About Jorhat

Jorhat

From Wikipedia

Jorhat  is one of the largest town in the Indian state of Assam. Jorhat was 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 markets (Hat). Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihut and Macharhut, lay on the eastern and the western banks of the river Bhogdoi.

   

 Jorhat was "The last Capital of the Ahom Kingdom", has archeological values associated to Rajamaidan— the last burial mounds of the Ahom kings. Nestled in the tea gardens dotted around sprawling in and around the city, boosts of the Tocklai Research Association (TRA) is the oldest and the largest tea research station of its kind in the world.

 

Jorhat today has grown into a thriving cosmopolitan city 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. People of Jorhat have traditionally displayed a high interest towards arts and culture diversities. Jorhat is known as "The Cultural Capital of Assam". Jorhat also has the distinction of having the largest number of educated residents in Assam, among all other districts. 

Geography

Jorhat is located at  26.75°N 94.22°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 116 metres (381 ft).

In the north of the district, the Brahmaputra River forms the largest riverine island of the world, Majuli, which spreads over 924.6 square kilometres with a population of about 150,000. The island, threatened by constant erosion by the mighty and unstable Brahmaputra River, had been the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnavites since the age of the Ahom rulers. Several Satras (monasteries) resembling those of medieval times are headed by Satradhikars teaching Vaishnavism which was initiated by Sankardeva (1449–1568). Each Satra has an unknown wealth of Vaishnav Scriptures and extensive revenue-free lands cultivated by the Bhakats (celebated monks) of the Satras.

The district spreads over 2,851 square kilometres (1,101 mi2) and had a population of 870,000 according to a 1991 census. Population density at that time was 306 persons per square kilometre (793/mi2). The sex ratio is 913 (913 males per 1000 females). The district has SC and ST[clarification needed] 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 rainfall of the district is 2,029 millimetres (79.88 in). There are about 135 tea gardens including "out" gardens. The predominant field crop is rice, with per capita food grain production of 205 kg (450 lb) per annum.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,[2] Jorhat had a population of 66,450. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Jorhat has an average literacy rate of 77.91%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 79%. In Jorhat, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

History

Jorhat, also known as 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 while Rangpur to Jorhat. This town was a flourishing and commercial metropolis but completely destroyed after a series of the Burmese invasions of Assam 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. The British system of administration came into vogue in the year 1839 with an established Police Thana. During the great Sepoy Mutiny and Piyali Barua was sabotaged and these leaders 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 the tea industry.

Though, the Civil Sub-division under Sibsagar district at Jorhat was formed in 1869, this great place was declared as administration headquarters of the undivided Sibsagar district in 1911 which comprised the present Sibsagar, Jorhat and Golaghat and parts of Karbi-Anglong district with Major A. Playfare as the first Deputy Commissioner. Presently, Jorhat is on its road to utopian modernization with many commercial and non commercial establishments setting foot on its soil. The oldest residents of this ever prosperous city have played a pivotal role in moulding the city to what it is today. The families of Handique, The Singhs, Sharmas and Borgohains. have been the most influential families in transforming the once sleepy city into a bustling and a well organised city.

Culture

Jorhat is and has been a vibrant place and is a perfect mixture tradition and modernity. It was the hub of anti-British struggle of Assam. Before that it was the last capital of the Ahoms, the dynasty which ruled over Assam for six centuries. The cultural environment which prevails in Jorhat is the result of untiring effort of people trying to preserve its culture.

In the year 1915, Jorhat Sahitya Shabha was established in Jorhat followed by Asam Sahitya Sabha ( Ôxôm Xahityô Xôbha or "Assam Literary Society") was established on 27 December 1917 in Sibasagar. The Chandra Kanta Handique Bhavan', donated by late Radha Kanta Handique is the Headquarters of the Asam Sahitya Sabha in Jorhat.

Jorhat has been able to produce many creative writers, historians, journalists, et cetera. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, the first Assamese to win India's highest literature award, theJnanpith Award, was from Jorhat.[3] Jorhat is the home of internationally reputed ideologists and educationalists like Krishna Kanta Handique, founder Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University. In the building of Modern Assam Jorhat played a vital role so far as a sizable section of Assamese intelligentsia has always been from Jorhat.

The healthy education and cultural life of Jorhat can be best judged from the fact that District has as many as five daily Newspapers published from here. Some of the important newspapers include: The Saptahik Janambhumi, The Dainik Janambhumi and The Eastern Clarion, and The North East Times in English, Amar Asom in Assamese and The Purbanchal Prohori in Hindi.

The Jorhat Town Hall is administrative building of the town administration located in the centre of the City. The Elyee Talkies presently known as Elyee Cinema was the first moving cinema theatre hall in Garali, the heart of the city.