Barabanki is a city and municipal board in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Barabanki district, which is part of the Ayodhya division. The city lies in the central Awadh region and is closely linked to the urban and economic life of the state capital, Lucknow, which lies a short distance to the west.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Division | Ayodhya division |
| District | Barabanki district |
| Region | Awadh |
| Civic body | Nagar Palika Parishad, Barabanki |
| Languages | Hindi, Urdu, Awadhi |
Barabanki is situated on the Indo-Gangetic plain in central Uttar Pradesh, in the doab between the Ghaghara and the Gomti rivers. The terrain is generally flat and alluvial, suited to intensive agriculture. The district shares boundaries with Lucknow to the west, Sitapur and Bahraich to the north, Gonda and Ayodhya to the east, and Amethi and Raebareli to the south.
The area around Barabanki has long been associated with the historical region of Awadh and was part of the Nawabi state of Awadh before its annexation by the British East India Company in 1856. After the events of 1857, it was administered as a district in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh under British India. On the reorganisation of states after independence, Barabanki became a district of Uttar Pradesh.
The town of Dewa, near Barabanki, is associated with the Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali Shah, whose dargah is the focus of the annual Dewa Mela.
Urban civic affairs in Barabanki are managed by a Nagar Palika Parishad (municipal board). The city is the seat of the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police of Barabanki district, along with the district court complex and various line department offices of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
Barabanki's economy is rooted in agriculture and agro-processing. The surrounding rural area produces sugarcane, wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds, and the district is also known for the cultivation of mentha (menthol mint), making it one of the leading centres of mint oil production in India. Handloom weaving, particularly in pockets of the district, contributes to local livelihoods. Trade in agricultural produce, retail, and small-scale industry along with proximity to Lucknow drive the urban economy.
Barabanki is well connected by road and rail. National Highway 27, part of the East–West Corridor, passes through the district, and other national and state highways link the city with Lucknow, Ayodhya, Bahraich and Gonda. Barabanki Junction railway station is an important station on the Northern Railway, lying on the Lucknow–Gorakhpur main line, with branch lines towards Gonda and Akbarpur. The nearest airport is Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at Lucknow.
Barabanki is a religiously and linguistically mixed city, with Hindi as the principal official language and widespread use of Urdu and the local Awadhi dialect. The district has a notable Sufi heritage, and the Dewa Mela held in honour of Haji Waris Ali Shah draws pilgrims and visitors from across the region. Other places of religious importance in the district include the Lodheshwar Mahadeva temple at Mahadeva.
Barabanki is represented in the Lok Sabha through the