Asansol is a (Tier-II) metropolitan city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the second largest and second most populated city in West Bengal, as well as India's 33rd largest urban agglomeration. Asansol is the district headquarters of Paschim Bardhaman. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development, a non-governmental policy research organisation based in the United Kingdom, Asansol was ranked 11th among Indian cities and 42nd overall in a 2010 assessment of the 100 fastest-growing cities. For the purposes of calculating HRA (House Rent Allowance) for public employees, Asansol is categorised as a Y-category city with a rate of 16%, making it a Tier-II city.

History

The territory is said to have been a part of the kingdom of Vishnupur, which was governed by the Malla dynasty for over a thousand years until the arrival of the British. This notion is supported by the presence of Vishnupur-style temples in Asansol's Chhotodighari and Domohani villages.