DIBRUGARH DISTRICT

Dibrugarh is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Dibrugarh. The district occupies an area of 3381 sq.km and has a population  of 13,27,748 (2011 Census). Hindus 1,075,878, Muslims 53,306 (4.5%), Christians 45,040. The main communities inhabiting the district includes Ahoms, Tea tribes, Sonowal Kacharis, Chutiya, Muttock, Moran etc. There are also some Tai speaking Buddhist communities like Tai-Phake, Khamti and Khamyang. This district is situated on the upper valley of the River Brahmaputra which runs for about 95 kms in the District to the Patkai foothills on the south. Burhi Dihing is the main tributary of the river Brahmaputra and has many sub tributaries which flows through the area. This district is bounded by Dhemaji District and a part of Lakhimpur district in the north, part of Sibsagar and Arunachal Pradesh  in the south, Tinsukia District in the East and Sibsagar District in the West. Brahmaputra River flows in the north of the district. The name of Dibrugarh District was derived from Dibarumukh. It was a renowned military camp of Ahoms during the war between Ahoms and Chutiyas. Previously, Dibrugarh was the headquarters of unbroken Lakhimpur District of the state. The major languages spoken in this district are Assamese Language, Hindi Language and Bengali Language. Geographically, Dibrugarh District is described as is a plain district of Assam. Brahmaputra River flows throughout the North Western boundary of the district. The only tributary falling at Brahmaputra in the district is Buridihing tributary which divided the district from East to West. It touches the town Naharkatia in the East; Khowang in the middle and at the last part of its course forms the boundary line between Dibrugarh and Sibsagar districts. The entire land is flat with gradual slops scattered throughout. The soil of Dibrugarh District is mainly fertile alluvial soil. The district is famous for its oil and tea industries. The headquarters of the Oil India Ltd. is located at Duliajan, at a distance of about 50 km from Dibrugarh town. Dibrugarh is also known for other two large industries – Fertilizer Corporation of India and Assam Petro Chemicals Ltd.

Attractions Of Dibrugarh District:

Dehing Satra: During the Moamoria uprising this satra received royal patronage from kings like Rajeswar Singha, Lakhi Singha, Gaurinath Singha. It is situated on the banks of the river Dehing under Larua mouza. This once famous satra is now in utter ruin.

Dehing Namti Satra: This satra is situated under Sasoni mouza on the banks of the river Disang and is about 8 miles away from the town of Naharkatiya. At present, the main wing of the satra is at Namti in Nazira. It should be noted that this satra was at earlier times situated in between the roads Hologuri and Sariyahtoli in the District of Dibrugarh. This satra was established by Binandashyam Gohain. According to a book brought out by the satra Lachit Borphukan was one of the chef followers of Binandashyam Gohain

Dinjoy Satra: The Satra is located at Dinjoy about 5kms north of Chabua Township. Amongst the twelve main devotees of Gopal Atadev, the distinguished devotee Aniruddha Dev founded a Satra first at Bisnubalikakunshi village of North Lakhimpur. Later on this Satra was shifted to Khutiaputa. During this period the Moamoria rebellion took place and this Satra fell into troubled waters. This rebellion took place when Astabhuj Gosain (Priest having eight hands) was the ninth head of this Xatra. After his demise, this religious seat of the Satra remained vacant for about fourteen years. Later on Pitambar Chandra Dev was made the head of the Xatra on the orders of Maharaj Gaurinath Singha. The Satra again fell into deep trouble when during this period there occurred a rebellion once again. Even after the end of the Moamaria rebellion this trouble continued at the time when the Burmese invasion began. After stability returned to the kingdom, Bhaktananda Gosain who had been absconding during the Burmese invasion, came to Barbheti Satra situated in Malowpather. Matibor Senapati, the son of Sarbananda Singha of Tinsukia(Bengmora), with due permission of Purnananda Singh Swargadev, brought Bhktananda Gosain first to Rangagara and then later on to the present site of Dinjan at Chabua and named the Satra thus established as Dinjoy Satra. The Satra since then(since 1837) has remained at this place and has become famous as the Dinjoy Satra.

Moderkhat Satra: It is an extension of Dinjoy Satra. When Sidanandadeb Dinjoy was the head priest of Dinjoy Satra, his brother Chandrakantadev established the Moderkhat Satra at Moderkhat.

Garpara Satra: This satra is situated in the Rohmoria mouza and was established even before the establishment of Dinjoy Satra. This satra is now being shifted to some safer place because of soli erosion. Narimaider was the first chief priest of this satra.

Koli Aai Thaan: It is one of the oldest 'thanns' which belonged to the Ahom regime. Since time immemorial, this 'thaan' had a profound influence upon the people of Dibrugarh. It is considered to be very holy place and is held in great esteem by the people of Dibrugarh. Every year lots of people visit the 'than' to pray obeisance to Aai and seek her blessings. Koli aai has a profound influence in the religious history of Assam. She was the daughter of the head priest of Dibaru Satra. As the satra did not have a male heir it gradually disappeared, but then Koli Aai kept the spirit of the Satra alive along with her 'Mising'(a tribe) disciples. It is believed that Koli Aai was bestowed with divine power and ultimately she disappeared from the site. Though 'Aai Thaan' has no temples on idols or celebration of any annual religious festivals, yet the people has a strong religious hold in the hearts of the people.

Barbarua Maidam : These age old two big graveyards (maidam) are sited 14 km south of Dibrugarh Town near National Highway No. 37. While it can not be ascertained for whom these graveyards were raised, but according to historian Sarbananda Rajkumar these graveyards were erected for BuraDihinigia Barbarua and DekaDihingia Barbarua. On the basis of size and structure it can be assumed that these graveyards were of certain high-ranking officials of Ahom Kingdom. There are also several other small 'maidams' at the site which are said to be the 'maidams' of the dead soldiers.

Bahikhowa Maidam : Bahikhowa Dasarath Dowerah Borphukan was the 'Borphukan' (Chief of the Army Staff of Ahoms) during the reign of Rajeswar Singha. Borphukan 'maidam' is found in the 'Khowang' Tea Estate but at present it is in a dilapidated condition. Near this huge 'maidam' are three other smaller 'maidams' and moreover several other 'maidams' are also to be found in its nearly places.

Sarumechlow & Bormechow Maidam: These two 'maidams' are found in the Lengeri mouza of Dibrugarh and are said to be the 'maidams' of the two queens of Sukhampha Khura Raja(1552-1611) who are known as Sorumechlow and Bormechlow.

Lekai Chetia Maidam: This maidam is sited at Sessa near Mankota road. The 'maidam' is presently called 'Thaan' (a religious establishment) This 'maidam' is considerabley large in size. The location to the north of this maidam is called 'Lekai'. Lekai Chetia was an officer of Ahom kingdom during the tenure of Swragodeo Pratapsingha.

Raidongia Dol: Among the various monuments that are to be found in Dibrugarh, special mention can be made of the 'Raidongia Dol' and 'Bezor Dol'. The 'Raidongia Dol' is situated in the Larua mouza near the Dihingia Barbarua road in the region of Kalakhowa. Adjacent to the dol is a large pond. The height of the dol is about 45 feet and its beneath is about 150 feet. Initially there were 24 statues on its walls, but now only 14 are to be found. It has been said that when Swargadeo Pramatta Singha married his sister to Raidnogia Barua, this dol and pond along with 200 pura were given as dowry to her.


Economy of Dibrugarh District :

Tea and oil are the major revenue earners for the district. Dibrugarh is the largest tea expoter in India

Dibrugarh has the world's largest area covered by tea gardens. The entire district is surrounded by tea plantations and has tea factories. Many tea gardens are more than 100 years old. Few of the major tea gardens are:
AlimurT.E.0373-2387544,AdityaT.E.,BokelT.E.0373-2381746/2381422,BoughparaT.E.0373-2320270,BorborooahT.E.0373-2865694,Monohari T.E.0373-2382538,Jalannagar (N) T.E.0373-2301125,Jalannagar (S) T.E.0373-2328047 etc.

The entire district has many oil and natural gas rigs owned by the Oil India Limited and Oil and Natural Gas Commission. In 1953, the first oil discovery of independent India was made at Nahorkatiya near Digboi and then at Moran in 1956. The success at Nahorkatiya was the culmination of a long story of failure, frustration and despair in the oil exploration activities of Upper Assam. It was also the prelude to a string of oil exploration programmes elsewhere in the country.Located in upper northeast India Dibrugarh, Duliajan is an ideal setting for the field headquarters of OIL. It is a thriving industrial township set amidst lush green perennial foliage, a remarkable feature of this part of the country.

The majority of the population are occupied in farming of rice, sugar-cane, pulses, and fish farming.

Beside these many rice and oilseed mills exist. Also there are some coal mining and petroleum production industries.

Education in Dibrugarh District :

1) Dibrugarh University : The Dibrugarh University located on the outskirts of the town is one of the two universities in the state and offers some very rare courses such as in Applied Geology. The BBA and MBA programmes which the University has recently added to its portfolio have gained quick currency and are already drawing students from both Dibrugarh and nearby towns such as Tinsukia, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Moran and Nazira. Contact : Registrar, Phone - 0373-2370231

2) Assam Medical College : AMC as the medical college is popularly referred to is Assam’s oldest medical college and one of the oldest in India too. The first ever X-ray machine in India was installed at the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh! The hostpital attached to the medical college provides medical care for free to thousands of local citizens and to the rural folks from villages nearby. Being the oldest hospital of the North-East  region it caters to the need of about lakhs of patient per annum. Contact - Principal office: 0373-2300080.Emergency room: 0373 2300627.

3) Salt Brook Academy (SBA): It is now a premier educational Institute of the State of Assam, was established in 1995 with only 44(forty four) students and situated in a self contained compass with  all infrastructural facilities. It is co-educational institution located at Boiragimoth, Dibrugarh. The medium of instruction of the Academy is English. Salt Brook Academy is run by a society named Salt Brook Academy Society registered under the Society Act of 1860. Contat: Boiragimoth,Dibrugarh, Assam,0373-2322070

Chabua Air Force Station : Currently used as a training airfield, the MiG-21 (FL) fighters assigned train young fighter pilots, thus, enabling a smooth transition to an operational role in the frontline squadrons of IAF. The unit calls itself 'the young ones'. Formed in October, 1966 with the motto Abhyasen hi Kaushalayam, the unit has a glorious and chequered history since its establishment. Seven Vir Chakra, a Vayu Sena Medal and five Mention-in-Despatches won by the unit is a testimony to the gallantry of the unit. More recently, the unit has been declared as the 'best fighter squadron' of EAC for the current year. The Chabua Airfield was constructed in 1939. It was a World War II Air Base for the Allied Forces. It was used extensively for launching operations against the Japanese and abandoned after the war. In 1962, in response to the Chinese Invasion, the Indian Air Force commenced operations from this airfield.
Subsequently it became the training ground for the MiG 21 fighter jet.

Brahmputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited: The Namrup Fertilizer Complex, renamed as Brahmputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited after bifurcation from erstwhile Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited w.e.f. 1st April 2002 located on the bank of the river Dilli in the south-western border of Dibrugarh District in Assam is the first factory of its kind in India to use associated natural gas as basic raw material for producing nitrogenous fertilizer .

Till the beginning of sixties, Namrup a sleepy village ,was little known to the rest of the country. Discovery of oil and natural gas in Naharkatiya region promoted a serious thinking on proper utilization of gas which had to be otherwise to be flared up.

Contact : Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (B.V.F.C.L.),Namrup, P.O. Parbatpur – 786623,Dist. Dibrugarh (Assam), India,Fax:0374-2500317 / 2500524

Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) : The Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited ( BCPL) or Gas Cracker project is a joint venture promoted by GAIL (India), which has 70 pc stake in it. The remaining equity will be shared equally among Oil India Limited (OIL), Numaligarh Refineries and the Assam government. The company is implementing the project to set-up an integrated Petrochemical Complex at Lepetkata, District Dibrugarh. The site has been identified by the Govt. of Assam and necessary Environmental clearance has been obtained. Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), a central PSU is implementing a Rs. 5,460 crore project to set up a 280,000 TPA petrochemical plant at Lepetkata in Distt. Dibrugarh, Assam.

Banks in Dibrugarh District :

1) Allahabad Bank,DIBRUGARH MAIN, Phone: 0373-2323355, Fax: 0373-2323355
2) Allahabad Bank    DIBRUGARH, NEW MARKET, Phone: 0373-2326431
3) Axis Bank,OPP. HEAD POST OFFICE DIBRUGARH 786001, Phone 0373-2323554/5/6
4) Bank Of Baroda (BOB),SUNNY COURT, RKB PATH, Phone 0373-2324260
5) Canara Bank,KUNJA BHAVAN,STATION ROAD,DULIAJAN, Phone 0374-2800667
6) Canara Bank,T R PHUKAN ROAD, CHIRING CHAPORI, Phone 0373-2313409
7) Central Bank Of India,BHAGWAN BUILDING, 1ST FLOOR, H.S. ROAD, Phone (0373) 2321901
8) Central Bank Of India,MILAN NAGAR (JOKAI), Phone  (0373) 2317222
9) Central Bank Of India,NAHARKATIA (JOYPUR), Phone (0374) 2570131
10)Central Bank Of India,THANACHARIALI, Phone (0373) 2322427
11)Central Bank Of India,DIKOM A.T. ROAD
12)HDFC Bank,HDFC BANK LTD.R K B PATHKARTICKPARA, Phone  0373-2329521
13)ICICI Bank,H.S.ROAD, Phone 0373-2323873
14)Indian Bank (IB),R N C Path, Phone 0373 2323257
15)Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), HANUMAN SINGHANIA ROAD, Phone (0373) 2322440/2322971
16)IndusInd Bank,RHYTHMS COMPLEX, 1ST FLOOR, P. N. ROAD, TINIALI, NEAR NRL PETROL PUMP, CHOWKIDINGHEE (WEST), Phone 0373 2323756, 2323759, 2323757
17)Oriental Bank Of Commerce (OBC),CHOTAGOLA, A T ROAD,Phone 0373-2323912
18)Punjab National Bank (PNB),H.S. ROAD, Phone 0373-2327126
19)State Bank Of India (SBI),THANACHARIALI, Phone 0373- 2321048, 2321049, 2324376
20)State Bank Of India (SBI)    DIBRUGARH UNIVERSITY, Phone 0373-2370373 0373-2370272
21)Syndicate Bank,HANUMAN PRASAD SINGHANIA ROAD, Phone: (0373) - 2322233
22)Syndicate Bank,ADITYA HOSPITAL,BORDOLOI AVENUE, Phone: (0373) - 2301070
23)Bank Of Rajasthan (BOR),AMBA COMPLEX, 1ST FLOOR, H.S. ROAD, Phone: 09435532355, 0373-2321800
24)Union Bank Of India (UBI), KHEMKA MARKET, R K BARDOLOI ROAD, DIST.DIBRUGARH, Phone: 0373 - 2323444
25)United Bank Of India (UBI),ASSAM MEDICAL COLLEGE CAMPUS, Phone (0373) 2300668
26)Vijaya Bank,ROTARY ROAD
27)Punjab And Sind Bank,KHEMKA MARKET,STATION ROAD, Phone 0373 2326327
28)Andhra Bank,KHEMANI BHAWAN,H.S.ROAD, Phone 0373-2325694
29)UCO Bank    DIBRUGARH, Phone 0373-2322552

Various Banks STMs in Dibrugarh District :

1) Axis Bank ATM, A T Road, PO - Moranhat
2) Axis Bank ATM, Air Force Station, Mohanbari
3) Axis Bank ATM, Chauba
4) Oriental Bank Of Commerce ATM, Chhotagola, A. T. Road
5) UCO Bank ATM, Gagoi Market Complex, Station Road, Po - Duliajan
6) HDFC Bank ATM, Galazy Tower, A.T. Road, Naliapool
7) Punjab National Bank ATM, Hs Road, Dibrugarh
8) Union Bank Of India ATM, Khemka Market, R K Bardoloi Road
9) Punjab National Bank ATM, Pnb Goenka Market, Jalukpara Rd.
10)HDFC Bank ATM, R.K.B. Path, Kartickpara
11) United Bank Of India ATM, R.K.Bordoloi Road
12) Indian Bank ATM, R.N.C. Path
13) Indusind Bank, Rhythms Complex ATM, 1st Floor, P. N. Road, Tiniali, Near NRL Petrol Pump
14) Axis Bank ATM, RKB Path, Opp. Head Post Office
15) Union Bank Of India ATM, Saheb Singh & Sons, Station Road, Daily Bazar, Duliajan
16) United Bank Of India ATM, Naharkatia, Dibrugarh
17) Canara Bank ATM, KUNJA BHAVAN, STATION ROAD, DULIAJAN
18) Punjab National Bank (PNB) ATM,    H S Road
19) Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) ATM,    HANUMAN SING RD
20) Oriental Bank of Commerce ATM, CHHOTAGOLA, A. T. ROAD,
21) THE BANK OF RAJASTHAN LIMITED ATM, AMBA COMPLEX, 1ST FLOOR , H.S.ROAD
22) BANK OF BARODA ATM, A.S.T.C. CHOWKIDINGEE
23) STATE BANK OF INDIA ATM, AMALAPATTY, DIBRUGARH
24) SYNDICATE BANK ATM, Aditya Hospital, Bordoli Avenue
25) ICICI BANK ATM ATM, MILAN NAGAR EAST,OPP UCO BANK
26) ICICI BANK LTD ATM, H. S. ROAD, BESIDE HINDI HIGH SCHOOL