Dhubri district

Dhubri district (Pron:ˈdʊbri) is an administrative district in the Indian state of Assam. Included within the Kamatapur Autonomous Council, the district headquarters are located at Dhubri city which is situated ~290 km from Guwahati. This was also the headquarters of erstwhile undivided Goalpara district which was created in 1876 by the British government. In 1983, Goalpara district was divided into four districts and Dhubri is one among those. Dhubri district is one among the many Muslim-majority districts of Assam. In 2016, Dhubri was divided again to form South Salmara-Mankachar District.

As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of Assam (out of 27), after Nagaon.

Etymology

The name Dhubri is derived from a story of Padma Purana of Behula-Lakhindar, where the main character of the story, who is called Behula during the period as the person had taken the path she followed to make a devoted visit to her dead husband going to the still living Lakhindar. Behula arrived at the bank of Brahmaputra called Netai. She had worked for the heaven gods such as Shiv, Partbati and others, and washed her clothes on a big stone at the bank of the Brahmaputra river called "Netai Dhubunir Ghat".

History

In the past, the gateway of western Assam was a meeting place of diverse racial groups which mingled together and formed a unique cultural heritage and historical background. The growth of blended culture in this region, particularly in the areas of language, art and religion is due to the continuous process of assimilation of various races, castes, and creeds of local people, invaders, and migrated people.

thumb|right|200px|Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib at Dhubri

thumb|right|200px|Chilarai statue at Dhubri Town

In 1669 C.E., the Kacchwaha Rajput Mirza Raja Ram Singh I of Amber was deputed by Emperor Aurangzeb to crush a rebellion by the Ahom king Chakradhwaj Singha. But Assam was a difficult country for such an operation and Raja Ram Singh requested Guru Teg Bahadur (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦੁਰ, Hindi: गुरू तेग़ बहादुर) to accompany him. Guru's role was proved to be much more crucial than his mere presence. This operation was actually a punishment for Ram Singh because it was from his custody that Shivaji and his son had escaped, a few years earlier.

Sites

thumb|left|200px|Inside look of Historic [[Panbari Mosque at Dhubri]]

thumb|right|200px|Historic Netai Dhubunir Ghat at Dhubri

The historic Panbari Mosques is situated on the National Highway 31, about 25 km east from Dhubri town, near Panbari and Rangamati, and is considered to be the oldest mosque in the Indian state of Assam. It was built by an able administrator Hussain Shah in between 1493 and 1519 C.E., Who was then the Governor of Bengal. This mosque was used as a prayer hall by the Mughal Muslim soldiers. There is also an Idgah and a deep well which were also probably constructed during that period. Panbari "Pahar", thus is known as the holy seat of the Muslims in Assam. It is said that about 200 years ago, the local people of this place found this mosque in Panbari "Pahar" under the thick foliage. They cleaned this place and started to offer Namaz there. During Eid this mosque bears a special look. Thousands of people from different parts of the country visit this mosque. Not only the people from India but also from the United Kingdom and Japan visit this place. But the masjid is fast losing its glory due to lack of proper maintenance.

Panchpeer Dargaha It is Mazar Sharif of five Sufi Saints who accompanied Raja Ram Singh during the times of the Mughal conflict with the Ahom Regime of Assam

The modern-day Dhubri district was created on 1 July 1983 when it was split off from Goalpara district.

Geography

Dhubri district occupies an area of , comparatively equivalent to Russia's Zemlya Georga.

Dhubri District is bounded both by interstate and international borders: West Bengal and Bangladesh in the west; Goalpara and Bogaigoan district of Assam and Garo Hills district of Meghalaya in the east; Kokrajhar district in the north; and Bangladesh and state of Meghalaya in the south. The district is located on the globe between 89.42 and 90.12 degree east longitude and 26.22 to 25.28 degree north latitude and situated at 30 meters above the sea level on an average. General topography of Dhubri district is plain with patches of small hillocks like Tokorabandha, Dudhnath, Chandardinga, Boukuamari, Boropahar, Chakrasila, etc. All these are situated in the north eastern part of the district. Mighty river Brahmaputra is flowing through this district from east to west with its tributaries like Champabati, Gourang, Gadadhar, Gangadhar, Tipkai, Sankosh, Silai, Jinjiram, etc. The average annual rainfall of the district is 2,916 mm.

Economy

Dhubri District is primarily dependent on agricultural and forest products. The main source of income is paddy (both winter and autumn) with surplus production. Jute and mustard seed occupy the major share of cash crops. Wheat, maize, pulses and sugar cane are also grown moderately. From forest, mainly timber and bamboo add to the income, though boulders and sand are also available. Fish, milk, meat, and eggs have small contribution to the economy. Currently three tea gardens, whose contribution to the district economy is almost negligible, cover an area of 1362.33 hectares. Land revenue collection is minimal, whereas tax from check gates and excise duty occupy much of the government exchequer. Devoid of major industrial production, the district uses more funds for administration, development, and welfare works than it provides.

Its rich natural wealth is yet to be explored and some believe that proper utilisation of natural resources could provide a boost for the struggling economy.

Some important production and earnings are given below:

{|class=wikitable

|+ 2000-2001

! Particular

! Production (in tonnes)

! Revenue (Rs.)

| Rice || 15,000 (Approx) ||

| Forest || || 40,00000.00 (Approx)

| Excise || || 1,70,80,742.00

| Sales Tax || || 10,13,36,902.00

| Total || ||

Future Prospect, Dhubri has the capability to become the economic hub of Assam, Recent development in Medical College proposal can be a game changer for Dhubri Dist. People can get good quality of health with many major facilities within the district. Industrial revolution would be a major pull over for increase the per capital in come of people in the state. Dhubri district is already equipped with road ways, water ways, rail ways and airport which can provide the base of logistic nad transportation. The dense population of Dhubri can help in low labour cost. The major need for raw materials can be fulfilled with Assam and neighbouring states. People of Assam has a great prospect in future by investing in Dhubri Dist and can observe a great out come in future.

Divisions

At present there are two sub-divisions: Dhubri (Sadar) and Bilasipara.

The district has 8 revenue circles and 7 tahsils. It has 8 police stations and 4 basic towns.

There are five Assam Legislative Assembly constituencies in this district: Dhubri, Gauripur, Golakganj, Bilasipara West, and Bilasipara East. All five are in the Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency.

Transport

Airway

Rupshi in Kokrajhar district is the nearest airport in Dhubri which is about 15  km away from the town. It was constructed during World War II by the British Govt. mainly for military purposes. Till 1983, Indian Airlines and some private commercial flights operated regularly between Calcutta, Guwahati. Now it has restarted under UDAAN. There are direct flights between Rupsi Guwahati and Kolkata 4 days a week.

Waterway

The town had a very busy river port on the bank of the Brahmaputra, which was used as an international trade centre with the neighbouring countries, specially in British era. At present, the port is lying idle.

Railway

The importance of the Railway station and the MG line was also decreased since 1947, when the direct line to Calcutta was snapped as it ran through erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The train service has newly started on 2010 again, and it is functioning smoothly. However the train services running from the Dhubri railway station are taking a new route from Dhubri to Kamakhya and Guwahati Junction. Trains originating from Dhubri station are, Dhubri-Silghat (Rajya Rani Express), Dhubri - Siliguri (Inter City Express) and Dhubri Fakiragram passenger.

Road

NH-31(New NH-17) passes through Dhubri district and is one of the base root to connect Assam with West Bengal and other states. Toll comes near the Assam and West Bengal border Boxirhat (Dhubri-Dist.).

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Dhubri district has a population of 1,949,258, or the US state of West Virginia. This gives it a ranking of 240th in India (out of a total of 640).