Dibrugarh

This article is about the municipality in India. For its namesake district, see Dibrugarh district.
Dibrugarh - The Tea City Of India
ডিব্ৰুগড়
Urban Agglomeration

Night view of Dibrugarh
Nickname(s): Tea City of India
Dibrugarh - The Tea City Of India

Location in Assam, India

Coordinates: 27°29′N 95°00′E / 27.48°N 95°E / 27.48; 95Coordinates: 27°29′N 95°00′E / 27.48°N 95°E / 27.48; 95
Country  India
State Assam
District Dibrugarh
Government
 • Body Dibrugarh Municipal Board
 • Established in 1873
 • No. of Wards 22
 • Chairman Anuradha Dey BJP
Area
 • Total 66.14 km2 (25.54 sq mi)
Elevation 108 m (354 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 154,019
 • Rank 3 (in Assam after Guwahati & Silchar)[1]
 • Density 2,300/km2 (6,000/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Assamese, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 7860 XX
Telephone code +91 - (0) 373 - XX XX XXX
Vehicle registration AS-06
Website www.dibrugarh.nic.in

Dibrugarh (Pron: ˌdɪbru:ˈgɑ:), is a city and is the headquarters of the Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam in India. Well known as the Tea City of India,[2][3] Dibrugarh is considered to be a major city in eastern India in line with Guwahati and Bhubaneswar[4] and is the emerging communication and industrial hub of North East India.[5] Dibrugarh is also one of the two main cities in the state of Assam to receive urban development aid from the Asian Development Bank[6][7] and is the nerve centre of industry, communication and healthcare of the upper Assam region.[8] Dibrugarh is located 439 km (273 miles) east of Guwahati, the capital city of the Indian state of Assam. Dibrugarh is well connected to the rest of India by rail, road and air transport and thus serves as a gateway to eastern Assam and also parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Moreover, there has also been a consistent demand, particularly from the industrial sectors, for starting international flights from Dibrugarh to Bangkok and Singapore.[5] Mega projects like Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, India's longest rail cum road bridge Bogibeel bridge and other upcoming modern urban infrastructure are transforming Dibrugarh into a vibrant city. Of late, the city of Dibrugarh is emerging as a popular destination for business and leisure trips for tourists from India and abroad and the 9th edition of the North East Business Summit was held in the city with the theme 'Building bridges with South East Asia', where representatives from South East Asian nations and business leaders of the country pledged to contribute substantially for the socio-economic growth of the North East.[9] Dibrugarh is also a centre of education and research and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) organized the 18th National Space Science Symposium in the city in January–February, 2014.[10] The city Master Plan area of Dibrugarh is 66.14 sq. kilometres and population is 186,214.[11]

Etymology

Dibrugarh derived its name from Dibarumukh (as a renowned encampment of Ahoms during the Ahom-Sutiya War). Either the name "Dibru" evolved from Dibaru river or from the Dimasa word "Dibru" which means a "blister" and "Garh" meaning "fort". Both "Dibru" and "Dibaru" are Dimasa words. The Dimasas add the prefix "Di-" (which means "water") wherever there is small stream, a river, or a large river in a town or city. For example, "Diphu" (which means "white-water"), "Dimapur" (city with great river), etc. When the British came to this region, they constructed a fort on the bank of the river Dibaru. Therefore, this might be considered as the source of the name "Dibrugarh".

History

The British arrived in Assam in the year 1826, following the Yandaboo Accord. They selected Dibrugarh as an administrative and commercial center in Upper Assam, making Dibrugarh a hub of activity in this region of north-eastern India. In the year 1842, Dibrugarh was announced as the headquarters of Lakhimpur District. During World War II, the town was the principal military base and was used as a transit camp for the evacuees from Burma. In 1971 the Dibrugarh Sub-Division itself became a full-fledged district. Later, the Tinsukia Sub-Division separated as a District in 1989 from Dibrugarh District. Today Dibrugarh is a separate district, with the District Headquarters in Dibrugarh.

Geography

Topography

aerial view of Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh aerial view

Buridihing, a tributary of Brahmaputra, divides the district from east-to-west. Buridihing flows through Naharkatia and Khowang, and at a later stage in its course, Buridihing acts as a divider between Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts. The region is flat with a gradual slope from the East Arunachal hills to the west. The soil of the district is mostly fertile, alluvial soil.

It is the gateway to the three tea-producing districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Sivasagar. These three areas account for approximately 50% of India's Assam tea crop, and this gives Dibrugarh its rightly earned sobriquet as the "Tea City of India". Oil and timber are the other two big industries in and around Dibrugarh.

In 1950, the Medog earthquake, measuring over 8.6 on the Richter Scale, changed the course of the Brahmaputra River, and this caused the destruction of more than three-quarters of the town. It has since then been rebuilt, though the River is a constant reminder to the people who live in its shadow, of its turbulence and all-encompassing journey to the sea.

Climate

Dibrugarh has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa) with extremely wet summers and relatively dry winters.

Climate data for Dibrugarh Airport (1971–2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 28.5
(83.3)		 31.9
(89.4)		 34.5
(94.1)		 36.0
(96.8)		 37.2
(99)		 38.1
(100.6)		 37.9
(100.2)		 37.5
(99.5)		 37.6
(99.7)		 36.3
(97.3)		 33.1
(91.6)		 30.6
(87.1)		 38.1
(100.6)
Average high °C (°F) 22.8
(73)		 23.9
(75)		 26.4
(79.5)		 27.6
(81.7)		 29.7
(85.5)		 31.1
(88)		 31.0
(87.8)		 31.8
(89.2)		 30.6
(87.1)		 29.8
(85.6)		 27.4
(81.3)		 24.2
(75.6)		 28.0
(82.4)
Average low °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)		 12.2
(54)		 15.9
(60.6)		 18.8
(65.8)		 21.9
(71.4)		 24.2
(75.6)		 24.6
(76.3)		 24.9
(76.8)		 23.8
(74.8)		 20.7
(69.3)		 15.0
(59)		 10.0
(50)		 18.4
(65.1)
Record low °C (°F) 3.4
(38.1)		 4.8
(40.6)		 8.1
(46.6)		 10.8
(51.4)		 14.1
(57.4)		 16.5
(61.7)		 20.6
(69.1)		 19.5
(67.1)		 19.7
(67.5)		 13.3
(55.9)		 6.5
(43.7)		 2.7
(36.9)		 2.7
(36.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 30.1
(1.185)		 58.9
(2.319)		 105.5
(4.154)		 230.4
(9.071)		 287.9
(11.335)		 428.5
(16.87)		 525.5
(20.689)		 427.7
(16.839)		 350.1
(13.783)		 143.3
(5.642)		 16.4
(0.646)		 18.6
(0.732)		 2,622.8
(103.26)
Average rainy days 3.5 5.7 8.8 13.4 14.1 18.0 21.7 17.1 15.2 7.4 1.8 1.7 128.4
Average relative humidity (%) 80 74 68 75 76 81 85 82 85 83 81 82 79.3
Source #1: India Meteorological Department (record high and low up to 2010)[12][13]
Source #2: NOAA (humidity, 1971–1990)[14]

Demographics

Religion in Dibrugarh (2001)[15]
Religion Percent
Hindus
  
 94.37%
Muslims
  
 4.68%
Buddhist
  
 0.36%
Sikhs
  
 0.23%
Others†
  
 0.27%
Distribution of religions
†Includes Jains (<0.1%)

As of the 2011 India census,[16] Dibrugarh city had a population of 154,019. Males constituted 54% of the population and females 46%. The sex ratio of Dibrugarh city was 925 per 1000 males.

Total literates in Dibrugarh city are 113,822, of which 60,782 are males and 53,040 are females. Therefore, the average literacy rate of Dibrugarh is 89.5%, which is higher than the national average literacy rate.

In Dibrugarh, 9% of the population is between 0 to 6 years of age, and the child ratio of girls is 940 per 1000 boys. Dibrugarh city area has a population of 154,019 according to a 2011 census. The Dibrugarh metropolitan areas include Barbari (AMC AREA), Dibrugarh, Mahpowalimara Gohain Gaon, Niz-Mankata, and Tekela Chiring Gaon[17]

Economy

Industry

Fields Headquarters of Oil India Limited at Duliajan

Dibrugarh is considered as an economic hub of North East region of India.[18] Dibrugarh is at the centre of economic activities dominated by the following industries:

Oil

It was in Digboi, 50 miles (80 km) from Dibrugarh, that the first oil well was dug during the British era. Today, Duliajan, Dikom, Tengakhat and Moran are the key locations for oil and gas industry in the district. Oil India Limited, the second such public sector company in India engaged in exploration and transportation of crude oil has its fields headquarters in Duliajan, at a distance of 50 km from Dibrugarh city. The company was granted the coveted Navratna status by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Govt. of India in 2010[19]

AGCL

The Assam Gas Company Limited, a state public sector undertaking engaged in the distribution of natural gas functions with its headquarters in Duliajan.

BCPL

The Assam Gas Cracker Project, also known as Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, was proposed as a part of implementation of Assam Accord signed by Government of India on 15 August 1985. 1ST largest Nitrogen plant in India by Linde India Ltd.

The Assam Gas Cracker Project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, in its meeting held on 18 April 2006, under an equity arrangement of GAIL (70%), OIL (10%), NRL (10%) and Govt. of Assam (10%) with a project cost of ₹ 54.6 billion, in which the capital subsidy is ₹ 21.4 billion. The project was scheduled for completion in 60 months. However, the commissioning of the project has been pushed to December 2013, and the cost has escalated to ₹ 92.8 million. The site selected for Assam Gas Cracker Project is at Lepetkata, 15 km from Dibrugarh on NH-37. A joint-venture agreement was signed on 18 October 2006, and the company Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited was registered on 8 January 2007. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, laid the foundation stone of this project on 9 April 2007.[20][21]

DNPL

Duliajan Numaligarh Pipeline Ltd is a joint venture company promoted by Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Oil India Limited (OIL) with equity participation of 51 per cent, 26 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. The Duliajan-Numaligarh pipeline will be the first major cross-country natural gas pipeline in Assam and once the availability of natural gas is ensured, it is expected to be extended to major consumption centers of natural gas in Nagaon and Guwahati.[22]

Tea

A Tea Lounge in Dibrugarh
Tea: two leaves and a bud

Apart from this, Dibrugarh district boasts of the highest amount of tea production in India. There are several tea gardens dating back to the British era. The first garden was at Chabua, a place 20 miles (32 km) away from Dibrugarh, owned by Maniram Devaan.[23] Today, the headquarters of the Directorate of Development of Small Tea Growers in India is functioning from Dibrugarh,[24] besides a Regional Office of the Tea Board of India headed by a Deputy Director of Tea Development (Plantation) is also located in the city. The Zone I of the Assam Branch Indian Tea Association(ABITA) is located at Dibrugarh.[25]

Tourism

Rail, road and air connectivity coupled with the presence of large number of tourist spots in and around Dibrugarh city has seen impressive growth of tourism industry in this part of India in recent part. Dibrugarh has also become an important destination as well as a major transit point for tourists from both India and abrod. Such tourist circuits include - Dibrugarh - Roing - Mayudia - Anini Tourist Circuit,[26] Dibrugarh - Guwahati river cruise[27] besides 'Tea Tourism' for tourists who prefer serenity and novelty to the hustle-bustle of established tourist destinations[28]

Transportation

A flight takingoff from Mohanbari Airport.

Air

Mohanbari Airport, which is located around 15 km from the city. Airlines operating from the airport are Air India, IndiGo, JetKonnect and Pawan Hans Ltd. IndiGo Airlines connects Dibrugarh daily with Delhi via Kolkata and another non-stop to Delhi while in return via Guwahati. Jet Airways (JetKonnect) connects Dibrugarh daily with Delhi via Guwahati. The Airports Authority of India is planning to make Mohanbari Airport an air hub for the northeastern region, along with Guwahati and Agartala.[29] In 2013, Dibrugarh airport was provided with night landing facility.[30] Commercial operation of aerobridges have also started in this airport. Dibrugarh airport is the third airport in entire Eastern India after Kolkata and Guwahati to have the facility of boarding in and disembarking from aircraft through aerobridges.[31]

Rail

Dibrugarh holds a prominent place in the history of Indian Railways with the first railway services of the entire North-East India starting from here. On 1 May 1882, the first train rolled down the tracks from Streamerghat at Dibrugarh. On 15 May 1882, it was extended up to Dinjan. On 23 December that year goods train up to Chabua was introduced. On 18 February 1884, at 7:20 am, the then Chief Commissioner of Assam Sir Charles Illiot flagged off the first passenger train from Reehabari rail station (now Dibrugarh Town Railway station) to Ledo with 400 European and Indian passengers. As per the Centenary Souvenir of the Assam Railways and Trading Company Limited published in 1991, the said company, being the pioneer in building Dibru-Sadiya railways, described the entire history of railway development from Dibrugarh.[32]

Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express standing at Dibrugarh Town railway station.

Dibrugarh Town and Dibrugarh are two railway stations of the city and also two of the important Easternmost railway stations on the map of the Indian Railways connected to some of the important Indian cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Quilon, Trivandrum, Kolkata, Delhi, Kanyakumari etc. through the railways network. The new Dibrugarh railway station has been developed on the outskirts of the town at Banipur. It is the biggest railway station in the entire north east spreading over 400 bighas of land and it is 2 km in length. One goods yard is also being developed for loading and unloading of goods along with a truck shed, which can accommodate 25 trucks at a time.[33] Dibrugarh is also the only non-capital city in India to have the Rajdhani Express originating from and terminating in it daily. Twenty Rajdhani Express trains (10 from Dibrugarh and 10 from New Delhi) connect Dibrugarh with the national capital of New Delhi on a weekly basis. Moreover, the Vivek Express, named after Swami Vivekanda, which connects Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari, is now the longest train service in India, covering a distance of 4278 km in five days. Important trains that run from Dibrugarh are Vivek Express, Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, Kamrup Express, Avadh Assam Express,Brahmaputra Mail, Dibrugarh - Chennai Egmore Express, Dibrugarh-Bangalore Express, Amritsar-Dibrugarh Express, Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express, Dibrugarh-Kolkata Superfast Express etc.

The Bogibeel Bridge, a 5-km long megastructure 17 km from Dibrugarh, being built at a cost of more than Rs 32.30 billion (original estimate Rs 17.67 billion), will finally be complete by December 2015, late by more than five years. Comprising a double-track broad gauge rail line on the lower deck and a four-lane expressway on the upper deck, the bridge will be a lifeline to the region as it creates a vital crossing point across the Brahmaputra in the Upper Assam Valley. Dibrugarh city will benefit directly from the bridge as its railway station is being expanded to become the biggest in the region.[34]

Road

The Mankata Road flyover in Dibrugarh

City roads in Dibrugarh are smooth and well lit up with street lights. However, keeping in view the rapidly increasing number of commercial and private vehicles in the city, urgent steps are required to widen some of the existing roads particularly the T.R. Phukan Road and the Convoy Road. There are two flyovers in the city; although two more seems necessary; one at the intersection of Convoy Road with N.H. 37 and the other at the intersection of L.B.T. Road with N.H. 37 at Lahowal. As parts of the city frequently get inundated in flash floods during the monsoon season mainly in the months of June, July and August, city roads are being constructed with concrete. It is said that Dibrugarh is the first city in the Northeast to have introduced city bus service more than half a century back sometime in 1956.[35] Up till the mid-1990s, City Buses and cycle rickshaws were the main modes of urban transporrt. Later, 'Vikram', 'Minidor', 'Champion' etc. three-wheelers were also introduced as means of urban transport.

Dibrugarh has three bus terminuses. ASTC bus terminus at Chowkidinghee, Muralidhar Jalan Bus Terminus at Malakhubasa and AMCH bus terminus at Borbari near the AMCH gate. For inter-city journey, luxury buses including Volvo buses plying between important destinations within Assam and other neighbouring states at frequent interval are available.

National Highways Authority of India is proposing to make Dibrugarh, a NHAI hub after the completion of Bogibeel bridge. Dibrugarh is connected to the rest of India by NH-37. After the completion of Bogibeel bridge, it will be connected to northern bank of the Brahmaputra by NH-52(B). A new bypass is being constructed to ease traffic movement within the city area near Jameera. A new flyover has also come up along the NH-37 over the newly developed Dibrugarh-Moran rail line near Dibrugarh University.

A ferry heading towards Dibrugarh across Brahmaputra river

Waterways

Dibrugarh also possesses a developed waterway transportation system along and across the Brahmaputra river, known as the National Waterway 2 which extends from Bangladesh Border to Sadiya. Ferry services link Dibrugarh with Sengajan (Dhemaji District), Panbari ( Dhemaji) & Oiram Ghat (near Jonai Dhemaji). From Bogibeel IWT Ghat there are regular ferry Services to Kareng Chapori & Sisi Mukh. Moreover, luxury cruise services are also available from Dibrugarh to Guwahati. The cruise to Dibrugarh passes through Tezpur and the Kaziranga National Park.[36]

Education and Research

University

Dibrugarh University

Main article: Dibrugarh University
Entrance to the Dibrugarh University

Dibrugarh University, the easternmost University of India was set up in 1965 under the provisions of the Dibrugarh University Act, 1965 enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating University with limited residential facilities. The University is situated at Rajabheta at a distance of about 5 km to the south of the premier town of Dibrugarh in the eastern part of Assam as well as India. Various departments under Dibrugarh University are:

  • Anthropology
  • Applied geology
  • Assamese
  • Chemistry
  • Commerce
  • Economics
  • Education
  • English
  • History
  • Life science
  • Mathematics
  • Petroleum technology
  • Pharmaceutical science
  • Physics
  • Political science
  • Sociology
  • Statistics

Various centres of studies are:

Medical Science

Dr. John Berry White Auditorium, AMCH, Dibrugarh

Assam Medical College and Hospital

Main article: Assam Medical College

Assam Medical College was formally established on 3 November 1947. It was, however, earlier known as Berry-White School of Medicine, which was founded in 1900. It has the distinction of being the first medical college in the entire North-eastern region of India. Following the establishment of two other medical colleges in Assam, one at Guwahati and another at Silchar, it now serves as the tertiary medical referral centre for the entire upper Assam as well as the some areas of neighbouring states, especially Arunachal Pradesh.

The Assam Medical College was established by a personal grant from Dr. John Berry White after he retired as the civil surgeon of Lakhimpur district. The medical school, "John Berry White Medical School" was set up in 1900 at Dibrugarh, and thus this premier institute started its history, and marked a new era in education. Assam Medical College started the first Radiology Department in India, in year 1910, along with two X-Ray machine (One 10MA and another 15MA). The X-Ray Machines were bought from England, 15 years after the discovery of X-Rays by Professor Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895–96. These two were the first X-Ray machines in India.

OPD, Assam Medical College & Hospital, Dibrugarh

The college is situated in the outskirts of city and set in the midst of tea estates. Building renovation and new building construction projects is underway, in joint collaboration with the North Eastern Council and the State Government of Assam, to upgrade the college to a premier medical institution.

The college boast some of the best teachers in India in their respective fields. The college has some great principals, of which one has also won the Padmashree award. The college completed its Diamond jubilee in November 2007.

RMRC, the International Centre of Excellence, at Lahowal, Dibrugarh

RMRC

Regional Medical Research Centre (NE Region) is one of the six regional centres of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and is located 10 km East of Dibrugarh city centre and 2 km North of Bokul Tiniali at Lahowal. It covers the most remote and less developed, eight states of the north-eastern region of India and is responsible for carrying out Biomedical Research in the region. It was established in 1982 and runs with intramural grant from ICMR and extramural ad hoc projects from different funding agencies.

This premier Medical Research institute has been recognized as an "International Centre of Excellence" by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Washington University of USA.

The institute, in collaboration with Centre for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC), Pune, has been awarded the "MoSQuIT – mBillionth SAARC Countries Award 2013" recognized by The Grand Jury of The mBillionth Award South Asia as an Award Winner for the year 2013 for inventing disease surveillance system for malaria using mobile platform.[37]

Research projects:

Engineering and Technology

Entrance to the DU Institute of Engineering and Technology

DU Institute of Engineering and Technology
A new engineering college, known as Dibrugarh University Institute of Engineering and Technology (DUIET), has been established under Dibrugarh University to promote engineering and technology in and around Dibrugarh. DUIET offers its students a BTech degree in one of the following departments:

Dibrugarh Polytechnic

Dibrugarh Polytechnic[38] is located on the outskirts of the city at Bokul near Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh (ICMR). It offers courses in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering.

An Industrial Training Institute (ITI) is located on western outskirt of the city at Barbaruah.

Agriculture

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dibrugarh

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dibrugarh is located at Romai, which is about 20 km from Dibrugarh city centre towards South-East. The KVK Campus is being developed at Romai with construction of institute building, farmers' hostel, staff quarters etc. and therefore, at present this KVK is functioning from the temporary office located at Ghoramara about 2 km far from Romai towards Lahoal. The land area of KVK is 16 ha. The KVK is connected by NH 37 from Dibrugarh to Lahoal, from Lahoal to Modarkhat by State road and from Modarkhat to Romai by a good motorable village road.

The mandated activities of KVK as per guidelines of ICAR are:

  1. Conducting on-farm testing in crop production, horticultural production, livestock production, fish production etc. for identifying technologies in terms of location specific sustainable land use system.
  2. Organizing Frontline Demonstration on major cereal crops, oilseeds and pulses and other enterprises to generate production data and gather feed back information.
  3. Organizing short and long term vocational training courses in agriculture and allied vocations for farmers, farm women and rural youth for raising production and productivity and generating self-employment, and
  4. In-service training to update the extension personnel with emerging advances in agricultural and allied research.[39]

Directorate of Distance Education, Dibrugarh University

Course and Programmes:

M.D.K. Girl's College

Course and Programmes:

Major Courses :

Fashion Technology

JD Institute of Fashion Technology is a premier institute of fashion-designing with presence in major cities across India. In NE India, the institute is present in Guwahati and Dibrugarh.

JD Institute of Fashion Technology gave away its first annual design awards during a glittering function on Sunday, 4 August 2013, at Beria Vivah Bhawan at Bairagimoth in Dibrugarh. The event choreographed by renowned fashion designer Prashant Ghosh drew additional enthusiasm with the presence of international model Natasha Arsic from Greece, who walked on the ramp for the evening donning the creation of the students of the JD Institute, Dibrugarh.

Schools

Dibrugarh Govt. Boys' H. S. School (Estd. 1840)
DHSK College, Dibrugarh

Colleges

The town came to national prominence for education in 2009 with Gaurav Agarwal of the Assam Valley School topping the country in the Class XII board examinations conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations.[42][43][44]

Infrastructure

Medical facilities

Dibrugarh is one of the oldest medical townships of eastern India. The first medical college of Assam, Assam Medical College & Hospital was established in Dibrugarh on 3 November 1947 just after the culmination of the British era in India. Formerly it was known as Berry White Medical College. Also, there is a proposal to establish a nursing college in the AMCH premises.

There are large number of nursing homes and diagnostic centres offering ultra modern medical facilities. Some of the popular nursing homes are listed below.

Aastha Hospital, Dibrugarh
Sanjivani Diagnostics and Hospital, Dibrugarh

Markets

New Market
New Market is the main market area and of Dibrugarh city. R.K.B. Road is towards South, Mankota Road is towards East and A. T. Road is towards North and West of this market. The main city roads passing through New Market are, H.S. Road, B. N. P. Road, C. K. Hazarika Road, H.W.G. Cole Road and B. Poddar Road. New Market is the centre of wholesale shops for branded electronic goods/appliances, chothes/garments, cosmetics and fashion items, branded jewellery, crockery, leather items, perishable items, medicine and hardware items. Also a number of quality hotels and restaurants are present in New Market area.
Paltan Bazar
Paltan Bazar derives its name from the cantonment area nearby. The main city road passing through this market is Bordoloi Avenue. This market area is nearby the Assam Medical College campus and a good number of pharmacies, diagnostic laboratories, lodges and hotels, restauants, and above all a number of leading nursing homes/hospitals of the state are located here.
Naliapool Bazar
This market is located in the Naliapool area of the city and is famous for cheap rates of almost all commodities. A. T. Road passes through this market. A modern Municipal Market Complex is coming up in Naliapool Bazar.
Chowkidinghee Bazar
Chowkidinghee Bazar is in the Chowkidinghee area of the city and is near the ISBT of Assam State Transport Corporation. The main city road passing through this market is Tarun Ram Phukan Road. This market is mostly famous for availability of fresh local vegetables, grocery shops and restaurants/fast food joints. In the evenings, covered pull-carts selling momo, chowmin, samosas and pakoda etc. items are seen in plenty in Chowkidinghee Bazar.
Milan Nagar Bazar
This market is in the Milan Nagar area of the city. The main city road passing through this market is Mancotta Road. Mostly grocery items, gift items, stationery items, vegetables, fish and meat etc. are available in this market. A number of eating joints are also coming up of late in Milan Nagar Bazar..
Amolapatty Bazar
Honda, Maruti and Hyundai showrooms are located nearest to the Amolapatty Bazar. So, apart from a number of shops selling car-accessories, car washing and tyre care shops, there are restaurants, fast food joints, furniture shops, vegetable vendors, grocery shops and Newspaper/megazine stores as well in Amolapatty Bazar. This market is located around the intersection of A.T. Road, Steamerghat Road and T.R. Phukan Road known as Amolapatty Chariali.
Shantipara Bazar
This market is in the Shantipara area of the city and adjacent to the Dibrugarh Town railway station. The main roads passing through this market are P.N. Road and B.C. Das Road. This market is famous for local fish and fresh vegetables. Also, grocery shops and eating joints are there in plenty.
Graham Bazar
Graham Bazar was developed by a British administrator of Dibrugarh way back in the British era. The historic Berry White Medical School was founded in Graham Bazar area in 1900 AD. This market is noted for cane and bamboo furniture and show pieces. Dibrugarh Industrial Tribunal is also located in this area. Dibrugarh State Hospital, offices of the Joint Director of Health Services and Drug Inspector, two wheeler showrooms, a private law college and a nursing home is also present in Graham Bazar.
Barbaruah Bazar
Located near the BCPL Project and proposed Dibrugarh Bypass.
Junction Mall, Dibrugarh

Malls

Junction Mall
Junction Mall is located on the southern side of R. K. B. Road and near the City Regency Hotel. This mall has seven floors, two lifts and four escalators. M.P. Jewellers, brandshops of Reebok, Adidas, departmental store Sohum, multiplex Fun Cinemas etc. are housed in this mall.

A couple of new malls are also coming up in the city.

Multiplexes

Fun Cinemas
This multiplex is located in the Junction Mall and has two screens. Each screen presents five shows per day. Ticket rates for viewing a movie in this multiplex during peak hours is among the highests for multiplexes in India.

Department stores

Sohum
Sohum is housed in the Junction Mall. High end priced items like branded readymade garments, cosmetics and fashon items, imported gift items and collectibles etc. are main attractions of this departmental store.
Vishal Mega Mart
Vishal Mega Mart is located in Corporate Park by the R.K.B. Road. This departmental store is part of a chain of departmental stores. This store is famous for cheap rates of all commodities.
Khushee Mega Mart
Khushee Mega Mart is located in between R.K.B. Road and B. Poddar Road and provides a wide range of quality and branded grocery items, frozen food and cosmetics. This store has the provision for membership of customers and members get substantial discounts afterwards.
Max Mart
Max Mart is located by the B. Poddar Road. Readymade garments, crockery, grocery etc. are its main items.
City Life
City Life is a chain of retail stores present in Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad etc. cities. The chain has opened its departmental store in Dibrugarh recently in the B. Poddar Road at New Market.
Reliance Trends
Reliance Trends is a chain of retail stores present in Guwahati and Tinsukia. The chain has opened its departmental store in Dibrugarh recently in the RNC Path at Thana Chariali.
Reliance Footprints
Reliance Footprints is a chain of multibrand footwear retail stores which has opened its retail store in Dibrugarh on the R. K. B. Road recently.

Media

Electronic media

Dibrugarh has a full-fledged All India Radio centre, All India Radio, Dibrugarh[45] broadcasting in both AM (567 kHz at 529.1 metres of MW) and FM (101.30 MHz) bands airing three transmissions a day[46] along with a 5-minute regional news bulletin at 6:00 PM everyday.[47] All India Radio, Dibrugarh was commissioned way back on 15 February 1968.[46] The station has its studios located at Malakhubosa in Dibrugarh and the high power transmission tower located at Lepetkata near the present Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited site.

Doordarshan Kendra, Dibrugarh

As for television viewing, the second Doordarshan centre of Assam, telecasting programmes in Assamese language, Doordarshan Kendra, Dibrugarh was established in the city in the year 1993. Earlier the Kendra used to telecast Assamese language programmes capsuled in Guwahati beginning 20 December 1991.[48] The programmes produced in this Kendra are telecast through a high power transmitter.[49] Dibrugarh Doordarshan Kendra is contributing programmes to the 'DD North East' channel.[50]

Moreover, NETV is a satellite channel operating from Dibrugarh with a Zonal Office besides V&S, Dibru Live and Luit View are cable TV channels from Dibrugarh. Dibrugarh also has a digital cable TV network.

Print media

Dibrugarh has been a pioneer of newspaper journalism in entire Eastern India with the Times of Assam being the first newspaper published from Dibrugarh in the late nineteenth century. After four decades of publication, Times of Assam ceased to publish and from 1939 The Assam Tribune started its journey from Dibrugarh, which after 7 years of publication from Dibrugarh, shifted to Guwahati. However, this premier English daily of the North-East India, The Assam Tribune is published from Dibrugarh along with Guwahati and The Sentinel is published from Dibrugarh along with four other cities of North-East India. Several vernacular, as well English and Bengali dailies are published from Dibrugarh. Assamese newspapers published from Dibrugarh are Asomiya Pratidin, Janasadharan, Niyomiya Barta, Dainik Asam, Dainik Pratikshan and Pratibimba,. Jugashangkha is a Bengali daily published from Dibrugarh along with Guwahati and Silchar.

Tourist attraction

Dibrugarh and adjoining areas offer its tourists a unique blend of tourist attractions ranging from the ecstasies of the tea estates and their heritage to wildlife and culture, also touching the heart of someone with a religious fervour, all in the backdrop of a vibrant city.

The lush and serene greenery of a tea estate in Dibrugarh

Tea estates

Dibrugarh accounts for the finest Assam Tea that is drank anywhere in the world. Set midst miles and miles of tea estates, Dibrugarh offers the opportunity to experience a life in tea estates. Tea tourism has started becoming popular, with travel companies such as Greener Pastures and Purvi Discovery offering tea tours.[51]

Wildlife

Dibrugarh has rich flora and fauna in the surrounding wildlife sanctuaries and rainforests.

Jokai Botanical Garden cum Germplasm Center
Jokai Botanical Garden cum Germplasm Center spread over an area of 1.2 Ha. amidst Jokai Reserve Forest is 12 km from Dibrugarh town on Mancotta-Khamtighat road. Apart from the storehouse of germplasm of some of the valuable and endangered species of flora of this region, the center is a showcase of what this region has in terms of floral biodiversity. The various zones of this center include Orchid house, Medicinal and aromatic plants plot, Rainforest specimen plot, a water pond etc.
Added attractions to visit this botanical garden are Elephant ride to have an overview of the richness of Jokai Reserve Forest, a retreat to scenic beauty of Era-suti along northern boundary of Jokai Reserve Forest famous for migratory birds.
The work of developing trekking routes inside Jokai reserve forest and introduction of boating facilities at Era-suti is in progress to ensure that a tourist has a complete date with nature here.[52]
Dibru – Saikhowa National Park
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is located at about 42 km north of Dibrugarh town of Assam covering an area of 350 km2. It lies between 27°30' N to 27°45' N latitude and 95°10' E to 95°45'E longitude at an average altitude of 118 m (range 110-126m). It is also a biosphere reserve. The park bounded is by the Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers in the north and Dibru river in the south. It is situated in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia District of Assam. It mainly consists of wet evergreen forests, tropical moist deciduous forest, canebrakes and grasslands. It is the largest salix swamp forest in north east India. Situated in the flood plains of the Brahmaputra and the Lohit, at an altitude of 118 m above sea level, Dibru-Saikhowa is a safe haven for many endangered species. Due to the auto stocking by the Brahmaputra and Dibru river, it is rich in fish diversity. Dibru Saikhowa has tropical monsoon climate with a hot and wet summer and cool and usually dry winter. The annual rainfall ranges from 2300 mm to 3800 mm. The main rainy months are June, July, August, September. The average coldest and warmest temperature of the area ranges from 7 °C to 34 °C where June, July and August are the hottest while December and January are the coolest months.
Jeypore Rainforest
Situated 60 km southeast of Dibrugarh town in eastern Assam, Jeypore Rainforest is India's easternmost rainforest, one of very few wildlife reserves on earth housing seven wildcat species including Royal Bengal tiger, clouded leopard, common leopard, golden cat and marbled cat.[53] Jeypore reserve forest and Dilli reserve forest combine to be the only rain forest area in the state spread across the three of upper Assam's districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sibsagar comprising a total area of 575 km2. The forest is listed to be the last lowland forests under the Assam valley wet evergreen forest area in the region.[54]
Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuaries
The Dehing Patkai rainforest with an area of 111.19 km2. is located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts and is famous for Assam Valley Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests bordering Arunachal Pradesh. A part of the 575 km2 Jeypore, spread across three eastern Assam districts, forms the Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary.[53] The Sanctuary is a part of the Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve having the World War II cemeteries nearby, along with the Stillwell Road and the oldest refinery of Asia in Digboi and 'open cast' coal mining at Lido.[55]

Koli Aai Thaan

Koli Aai Thaan is a very famous tourist spot of Dibrugarh, which is dedicated to Koli Aai, the daughter of the head priest of the Dibaru Satra of Assam. It is said that due to the lack of male heir, the satra started disappearing. However, Koli Aai kept the Satra alive by preaching its ideals and principles. It is believed that Koli Aai was bestowed with divine powers and she vanished from the site one day, leaving behind a strong religious hold in the minds of the people.

Radha Krishna Temple, Dibrugarh

Radha Krishna Temple

This temple, situated in a sprawling campus near the Assam Medical College, features two life size idols of Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha. The temple is considered to be an architectural marval and is entirely made of marble stone. The serinity and divinity of the temple and its campus attract tourists in large numbers and even from other religious beliefs.

Mahatma Gandhi Park

Situated at Khanikar, 10 kilometres South of Dibrugarh city centre, this newly developed park is on a 22 bigha plot of land and features a blend of modernity and tradition and is a major attraction for tourists of all ages for a recreation.

Shrikshetra Dhaam, Dibrugarh

Shrikshetra Dhaam, The Lord Jagannath Temple

A replica of the Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha, has come up in Dibrugarh near the Mahatma Gandhi Park at Khanikar. The height of this temple is 85 feet. This temple is expected to be a major centre for religious tourism in eastern Assam. As per the architectural structure, this temple is the 2nd after the original Jagannath Temple, Puri in India.[56]

Namphake Village

At a distance of about 37 km from the township of Dibrugarh, on the banks of the river Burhidihing, is the Namphake village (Thai: น้ำฝาแก่ namfaagae) of Assam. A very beautiful Buddhist monastery is located in this area. This monastery is regarded as a meditation center, due to its unique natural settings and serene atmosphere. It also serves as a very famous tourist attraction of Assam. Apart from this, the other attractions of the area are Nong Mungchiringta (Musulinda tank), Ashoka Pillar, Pagoda, and traditional stilt houses. The Princess of Thailand visited the village in 2009 and spoke with the residents. Despite the distance, the language and modern Thai have so much in common they are mutually intelligible.

Naharkatia Town

Naharkatia is a town situated in the Dibrugarh district of Assam, which is renowned for its petroleum and gas reserves. The place is especially famous for its tea gardens and is considered to be an important commercial hub of the state. At a short distance from the town lie the historic Jaipur/Jeypore, Tipam and Namrup. Besides this, the oldest oil pool in the state is also located here.

Vaishnavite Culture - Xatras

More information on Satra (Ekasarana Dharma)

Dehing Namti Satra
Around 8 miles from the town of Naharkatia, on the banks of river Disang (under Sasoni mouza), is the age old Dehing Namti Satra of Assam. The satra was established by Binandashyam Gohain and was initially situated between the roads of Hologuri and Sariyahtoli, in Dibrugarh. The current location of one of the chief wings of the satra is at Namti, in Nazira.
Dinjoy Satra
This satra was first established by a prime devotee of Gopal Atadev, Srimanta Aniruddha Dev, in a village of North Lakhimpur. It was later shifted to Khutiaputa, around the time when the Moamoria rebellion took place. During this period, Astabhuj Gosain was the head of the satra. But after his demise, this religious seat remained vacant for 14 years. Later on, Pitambar Chandra Dev was made the head. The satra fell into trouble once again at the time of Burmese invasion of India. It was finally brought to the present site of Dinjan, about 5 km from the township of Chabua, after peace returned.
Moderkhat Satra
Moderkhat Satra is actually an extension of the Dinjoy Satra and was established in the Moderkhat area of the Dibrugarh district. Chandrakantadev was the founder of this monastery. He was the brother of Sidanandadeb Dinjoy, who was the head priest of the Dinjoy Satra of Assam.
Garpara Satra
Garpara satra is older than the Dinjoy Satra itself and is situated in Rohmoria mouza, Assam. The head priest of this satra was Narimaider. In recent times, there has been a proposal of shifting the satra to a new safer location, because of soil erosion at the present site.
Dehing Satra
The ruins that are seen on the banks of the Dehing River under Larua mouza in present Dibrugarh, was a very famous satra during the rule of the Ahom king Rajeswar Singha. During the famous Moamoria revolution, the satra received royal support from Ahom King Rajeswar Singha and also from a number of other kings like Lakhi Singha and Gaurinath Singha.

Dols and Maidams

Raidangia Dol
Raidangia Dol is found in the Kalakhuwa area of Laruah mauza, under the Barbaruah Dev Block of Assam. Established in 700 AD, by Swargodeo Pramatta Singha, the place was originally dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu. Later on, it became famous as Shiva dol. The dol contains relics of the powerful Ahom Kingdom. Initially, 24 statues were found engraved on the walls of the temple, but now only 14 of them are to be found. There is a large pond situated just adjacent to the temple. It is said that the dol, along with the pond and 200 pura, was given as a dowry when Swargadeo Pramatta Singha married his sister to Raidnogia Barua.[57]
Barbarua Maidam
At a distance of 14 km to the south of Dibrugarh, just adjacent to the NH37, there are two ancient graveyards that were raised to honour two officials of the Ahom Dynasty. Historian Sarbananda Rajkumar believes that these two maidams or graveyards were erected for Bura Dihinigia Barbarua and Deka Dihingia Barbarua. Apart from these, there are several other smaller maidams at the same site, which were constructed to honour other soldiers of the same regime.
Sarumechlow and Bormechow Maidam
These two maidams are found in the Lengeri mouza locality of Dibrugarh city and are said to be the graveyards of Sarumechlow and Bormechow, who were the queens of King Sukhampha Khura (1552–1611) of the Ahom regime.
Lekai Chetia Maidam
This maidam is dedicated to Lekai Chetia, an officer of the Ahom Kingdom, during the term of Swargadeo Pratapsingha. Located in the Sessa area, near Mankata road of the Dibrugarh district, the maidam has now become a revered spot in Assam.
Bahikhowa Maidam
The Bahikhowa Maidam is found in the Khowang Tea Estate area of Dibrugarh. This graveyard is dedicated to Bahikhowa Dasarath Dowerah. He was the Chief of the Army staff of Ahoms, during the reign of Swargodeo Rajeswar Singha. Apart from this huge maidam, there are several other smaller maidams located in the nearby places, but all of them are in ruins now.

Politics

Dibrugarh is part of Dibrugarh (Lok Sabha constituency).[58]

Gallery

Upcoming projects

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dibrugarh.

References

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External links

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