Barpeta District of Assam

In the year 1983 July, Barpeta district was carved out of erstwhile Kamrup district of Assam. The district gets its name from the head-quarter town Of Barpeta. A lower district Of Assam and is bounded by Bhutan in the North, Nalbari district in the East, In the south, it is bounded by beautiful districts called  Kamrup and Goalpara and Bongaigaon in the West.

Attractions 

Barpeta Satra, Barpeta

Pari Hareswar Devalaya, Dubi

Chinpara Vithi, Barpeta

Dargah Of Syed Shahnur Dewan, Bhella

Sundaridiya Satra, Barpeta

Gorokhia Gosair Than, Niz Sariha(Sorbhog)

Patbaushi Satra, Patbaushi

Manas National Park, North Barpeta

Ganakkuchi Satra, Barpeta

Brass-Metal Industry Of Sarthebari

Baradi Satra, Baradi

Facts & Figures

Year of formation:  1985

Area:  3245 Sq. Km

Latitude: 26°5'- 26°49' North

Longitude:  90°39'- 91°17' East

Population (2001): 1642420

Male: 846106

Female: 796314

Population density: 506 Per Sq. Km

Sex Ratio: 941

Literacy Rate: 61.65%

No. Of Sub-Division: 2

No. Of Tehsil:           9

No. Of Blocks:          12

No. Of Villages: 1086

Postal Code: 781301

STD Code: 03665

How to reach Barpeta Town

Barpeta Is Well connected by road. There are regular bus services available between Barpeta and Guwahati. 

Distance From Barpeta: Guwahati 140 Km

Umamand Temple in Guahati, Assam

The temple of Umananda is located on the Pea cock Island (as named by some poetic British Administrator) in the middle of the river Brahmaputra at Guwahati. Country boats that are available at this place take the visitors to the island. The mountain on which the temple has been built is known as Bhasmacala.

The Legend Says, Siva is said to have resided here in the form of Bhayananda. According to the Kalika Purana, in the beginning of the creation Siva sprinkled ashes (bhasma) at this place and imparted knowledge to Parvati (his consort). It is said that, when Siva was in meditation on this hillock, Kamadeva interrupted his yoga and was therefore burnt to ashes by the fire of Siva’s anger and hence the hillock got the name Bhasmacala.

This mountain is also called Bhasmakuta. The Kalika Purana states that Urvasikunda is situated here and here resides the goddess Urvasi who brings Amrit (nectar) for the enjoyment of Kamakhya and hence the island got the name Urvasi Island.

History of the Temple The temple of Umananda was built in 1694 A.D. by the Bar Phukan Garhganya Handique by the order of King Gadadhar Singh (1681- 1696), one of the ablest and strongest rulers of the Ahom dynasty. The original temple was however immensely damaged by a devastating earthquake of 1897. Later, it was reconstructed by a rich local merchant who chose to inscribe the interior part of a Siva temple with Vaisnavite slogans.

The Strcuture of the Umananda Temple The temple has inherited some rock-cut figures, which speak passionately of the masterly skill of the Assamese craftsmen. The sculptures here show that the worshippers there followed all the principal Hindu gods. We find representations of Surya, Ganesha, Shiva and Devi (with a scorpion as emblem) in addition to those of Visnu and his ten incarnations (avatar).
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Shillong: Adobe of clouds

Adobe of clouds

State : Meghalaya, in the north east of India.
Best time to travel : October to March
Weather Conditions : Pleasant, pollution-free; Summers: The temperature varies from 23 degree Celsius; Winters: The temperature varies from 4 degree Celsius.
Location : Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya is just 56 km Cherrapunji, the world's wettest place.

Shillong in Meghalaya
Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is a hill town, situated in the north eastern part of India. Shillong in Meghalaya is situated at an altitude of 1496 m above sea level. Shillong remained the capital of Assam, before the formation of Meghalaya in the 1974. The place, the people and the climate all combined together to create an amiable atmosphere, to make Shillong Meghalaya an ideal holiday destination throughout the year. Cherrapunjee, the wettest place on earth is only 56 kms away from Shillong. Shillong has beautiful lakes and waterfalls, and is set in pine forests and green mountains. It is a popular hill-station which the British used to call the Scotland of the East.

Journey to Shillong, the Capital City of Meghalaya
Airport : Guwahati is the nearest airport from where Shillong can be reached by bus or car. Daily buses also connect Shillong with Guwahati airport. Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd, under the aegis of the Government of Meghalaya, has commenced regular helicopter flights connecting Shillong and Tura to Guwahati.

Railhead : Guwahati is the nearest railhead and is well-connected to the rest of the country.

Road Transport : Both Deluxe and ordinary bus services are available. Meghalaya Road Transport also run regular bus services in Meghalaya.

Staying at Shillong in Meghalaya
Shillong being the capital city of Meghalaya has a good line of accommodation facility in and around itself. You may not too luxurious category of accommodation in Shillong. But, the accommodations available are good enough to provide you a perfect comfort.

Sightseeing in Shillong (Meghalaya)
Shillong Peak
An ideal picnic spot, 10 km. from the city, 1965 m above sea level, offers a panoramic view of the scenic country side, and is also the highest point in the State. Obeisance is paid to U Shulong at the sanctum sanctorum at the peak's summit every springtime, by the religious priest of Mylliem State. In the evening the city lights below appear like a star-studded abyss.

Cherrapunjee (Sohra)
56 km from Shillong, situated in one of the rainiest rain-belt in the world, 1,300 m above sea level. A pleasant drive to see roaring water falls leaping into deep gorges, including the famed Nohsngithiang falls. The lovely town is also famous for its limestone caves and orange honey. Centre of Khasi culture and literature, it also has the oldest Presbyterian Church and also an establishment of the Ramkrishna Mission.

Sohpetbneng Peak
1,343 m, 20 km from Shillong, regarded as sacred by the Hynniewtrep people, is set amidst a beautiful scenic view against the backdrop of a sacred forest. This 'Navel of Heaven' as per Khasi mythology is a heavenly peak which offers to fill the spiritual void and emptiness, to those who seek and desire solace and peace of mind.

Ward's Lake
Located in the heart of the city, popular for short garden walks and boating, celebrated its centenary recently.

Umiam Lake
Umiam Khwan (Barapani), 17 km from Shillong, offers water sports facilities including sailing, water skiing, water scooter The Orchid Lake Resort and the adjacent Lum Nehru Park is an ideal quiet holiday resort.

Botanical Garden
A secluded but captivating spot with plethora of indigenous and exotic plants and is located just below the Ward's Lake.

Lady Hydari Park
A popular charming tourist draw, the adjacent mini zoo is an added attraction.

Golf Course
The third oldest golf course in India. Developed in 1889 as a nine hole course, was later converted to 18 holes in 1924 by Captain Jackson and C. R. Rhodes. It is termed as the 'Gleneagle of the East' at the United States Golf Association Library and Museum.

State Museum
Located at the State Central Library complex, visitors can get a glimpse of the lifestyle and heritage of the people.

Cathedral of Mary Help of Christian
At Laitumkhrah, it attracts devotees and visitors alike.

Bishop and Beadon Falls
Both cascade down the same escarpment into a deep valley, the mass of water dissolving into misty sparks.

Elephant Falls
12 km on the outskirts of the city, the mountain stream descends through two successive falls set in dells of fern covered rocks.

Spread Eagle Falls
A soothing setting amidst the calmness of nature-a treat to the eyes.

Sweet Falls
Situated near Happy Valley, most suitable for a day's outing and picnic. Explore it!

Crinoline Falls
Near Lady Hydari Park, a cool spot within the city limits. This is a must visit place in Meghalaya.

Some Important Destination from Shillong
Shillong is 3719 km from Thiruvanathapuram, 3025 km from Srinagar, 2502 km from Shimla, 487 km from Agartala, 2698 km from Ahmedabad, 3120 km from Bangalore, 2148 km from Bhopal, 1731 km from Bhubaneshwar, 2947 km from Mumbai, 1251 km from Calcutta, 2383 km from Chandigarh, 727 km from Darjeeling, 2134 km from Delhi, 725 km from Gangtok, 100 km from Guwahati, 2554 km from Hyderabad, 520 km from Imphal, 514 km from Itanagar, 2164 km from Jaipur, 410 km from Kohima, 1610 km from Lucknow, 2929 km from Chennai, and 3266 km from Panaji.

Rich Tribes of Assam

Assam Magical Land with Rich Tribes

Assam became the settling ground for many civilizations who came here through different routes as it was connected by land to many states and country. Negritos, Dravidians, Alpines, Tibeto Burmese and Aryans were the major races that made a settlement in Assam. They made Assam there home and came to be known as Asamese. The largest population in Assam is of the Tibeto Burmese origin like the Bodo tribe and Mishing tribe. Major tribes of Assam earn their livelihood through agriculture and by selling their handicrafts. Different types of tribes are famous for variety of handicrafts. Some are famous for handloom and some have mastered in metal of pottery works. Their languages too differ according to their place of origin.

Bodo Tribe
Bodo People were one of the earliest tribes to move to Assam. Today they constitute a large part of Assam population accounting to around 5.3%. They are not restricted to any specific area and are found in almost all parts of Assam. The speak Bodo language that is derived Tibeto Burmese family of language. Most of them are engaged in rice cultivation, tea plantation and poultry farming. Bodo Women engage themselves in weaving which has become a known culture of Bodo Tribe. Bodos were earlier known to worship their forefathers, however in recent times they have started practicing Hinduism and Bathouism.

Karbi People

Karbi tribe generally reside in hilly areas of Assam and form the major portion of population of Karbi Anglong district. They also inhabit places in North Cachar Hills, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts of Assam. They are mentioned as Mikir in the constitution of India.





Mishing Tribe
The Mishing Tribe belonging to Tibeto Burmese group have agriculture as their occupation. They inhabit districts of Tinsukia, Sibsagar, Sonitpur, Jorhat and Golaghat. Mishing people found the most fertile land on the banks of River Brahmaputra and settled on sides of the river. Though their production was great, frequent floods prevented them from climbing the economic ladder. The main festival of Mishing tribe is Ali-Lye-Ligangin the month of February which is the harvest festival. They speak language known as Mishing language.

Phake Tribe
Residing in Dirugarh and Tinsukia district of Assam, along Dihing river. They are said to have come here from Thailand in the late 18th century. They speak Assamese language as well as Phake language. These group is also known as Phakial and are a follower of Theravada Buddhism.

Festival of Assam: Bihu

The Important festival of Assam is Bihu, which is celebrated in three forms, viz.Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu in the month of January, Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu in the month of April and Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu in the month of October/ November.

Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu (which means eating or enjoyment,derived from the word 'Bhoga') is celebrated when the harvesting is over and is also called harvest festival. On the eve of Bihu day, called "Uruka", women prepare cakes made of rice and other refreshments. The most significant part of this day is the building of 'Meji' and feasting at night. The whole night is spent in feasting, merry - making dancing and singing.

The folk songs associated with the Bohaag Bihu are called Bihugeets or Bihu songs. The Bohaag Bihu lasts for several days during which "the young people in the vilalge may be seen moving about in groups gaily dressed or forming circles in the midst of which the prettiest girls dance" (The History of Human Marriage by Edward Western-March) singing songs of love and romance. Such gatherings are called Mukoli Bihus (Open Bihus). The songs are very popular among all sections of the people.

Saraighat Bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra

History of saraighat Bridge and Famous battle of Saraighat
Saraighat is a place near Guwahati in Assam, on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra. Sarai was a small village where the old abandoned N.F. Railway station of Amingaon was located.

Saraighat Bridge is constructed over the mighty Brahmaputra, also called the Red River. It is the first rail-cum-road bridge on this sacred river. It was opened to traffic in 1962 by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. This is a double decker bridge with a national highway on top and railway tracks below.

Saraighat Bridge is at Jalukbari in the District of Kamrup, Assam connecting north and south bank. The Chilarai Park or Lachit Udyan is situated at the end of the bridge. There is a road-cum-rail bridge over the river Brahmaputra joining the north & the south banks at Saraighat. This bridge is the first bridge on river Brahmaputra in Assam.

Battle of Saraighat
The famous Battle of Saraighat was fought near this place on the river.
The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughal empire (led by the Kachwaha king, Raja Ramsingh I), and the Ahom Kingdom (led by Lachit Borphukan) on the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati. Although much weaker, the Ahom army defeated the Mughal army by brilliant uses of the terrain, clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, guerrilla tactics, psychological warfare, military intelligence and by exploiting the sole weakness of the Mughal forces—its navy.

The Battle of Saraighat was the last battle in the last major attempt by the Mughals to extend their empire in to Assam. Though the Mughals managed to regain Guwahati briefly after a later Borphukan deserted it, the Ahoms wrested control in 1682 and maintained it till the end of their rule.

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Kamakhya Temple near Guwahati in Assam

The Kamakhya Temple in Assam is one of the most venerated Shakti shrines in India, and is regarded as one of the Shakti Peethams associated with the legend of Shiva and Daksha Yagna.

Kamakhya is located on a hill - Neelachala Parvat or Kamagiri near the city of Guwahati in Assam. Shakti, residing on the Kamagiri hill is known as Kamakhya, the granter of desires. Assam traditionally has been known as the Kamarupa Desa and has been associated with Tantric practices and Shakti worship.

This temple was destroyed in early 16th century, and then rebuilt in the 17th century by King Nara Narayana, of Cooch Bihar. Images of the builder and related inscriptions are seen in the temple.

The Kalika Purana, an ancient work in Sanskrit describes Kamakhya as the yielder of all desires, the young bride of Shiva, and the giver of salvation.

Legend has it that following the destruction of Daksha's sacrifice and the Rudra Tandava of Shiva, parts of Sati's body fell at several places throughout India, and these places are revered as Shakti peethas. The reproductive organ of Sati, (the Yoni) is said to have fallen here. Legend also has it that the supreme creative power of Bhrahma was challenged by Shakti, the mother Goddess, and that Bhrahma could thereafter create, only with the blessings of the Yoni, as the sole creative principle. After much penance, Bhrahma brought down a luminous body of light from space and placed it within the Yoni circle, which was created by the Goddess and placed at Kamarupa.

Legend Says
Another legend says that the demon Narakasura fell in love with Goddess Kamakhya once and he wanted to marry her. But as a goddess cannot marry a demon or asura, Goddess Kamakhya played a trick to save herself. She laid a condition that she would marry him only if he builds a temple for her within one night. Narakasura agreed to it and almost finished building the temple overnight. This scared Goddess Kamakhya and before the final steps of the temple were completed, a cock was sent to cry cock-a-doodle-do to announce the arrival of the morning, before it was actually dawn. This made Narakasura very angry and he killed the cock on that spot. But according to the condition Narakasura couldn't marry Goddess Kamakhya after that. It is said that the present Kamakhya temple is the same that Narakasura had made for the Goddess.

The Temple Structure
The Kamakhya Temple has a beehive like shikhara. Some of the sculptured panels seen here are of interest. There are images of Ganesha, Chamundeswari, dancing features etc. The temple is a natural cave with a spring. Down a flight of steps to the bowel of earth, is located a dark, mysterious chamber. Here, draped with a silk sari and covered with flowers, is kept the "matra yoni".

There is no image of Shakti here. Within a corner of a cave in the temple, there is a sculptured image of the Yoni of the Goddess, which is the object of reverence. A natural spring keeps the stone moist. Other temples on the Neelachala hill include those of Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneswari and Ghantakarna.

Story about rebuilding of the kamakhya Temple
King Naranarayana and his younger brother Sukladhvaja, alias Cilarai, after defeating the enemies in all three sides, decided to pay a visit to goddess Kamakhya. On seeing the dilapidated condition of the temple, King Naranarayana took a vow to rebuilt it. But proud about his recent victories, Naranarayana decided in favour of postponing the work and set out against the Nawab of Gaud. In the bettle that followed, the soldiers of Naranarayana suffered a thrashing defeat and Chilarai was taken to prison. In the prison Chilarai offered sincere prayer to goddess Kamakhya and begged her pardon for not starting the renovation of her temple first.. At last the goddess took pity on him and assured him to arrange his release soon.

According to her wish, the mother of Nawab suffered a snake bite which could not be cured by doctors brought from far and wide. Ultimately it was Chilarai who could cure the old woman and earned her affection. The Nawab was moved by the gesture of chilarai and ordered his release soon. On their return, both the brothers, Naranarayana and Chilarai rebuilt the temple of Kamakhya.

Other temples on the Neelachala hill include those of Tara, Bhairavi, Bhuvaneswari and Ghantakarna.

Festivals: Durga Puja is celebrated annually during Navaratri in the month of September- October. It is a three day festival attracting several visitors. A unique festival observed here is the Ambuvaci (Ameti) fertility festival wherein it is believed that the Goddess (mother Earth) undergoes her menstrual period. During this period the temple is closed for three days and opened with great festivity on the fourth day. It is believed to be inauspicious to till the ground or to plant seeds, during this three day period.