CACHAR DISTRICT

Cachar is an administrative among 27 districts in the state of Assam in India. It comprises only two Subdivision which is also named as Silchar & Lakhipur Sub-Dvn. Below this level, there are 5 Revenue Circles (Tehsils), namely – Silchar, Lakhipur, Sonai, Udharbond, Katigorah . Furthermore, from developmental angle, the district is divided into 15 Community Development Blocks.

The district headquarters are located at Silchar. The district occupies an area of 3786 sq.km with a population of 17,36,319 and 80.36% Literacy Rates(2011 Census). Bengali has a status of Official Language in this district, majority of the people of the district primarily speak Bengali and Sylheti, a distinct Bengali-dialect. Apart from Bengali, there are minority communities like Manipuri, Dimasa and Rongmei-Nagas living in the district. There are also few Mizo, Kuki and Khasi people who form microscopic minority.

The name of the Cachar District was derived from the Kachari kingdom. Initially, Cachar district was a part of this kingdom that included the adjacent Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of Assam. The Cachar District is situated in the southern region of Assam. The District of Cachar is located in the Southernmost part of Assam is one of the oldest district of Assam. It is bounded on the North by Barali and Jayantia hill ranges, on the South by the State Mizoram, on the East by sister district Hailakandi and Karimganj.  Cachar is the gateway to Mizoram and Manipur but communication to Cachar is not easy. The district was created in 1830 after annexation of Kachari Kingdom by British. In 1854, North Cachar was annexed and tagged to the district. In 1951 erstwhile North Cachar Sub-Division was made a separate district and taken out of Cachar.In 1983 erstwhile Karimganj Sub-Division and in 1989, Hailakandi Sub-Division was made a separate District.

Climate of Cachar District is significant for excessive humidity and being surrounded by ranges of hills on the North, East and South of the district. Heat during summer time is unbearable because of humidity. The air is surcharged with moisture and rainfall is extremely heavy. The winter season is not so cold like other states of India. The actual rainy season starts from May and remains up to October.

Attractions:

Shiva Mandir : It is 35 km from the township of Silchar is the famous Shiva Mandir, a.k.a. Bhubaneswar temple, on top of the Bhuvan hills. The temple is a renowned tourist spot of the region, where pilgrims and devotes from all over the state come to offer their prayers and seek the blessings of the Lord. Inside the main sanctum of the temple are the idols of Lord Shiva and Goddesses Parvati. From Silchar it is quite easy to visit the place, as daily buses operate to the base of the hill, from where the remaining distance can be covered on foot.

Maniharan Tunnel : Around 5 km to the north of Bhubaneswar temple, in the Bhuvan hills, is the famous Maniharan temple. According to the legends, Lord Krishna used this tunnel during His visit to the region. Just underneath this tunnel, the holy river of Tribeni flows and people often come here to bathe in the waters of the river and seek the blessings of the Lord. A number of festivals, like Doljatra, Shivratri and Baruni, are held here every year, where devotees from all over Assam and also the adjacent areas come to offer their prayers. A fun-fair is also held in the grounds of the temple, during Dol Purnima or the Holi festival.

Martyr's Tomb : Located at Gandhi Bag, on the banks of a lake, are the 11 tombs of the martyrs who dedicated their lives fighting for the language movement of Assam, in 1964. This site is a must-visit for the Bengalis, as the language movement was primarily fought to make Bengali the official language of the Cachar district of Assam. A little further from this area are two more attractions - Harisava and the temple of Goddess Lakshmi Devi.

Paper Mill : The paper mill of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited, at Panchgram, is one of the biggest paper mills in Asia and is located a few kilometers from Silchar, en route to Badarpur. This mill was established by late Moinul Haq Choudhury, who was the minister of the region during the 1960s. The entire region is surrounded by lush greenery and people often come here to explore the mill and enjoy the natural scenery.

Kanchakanti Kali Mandir : 15 km from Silchar, on the way to the Kumbhirgram airport, is situated the famed Kanchakanti Kali temple, which is a union of Goddess Durga and Goddess Kali. Mythology has it the king of the region once had a dream, in which he was asked to build an idol of the four-armed goddess. Following his dreams, he constructed the temple and prepared a gold idol of the Goddess, somewhere during 1806. This temple however, got destroyed due to natural forces and a new one was constructed later. It is often said that one’s desires and wishes are fulfilled, if one prays to the Goddess of the temple and as such, the region is always crowded by devotees and worshippers.

Palace of Kachari Kings : The palace of the Kachari kings is situated at a distance of about 10 km from Silchar. The Kachari dynasty was a mighty and powerful dynasty, belonging to the Bodo-Kachari ethnic group. The archeological remnants of this strong and advance kingdom still lie in Khaspur, which was their last capital.

Economy :

Economy of North Cachar Hills District is not very encouraging. Geographical remoteness, poor communication and lack of proper infrastructural facilities are some of the main factors behind the low level of economic development of this district of Assam. However, in spite of the depressing scenario, prospects of agriculture, horticulture and forestry forming the main sectors of economy of North Cachar Hills District are bright.

Agriculture contributes heavily to the economy of North Cachar Hills District. Majority of the rural people of the district is dependent upon agriculture. A distinctive feature of the agricultural practices of the tribal people in the district is jhum cultivation, which is the traditional way of their life. This shifting process of cultivation is very popular among the people of this district. Near about 70 per cent of the total cultivated area is under jhum cultivation area. This cultivation is done in autumn season either as a single crop or sometimes as mixed crop along with maize, ginger, turmeric, chillies and other vegetables. Some horticultural crops cultivation, such as pineapple, orange, papaya and banana occupy a vital role in the agricultural economy of the district.

Economy of North Cachar Hills District also includes sectors like livestock and poultry. They occupy an important place in the rural economy. Buffalo, pig, etc. are the most common livestock animals while hen and duck comprise the poultry birds. The major forest products consist of timber, cane, bamboo, etc. Boulders and gravels in the river beds along with stones are also available. The major industries constituting the economy of North Cachar Hills District include cement factories; saw-mills, etc. These are basically private sector industries of the district. There are four cement plants in this district.

Education :

1) Assam University : Assam University came into existence through Assam (Central) University Act, 1989 (Act. No. XIII). It was  established in 1994,since then  the University is steadily becoming  an excellent centre of learning. The campus, situated in Dargakona, about 20 kms from  Silchar, is set amid sprawling hillocks, a typical landscape in the  North East. The campus  in an area of  600 acres surrounded by lakes and mountains provides  an ideal environment for academic pursuit. The University has nine Schools on major disciplines. They are Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Information Sciences, Management Studies and Technology. There are 29 Departments  under these nine Schools. The University has gradually started attracting students from the neighboring states. The University is set to become a full-fledged residential University in near future  creating a better environment  for learning and research  activities.

Address of Assam University, Silchar

Assam University,
Silchar - 788 011, Assam, India
Vice Chancellor : +91-03842-270801
Registrar : +91-03842-270806
Finance Officer : +91-03842-270804

2) Silchar Medical College & Hospital : The Silchar Medical College & Hospital remains the only referral hospital in the southern part of Assam and so, is the sole custodian of health care system of the entire Barak Valley. Being situated in a very strategic geographic location, it also renders its services to the ailing community of the neighbouring states like Mizoram, North Tripura, West Manipur and South Meghalaya. The Silchar Medical College and Hospital was established in the year 1968. Since its inception, the SMC Hospital is rendering its yeomen's services to the suffering community of the entire southern part of Assam and its neighbouring states. In the year 1971, the Civil Hospital of Silchar, situated in the heart of the city about 6 kms away from the permanent college building, was taken over as the teaching hospital of the Silchar Medical College. Thereafter, in 1977-78, the main hospital building complex at its permanent site was commissioned. Principal's Office (Tele Fax) - 03842-229110, Hospital Superintendent: 03842-241712(O).

3) NIT Silchar : NIT Silchar, an Institute of National Importance under the NIT Act was established in 1967 as Regional Engineering College, Silchar. In year 2002, it was upgraded to the status of an NIT from a Regional Engineering College. It is situated on a sprawling campus spread over 600 acres of land on the outskirts of Silchar amid breathtaking scenery. It is surrounded by beautiful lakes and hillocks. The Institute computing facility includes high-end workstations and Intel Pentium based Personal Computers. All the computing resources of the Institute are connected through a gigabit backbone LAN. The Institute has its Internet Access facility through a 2-MBPS leased line circuit from M/S. BSNL and a 64 KBPS SCPC VSAT Link from ERNET. It is planned to enhance the 64 KBPS SCPC VSAT into a 1MBPS DAMA VSAT for additional bandwidth for Internet access during the current year. Faculty members have been provided with a Desktop PC with Internet Connectivity. During the 2006 , Internet connectivity has been extended to Students’ Hostels. Phone:-03842-224879

4) Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya : Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya also known as JNV is situated at Pailapool Village, Cachar . This school is a Central government school following CBSE course. More than 600 students study in this school. Faculties in this school are very highly qualified and being selected through various round of interviews and process of Central Government. Phone : +91-3842-284561

5) Women's College, Silchar : Women's College established in 1963 at Silchar, is a women's higher education institution. It offers Intermediate (10+2 level) and First Degree Level (10+2+3 level) courses in Arts and Commerce. The College also offers short term Diploma & Certificate courses.[2] It is recognized by UGC and is affiliated to Assam University, Silchar. The college has been accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with C++ status.

Banks Cachar & Silchar :

1) Central Bank Of India, BORKHOLA, P.O. BORKHOLA, Phone : +91-3842-286432
2) Central Bank Of India, JARAILTOLA BAZAR, HOLA BAZAR, Phone : +91-03842-282972
3) Central Bank Of India, SALCHAPRA, Phone : +91-03842-277424
4) Central Bank Of India, FULERTAL, Phone : +91-03842-287463
5) State Bank Of India (SBI), KABUGANJ,    Phone : +91-3842-273422
6) State Bank Of India (SBI), PANIBHORA, Phone : +91-03842-252048, 252028
7) Allahabad Bank, DEBENDRA SAILO BHAWAN PREMTOLA ROAD, P.O. SILCHAR, Phone: +91-3842-248304, 247923
8) Axis Bank, CHOWCHAKRA COMPLEX, SHYAMA PRASAD ROAD SHILLONG PATTY, Phone: +91-3842-237790/75/69

9) Bank Of Baroda(BOB), HOSPITAL ROAD,Phone : 03842-261809
10) Canara Bank, IST FLOOR, SHOBHANA SUPER MARKET, N S AVENUE ,RANGERKHIRI, Phone : +91-3842-221126
11) Central Bank Of India, CLUB ROAD, SILCHAR,Phone: +91-3842-247623
12) Punjab And Sind Bank, CENTRAL ROAD, SILCHAR, Phone : +91-3842-246356
13) HDFC Bank, CLUB ROAD, HOTEL GEETANJALI COMPLEX, Phone : +91-3842-263383
14) ICICI Bank, GIRI BHAWAN, N.S. AVENUE, NEAR LIFE LINE HOSPITAL, SILCHAR, Phone : +9103842-237061 , +91-3842-237060, +91-9435071063
15) IDBI Bank, Jagannath Apartment, 1st Floor ,Hospital Road, Silchar, Phone : +91-3842 221160/61/63
16) Indian Bank (IB), Nazirpatty Silchar, Phone : +91-3842-245053
17) Indian Overseas Bank (IOB, NETAJI SUBHASH AVENUE, HAILAKANDI ROAD, SILCHAR, Phone: +91-3842-233076
17) IndusInd Bank, 1ST FLOOR, CACHAR MARKET, RANGIRKHARI, N. S. AVENUE, SILCHAR, Phone : +91-3842-226466,226477, 226759 225328
18) Punjab National Bank (PNB), HOSPITAL ROAD, SILCHAR, Phone : +91-3842-201694,220205
19) State Bank Of India (SBI), PARK RD., SILCHAR, phone : +91-3842-263256,235847
20) State Bank Of India (SBI), HATIA.KANDI.ROAD, RANGIRKARI, Phone : +91-3842-232626
21) Federal Bank, SHYAMA PRASAD ROAD, SHILLONG PARTY, Phone : +91-3842-230512
22) UCO Bank, NAZIRPATTY, SILCHAR, Phone : +91-3842-247915
23) Union Bank Of India (UBI), NAGENDRA NRIPENDRA BHAWAN, HOSPITAL ROAD, SILCHAR, Phone: +91-3842 - 248855/246655
24) Vijaya Bank    ,SHYAMPRASAD ROAD, SILCHAR,
25) YES Bank, GROUND FLOOR, BASUNDHARA BUILDING, SHYAMA PRASAD ROAD, SILCHAR, Phone : +91-9748490909

Banks ATMs in Cachar & Silchar   : 
 

1) Indusind Bank ATM, N.S. Aveneue, Silcher
2) Federal Bank ATM, Capital Travels Buliding, Silchar
3) Axis Bank ATM, Chowchakra Complex, Shyama Prasad Road, Shillong Patty, Silchar
4) HDFC Bank ATM, Club Road, Silchar
5) United Bank Of India ATM, Dewan Mansion, Sonai Road, Silchar
6) Bank Of Baroda ATM, Hospital Road, Silchar
7) IDBI Bank ATM, Jaggannath Apartment, Hospital Road
8) Axis Bank ATM, Kalibari, Masimpur, Silchar
9) Axis Bank ATM, Kumbhirgram, Silchar
10) Oriental Bank Of Commerce ATM, Gupta Tyre & Agencies, Rangirkhari, Silchar
11) SBI Bank, Park Road ATM, Silchar
12) Axis Bank, Rangir Khari ATM, N. S Avenue, Silchar
13) Punjab National Bank ATM, Silchar
14) United Bank Of India ATM, Central Road, Silchar
15) Axis Bank ATM, Silchar Medical College,  Opp. S.M.C.H., Ghungoor, Silchar
16) Punjab National Bank ATM, Silchar
17) Yes Bank ATM, Bashundara Building, 1st floor, Opp- Chotolal Seth School, Shillong Patty, Silchar