Goalpara is the district headquarter of Goalpara district

Goalpara District

Goalpara district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located in Goalpara town.-History:...

, Assam

Assam

Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is situated 134 kilometres (83 mi) west of Guwahati

Guwahati

Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...

.

Etymology

The name of Goalpara is said to have originally derived from `Gwaltippika` meaning `Guwali village` or the village of the milk men. In the local dialect "para" means village.

Geography

Goalpara is located by the bank of famous river "Brahmaputra" at 26.17°N 90.62°E. It has an average elevation of 35 metres (114 feet).

Demographics

India census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, Goalpara had a population of 48,911. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Goalpara has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 64%. In Goalpara, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

People

Mostly inhabited by the Koch Rajbongshi and muslims, Goalpariya language, a dialect of Assamese

Assamese language

Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...

 and Bengali

Bengali language

Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...

 origin, is widely spoken by the people residing in this place. It was once a princely state ruled by the Rajbongshi

Rajbongshi

Koch Rajbongshi is an ancient tribe originally from the ancient Koch kingdom. The Rajbongshi tribe is referred to as Koch Rajbongshi, or Rajbanshi, or Rajvanshi. The word "Rajbongshi" literally means "royal community"...

 /Koch

Koch

Koch may refer to:* Koch , a type of Arctic boat* Koch people , an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east India* Koch , people with this surname* Koch, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland...

 Rajbongshi

Rajbongshi

Koch Rajbongshi is an ancient tribe originally from the ancient Koch kingdom. The Rajbongshi tribe is referred to as Koch Rajbongshi, or Rajbanshi, or Rajvanshi. The word "Rajbongshi" literally means "royal community"...

 kings. Presently, the royal family resides in Goalpara itself.

Language

The widely spoken language is Goalpariya, but along with the Goalpariya people also speak other dialects of Assamese

Assamese language

Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...

, Bengali, Hindi, Garo, Rabha, etc. But most of the people use Goalpariya as a common language for daily transaction and communication.

Archaeology

Goalpara is well known for The Sri Surya Pahar

Sri Surya Pahar

Sri Surya Pahar, located about 12 km southeast of Goalpara town and about 136 km northwest of Guwahati, is a significant but relatively unknown archaeological site in Assam, India. The site is centered on the hills of Sri Surya which is profusely filled up with Shiva Lingas...

, a very significant but relatively unknown archaeological site in Assam

Assam

Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

. This site was once a confluence of three religions as evident from the innumerable sculptures and other relics belonging to Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

, Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

 and Jainism

Jainism

Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...

.

Places ot visit

Pir Majhar is a tomb of a saint named Hazarat Sayed Abul Kasem Kharasani and is in the heart of the Goalpara town. He is a saint who was respected by Hindus and Muslims alike. This memorial has become a tourist spot in the town. Hulukanda hill is located at the heart of Goalpara. East of Goalpara town, the Sri Tukreswari hill, Paglartek Baba at Barbhita, Urpod beel of Agia, Dhamar risen beel of Lakhipur are some of the tourist attractions in the surrounding region.

Education

Goalpara is moving forward educationally. Some of the major educational institutions are:

• Goalpara College, Goalpara
  Goalpara College, Goalpara
  Goalpara College is an old and premier institution of higher learning in western Assam, India. It was established in 1955 with the help and cooperation from local people. At present, it has 16 departments with a total staff strength of 110...
  
  
• Govt B. T. College, Goalpara
• Junior Technical School, Goalpara
• Goalpara English School,Goalpara
• Dudhnoi college
• Sainik School, Goalpara
• Goalpara Law collage
• Goalpara Science Academy
• Kendriya Vidyalaya
• Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya
• P.R.Govt. H.S.& M.P School
• New Goalpara High School
• Goalpara Jatiya Vidyalaya

Politics

Goalpara district consists of four assembly constituencies: Goalpara East and Goalpara West, Jaleshwar and Dudhnoi. The first three of which are part of Dhubri (Lok Sabha constituency)

Dhubri (Lok Sabha constituency)

Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam state in north-eastern India.-Assembly segments:Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments :* Mankachar* Salmara South* Dhubri* Gauripur...

.
Following are the present MLA's of Goalpara -

• Goalpara East: Advocate Monowar Hussain.(AIUDF)
• Goalpara West: Shiekh Shah Alam.(AIUDF)
• Jaleswar : Moin Uddin Ahmed.(AIUDF)
• Dudhnoi : Deben Daimary.(INC).