Silchar
Encyclopedia
Silchar is the headquarters of Cachar district
in the state of Assam
in India
. It is the economic gateway to the state of Mizoram
and part of Manipur
. It is 343 kilometres (213 mi) south east of Guwahati
. The city of Silchar has tremendous commercial importance and is the second
largest city in the state of Assam. It consequently witnesses the settlement of a sizable population of traders from distant parts of India.
Being a very peaceful place in the otherwise disturbed Northeast earned it the bon mot of "Island of Peace" from India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
. The name "Silchar" has been originated from the Bengali
words 'shil' (a kind of stone) and 'char' (river bank). During the British rule, ships were docked at the bank of the "River Barak" so a market developed at the bank and became a major place of economic activity. The bank of the River Barak was covered with stones to help dock ships and vessels, and the market developed at a place which was fully covered with stones. People started to refer to the place as "Shiler Chor" means a bank of stone. Gradually "Shiler Chor" became "Silchar" for linguistic simplification. Later on, British officials started to use "Silchar" in their official documents referring to the surrounding area of the market and "Silchar" became the official name of the place. Approximately 90% residents of Silchar are Bengalis who speak the Sylheti language
, the rest being Manipuri-Meiteis, Marwaris
, Bishnupriya Manipuri
s, and some tribal groups like Naga
s. Silchar is situated by the banks of the Barak River in what is popularly known as Barak Valley
. Rice is the staple cereal. Fish is also available. Shuţki (the local name for dried fish), shidal chutney, and chunga-r peetha are some of the local delicacies. Over the past few years, the town is witnessing a huge influx of people from nearby smaller places due to the Silchar's increasing prospects and other developments in the field of education, medical facilities and the more recently booming real estate market and other commercial enterprises, making the town quite overcrowded. It has the second highest population in the state, although the difference with the most populated city, Guwahati
, is great.
, Assam; Agartala, Tripura; Imphal
, Manipur and Aizawl
in Mizoram state. The area of Silchar town is 15.75 km2. It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72 feet). Major localities of Silchar include Central Road, Sadarghat, Tarapur, Malugram, Janiganj, Park Road, Itkhola, Ambikapatty, Shillongpatty, Premtala, Nazirpatty, Madhurband, Kanakpur, Nagatilla, Sonai Road, Rangirkhari, Das Colony,1st link road,Panchayat Road,Shibari Road,Asharam Road,K.V Road,Nath Para,Ghoniala,Muduraghat,Kali bari Chor(largest slum of Barak valley)etc.
, Silchar had a population of 346,003. It is considered that the population has crossed the 500,000 mark due to the constant increase in the city's population since 2001. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Silchar has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 76%. In Silchar, 20% of the population is under 6 years of age. Major religions followed are Islam and Hinduism. The fact regarding population is somewhat inflated as on today Nov,2011 the actual population of silchar is about 215000 in town area.And if we consider areas like Greater Rongpur,Greater Ramnagar,2nd link road to SMCH, than the total population would be approx. 325000.No matter Silchar is the second largest town of Assam but if we consider its infrastructure its well behind other towns of Assam.
One thing is clear from the rapid and unplanned growth of the town is that we are still behind.
is one of the oldest engineering colleges in the region. REC Silchar, as it was known previously, is now an Institute of National Importance.
After several years of persistent efforts, Silchar got its own university — Assam University
, a central university, which imparts education in both the general as well as professional streams. The university, which came in to existence in 1994, has 16 schools and 34 post-graduate departments under them. The university has 51 affiliated colleges under it.
Some reputed schools in Silchar include Holy Cross School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Cachar High School, Adhar Chand Higher Secondary School, Silchar Collegiate School, Narsing School, Govt. Boys School, Govt. Girls School, Muktashree High School, Pranabananda Holy Child School, South Point School, Oriental High School, Daffodils School, Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Pranabananda Vidya Mandir, a couple of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Don Bosco School amongst others. Holy Cross School enjoys the reputation of one of the best school in Assam.
Among the colleges, the best known are Guru Charan College, Cachar College
, Ramanuj College, Radhamadhab College, Cachar College
, etc. Guru Charan College is one of the most respected and reputed colleges in Assam.
The city has a medical college, Silchar Medical College and Hospital, established in 1968,serving the southern regions of Assam. There is also a polytechnic institute, B.Ed colleges, two law colleges and one industrial training institute (ITI).
Silchar is connected through meter gauge rail network with Lumding
and Agartala; this is being updated to broad gauge lines. The railways station is in Tarapur, Silchar.
There are regular bus services connecting Silchar with Guwahati, Shillong, Aizawl, Agartala and other places.
The airport is located at Kumbhirgram
, about 22 km from Silchar, and there are regular flights connecting Silchar with Kolkata, Guwahati, Tezpur, Agartala, Imphal and Aizawl. The airport is being mordernised and is considered the second-busiest in Assam in terms of passenger foot-fall and cargo, after Guwahati airport.
In December 1985, Air India
operated the first all-woman crew flight in the world from Kolkata to Silchar which was commanded by Captain Saudamini Deshmukh on a Fokker F-27 Friendship aircraft.
In the 1850s, British
tea planters re-discovered the game polo
in Manipur
on the Burmese border with India. The first polo club in the world was formed at Silchar. The first competitive modern form of polo was played in Silchar — the plaque for this feat still stands behind the District Library, Silchar. Other clubs followed; today, the oldest in the world is the Calcutta Club.
, passed a circular to make Assamese
mandatory, Bengalis of Barak Valley protested. On 19 May 1961, Assam police opened fire on unarmed protesters at Silchar Railway Station; 11 agitators died. After the popular revolt, the Assam government had to withdraw the circular and Bengali was ultimately given official status in the three districts of Barak Valley.
and the current member of Parliament from Silchar is Kabindra Purkayastha
of the Bharatiya Janata Party
.
Besides the local newspapers, national dailies like The Telegraph
, Anandabazar Patrika
, The Times of India
, The Statesman
, etc. are available.
Cachar District
Cachar is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India.-Etymology:The name "Cachar" has derived from the words 'kacha' & 'har'.The district headquarters are located at Silchar...
in the state of 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...
in 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 the economic gateway to the state of Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
and part of Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
. It is 343 kilometres (213 mi) south east 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...
. The city of Silchar has tremendous commercial importance and is the second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
largest city in the state of Assam. It consequently witnesses the settlement of a sizable population of traders from distant parts of India.
Being a very peaceful place in the otherwise disturbed Northeast earned it the bon mot of "Island of Peace" from India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
. The name "Silchar" has been originated from the 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...
words 'shil' (a kind of stone) and 'char' (river bank). During the British rule, ships were docked at the bank of the "River Barak" so a market developed at the bank and became a major place of economic activity. The bank of the River Barak was covered with stones to help dock ships and vessels, and the market developed at a place which was fully covered with stones. People started to refer to the place as "Shiler Chor" means a bank of stone. Gradually "Shiler Chor" became "Silchar" for linguistic simplification. Later on, British officials started to use "Silchar" in their official documents referring to the surrounding area of the market and "Silchar" became the official name of the place. Approximately 90% residents of Silchar are Bengalis who speak the Sylheti language
Sylheti language
Sylheti is the language of Sylhet, which is also known as the Surma Valley and is located in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh, and also spoken in parts of the Northeast Indian states of Assam and Tripura...
, the rest being Manipuri-Meiteis, Marwaris
Marwaris
Marwari or Marwadi or Rajasthani people are Indian ethnic group, that inhabit the Rajasthan region of India. Their language Rajasthani is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages....
, Bishnupriya Manipuri
Bishnupriya Manipuri language
The Bishnupriya or Bishnupriya Manipuri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in parts of the Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Manipur and others, as well as in Bangladesh, Burma, and other countries.-History and development:...
s, and some tribal groups like Naga
Naga people
The term Naga people refers to a conglomeration of several tribes inhabiting the North Eastern part of India and north-western Burma. The tribes have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland...
s. Silchar is situated by the banks of the Barak River in what is popularly known as Barak Valley
Barak Valley
Barak Valley is situated in the southern part of the Indian state of Assam.It's another name is East Bengal or Northeast Bengal The main city of the valley is Silchar. The place is named after the Barak river. Barak valley mainly consists of three districts namely Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi...
. Rice is the staple cereal. Fish is also available. Shuţki (the local name for dried fish), shidal chutney, and chunga-r peetha are some of the local delicacies. Over the past few years, the town is witnessing a huge influx of people from nearby smaller places due to the Silchar's increasing prospects and other developments in the field of education, medical facilities and the more recently booming real estate market and other commercial enterprises, making the town quite overcrowded. It has the second highest population in the state, although the difference with the most populated city, 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...
, is great.
Geography
Silchar is in the southern part of Assam. Situated on the banks of the Barak River, it is a trade and processing centre for tea, rice and other agricultural products. There is limited industry, principally papermaking and tea-box manufacturing. The city has an airport and lies on both a rail head and national highways connecting to GuwahatiGuwahati
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...
, Assam; Agartala, Tripura; Imphal
Imphal
Imphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur.In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat, are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla. Kangla Fort used to be the home of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force and on November 2004 it was handed over to state of Manipur by Prime minister Dr....
, Manipur and Aizawl
Aizawl
Aizawl is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. With a resident population 228,280 , it is the largest city within the state. It is also the center of all important government offices, state assembly house and civil secretariat...
in Mizoram state. The area of Silchar town is 15.75 km2. It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72 feet). Major localities of Silchar include Central Road, Sadarghat, Tarapur, Malugram, Janiganj, Park Road, Itkhola, Ambikapatty, Shillongpatty, Premtala, Nazirpatty, Madhurband, Kanakpur, Nagatilla, Sonai Road, Rangirkhari, Das Colony,1st link road,Panchayat Road,Shibari Road,Asharam Road,K.V Road,Nath Para,Ghoniala,Muduraghat,Kali bari Chor(largest slum of Barak valley)etc.
Demographics
India censusCensus
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...
, Silchar had a population of 346,003. It is considered that the population has crossed the 500,000 mark due to the constant increase in the city's population since 2001. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Silchar has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 76%. In Silchar, 20% of the population is under 6 years of age. Major religions followed are Islam and Hinduism. The fact regarding population is somewhat inflated as on today Nov,2011 the actual population of silchar is about 215000 in town area.And if we consider areas like Greater Rongpur,Greater Ramnagar,2nd link road to SMCH, than the total population would be approx. 325000.No matter Silchar is the second largest town of Assam but if we consider its infrastructure its well behind other towns of Assam.
One thing is clear from the rapid and unplanned growth of the town is that we are still behind.
Climate
At Silchar, the climate is tropical by nature. The wind generally blows from the northeast in the morning and from the southeast in the afternoon. Summer is hot, humid and interspersed with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Winter generally starts towards the end of November and lasts till February. Towards the start of the Bengali month of Baishakh (mid-April) rain clouds start covering the skyline. Silchar is inundated frequently due to excessive rainfall and flooding by the River Barak. In the last three decades, Silchar and the Barak Valley have been ravaged by three major floods: in 1986, followed by one in 1991, and more recently in 2004.Education
Silchar has some of the best educational institutes in Northeast India. One of the 20 National Institutes of Technology (formerly known as Regional Engineering Colleges), NIT SilcharNational Institute of Technology, Silchar
National Institute Of Technology Silchar is a higher education institute situated in Silchar, Assam, India. NIT Silchar is one of the National Institutes of Technology and an Institute of National Importance under the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007. It was established in 1967 as a...
is one of the oldest engineering colleges in the region. REC Silchar, as it was known previously, is now an Institute of National Importance.
After several years of persistent efforts, Silchar got its own university — Assam University
Assam University
Assam University is a teaching-cum-affiliating university. The university has nine schools which offer Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Information Sciences, Technology and Management Studies. There are 29 departments under these...
, a central university, which imparts education in both the general as well as professional streams. The university, which came in to existence in 1994, has 16 schools and 34 post-graduate departments under them. The university has 51 affiliated colleges under it.
Some reputed schools in Silchar include Holy Cross School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Cachar High School, Adhar Chand Higher Secondary School, Silchar Collegiate School, Narsing School, Govt. Boys School, Govt. Girls School, Muktashree High School, Pranabananda Holy Child School, South Point School, Oriental High School, Daffodils School, Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Pranabananda Vidya Mandir, a couple of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Don Bosco School amongst others. Holy Cross School enjoys the reputation of one of the best school in Assam.
Among the colleges, the best known are Guru Charan College, Cachar College
Cachar College
Cachar College is a co-educational institution established in 1960 at Silchar. It offers Intermediate and First Degree Level courses in Arts, Commerce and Science. The college is recognized by the UGC under Sections 2 and 12 and is affiliated to Assam University, Silchar...
, Ramanuj College, Radhamadhab College, Cachar College
Cachar College
Cachar College is a co-educational institution established in 1960 at Silchar. It offers Intermediate and First Degree Level courses in Arts, Commerce and Science. The college is recognized by the UGC under Sections 2 and 12 and is affiliated to Assam University, Silchar...
, etc. Guru Charan College is one of the most respected and reputed colleges in Assam.
The city has a medical college, Silchar Medical College and Hospital, established in 1968,serving the southern regions of Assam. There is also a polytechnic institute, B.Ed colleges, two law colleges and one industrial training institute (ITI).
Connectivity
Silchar is well connected by road, rail and air to the rest of the country.Silchar is connected through meter gauge rail network with Lumding
Lumding
Lumding is a city and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian state of Assam. It is the regional divisional headquarters of the North East Frontier Railway, a big important junction and is famous for the Barak Valley Express which passes through scenic routes.It is the biggest Railway...
and Agartala; this is being updated to broad gauge lines. The railways station is in Tarapur, Silchar.
There are regular bus services connecting Silchar with Guwahati, Shillong, Aizawl, Agartala and other places.
The airport is located at Kumbhirgram
Silchar Airport
Silchar Airport is located in Silchar in the state of Assam, India. It was constructed by the British during the World War. The airport is situated on the foothills of the Barail range. It is the fourth busiest airport of the north-eastern India next to Guwahati, Agartala and Imphal...
, about 22 km from Silchar, and there are regular flights connecting Silchar with Kolkata, Guwahati, Tezpur, Agartala, Imphal and Aizawl. The airport is being mordernised and is considered the second-busiest in Assam in terms of passenger foot-fall and cargo, after Guwahati airport.
In December 1985, Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
operated the first all-woman crew flight in the world from Kolkata to Silchar which was commanded by Captain Saudamini Deshmukh on a Fokker F-27 Friendship aircraft.
Cachar district records
"The management of the affairs of the district was entrusted after annexation, to Lieutenant Fisher, an officer of approved ability and great local experience. for some months Cachar continued to be administered from Cherrapunji, the head quarters of the Agent to the Governor General, but in consideration of practical difficulties early in 1833 Fisher had his head quarters at Dudpatil which however were soon shifted to Silchar for the sake of convenience."
In the 1850s, British
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
tea planters re-discovered the game polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
in Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
on the Burmese border with India. The first polo club in the world was formed at Silchar. The first competitive modern form of polo was played in Silchar — the plaque for this feat still stands behind the District Library, Silchar. Other clubs followed; today, the oldest in the world is the Calcutta Club.
Railway link
The Assam Bengal Railway brought Silchar into the Indian railway map in 1899. The railway line from Lumding to Silchar is hailed as one of the most exciting pristine railway tracks of India. Built by the British during the colonial rule, the meter gauge line stands testimony to the grandiose of what was once a highly popular city in the North-East.Language martyrs
Silchar saw one of the uprisings in favour of the Bengali language. When the Assam government, under Chief Minister Bimala Prasad ChalihaBimala Prasad Chaliha
Bimala Prasad Chaliha was a leader of Indian National Congress and the Chief Minister of Assam state. He was in office from December 28, 1957 to November 6, 1970...
, passed a circular to make 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...
mandatory, Bengalis of Barak Valley protested. On 19 May 1961, Assam police opened fire on unarmed protesters at Silchar Railway Station; 11 agitators died. After the popular revolt, the Assam government had to withdraw the circular and Bengali was ultimately given official status in the three districts of Barak Valley.
Politics
Silchar is part of the Silchar (Lok Sabha constituency)Silchar (Lok Sabha constituency)
Silchar Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam state in north-eastern India.-Assembly segments:Silchar Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments :* Silchar* Sonai* Dholai * Udharbond...
and the current member of Parliament from Silchar is Kabindra Purkayastha
Kabindra Purkayastha
Kabindra Purkayastha is a former union minister of state of India. He served as minister of state for communication in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from 1998 to 1999. He is a senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam....
of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
.
Local newspapers
- Dainik Jugasankha (BengaliBengali languageBengali 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...
daily)Web Edition - Dainik Prantajyoti (Bengali daily)
- Samayik Prasanga (Bengali daily)
- Dainik Sonar Cachar (now defunct)
- Janakantha (Bengali daily)
- Eastern Chronicle (English daily)
Besides the local newspapers, national dailies like The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
, Anandabazar Patrika
Anandabazar Patrika
Anandabazar Patrika is an Indian Bengali language daily newspaper published in Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai by the ABP Group. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.28 million copies making it the largest circulation for a single-edition, regional language...
, The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, The Statesman
The Statesman
The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
, etc. are available.
External links
- Official governmental site of Silchar
- NIT, Silchar
- Assam University, Silchar
- Guru Charan College, Silchar
- Cachar College, Silchar
- Silchar Medical College & Hospital, Silchar
- Radhamadhab College, Silchar
- News article about the first all woman crew flight in the world
- WeThePeople-BarakValley
- only updated portal of Barak Valley
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/544040/Silchar
- Approximate town map of old Silchar
