|
Area : 78,438 sq km
Population : 26, 638, 407
Capital : Dispur
Principal Languages : Assamese
The word ‘Assam' as
interpreted by some scholars is derived from the
Sanskrit word Asoma meaning peerless or
unparalleled. But the widely accepted opinion of
the academic circles today is that the term has
come from the original name of the Ahoms
, who ruled the land for about six hundred
years prior to its annexation by the British.
The races like Austric, Mongolian, Dravidian and
Aryan that came to this land long-long ago have
contributed to its composite culture. Thus,
Assam has a rich legacy of culture and
civilization.
Assam was known as
Pragjyotisha or the place of eastern astronomy
during the epic period and later named as
Kamrupa. The earliest epigraphic reference to
the kingdom of Kamrupa is found in the Allahabad
pillar inscription of king Samudragupta. Kamrupa
is mentioned as a Pratyanta or frontier
state outside the Gupta empire but with friendly
and subordinate relation to it Hiuen Sang, the
Chinese scholar pilgrim who visited Kamrupa in
about 743 AD on an invitation of its monarch,
Kumar Bhaskar Varman, left a record of the
kingdom he called Kamolupa. Kamrupa also figured
in the writings of the Arabian historian
Alberuni in the eleventh century. Thus, from the
epic period down to the twelfth century AD, the
eastern frontier kingdom was known as
Pragjyotisha and Kamrupa and kings called
themselves ‘Lords of Pragjyotisha'.
The advent of the Ahoms across the eastern
hills in 1228 AD was the turning point in Assam
history. They ruled Assam nearly for six
centuries. The Burmese entered through the
eastern borders and overran the territory at a
time when court intrigues and dissensions were
sapping the vitality of the Ahom royalty. It
became a British protectorate in 1826 when the
Burmese ceded Assam to the British under the
provision of the Treaty of Yandabo.
Assam is the sentinel of north-east India and
gateway to the North-Eastern States. The State
is close to India's international borders with
Bangladesh and Bhutan. Assam is surrounded by
Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh on the north,
Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh on the
east and Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram on the
south.
Assam
is an agricultural State. Agriculture occupies
an important place in the economy of the State.
The principal food crop is rice. The cash crops
are jute, tea, cotton, oilseeds, sugarcane,
potato, etc. Noteworthy horticulture items are
orange, banana, pineapple, arecanut, coconut,
guava, mango, jackfruit and citrus fruits. The
State has an estimated 39.44 lakh hectares gross
cropped area, of which net area sown is about
27.01 lakh hectares.
Assam is
known for her rich forest wealth which
constituted 22.21 per cent of the total forest
area.
The
State has five National Parks and eleven
wildlife sanctuaries. The Kaziranga National
Park and the Manas Tiger Project (National Park)
are internationally famous for one horned Rhino
and Royal Bengal Tiger respectively.
Of
agriculture-based industries, tea occupies an
important place. There are six industrial growth
Centres in the State. A Central Institute for
Plastic Engineering Technology (CIPET) has been
established at Amingaon near Guwahati. Assam has
always enjoyed the highest reputation for her
arts and crafts associated with her cottage
industries. Cottage industries include handloom,
sericulture, cane and bamboo articles,
carpentry, brass and bell-metal crafts. Assam
produces varieties of silk, Endi, Muga,
Tassar, etc. Muga silk is produced
only in Assam in the world.
The major power stations are
Chandrapur Thermal Project, Namrup Thermal
Project and a few Mobile Gas Turbine Units along
with a mini hydro-electric project. Revitalising
the Thermal Power Station of Bongaigaon and
completing the Karbi-Langpi Project will boost
the power supply in the State. Approval has been
received for Tipaimukh Dam Project.
Roads : The total
length of roads in the State was 34,000 km which
includes 2,038 km of National Highways. The
construction of 160 km of barbed wire fencing
and 27 km of the border road along the
Indo-Bangladesh International have been
completed.
Railways : The length
of railway tract in Assam is 2,391.76 km
comprising 1,061.29 km under broad-gauge and
1,330.47 km under meter-gauge lines.
Aviation
: The regular civil air services are
operating from Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi
Airport (Guwahati), Salonibari (Tezpur),
Mohanbari (Dibrugarh), Kumbhirgram (Silchar),
Rawriah (Jorhat) and Silonibari (North
Lakhimpur).
Assam has an
exclusive range of colourful festivals. Bihu
is the chief festival celebrated on the
three occasions. Rongali Bihu or
Bohag Bihu marks the advent of the
cropping season and it also ushers in the
Assamese New Year. Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu
is the harvest festival and Kati Bihu
or Kongali Bihu coming in autumn
is a simple affair.
Religion accounts for a large variety of
festivals. Vaishnavites observe birth
and death anniversaries of prominent
Vaishnava saints through day-long
singing of hymns and staging of Bhaonas
(theatrical performances in traditional
style). Ambubachi in Kamakhya shrine,
Sivaratri Mela at Umananda and other
places near Siva temples, Durga Puja ,
Diwali, Dol-Jatra , Id, Christmas,
Ashokastami Mela, Rash Mela, Parasuram Mela
are other religious festivals.
Important places
of tourism in and around Guwahati are Kamakhya
temple, Umananda (Peacock Island), Navagraha
(temple of nine planets), Basistha Ashram, Dolgobinda, Gandhi
Mandap, State Zoo, State Museum, Sukreswar
temple, Gita Mandir, Madan Kamdev temple, a
magnificent archaeological place of interest,
and Saraighat bridge.
Other places of tourist interest in the State
are: Kaziranga National Park (famous for one
horned rhino), Manas Tiger Project, Pobi-tora
and Orang (wildlife sanctuaries), Sibsagar (Shiv
Temple-Rangghar-Karengghar), Tezpur (Bhairavi
temple and scenic beauty), Bhalukpung (Angling),
Haflong (health resort with Jatinga hills),
Majuli (largest river island in the world),
Chandubi lake (picnic spot), Hajo (meeting point
of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam), Batadrava
(birth place of great Vaishnava saint
Sankaradeva) and Sualkuchi (famous for silk
industry).
|
