Silchar is the headquarters of the Cachar district of Assam and is the second largest town of the state. Nestled on the banks of the Barak River on the southern zone of the state, the town has an average elevation of about 72 feet and is renowned for its scenic beauty and natural splendor. The city is surrounded by Manipur on the east, Bangladesh on the west, Mizoram on the south and the Barail hills on the north. Due to its picturesque location, the region is rightly coined as the ‘Island of Peace’ and is the major gateway to the neighboring areas of Manipur and Mizoram.
The city of Silchar is an important commercial area of the state of Assam and is a trade and processing centre for certain agricultural products, like rice and tea. During the 1850s, the British laid the foundation for the first ever polo club in the world, at this place and it has immensely increased the significance of the town as a tourist attraction. In fact, the first ever competitive form of modern polo was played here only, the records of which can still be found in the District Library of the region.
A majority of the residents living in the Silchar city are Sylhethi, who were mainly migrants from the former Sylhet district of undivided India. Apart from them, the region also has a confluence of other tribes and communities, common to the state of Assam in general. In recent times, there has been a wide entry of people from the neighboring smaller areas, for educational and employment prospects, making the city one of the most highly populated areas in Assam.
The major tourist attractions in and around Silchar are Maniharan Tunnel, Narsing Akhra, Khaspur, Sri Sri Kancha Kanti Devi, Bhuban Hill and the Milroy Sanctuary. Besides this, Silchar is an important educational center of the northeast section of India and has a host of educational and technical institutions like Silchar Medical College, Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and the NIT Silchar. So, on your next trip to Assam, do make sure to pay a visit to this city as well.
Places to see:
Shiva Mandir
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 Temple
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.
Martyrs’ 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.
it is the last of capital of Dimasa kacharies .
ReplyDeleterest of the kacharies are in upper Assam and lower Assam.
it is the last of capital of Dimasa kacharies .
ReplyDeleterest of the kacharies are in upper Assam and lower Assam.