Tura, India
Encyclopedia
Tura is a city and a municipality
in West Garo Hills district
in the India
n state
of Meghalaya
. One of the largest towns in Meghalaya, Tura is a valley located at the foothills of the Tura Hills and right below the Tura Peak. The climate in Tura is moderate throughout the year and has a large number of interesting and unexplored areas. The native god Durama was believed to reside in the hills. The name Tura is said to be a corruption (by the British) of the god's name.
It is part of the Siwalik Hills ranges. It is 220 kilometres from the nearest city Guwahati
and is also the district capital of the West Garo Hills district
. It is filled with small rivulets and green valleys all around. The principal languages are Garo
,Hajong, Koch language/Koch, Bengali
, Hindi and English
. The city has 4 colleges and a host of good secondary schools. In 1973, the town was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tura.
The capital city of Shillong
is 323 kilometres away and can be accessed via buses or the shuttle helicopter service. The border of Bangladesh
Dalu,is situated at a proximity of 50 kilometres.
Tura is a cultural and administrative centre of the Garo
tribes. To visit popular tourist destinations such as Balpakram
, Nokrek and Siju cave, one needs to pass through this town.
, Tura had a population of 58,391. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Tura has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77%, and female literacy is 70%. In Tura, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Christianity is the main religion, more than 90% of the Garos are Baptist. The Garos have a matrilineal and matrilocal society.
1. Tura Public School
2. Sherwood School
3. Aeroville High School
4. De Novo School
5. Don Bosco Secondary School
6. St.Mary Higher Secondary School
7. St. Xavier's Secondary School
8. Christian Girls' Higher Secondary School
9. Christian Boys' Secondary School
10. Government Boys Higher Secondary School
11. Government Girls' Higher Secondary School
12. Mothers' Union Secondary School
13. Little Flower Secondary School
14. Hawakhana Deficit Higher Secondary School
15. Goudiya Math Vidyapeet
16. Kendriya Vidyalaya
17. Mt. Sinai Secondary School
18.Tura Town Higher Secondary School, etc.
Colleges
1. Don Bosco College
2. Tura Govt. College
3. Durama College
4. Tura Polytechnic
5. Tura College of Information Technology.
6.Tura ICFAI College
7. College of Teacher Education
8. College of Home Science (under Central Agricultural University, Imphal)
Central Institutes
1. Regional Vocational Training Institute
2. North Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus
Traditional Garo food includes boiled rice, different preparations of Pork, beef, chicken and dry fish. Some of the delicacies of Garo Food are Nakam Bitchi (it is dry fish made with chillies and soda), Wak Pura (it is Pork cooked with crushed rice).
2. Christmas : It is celebrated in a grand and extravagant way. The party spirit pervades throughout starts from Christmas and continues even after the New Year celebration. So, the entire celebration last for more than a week. The occasion is filled with carol songs, dinner parties, social gatherings and many more events. In short, a week long of Merry making.
3. Durga Puja : It is celebrated in the months of October and is celebrated in a grand fashion with 'pandals', 'dhak dhol' and the smell of 'dhoop' all over town. The number of idols The 'Bishorjon' is a colourful parade of trucks carrying the idols of the various pandals away at the end of the festivities.
Other annual celebrations like Chat Puja, Holi and Diwali are also conducted every year with the same enthusiasm and love.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in West Garo Hills district
West Garo Hills district
West Garo Hills is an administrative district in Garo Hills of the state of Meghalaya in India. Tura town is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district occupies an area of 3714 km² and has a population of 515,813...
in the 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...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
. One of the largest towns in Meghalaya, Tura is a valley located at the foothills of the Tura Hills and right below the Tura Peak. The climate in Tura is moderate throughout the year and has a large number of interesting and unexplored areas. The native god Durama was believed to reside in the hills. The name Tura is said to be a corruption (by the British) of the god's name.
It is part of the Siwalik Hills ranges. It is 220 kilometres from the nearest 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...
and is also the district capital of the West Garo Hills district
West Garo Hills district
West Garo Hills is an administrative district in Garo Hills of the state of Meghalaya in India. Tura town is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district occupies an area of 3714 km² and has a population of 515,813...
. It is filled with small rivulets and green valleys all around. The principal languages are Garo
Garo language
Garo is the language of the majority of the people of the Garo Hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Garo is also used in Kamrup, Dhubri, Goalpara and the Darrang districts of Assam, India as well as in neighboring Bangladesh...
,Hajong, Koch language/Koch, 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...
, Hindi and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The city has 4 colleges and a host of good secondary schools. In 1973, the town was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tura.
The capital city of Shillong
Shillong
-Connectivity:Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.-Roadways:Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states...
is 323 kilometres away and can be accessed via buses or the shuttle helicopter service. The border of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
Dalu,is situated at a proximity of 50 kilometres.
Tura is a cultural and administrative centre of the Garo
Garo (tribe)
See also Garo for other uses.The Garos are a tribal people in Meghalaya, India and neighboring areas of Bangladesh, who call themselves A·chik Mande or simply A·chik or Mande...
tribes. To visit popular tourist destinations such as Balpakram
Balpakram
Balpakram is located in South Garo Hills district in Meghalaya, India.Balpakram is famous for its forest covered canyon-cum-gorge, which is now part of a National Park. The park also includes the Balpakram plateau and adjacent forests....
, Nokrek and Siju cave, one needs to pass through this town.
Geography
Tura is located at 25.52°N 90.22°E. It has an average elevation of 349 metres (1145 feet).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...
, Tura had a population of 58,391. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Tura has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77%, and female literacy is 70%. In Tura, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Connectivity
Tura is situated in the western part of meghalaya which is quite close to the National Border of Bangladesh. Main mode of transport is by road, there are no railways or any domestic working airport. From Guwahati, it is 221 km, through the National Highway 40. Day time Sumo and overnight bus services are available form Guwahati. There is a 3-days-a-week helicopter service available from Guwahati and Shillong, run by Pawan Hans.Society
Most residents of Tura are part of the Garo tribe. Next comes the Bengalis, Nepalis, Hajongs, Koches and other ethnicities.Christianity is the main religion, more than 90% of the Garos are Baptist. The Garos have a matrilineal and matrilocal society.
Schools & Colleges
Schools1. Tura Public School
2. Sherwood School
3. Aeroville High School
4. De Novo School
5. Don Bosco Secondary School
6. St.Mary Higher Secondary School
7. St. Xavier's Secondary School
8. Christian Girls' Higher Secondary School
9. Christian Boys' Secondary School
10. Government Boys Higher Secondary School
11. Government Girls' Higher Secondary School
12. Mothers' Union Secondary School
13. Little Flower Secondary School
14. Hawakhana Deficit Higher Secondary School
15. Goudiya Math Vidyapeet
16. Kendriya Vidyalaya
17. Mt. Sinai Secondary School
18.Tura Town Higher Secondary School, etc.
Colleges
1. Don Bosco College
2. Tura Govt. College
3. Durama College
4. Tura Polytechnic
5. Tura College of Information Technology.
6.Tura ICFAI College
7. College of Teacher Education
8. College of Home Science (under Central Agricultural University, Imphal)
Central Institutes
1. Regional Vocational Training Institute
2. North Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus
Food
There are many varieties of food available, the common one is the traditional Garo food.Traditional Garo food includes boiled rice, different preparations of Pork, beef, chicken and dry fish. Some of the delicacies of Garo Food are Nakam Bitchi (it is dry fish made with chillies and soda), Wak Pura (it is Pork cooked with crushed rice).
Annual Celebrations
1. Wangala : It is a traditional Garo dance; celebrated after harvesting. Wangala is best showcased at the 100 Drums festival which takes place annually, 30 km away from Tura in a place called, Asanang. The men and women are dressed in traditional attire and they dance to beat of the 100 drums.2. Christmas : It is celebrated in a grand and extravagant way. The party spirit pervades throughout starts from Christmas and continues even after the New Year celebration. So, the entire celebration last for more than a week. The occasion is filled with carol songs, dinner parties, social gatherings and many more events. In short, a week long of Merry making.
3. Durga Puja : It is celebrated in the months of October and is celebrated in a grand fashion with 'pandals', 'dhak dhol' and the smell of 'dhoop' all over town. The number of idols The 'Bishorjon' is a colourful parade of trucks carrying the idols of the various pandals away at the end of the festivities.
Other annual celebrations like Chat Puja, Holi and Diwali are also conducted every year with the same enthusiasm and love.