Hindi is the official language with Urdu being the additional official. Each ward elects its ward commissioner and, the Mayor is chosen through indirect election in which ward commissioners from respective wards cast their votes.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
!Ward No.
!Population (2011)
!Projected Population (2024)
!Land area in km<sup>2</sup>
!Pop. density
per km<sup>2</sup> <sup>(2024)</sup>
!Map of Arrah
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |1
|3950
|5590
|1.345
|4154
| rowspan="24" |center|thumb|Map of wards of Arrah
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |2
|4550
|6439
|1.5
|4274
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |3
|5538
|7837
|0.7
|11330
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |4
|3373
|4773
|0.15
|31003
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |5
|6020
|8519
|0.83
|10186
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |6
|4133
|5849
|0.21
|27336
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |7
|4368
|6181
|0.19
|31652
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |8
|4560
|6453
|0.07
|88452
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |9
|4,653
|6,627
|0.06
|94,941
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |10
|4,405
|6,623
|0.14
|43399
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |11
|7477
|10581
|2.28
|4631
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |12
|4,400
|6,226
|0.39
|16,061
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |13
|4,646
|6,574
|1.23
|5319
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |14
|10,420
|14,745
|0.28
|52,134
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |15
|8,438
|11,940
|0.58
|20,532
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |16
|2,951
|4,176
|0.57
|7,278
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |17
|6,113
|8,659
|0.42
|20,406
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |18
|3,015
|4,266
|0.28
|14,931
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |19
|4,533
|6,415
|0.38
|16,785
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |20
|5,134
|7,265
|0.18
|39,894
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |21
|3,559
|5,036
|0.12
|40,947
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |22
|5,476
|7,749
|0.14
|53,711
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |23
|4,170
|5,901
|0.13
|44,872
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |24
|7,277
|10,298
|0.18
|57,233
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |25
|6,825
|9,658
|0.11
|85,001
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |26
|6,987
|9,887
|0.1
|99,654
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |27
|7,439
|10,527
|0.15
|71,533
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |28
|3,320
|4,698
|0.16
|28,798
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |29
|4,528
|6,407
|0.35
|18,019
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |30
|4,610
|6,524
|0.3
|22,036
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |31
|5,878
|8,318
|0.31
|26,420
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |32
|5,988
|8,473
|0.98
|8,677
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |33
|8,633
|12,259
|0.28
|43,453
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |34
|7,232
|10,342
|1.01
|10,046
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |35
|6,249
|8,843
|1.95
|4516
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |36
|6,634
|9,388
|2.18
|4,301
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |37
|7,544
|10,675
|0.28
|37,525
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |38
|8,534
|12,076
|0.2
|58,738
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |39
|5,371
|7,600
|0.16
|45,989
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |40
|4,544
|6,430
|0.25
|25,691
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |41
|4,024
|5,694
|0.25
|22,904
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |42
|11,333
|16,047
|1.06
|15,043
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |43
|8,377
|11,854
|0.55
|21,464
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |44
|6,819
|9,649
|0.85
|11,239
|
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |45
|7,342
|10,390
|5.81
|1786
|
|}
Modern challenges
Solid waste management
Solid waste management is a major challenge for the city. A 2025 study by researchers at Veer Kunwar Singh University noted that with a projected 2024 population of 369,944, Arrah generates approximately 110 tons of solid waste daily. The average per capita generation is 0.450 kg per day. The composition of this waste is sourced from residential areas (50%), street sweeping and drains (30%), commercial establishments (15%), and institutions (5%).
Historically, the region's economy has been defined by its agriculture, which was significantly transformed by the Sone Canal System in the late 19th century. The Arrah Canal, a major component of this system, was designed to irrigate nearly 150,000 acres in the old Shahabad district. A 1875 report stated that the canal system was expected to provide the district with "an entire immunity from future famines".
Across the Bhojpur district, sand mining from the Son and Ganga rivers is a major economic driver. Although the mining ghats (sites) are located along the rivers, the industry's administration, logistics, and economic benefits are centered in Arrah. The sand extracted in the district is a key component in concrete and is used extensively in construction. Industrial sand from the region is also used to make glass, as foundry sand, and as an abrasive.
District mineral production and revenue
The production of sand for the entire Bhojpur district from 2015 to 2019 was as follows:
- 2015: 160,633,523 cft
- 2016: 60,211,630 cft
- 2017: 58,707,174 cft
- 2018: 244,904,600 cft
- 2019: 281,811,800 cft
Consequently, the revenue generated from the mineral sector for the Bhojpur district saw a significant increase:
- 2015-2016: ₹9625.6 lakhs
- 2016-2017: ₹9270.6 lakhs
- 2017-2018: ₹7966.61 lakhs
- 2018-2019: ₹17353.15 lakhs
- 2019-2020: ₹19623.42 lakhs
Culture
thumb|Chhath Celebration at [[Gangi River]]
Arrah's native language is Bhojpuri. Bhojpuri cuisine includes Litti-Chokha, Makuni (Paratha stuffed with roasted gram flour), Dal Pitthi, Pittha, Aaloo Dum, Jaaur (Kheer). The main snack and sweets are Khurma (sweets made of Chhena), Thekua, Pudukiya, Patal ke Mithai, Anarsa, Gargatta and Laktho. Some of the drinks are Satuā, Amjhor, Taadi and Māthā.
Cityscape
Urban structure and land use
Arrah's urban structure is its significant semi-agrarian landscape. Within the city's 3,136-hectare boundary, nearly half of the land (49.01%) is used for agriculture, a stark contrast to the area dedicated to urban functions. Residential zones comprise just 9.47% of the total area, concentrated in compact zones, while the primary commercial hub is centered around Ara Chowk. Industrial use is minimal at 0.51%, with other uses like administrative, educational, and recreational facilities occupying smaller portions of the landscape.
Notable sites
thumb|Arrah House|alt=Arrah House.jpg
Arrah is a holy place for Jains and there are 44 Jain temples in the city. There is a centuries-old Jain temple of Parashanatha in the Masarh village. One such temple is located at Dhanupra on the Arrah-Koilwar road, which was built in 1815.
Maulabagh Mosque
This mosque was built in 1814 under the auspices of John Deane, a member of the East India Company's service. The structure is described as being of a mixed Saracenic style with three domes and eight minarets, and is maintained by an endowment fund. After his death in 1817, he was buried in the outer garden of Maulabagh Mosque (called as Bibi Jaan ke Hata or Handa) where his tomb can still be seen. This mosques is also mentioned by British officers in their writings.
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Masarh
Masarh is a village 10 km from Arrah. Lion capitals of Mauryan period have been found here. Masarh has been identified with Mo-ho-so-lo of the Chinese pilgrim Huen Tsang.
Arrah House
Arrah House is a small British building in the premises of Maharaja College.
Holy Saviour Church
thumb|Holy Saviour Church
Holy Saviour Church is a church in Arrah, built by the British in 1911, when King of United Kingdom George V visited the city.
Transport
The Arrah city is connected by roads, highways and rail routes to various cities like Patna, Danapur, Bihta, Buxar, Sasaram and Chhapra in Bihar; and Ghazipur, Mughalsarai and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. According to a 2023 report by National Bureau of Economic Research, Arrah was among the world's top 10 cities with slowest traffic.
Roads
- Patna-Arrah-Buxar (NH-922)
- Arrah-Dinara-Mohania (NH-319)
- Arrah-Chhapra Bridge
- Arrah-Bikramganj-Sasaram (SH-12)
Railway
- Arrah Junction: ARA (0 km)
- Koilwar railway station: KWR (14 km)
- Udwantnagar railway station: UWNR (5 km)
- Bihiya railway station: BEA (21 km)
Airway
- Patna Airport (50 km)
- Bihta Airport (30 km)
Bullet train
The Varanasi-Howrah high-speed rail corridor (HSR) is proposed to pass through Bhojpur district with a
Bullet train station at Udwant Nagar. It will cross the Sone River near Jalpura Tapa and enter Patna district.
Historical river and canal navigation
While the Arrah Canal was engineered for navigation, transport on the Son River itself was historically limited and challenging. Commercial navigation in the lower reaches near Arrah was irregular due to unsafe rapids upstream and the "extraordinary violence of the floods" during the rainy season. Although ferry boats operated for much of the year, the principal traffic on the Son was not cargo vessels but large rafts of bamboo and timber floated downstream from the southern forests.
In 2018, Bihar government has opened Government Engineering Colleges in each district of Bihar under the Department of Science and Technology. Government Engineering College, Bhojpur located south of Ramna Road, beside Maharaja College.
Sports
Cricket is the most popular sport, however other sports such as volleyball, basketball, and athletics are also played.
Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium is the stadium situated in the Ramna Maidan which hosts various cricket, football, and hockey tournaments. Other grounds in the town are Ramna Maidan, Maharaja college ground, Airport Ground, and Jain College Ground.
From 5–7 December 2019, East Zone Inter University Kabaddi championship took place in the premises of Maharaja College in which 47 universities of 12 different states participated.
Popular culture
thumb|alt="Sketch of a fortified house, with two sepoys in front of it."|Defence of the Arrah House, 1857 (1858) by William Tayler.
In music
- There is a very famous Bhojpuri saying about this place, Ara jilā Ghar Ba ta, kawana bāt kē dar bā" (trans. If you belong to Arrah, there is nothing to fear).
- Arrah also has mentions in many Bhojpuri Folk songs like Arrah Hile Chhapra Hile Baliya Hilela.
- The famous bhojpuri song "Tu lagawelu jab Lipistic, hilela Arrah district" sung by Pawan Singh.
Films and songs
- Some shots of the feature film Gandhi were shot in Arrah near the Koilwar bridge.
- Shots of the first Bhojpuri film Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo were shot at Arrah railway station.
- The story of the Bollywood film Anaarkali of Aarah was based on a dancer of Arrah and her confrontation with the Vice-chancellor of Bir Kuber University (originally Veer Kunwar Singh University).
Books
thumb|alt=Sketch of a seated man surrounded by other men|Koor Sing, "The Rebel of Arrah", and his attendants – From a photograph, from the Illustrated London News (1857)|300px
- English book Two Months In Arrah, written in 1857, by a surgeon in British army named J.J. Halls, is an account of the Siege of Arrah.
Notable people
See also
- Arrah House
- Arrah Lok Sabha constituency
Bibliography
References
External links
- Official Website of Bihar State