Jorhat District
| Total Population : 999,221 |
| Total literate : 660,591 |
| Rural : 827,901 |
Urban : 171,320 |
| Male : 517,015 |
Female : 482,206 |
| Area : 2,852 Sq. Km. |
|
MP
: Loksabha
Jorhat
MP
Bijoy Krishna
Handique
CONSTITUENCY : Jorhat (Assam )
PARTY : Indian National Congress (INC)
Minister of State : Chemicals & Fertilizers,
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
Present
Address
C-2, M.S. Flats,
B.K.S. Marg,
New Delhi - 110 001
Tels. (011) 23718095, 23737960,23011705,
9868180151(M)
Permanent
Address
Kushal Konwar Path,
Jorhat-785 001 (Assam)
Tels. (0376) 2320166, 2329088
Brief
about District
“JORHAT”
or “JOREHAUT” means two hats or mandis-“Macharhat”
and “Chowkihat” which existed on the two different
banks of the river Bhogdoi during the 18th
Century, Jorhat was the last capital of the Ahom Kingdom.
In the year 1794 the Ahom king Gaurinath shifted the
capital from Sibsagar (erst-while ”Rangpur”) to Jorhat.
This town was a flourishing and commercial metropolis
but completely destroyed after a series of the Burmese
invasions since 1817 till the arrival of the British
force in the year 1824 under the Stewardship of David
Scott and Captain Richard.
The
British Rule, though, was not free from rebellions
and revolutions, contributed to reemergence of this
historical town. From the very first decade of the
British rule, the great revolutionists who emerged
were Gomdhar Konwar, Jeuram and Piyali, British system
of administration, came into vouge in the year 1839
with an established Police Thana. During the great
“Sepoy Mutiny” and Piyali Barua was sabotaged and
these leader were hanged in public at this very place
in 1858.
In
1885,a narrow gauge train services (Jorhat Provincial
Railway)had come into operation and ultimately became
instrumental in rapid growth of tea industry.
Though,
the Civil Sub-division under Sibsagar district at
Jorhat was formed in 1869,this great place was declared
as administration head quarter of the undivided Sibsagar
district in 1911 which comprised of the present Sibsagar,
Jorhat and Golaghat and parts of Karbi-Anglong district
with Major A. Playfare as the first Deputy Commissioner.
On the North of the district,
the river Brahmaputra forms the largest riverine island
of the world, MAJULI, spreading over 924.6 sq. Km.
with a population of about 1.50 lakh being threatened
by the constant erosion by this mighty, unstable river
Majuli had been the principal place of pilgrimage
of Vaishnavites since the ages of the Ahom
rules. There are several Satras resembling
medieval monastries headed by Satradhikars preaching
and teaching the Vaishnavism which was initiated by
Sankardeva (1449-1568). Each Satra has unknown wealth
of Vaishnav Scriptures and exensive revenue free lands being cualativated
by the “Bhakats” of the Satras.
At Present, the district spreading
over 2851 sq. km. with a population of 8.7 lakhs(1991
census)and a density of 306 persons sq. km. The sex
ratio is 913. The disrict has SC and ST population
of 7.61% and 12.09% respectively of the total population. However,the Majuli
Sub-Division has a tribal population of 70% who are
primarily “Misings”. Floods frequent the island every
year without any exception.The mean annual railfall
of the district is 2029 mm.
The
healthy education and cultural life of Jorhat can
be best judged from the fact that District has as
many as five Daily News papers published from here.
They are namely.
1. The Janambhumi group and
2. G.L. Publication groups
The Janambhumi Group of News
papers-
The Saptahik Janambhumi, The
Dainik Janambhumi and Eastern Clarion, The Spatahik
Janambhumi celebrated its 50 years of circulation
and in the same way the Dainik Janambhumi crossed
its 25 years of existence.
The G.L. Publication publishes
three News papers from Guwahati and Jorhat simultaneously.
They are the Norh East Times(English) Amar Asom(Assamese)and
The Purbanchal Prohori(Hindi)
There
are about 135 Tea Gardens including out gardens and
the predominant field crop is rice with per capita
food grain production of 205 Kg per annum.
Jorhat
is considered to be a good place for modern education.
The Jorhat Govt. High School is the oldest school
established in 1883 with special facilities for Science
teaching. The Jagannath Barooah College is the oldest
College in the district set up in 1930 and said to
be first college and in upper Assam. Later, however
many degree colleges and schools came up. The people
of Jorhat can rightly be proud of being a part of
its glorious heritage and culture.
The cultural environment which prevails in Jorhat
is the result of untiring effort of people to preserve
its culture. Jorhat has been able to produce many
creative writers, historians, journalists etc. the
only Assamese to win highest award of literature in
India (GYANPITH) also happens to be from Joraht. Apart
from it,Jorhat is the home of internationally reputed
ideologist and educationist like KRISHNA KANTA HANDIQUE,
former Vice Chancellor of Guwahati University.
Jorhat
At A Glance :
Jorhat is located between the Brahmaputra on the
north and Nagaland on the south at 26 degree 46 minute’s
north latitude and 96 degree 16 minute’s longitude
in the central part of Brahmaputra Valley.
Established as the new capital in the closing years
of the 18th century by the decaying and
declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat as the name
signifies, was just a couple(Jor) of marts (Hut).
From these two parallel marts namely Chowkihut and
Macharhut, which lay on the eastern and the western
banks of the river Bhogdoi. Jorhat today has grown
into a thriving cosmopolitan town with a strong sense
of character and identity. It is the best laid out
town in Upper Assam with broad roads, cutting each
other at right angles. The variety of heterogeneity
of the town population, specially its business community
– comprising of Punjabis, Biharis, Marwaries, Bengalis
and even odd South Indian is something commendable.
Yet each person, irrespective of his place of origin,
who has made Jorhat his home is staunchly loyal to
his adopted home and fully identifies with it. Urban,
polite and polished behavior is the distinguishing
features of an average Jorhat man.
Earlier Jorhat was sub-division of undivided Sibsagar
District. In 1983 Jorhat was curved ot of Sibsagar
District. The present Jorhat District consists of
three (3) Sub-divisions namely Jorhat, Majuli and
Titabor. The district is devided into 6 revenue circles
and 8 development blocks. The area of the district
is 2852 Sq. Km. and population is 1,009,197
(as per 2001 census). The population comprises predominantly
Hindus and Muslims. Jorhat is the first fully literate
district in Assam.
Jorhat
is the seat of learning with a first and only Agricultural
University in the whole N.E.Region-Assam Agricultural
University, established in 1948 in addition to the
Engineering College, Regional Research Laboratory,
Prince of Wales College of Polytechnic(1926), Tocklai
Tea Research Centre(1911) along with other prestigious
establishment like Air Forece Base, ONGC, Oil etc. |
