Tezpur

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Tezpur | type = city | latd = 26.63 | longd = 92.8
locator_position = left | state_name = Assam
district = Sonitpur
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altitude = 48
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 58,240| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
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sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website =
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Tezpur is a city and a municipal board in Sonitpur in the Indian state of Assam. It is an ancient town on the banks of the river Brahmaputra and is the largest of the north bank towns. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Sonitpur district of Assam.

Origin of the name

The name Tezpur is derived from the Sanskrit words 'Teza' (meaning blood) and 'Pura' (meaning town or city). Legend has it that the original name of this place was 'Sonitpur' ("sonit" in sanskrit also means blood!) but when the battle between Krishna's army and Banasura's army fought for the rescue of Aniruddha (who was the grandson of Lord Krishna, according to legend )] there was so much bloodshed that the whole place was stained in red. This led to the name of the place becoming Tezpur.

History

Historical ruins of 8th-9th century dot the surrounding areas of the town. The ruins of Bamuni Hills among them are the most famous. They bear resemblance to the Gupta period art. Accordingly there are plenty of myths as well. The ruins of Da Parbatia is a shining example of the architecture around the 4th Century AD. Modern Tezpur was founded by the British colonial administration in 1835 as the headquarters of Darrang district.

During WW2, Tezpur received large numbers of refugees fleeing from Burma, particularly the corps of Anglo-Burmese and Anglo-Indian nurses. After independence of India in 1947, it remained the headquarters of Darrang district. During the Sino-Indian War of 1962 the Chinese army came close to the town and the town had to be evacuated. In 1983 a part of the district was carved out to form a separate district, named Darrang. Tezpur became the headquarters of the new district of Sonitpur.

Tezpur Balipara Light Railway !!!!! The existing MG rail line is actually the oldest on the North Bank, descending from the Tezpur Balipara Light Railway built in 1885 to carry tea from upcountry estates to the then riverport of Tezpur

ROCK INCRIPTIONS :: 829 ADPre-British Era : Sir Edward A. Gait ( 1897) had made reference to the nine line inscription of Harjjar Varma in his ‘’A History of Assam’’. The inscription is the first recorded history of Assam and dates back to 829 A.D. The inscription was found engraved on a massive stone some two km away from Tezpur town situated near a temple called Rudrapad.

HAZARA PUKHURI :: 70 ACRESThe famous King of the dynasty Harjjar Varma, had excavated a large pond in 70 acres of land, later came to be known as Hajara Pukhuri ( Harjjara Pukhuri ).

KANAKLATA & OTHERSOn 10th September 1942, at Gohpur a young girl led a procession of unarmed villagers under Congress flag. She was Kanaklata Barua – a girl from Barangabari village. As soon as Kanaklata unfurled the flag she and her companion Mukunda Kakati were gunned down by the armed Police. The saga of her heroic sacrifice is still remembered with pride.

On the same day at Dhekiajuli Police Station eleven unarmed villagers were gunned down by the armed Police while trying to hoist the tri-color at the Police Station - three of them were teen-aged girls- Tileswari, Numali and Khahuli .

Cultural Heritage

Guwahati maybe the mast head in terms of economic development but Tezpur was and is always the cultural capital of the Assamese culture. Being from the core Assamese cultural region, the town has produced many stalwarts such as Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala (1903-51), Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha (1909-69), Phani Sarma (1909-70), Ananda Chandra Agarwala (1874-1939).

It is also the birth Place of speaker of Indian Parliament, Somnath Chatterjee(2004-2009)

Economy, Transport and Logistics

The surrounding tea gardens and agriculture contribute to the local economy. Presently Tezpur is a commercial, administrative and educational centre -- apart from housing a major base of the Indian Army and Airforce (Salonibari). The nearest civilian airport is Saloni -- 8 km from the heart of the city. The distance from the state capital Guwahati is about 190 kilometres. The town attracts tourists for its scenic beauty. The population is largely of heterogeneous nature. Assamese, Bengali (mainly migrants from West Bengal and Bangladesh), Nepali, Bihari, Marwari communities form the majority. People from various tribes such as the Tea-tribes (brought in by the colonial planters as indentured labourers from the Chhotanagpur plateau region), Bodos, Mishings etc. have also made it their home. Like other places in Assam, the issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh adds religious spice to the regular political debates and name-calling.

In 1987 the Kolia Bhomora Setu, over the river Brahmaputra, was inaugurated connecting it to the southern district of Nagaon. The bridge is the longest bridge across the river and spans a total length of 3015 metres. It has become a tourist attraction by itself. [cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/akash_p_b/KALIABHOMORA.htm
title=Kolia Bhomora
accessmonthday=May 5
accessyear=2007
publisher=Akash Pratim Baruah's website]

Tezpur has a central university (Tezpur University), apart from numerous colleges and schools.It has now received the tag "UNIVERSITY AT PAR EXELLENCE" from UGC(university grants commission. Tezpur also has many school, colleges of very high repute. Darrang college, Tezpur College are the leading colleges. The Assam Valley School, situated at around 15 km from Tezpur is a very high standard residential school established by Williamson Magor Group. Other schools like Sacred Heart High School,Don Bosco High School, St. Joseph's Convent High School, Govt Boys High School, Govt Girls High School, Tezpur Academy, Children's Paradise School and Carmel Residential School are among the leading ones.

Tezpur also has a very old connection with the Tea Gardens and Britishers. During British rule it used to be a leading point for loading Tea for carrying them in steamers. The graveyard of Alexander Bruce, the father of Indian tea Industry is at the Christian Cemetery at Tezpur. The Rail station and the existing railway line towards Rangapara was built by the British. The stations at Saloni Bari & Tezpur still have the old structures intact. The Monabarie Tea estate is once said to be largest tea estate existing.

Tourist Information

Local areas/sites of interest

* Agnigarh - Also Usha-Aniruddha Udyan
* Bhairabi Temple - Durga shrine also known as Maithan or Bhairabi Devalaya
* Cole Park - Also known as Chitralekha Udyan
* Kolia Bhomora Setu - The 3.015 km long road bridge across the Brahmaputra
* Ketakeshwar Dewal - Shiva shrine
* Mahabhairav Temple - Shiva shrine
* Padum Pukhuri - Central lake with an island in the middle
* Rudrapath - Shiva shrine
* Bamuni Pahar
* Da Parbatia Gate of Gupta period
* Hazara pukhuri- Pond of gupta period
* Nag Shankar- Temple of lord Shiva

Nearby areas of interest

* From Tezpur Tawang (12 Hrs) / Bomdila (5 Hrs) / Kaziranga National Park (40km) / Orang National Park (30 km) are very easily accessible.
* For Orchid lovers the Orchid sanctuary nearby i.e Bhalukpung will be a bonus point for the hundreds of orchid varieties that are cultivated there.
* PAKKE (a Tiger sanctuary) & EAGLENEST (a birding point) are also nearby.
* Moreover the Bharali River is an anglers delight as angling / water rafting are allowed during winter seasons.

How to get there

It is well connected by both Air and Road transport. There are direct flight from Calcutta thrice a week and from Guwahati to Tezpur daily.

It is only 180 km and both Government and Tourist Buses ply regularly to and fro from Guwahati .

From Tezpur tourist vehicles are available for hire for all nearby destinations.

Geography

Tezpur is located at coord|26.63|N|92.8|E|. [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/3/Tezpur.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 47m (Red dots are railways)] ] It has an average elevation of 48 metres (157 feet).

The rivers in and around Tezpur are very fast flowing ones, especially towards the Himalayas foothills. The town is situated beside the river Brahmaputra. Tezpur has a number of small hillocks, so that flooding doesn't occur during the monsoons.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [GR|India] Tezpur had a population of 58,240. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Tezpur has an average literacy rate of 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 86%, and female literacy is 79%. In Tezpur, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Politics

Tezpur is part of Tezpur (Lok Sabha constituency). [cite web
url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S03/AS_ACPC.pdf
title = List of Parliamentary & Assembly Constituencies
accessdate = 2008-10-06
work = Assam
publisher = Election Commission of India ]

References

External links

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imkc-supvpQ
* http://tezpur4u.com
* http://www.deepraj.com/tezpur.htm
* http://tezpur.tripod.com
* http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tezpur
* http://www.assam.org
* http://sonitpur.nic.in/
* http://www.geocities.com/akash_p_b/home/tezpur.htm
* http://gautom.4mg.com/photo2.html
* http://www.tezu.ernet.in
* http://www.namasthenri.com/education/assamvalley.html
* http://www.centurychina.com/plaboard/uploads/1962war.htm
* http://cbi-theater-9.home.comcast.net/hump_express/hump062845.html
* http://p2.www.britannica.com/eb/article-9071892/TezpurAssam

ee also

* Tezpur (Lok Sabha constituency)