Nagaon

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Nagaon
Coordinates
Country	India
State	Assam
District(s)	Nagaon
Population	107,471 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Codes • Pincode • 782001 • Telephone • +03672 • Vehicle • AS 02 -
Website	nagaon.gov.in

Nagaon is a district head-quarter town and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian state of Assam.

Contents 1 History of Nagaon 2 Geography 3 Education 4 Sports 5 Transport 6 Economy 7 Notable personalities 8 Demographics 9 Where to stay in Nagaon 10 Politics 11 See also 12 References

[edit] History of Nagaon

Nagaon, earlier spelt as "Nowgong" was carved out as a separate district administrative unit in 1832. Located in Central Assam, the eastern, western and southern segments of the newly organised district were once ruled by different small-time feudal kings or their agents. An extensive and undulating plain intersected by big and small hills and rivers - the geography of the segments determined who their masters ought to be. The residual effects of the rule of the Bara Bhuyans were imaginatively utilised and reorganised by Momai Tamuli Borphukan, an intrepid officer of the Ahom King Pratap Singha in the first half of the seventeenth century. This area, until then, was more of strategic than administrative concern. Since this was a newly organised village system, hence it is called "Nagaon" ('Na' meaning "new" and 'gaon' meaning "village").

At the social level, a great majority of the people were the Vaishnavites. Sankardeva, the great saint of the Bhakti movement era was born at Bordowa, at a distance of fifteen kilometres from the district geadquarters town. His life and work had been social exemplifiers and his influence can be felt even in the remotest part of the district.

The thickly populated parts of the district were the chosen targets of violence and term during the Burmese rule. In the absence of any leadership to the resistance movement against the Burmese, the people heaved a sigh of relief when the British came down heavily on the Burmese and compelled them to withdraw from Assam. Following the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, this central area of the province passed off silently into the hands of the British. It took a couple of years before the British finally settled on the present site on the bank of the Kollong river as the district headquarters. Earlier, they experimented from Puranigudam and Rangagora. The district headquarters was called Nagaon and gradually it emerged into a town. It became a municipality in 1893. Nagaon follows the pattern of any other district of the Lower Provinces east of the Ganga. It is basically a rural conglomerate of agricultural population.

Conscious of its strategic location, the administration of the district was always entrusted to officers of extraordinary merit. A local peasant uprising at Phulaguri in 1861 against governments taxation policy was enough of an indication that the peasantry was not altogether a stolid and docile lot. The peasantry was also an active participant in the various stages of the national struggle for freedom. The national leaders, M.K Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad and Pandit Nehru were impressed by their spirit and enthusiasm.

The entire credit of introduction of modern education in the district goes to the Christian Missionaries. Of them American missionaries, Miles Bronson and Nathan Brown are worth mentioning. The apostle of the new age Anandaram Dhekial Phukan spent the best part of his life at Nagaon. His spiritual successor Gunabhiram Barua also worked in Nagaon for about two decades.

Nagaon district comprised the present Nagaon and Morigaon districts until 1989, when the Morigaon district was separated as a distinct district; which was a subdivision (Mahkuma) till then. The then Nagaon district had three subdivisions: Nagaon, Morigaon and Hojai. Later, the present Nagaon district was again divided into three subdivisions: Nagaon, Kaliabor and Hojai.

[edit] Geography

The river Kolong, a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra, flows through Nagaon and in the process divides the town into two distinct regions - Nagaon and Haibargaon. The railway station in Nagaon is located in Haiborgaon.

Boundary of the district: North is bounded by Sonitpur district and the Brahmaputra river, south is bounded by West Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills, East is bounded by East Karbi Anglong and Golaghat district. Area of the district 4435.3 sq km.

Total Population 1893171 (1991) persons Rural 1687449 (1991) Urban 205722 (1991)

Extension 250-45' to 260 -45' North Latitude 920 -33' -6" East

Major rivers : The Brahmaputra, Kalong, Sonai, Nanoi, Jamuna, Kopili and Barpani.

Beels and lakes and marshy lands : There are several beels, marshy lands and swamps are there, these are in reality old abandone channels of Kalong and Kopili rivers of Nagaon district. These are Marikalong, Potakalong,/ Haribhanga, Jongalbalahu, Samoguri beel, Urigadang and Nawbhanga. These beels are major unused resources of the district. There are nearly more than two hundred numerous marshy land exist here which should be used for development of the area.

The district looks like a broken dish north is up land South is also up land west is slop other half dish is in Marigaon district, Geomorphologically Marigaon and Nagaon makes a perfect Geomorphological area. The general slope of the district is towards the west from any place. East, North East and South East is hilly terrain.

[edit] Education

Nagaon has the oldest school in Assam, Nagaon Mission High School, established by the christian missionary Miles Bronson way back in 1846. It also has the third oldest government school in Assam, Nagaon Govt Boys HS School, established in 1865. At present, there are 25^[1] colleges, of which probably the most renowned is the Nowgong College, located at the heart of the town. Others are: Nagaon G.N.D.G. Commerce College, A.D.P. College (Named after Anandaram Dhekial Phukan), Nagaon Law College, Nagaon Girls' College etc. The College of Fishery Sciences (the only one of its kind in northeastern India, located in Raha, comes under the academic management of Assam Agricultural University [1], Jorhat. Nagaon also has a Homeopathic Medical College. Nowgong Polytechnic is one of the oldest technical education institutes in Assam.

[edit] Sports

The stadium in Nagaon is named after the late Nurul Amin. It hosts the prestigious Independence Day Cup Football tournament every year in Aug-Sep in which most of the teams of national repute participate.

[edit] Transport

Nagaon is well connected by road links. The National Highway No. 36 and No. 37 provide easy access to important places of Nagaon District. It is in fact junction point of NH 36 and NH 37

Road Distance from Guwahati to Nagaon Town = 123 km.

Railway Station = Haiborgaon Nearest Railway Junction is at Chaparmukh which is around 28 km from Nagaon Town.

Nearest Airport = Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport at Borjhar (Guwahati).

[edit] Economy

The main shopping areas in Nagaon are Daccapatty, Marwaripatty, Stadium market and Mission Market. But new market places are developing in the Haibargaon area. The main market places in Nagaon are Bara Bazar, Natun Bazar and Haibargaon Bazar.

[edit] Notable personalities

Many renowned politicians were born in this town, like Deba Kanta Borooah, former President, All India Congress Committee, Revolutionary Communist leader M. Shamsul Huda also a writer, Literary Pensioner who had been elected several times with also highest ever cast votes in his favour to the Assam Legilative Assembly as its Member from Dhing LAC, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, youngest Chief Minister, etc. Other famous personalities of Nagaon are: Late Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia (Former editor of Assamese news-magazine, "Prantik", and children's megazine, "Safura", also director of a few award winning films, and author of several fictions), Late Nabakanta Baruah (Assamese poet and writer), Mahim Borah (Assamese literature), Late Yageswar Sarma (Assamese literature), Late Pranab Baruah (artist), etc.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census^[2], Nagaon had a population of 107,471. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Nagaon has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 73%. In Nagaon, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

[edit] Where to stay in Nagaon

1. Hotel Swagat, Christianpatty 2. Bora's Inn, Fauzdaripatty 3. Hotel Relax, Christianpatty 4. Hotel Bidisha, Amolapatty 5. Hotel Bohagi, Bara Bazar

[edit] Politics

Nagaon is part of Nowgong (Lok Sabha constituency).^[3]

[edit] See also

• Nowgong (Lok Sabha constituency)

[edit] References