Capital of Assam - An Overview

Dispur is the capital of Assam. Dispur is a sub-urban locality in Guwahati. Earlier, Shillong was the capital of Assam. Later on, when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam, Shillong became the capital of Meghalaya, and in 1973 Dispur was made the capital of Assam. This article will throw light on the facts related to the capital Dispur and the state of Assam.

Dispur – Introduction

• Dispur is the seat of power of the Government of Assam.
• Dispur hosts the Assam Secretariat.
• Dispur is part of the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency.

Dispur – Tourism

• Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra is culturally very important. Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra museum showcases the tradition and culture of Assam as well as the other northeastern states of India.
• This popular museum displays weapons, articles, statues, costumes, and traditional jewellery of Assam and other Northeast states.
• Around 6 kilometres from Dispur is the Basistha Ashram, known for its famous Shiva temple.
• Shilpagram is another popular tourist place. The handicrafts and cultural heritage of Assam and northeastern states are available here.
• Shilpagram has metal and wooden handicrafts, silk sarees, carpets, and ethnic jewellery of Assam and other northeastern states.

Assam – States Bordering Assam

• Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh are located to the south of Assam.
• In the east, Assam is bordered by Manipur and Nagaland.
• To the north of Assam is Arunachal Pradesh, and Bhutan.
• West Bengal is located to the west of Assam.

Assam – Interesting Facts

• The official languages of Assam are Assamese and Bodo.
• In the 3 districts located in the Barak Valley of Assam, Bengali is the official language and Sylheti is the most common language.
• Assam is famous for its tea and silk.
• The first site where oil drilling took place in Asia was Assam.
• As per the 2011 census, around 61% of the population of Assam are Hindus, and around 34% of the population of Assam are Muslims.
• Assam has many engineering colleges and universities.

Assam – Biodiversity

• Assam is one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world and consists of riverine grasslands, deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, bamboo orchards and numerous wetland ecosystems.
• Many of these areas are reserved forests and national parks.
• Assam is home to the one-horned Indian Rhinoceros.
• The economy of Assam is dependent on wildlife tourism to Kaziranga and Manas National Parks. These two wildlife parks are World Heritage Sites.
• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is another famous national park of Assam.

Assam – Economy

• The economy of Assam is majorly dependent on oil and agriculture.
• More than half of the tea produced in India is from the state of Assam.
• Around 25% of India’s oil reserves are found in the Assam-Arakan basin.