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Meerut is a city that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies in western Uttar Pradesh and is part of the Indian National Capital Region (NCR). Meerut is located northeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and northwest of the state capital, Lucknow. As of 2025, Meerut's urban (metro) population is estimated at ≈ 1.875 million. The population of Meerut Municipal Corporation is projected to be about 1.907 million, while the wider Meerut metropolitan region is estimated at approximately 2.077 million. Meerut is the second or third-most populous city in NCR, after Delhi and Ghaziabad.
In 1803, Meerut was as a significant location during the Colonial India, serving as the site of one of India's largest cantonments. Meerut was one of the Meerut mutiny where the 1857 rebellion against British rule began. It has been called the "Sports City of India" due to its sports goods industry. Meerut produces large number of musical instruments in India. It is also one of Asia's largest gold markets. The city is an education hub in western Uttar Pradesh and has the third-highest per capita income after Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida and Greater Noida).
India's first Regional Rapid Transit System, Delhi Meerut RRTS, is partially operational in Meerut and serves as an inter-city high-speed metro corridor. Meerut is connected by three expressways, including the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, the Ganga Expressway, and the Meerut-Kanpur Expressway.
Another tradition attributes the city's origin to King Yudhishthira, who is said to have granted the land to Mayasura in recognition of his architectural prowess. According to this account, Mayasura named the region Maharashtra (not to be confused with the modern day Indian state of Maharashtra), which eventually morphed into Meerut due to linguistic and historical evolution.
An alternative version suggests, that Meerut was part of the dominions of Mahipala, the ruler of Indraprastha, and that the city's name is derived from his association with the area.
Meerut also contained a Harappan settlement known as Alamgirpur, the easternmost settlement of the Indus Valley civilisation. Meerut was a centre of Buddhism during the reign of Mauryan emperor Ashoka (r. 273 BC to 232 BC.), and remains of Buddhist structures were found near the Jama Masjid in the present day city. The Ashoka Pillar, at Delhi Ridge, was carried to Delhi from Meerut by Firuz Shah Tughluq (r. 1351–1388). It was later damaged in a 1713 explosion and restored in 1867.
In Hindu mythology, Meerut has a strong connection to the Mahabharata. One of the main characters in the epic, Draupadi, is believed by the locals to have been born here.
Timur attacked and sacked Meerut in 1399. The city was held by Ilyas Afghan and his son Maula Muhammad Thaneswari, who were assisted by non-Muslims led by Safi. Timur tried to negotiate a surrender, but the inhabitants of the fort replied saying that Tarmashirin had tried to capture the city in the past, but failed. Incensed, Timur attacked the city with 10,000 cavalry. The forces scaled the walls and Safi was killed in the battle. The inhabitants were killed and their wives and children were enslaved. The fortifications and houses were razed to the ground, and the prisoners were ordered to be Flaying.
The city then came under the rule of the Mughal Empire and saw a period of relative tranquility. During the rule of Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), there was a mint producing copper coins in the city. During the reign of Akbar, Meerut was listed in the Ain-i-Akbari as a pargana under Delhi Sarkar, producing a revenue of 4,391,996 dams for the imperial treasury and supplying a force of 300 infantry and 100 cavalry.
A major part of Meerut was controlled by Sayyid Jagirdar of Abdullapur, from 16th to late 18th century. Sayyed Mir Abdulla Naqvi Al Bukhari built Kot Fort in Abdullapur in 16th century, and it became his main residence. The descendants of Syed Sadarudin Shah Kabir Naqvi Al Kannauji Bukhari are still present in Meerut; Sadarudin was a chief advisor of Sikandar Lodi and the father of saint Shah Jewna. The famous Pakistani writer Syed Qudrat Naqvi Al Bukhari was born in Meerut.
Nawab Mansab Ali Khan was one of the most influential personalities of Meerut; he built the famous Karbala and Masjid, known as Mansabiya, in 1882.
The city saw Sikh Confederacy and Maratha Empire invasions in the 18th century, with interruptions by Taga Brahman and Rohilla dynasty. Walter Reinhardt, a European soldier, established himself at Sardhana, and some parts of the district came under his rule. Upon his death, these areas came into the hands of Begum Samru. During this time, the southern part of the district had remained under Maratha rule.
Meerut is often associated with the 1857 rebellion against Company rule in India. The slogan " Dilli Chalo" ("Let's march to Delhi!") was first spoken in the city, and the Meerut cantonment was the place where the rebellion started. Another name for Meerut is "Kranti Dhara," or "the land of revolution," denoting the place where India's independence movement began.
The revolt, which catapulted Meerut into international prominence, began in March 1857 in Barrackpore, Bengal. Indian sepoy Mangal Pandey shot at two of his commanding officers, missed, then Suicide attempt. He was later executed. By April, Pandey's uprising had spread across North India and reached Meerut, which was then the second-largest East India Company garrison. Here, Europeans and native Sepoy were evenly balanced, with a little more than 2,000 on each side. The European cantonment was separated from the Indian one. Saddar Bazaar and Lal Kurti Bazar were close by, the latter named after the red uniforms worn by the Presidency armies. On 24 April 1857, Meerut's commander, Colonel Carmichael Smyth, paraded 90 Indian sepoys of the Bengal Cavalry, most of whom had come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He ordered the soldiers to fire the new Enfield cartridges they had been supplied with. The cartridges were covered with paper that had to be torn off, and Muslim soldiers believed the paper was greased with pig fat (pigs in religion) and Hindus thought it was greased with Tallow (cows in Hinduism). Thus, they refused to touch them when ordered to.
All 85 soldiers were stripped of their uniforms, and Court-martial; they were all sentenced to a decade in prison. The prisoners, who were Upper class members of a Cavalry, were shocked at the harsh sentences handed down to them. On 10 May 1857, Kotwal Dhan Singh opened the gates of the prison. These soldiers, along with the other imprisoned soldiers, escaped prison and declared themselves free. They proceeded to mutiny, attack, and kill several Company officials in the city to bring it under their control. This marked the beginning of a widespread revolt across northern India, as the soldiers marched towards Delhi. 10 May is celebrated as a local holiday in Meerut.
Meerut was also the venue of the Meerut Conspiracy Case in March 1929, in which several Trade union, including three English people, were arrested by the colonial authorities for organising a railway strike action. The case quickly became the subject of attention in England, inspiring a 1932 play titled Meerut Prisoners by left-wing Manchester street theatre group the Red Megaphones, which highlighted the detrimental effects of capitalism and industrialisation. Electricity was first introduced to Meerut in 1931. In the 1940s, during the height of the Indian independence movement, cinema-goers in Meerut had an unofficial policy of refusing to stand up when God Save the King played before the film was shown. The last session of the Indian National Congress (INC) before the independence of India in 1947, was held at Victoria Park in Meerut on 26 November 1946. It was in this session that the Constitution-making committee was constituted.
The monsoon arrives in late June and continues till the middle of September. Temperatures drop slightly, with increased cloud cover and higher humidity. Temperatures rise again in October and the city then has a mild, dry winter season from November to the middle of March. The lowest temperature ever recorded is , on 6 January 2013. The rainfall averages about per annum, which is suitable for crop cultivation. Most of the rainfall is received during the monsoon. The humidity varies from 30 to 100%.
Meerut has been ranked 25th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10 lakh population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results.
The Meerut district administration is headed by the District Magistrate of Meerut, who is an IAS officer. The DM is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the central government and oversees the elections held in the city. The district is subdivided into three Tehsil, namely Meerut, Mawana and Sardhana, each headed by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate. The tehsils are further divided into 12 blocks. The current District Magistrate of Meerut is Dr. Vijay Kumar Singh.
The District Police of Meerut is headed by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) who is an IPS officer. He is assisted by four Superintendents of Police (SP)/Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP) (City, Rural Area, Traffic and Crime). The Meerut district is divided into numerous police circles, each headed by a Circle Officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. SP (Traffic) and SP (Crime) are assisted by one Circle Officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. The current SSP is Rohit Singh Sajwan.
The city is administered by Meerut Municipal Corporation, which is responsible for performing civic administrative functions administered by the Municipal Commissioner (PCS Officer) whereas the Mayor is the ceremonial head of the corporation. The current Municipal Commissioner of Meerut Municipal Corporation is Manoj Kumar Singh.
The CGHS department of Meerut provides comprehensive health care facilities for central government employees and pensioners and their dependents residing in the city.
While the city ranked in the bottom 10 in job creation, the report suggests that overall there are plenty of signs of "potential for urbanization" including future employment opportunities. The infrastructure segment of Meerut is currently going through a boom phase with many new projects like Expressways, Metro, Freight corridors coming up in and around the city. The Upper Ganga Canal Expressway development has also been completed. On the India City Competitiveness Index, the city ranked 46th in 2017. It is India's largest refined sugar producer.
Meerut is a prospective Logistics in western Uttar Pradesh due to projects like Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and expressway projects like - Delhi Meerut Expressway, Ganga Expressway, Delhi Meerut RRTS.
Meerut is a rich agricultural area, being in proximity of Delhi, it is ideal for industry. As of 2011, it is home to 520 micro, small, and medium-scale industries. , Meerut has about 23,471 industrial units, including 15,510 small-scale units and 7,922 cottage industries. Sanspareils Greenlands (SG), Sareen Sports (SS) and BDM one of India's biggest sports goods manufacturers are based out of Meerut.
Existing industries in the city include tyres, textiles, transformers, sugar, distillery, chemical, engineering, paper, publishing, and sports goods manufacturing. Prospective industries include IT and ITES, Logistics.
Meerut is one of two centres of sports goods manufacturing in Indiathe other being Jalandhar. There are numerous sports companies in the city especially for cricket namely SS, SF, SG, RM Sports, BDM, GEM etc. Players like MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Virat Kohli, Kumar Sangakkara and many others have used bats made in Meerut. The 40,000-capacity Kailash Prakash Stadium is located in Meerut.
Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) has two industrial estates in the city, namely Partapur and Udyog Puram.
Three national highways (NH-58, NH-119 & NH-235) and two expressways pass through Meerut. The Delhi–Meerut Expressway - a 90 km long controlled-access expressway connects Meerut with Delhi via Dasna in Ghaziabad district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the Cornerstone for the expressway on 31 December 2015, and the expressway was completed and opened for public on 1 April 2021, also an under construction Ganga Expressway.
There are two main Bus station, namely Bhainsali bus terminal and Sohrab Gate bus terminal from where Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) buses travel to cities all over the state and all nearby cities. A JNNURM scheme was put in place. Low-floor bus city buses (under JNNURM), normal city buses, Auto rickshaw, and Rickshaw are convenient public transport options to commute within the city.
Many new transport infrastructure projects like the inner ring road, outer ring road and construction of new flyovers are proposed and being made as well.* The under-construction Ganga Expressway will start from Meerut till Allahabad, and in the future, it will be extended from Meerut to Haridwar. Other expressways that will pass nearby Meerut are the Upper Ganga Canal Expressway, Delhi–Saharanpur–Dehradun Expressway and Gorakhpur–Shamli Expressway.
About 20,000 passengers travel daily to Delhi and back. Around 27 pairs of trains run between Meerut and Delhi, and four between Meerut and Khurja. Two trains are available for Lucknow daily, namely Nauchandi Express and Rajya Rani Express. A weekly train goes to Chennai and Kochuveli. Daily trains connect Meerut to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Rajkot and many cities in other states.
Apart from this, Delhi Meerut RRTS (RapidX) will also be used for inter-city cargo movement. Vinay Kumar Singh, managing director of NCRTC said, "During non-peak hours, the ridership would be low, so we can use the time to move cargo, including perishable goods."
Uttar Pradesh government has allocated land for building a large logistic hub in Modipuram region of Uttar Pradesh.
The metro project got approval from the divisional commissioner. It was decided in the meeting that the project would be along two corridors, by dividing the project into two phases – Phase I from Partapur to Pallavpuram, and Phase II from Rajban Market to Gokalpur village. The main stations on the first corridor in the first phase will be Partapur, Panchwati Enclave, Rithani, Rithani West, Shatabdi Nagar, Devlok, Madhavpuram, Meerut Railway Station Road, Lajpat Bazaar, Begampul, Gandhi Bagh, Lekha Nagar, Pallavpuram Dorli, Ansal City and Pallavpuram. While in the second phase, the corridor in the Partapur-Pallavpuram route will cover 20 km and will have a total number of 18 stations in between, the 10 km-long route from Rajban Market to Gokalpur village will have nine stations.
In September 2010, the RRTS was reported to be proposed between Anand Vihar and Meerut with the project in its initial stages. The cost was projected to be around with the expected time of the journey being 45 minutes. In November 2010, the train speed was proposed to be between 130 and 160 kmph, with stations at Anand Vihar, Sahibabad, Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Moradnagar, Modinagar, Meerut South, Shatabdi Nagar, Meerut Centre, Begumpul, Meerut North, Pallavpuram being the stops.
On 14 December 2010, the NCR Planning Board, Meerut Development Authority (MDA), and Meerut Municipal Corporation approved the project. In August 2011, it was reported that the project tender had been awarded to Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS). The proposed system was to have dedicated trains between Anand Vihar and Meerut, with no stops in between, and trains that will stop at stations will be constructed after a gap of 4–5 km. The reported stations were Anand Vihar, Vaishali, Mohan Nagar, Meerut Road (Airtel Cut), Morta, Duhai, Muradnagar, Gang Nahar, Modinagar, Mohiuddinpur, Meerut Bypass Cut and Pallavpuram, with completion expected in 2017. The track between Anand Vihar to Dabur was proposed to be underground with the rest of the track overhead.
On 11 July 2013, the Union Cabinet of India approved the formation of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTCL), with a seed capital of . The corporation will take up the construction of the 90 km-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor on a priority basis (along with two other corridors) with planned completion in 2016. It was reported that the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the three corridors were under the process of finalisation.
In December 2013, problems were reported in the proposed alignment of the Delhi-Meerut corridor. In January 2014, it was reported that the proposed alignment had to be changed due to objections by NHAI and the feasibility report had to be prepared again. The new proposed alignment increased the length from 90 km to 106 km.
In March 2018, the project's construction was started after the Cornerstone was laid by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. As of 2023, the alignment is long, and the 17 km first stretch, as the priority corridor, from Sahibabad to Duhai is almost completed, and will be opened by March 2023, while the next stretch till Meerut South will be completed by the first quarter of 2024. The entire corridor will be completed by March 2025.
The Meerut Airport is located at Partapur. It was proposed by the state government that the airstrip be converted to an international airport to reduce pressure on Delhi Airport. However, plans to expand the Domestic airport were called off after protests against land acquisition started in other parts of the state. Following an accident in May 2012, the city administration barred private flights from using the airstrip.
The city has long demanded an airport. However, the government has stalled the project multiple times due to land acquisition reasons and project costs. Even Ajit Singh, the minister of civil aviation announced the project, but the project was not completed. BJP MP Rajendra Agrawal met Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia ministerwho promised that the Ministry of Civil Aviation will begin running the airport as soon as the Uttar Pradesh government satisfied the demand for land. As of October 2023, the project is awaiting approval for land acquisition from Uttar Pradesh Government.
, Meerut ranks 328 (based on population), 189 (based on population density), 648 (based on built-up area) among the world's urban areas.
According to the 2001 census, the city ranked second in terms of population in NCR and 25th in India.
| +Demographics of Meerut Metropolitan area (Meerut UA) (Census 2011, updated) ! rowspan="2" | Metropolis ! rowspan="2" | City/Town/Village ! colspan="3" | Population ! rowspan="2" | Sex ratio ! colspan="3" | Literacy Rate | |||
| Meerut UA | Meerut (CB) | 53024 | 40288 | 93,312 | 760 | 87.99% | 79.48% | 84.33% |
| Meerut (M Corp.) | 688118 | 617311 | 1,305,429 | 897 | 80.97% | 69.79% | 75.66% | |
| Mohiuddinpur (CT) | 2811 | 2389 | 5,200 | 850 | 89.17% | 69.63% | 80.13% | |
| Aminagar Urf Bhurbaral (CT) | 3314 | 2827 | 6,141 | 853 | 91.01% | 69.68% | 81.02% | |
| Amehra Adipur (CT) | 2844 | 2641 | 5,485 | 929 | 85.68% | 68.05% | 77.14% | |
| Sindhawali (CT) | 2782 | 2553 | 5,335 | 918 | 79.92% | 64.44% | 72.53% | |
| Meerut UA - Total | 752,893 | 668,009 | 1,420,902 | 887 | 81.57 % | 70.36 % | 76.28 % | |
| +Historical Population Statistics | ||||
| 182.74% | ||||
| -0.79% | ||||
| 22.34% | ||||
| 19.91% | ||||
| -0.71% | ||||
| -1.6% | ||||
| 5.12% | ||||
| 11.49% | ||||
| 23.83% | ||||
| 37.74% | ||||
| 21.79% | ||||
| + Meerut Urban Agglomeration (Meerut UA) Population Statistics | |||||
| NA | |||||
| 887 | |||||
| + Literacy Rate (Percentage) ! Year | Total |
| 59.62 | |
| 78.29 (+18.67) | |
| 90.29 (+12) |
| + Crime Rate in Meerut (Total cognisable crimes under IPC per lakh population) ! Year | Rate in India |
| 192.2 | |
| 196.7 | |
| 215.5 | |
| 229.2 | |
| 234.2 |
Meerut’s cultural identity is closely linked to its traditional crafts, including the production of scissors and brass musical instruments. The granting of GI tags to Meerut scissors and the Meerut bugle highlights the city’s long-standing artisanal heritage and its contribution to India’s industrial and ceremonial traditions. Meerut’s bugle-making heritage dates back to the late 19th century, when the instrument became integral to battlefield communication and regimental drills under British rule, and later evolved into a symbol of discipline and ceremonial music across the Indian Army, paramilitary units, and police forces. The GI tag is expected to protect the authentic Meerut bugle from imitation, enhance market value, and support the livelihoods of local artisans by promoting their craft both nationally and internationally.
Meerut serves as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meerut, which encompasses the districts of Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Dehradun, Haridwar, Moradabad, Rampur district, Amroha district, Ghaziabad, Bagpat district and the Dhampur tehsil of Bijnor district.
The cuisine of Meerut reflects influences from Punjabi cuisine, Awadhi cuisine, and Mughlai cuisine. Local dishes commonly associated with the city include much of the vegetarian dishes and sweets as most of the population is vegetarian.
The fair has a prominent history dating back several hundreds of years. It started in the year 1672 AD as a one-day cattle trading fair and has been held every year after, excluding 1858, the year after 1857 revolt, which started from Meerut.
Since then, cattle trading has been replaced by many other activities. The fair features shops for Lucknow's chikan work, Moradabad's brassware, Varanasi's carpets, rugs and silk Banarasi sari, Agra's footwear, Kanpur's leather items, etc. Meerut's own products like sports goods, scissors, and confections like Gajak and Nankhatai are also sold. The fair features Amusement ride, Ferris wheel, circus performances and recreational activities remain a big attraction of the fair.
Notable people from Meerut in the film and television industry include Bharat Bhushan, Aziz Mian, Mandakini, Achint Kaur, Kailash Kher, Chitrangada Singh, Vishal Bhardwaj, Deepti Bhatnagar and Pravesh Rana.
Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU) is a public and state university that has many degree colleges affiliated with it. They fall into two divisions: Saharanpur and Meerut with nine districts including Saharanpur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Shamli, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bagpat, Hapur and Bulandshahr administered by Vice-chancellor and Registrar (PCS officer). The Indian Film and Television Institute is located at the western bypass of the city. The city has three medical colleges: Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Subharti Medical College and Mulayam Singh Yadav Medical College & Hospital.
Education
(formerly Meerut University)]]Meerut is an education hub of Western Uttar Pradesh with about four or five universities, approximately 50 engineering colleges, 23 management colleges, seven pharmacy colleges, four colleges offering hotel management, one college offering fashion design, over 150 academic colleges, and over 50 schools. The city is home to Chaudhary Charan Singh University (formerly Meerut University), Banda University of Agriculture and Technology (formerly Meerut University of Agriculture and Technology), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Shobhit Institute of Engineering & Technology and IIMT University (the oldest engineering institute in Meerut district, established in 1997). The city has one government-run engineering college, Chhotu Ram Institute of Engineering and Technology, a constituent college of Chaudhary Charan Singh University. There are schools affiliated with recognised boards such as ICSE, CBSE, IB, and the state board. St. Mary's Academy, Meerut (a Patrician Brothers school) is a nationally top-ranked boys' school. St. John's Sr. Sec School (established by Begum Samru) which is over 130 years old, also the first IB school in Uttar Pradesh was Vidya Global School.
Media
Meerut is becoming a media centre, as journalists from all over Uttar Pradesh and other Indian states are working in Meerut. Radio stations shared with Delhi are Radio City 91.1 MHz, Big FM 92.7 MHz, Red FM 93.5 MHz, Radio One 94.3 MHz, Hit 95 (95 MHz), Radio Mirchi 98.3 MHz, AIR FM Rainbow 102.6 MHz, Meow FM 104.8 MHz, AIR FM Gold 106.4 MHz. Radio IIMT (90.4 MHz) is the only radio station located in the city. The Hindi-language daily newspapers Hindustan, Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Dainik Janwani, The Hindu, Rashtrasewa, Dainik Jagran Inext are published from the city. The English daily Times of India, Meerut edition and the English language supplement HT City, Meerut with Hindustan Times is also published there. Moneymakers, an English daily is also published there. Asian Express, Hindi newspaper, and news magazine Citizen of the World are also published there.
Tourist destinations
at Martyr's Memorial.]]Tourist destinations in and around Meerut include the following:
Other places of interest include Mansa Devi Temple, Baleni, Basilica of Our Lady of Graces, Sardhana and the Chandi Devi Temple which was built by Holkar queen Ahilyabai Holkar.
Notable people
Indian Rebellion of 1857
Films and music
Politics
Sports
Scholars
See also
Further reading
External links
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