/ panchayat samiti are: Akui I, Akui II, Amrul, Dighalgram, Indus I, Indus II, Karisunda, Mangalpur, Rol and Sahaspur.