Jorhat District, Assam

One of the important and largest districts of Assam, Jorhat was the last capital of the Ahom Dynasty that ruled over the state for about 600 years and the historical monuments narrates the saga of this city. It is located at a distance of 307 km from Guwahati in the centre of Brahmaputra Valley and acts as the entrance to the state of Nagaland as well as Upper Assam. Jorhat has got several sobriquets, such as Tea Capital of the World, Cultural Capital of Assam and Knowledge City of Assam. The first golf course of Assam, which is the oldest in Asia and 3rd oldest in the World, is the Jorhat Gymkhana Club. It was here, where the first stadium of Assam was constructed and houses world’s oldest and largest Tea Experimental Station. In the northern part of the district, the Brahmaputra River forms the largest riverine island of the world, Majuli, which covers an area of 924.6 sq km and has a population of approximately 1,50,000. Snuggled in the tea gardens speckled around rambling in and around the city, boosts of the Tocklai Research Association (TRA) are the oldest and the largest tea research station of its kind in the world.
 

Jorhat means two markets, which were present on both the banks of the river Bhogdoi by the name of “Macharhat” and “Chowkihat”. The capital of Ahom Dynasty was shifted to Jorhat and was made new capital during the end of the 18th century by the decaying and declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. The city was a flourishing and commercial metropolis but completely destroyed after a series of the Burmese invasions since 1817 till the arrival of the British force in 1824 under the Stewardship of David Scott and Captain Richard. The place gave birth to some of the eminent freedom fighters and revolutionaries during the freedom movement of India, namely Maniram Dewan, Gomdhar Konwar, Piyali Barua, etc. Although the British Government saved the city from the atrocities of the Burmese, it was not without any rebellions. However, in the year 1869 the civil sub-division under Sibsagar district at Jorhat was formed and this great place was confirmed as administration headquarters of the undivided Sibsagar district until 1911. In the year 1983, the present-day Jorhat District was formed.
 

Jorhat houses a number of premier educational institutes of Assam, namely Assam Agricultural University, North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat Engineering College, etc. Besides these, it houses a number of places which are worth as visit, such as Bangalpukhuri, Thengal Manor, Burigosain devalay, Purnananda Buragohain Maidam, Bilvesvar Siva Temple, Jorhat Gymkhana Club, etc.