Itanagar
| Itanagar ईटानगर |
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| Coordinates | 27°06′00″N 93°37′12″E / 27.1°N 93.62°ECoordinates: 27°06′00″N 93°37′12″E / 27.1°N 93.62°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Arunachal Pradesh |
| District(s) | Papum Pare |
| Population | 34,970 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 440 metres (1,440 ft) |
Itanagar 
pronunciation (help·info) (Hindi: ईटानगर) is the capital of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Itanagar is situated at the foothills of Himalayas. It comes administratively under Papum Pare district.
As a capital city, Itanagar is well connected with the rest of the country by road and air communications. There is a helicopter service between Guwahati and Naharlagun (Itanagar). Buses are available from Guwahati. The nearest railway station is Harmoti in Assam.
Interesting places around are historical fort called Ita-fort which dates back to the 15th century (after which the city is named), legendary Ganga Lake or Gyakar Sinyi and the new Buddhist temple known as Buddha Vihar consecrated by the Dalai Lama. As of today, Itanagar has two churches.
Important economic activities include farming and agriculture.
Regarding institutions, Arunachal Pradesh has got one of the finest and premier engineering, applied science and management institute named NERIST(North Eastern Regional Institute of Science And Technology) whose foundation stone was led by then president of India Late Giani Zail Singh. It is now a deemed university under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
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[edit] Geography
Itanagar is located at 27°06′N 93°37′E / 27.1°N 93.62°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 440 metres (1443 feet).
[edit] Culture
People
Itanagar and it's adjoining areas are mainly populated by people of the Nyishi tribe.
Itanagar Religious Places
Gompa Buddhist Temple: Consecrated by the Dalai Lama, the Buddhist temple, a beautiful yellow roofed shrine reflects the extensive Tibetan influence and provides good views of Itanagar and the surrounding countryside.[2]
[edit] Places of Interest
Itafort is one of the most important historical sites in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The name literally means "Fort of bricks"( brick being called "Ita" in the Ahom language). The Itafort at Arunachal Pradesh was built as early as the 14th or the 15th century.[3] The fort has an irregular shape, built mainly with bricks dating back to the 14th-15th Century. The total brickwork is of 16,200 cubic metre lengths which have been identified by some scholars with Mayapur of Ramachandra, a king of the Jitari Dynasty.[4] The fort has three different entrances at three different sides, which are western, the eastern and the southern sides.
Ganga Lake is a beautiful natural lake locally known as Gekar Sinyi (Confined water in the Nyishi dialect) surrounded by a landmass of hard rock. Primeval vegetation, orchids masses on tall trees and tree ferns contribute to its popularity as a picnic spot. Boating facilities and a swimming pool are available at the site.
From here tourist places like Bomdila, Parshuram Kund(in Lohit), Malinithan(in Siang), Bhishmak Nagar (in Dibang Valley) are also easily accessible by Night-Supers or Tata Sumo Services.
[edit] Festivals
A number of festivals are celebrated in this capital city of Arunachal Pradesh. Losar is the New Year celebration of the Monpas. It is celebrated for a period of five days. The festival is marked by prayers, hoisting of religious flags atop the homes, reading of Buddhist scriptures, and lighting butter lamps in the houses. Another important festival is Reh, which is mainly associated with the Idu Mishimis. The special attraction of the six-day celebrations is the priest dance. During Tamladu, the Digaru Mishimis offer prayers to the God of the Earth and the God of the Water. The supreme God Jebmalu is also worshipped. Khan is significant because of a ceremony where the priest ties a piece of wool around everybody's neck. During Sangken, people sprinkle water on each other as a sign of merriment, while smearing of rice powder on each other's face marks the beginning of the five-day celebrations of Mopin.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[5] Itanagar had a population of 34,970. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Itanagar has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 61%. In Itanagar, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Major tribal groups in the area include the Nyishis, Adis, Galos, Apatanis and the Miri's
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Itanagar
- ^ http://arunachalpradesh.nic.in/tourism.htm
- ^ http://arunachalpradesh.nic.in/tourism.htm
- ^ http://www.arunachaltourism.com/destination.php
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Itanagar |
- ITANAGAR by India travel portal
- 1962 Border War between India and China(Henderson brook report)
- Contact List for all Important Government Officials in Itanagar Includes Police, Telephone, Electricity and more
