90-634: Siliguri ( / s ɪ ˈ l i ˌ ɡ ʊ r i / Bengali: [ˈʃiliɡuɽi] ), also known as Shiliguri , is a major tier-II city in West Bengal . It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighbouring district headquarter of Jalpaiguri . The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the "Gateway of Northeast India" , Siliguri
180-527: A 2001 thesis, Bengali speakers had a percentage of 64.25% out of the total population. Of the 30 wards in 2001, their population ranged from 11.71% to 98.96%. The most commonly followed religion in Siliguri is Hinduism , with Islam being the largest minority religion, followed by small percentage of adherents of Christianity and Buddhism . Siliguri saw rapid urbanisation under the British rule and that
270-432: A Municipal corporation which has been responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city of Siliguri. Siliguri has now achieved the status of becoming the third-largest city in West Bengal , after Kolkata and Asansol . Siliguri is located at the foothills of the eastern Himalayas at a location of 26°43′N 88°26′E / 26.71°N 88.43°E / 26.71; 88.43 . The city
360-446: A comparatively high quality of life. A 2006 survey ranked Guwahati 17th among all the large and medium-sized Indian cities. The city provides competitive residential and working environments with beautiful landscapes, pleasant climate, modern shopping areas, modern apartments, and bungalows, and considerably developed social infrastructure. A centrally funded four-lane, ambitious East-West Corridor will pass through Guwahati and connect all
450-599: A project embarked on by Ministry of Urban Development , Government of India. Guwahati has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cwa ), falling just short of a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw ). Highest recorded temperature: 40.6 °C (105.1 °F) on 24 April 2014. Lowest recorded temperature: 3.0 °C (37.4 °F) on 30 January 1964. Guwahati has been ranked 36th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India. The city has
540-555: A said metropolitan area. Guwahati is the principal seat of the Gauhati High Court . It acts as the High Court of Assam and also of Nagaland , Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh with their outlying benches of Kohima , Aizawl and Itanagar , respectively. Gauhati High Court came in effect from 5 April 1948. It initially had its sittings at Shillong but was shifted to Gauhati from 14 August 1948. Guwahati also houses
630-595: A seating capacity of 30,000. Tier ii cities in india The classification of Indian cities is a ranking system used by the Government of India to allocate House Rent Allowance (HRA) to public servants employed in cities in India . HRA is also used by the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) to provide income tax exemptions. Cities are classified on the basis of their population, as recommended by
720-403: A small area in the northern part of city, on the front of Mahananda River , which is now Dagapur. The Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, signed between Britain-Nepal, changed the prospects of Siliguri, and it became a point of transit for the Darjeeling hills and Nepal mainland. From 1816 onwards, Siliguri started growing rapidly as a small city due to its strategic location in trade routes. In 1865,
810-427: A transportation hub, Siliguri is well connected through railway with almost all parts of the country. There are seven stations that serve the city. New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station , established in 1960 (station code NJP) is an A1 category broad gauge and narrow gauge railway station under Katihar railway division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone . It is the biggest railway station of Northeast India serving
900-637: Is 10 km from Siliguri junction and is the third largest railway station after NJP and Siliguri Junction. This station serves Bagdogra and adjacent areas. Bagdogra railway station is on the Siliguri-Aluabari broad gauge single line via Thakurganj . This station is the halting point for 14 trains. Gulma railway station Railway (station code GLMA) is part of the Siliguri Urban area. It is 12 km from Siliguri City center and serves Champasari Anchal and Gulma areas. Gulma railway station
990-417: Is another major broad gauge and narrow gauge railway station of Siliguri. Until 2011 it was the only triple gauge (broad gauge, meter gauge and narrow gauge) railway station in India. After 2011, the meter gauge was shut down, but the track remains between Siliguri Junction railway station and Bagdogra railway station. Many different cities in India are serviced from this station. Siliguri Town railway station
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#17327759899481080-473: Is characterised by a dense population of Microstegium chiliatum, Sal . Others are Terminalia tomentosa and Schima wallichii . 3) Eastern Tarai Sal Forest, generally found in lower altitudes compared to other two types of forest. This type of forest characterised by various species of bamboos , ferns , and Sal which is found in Baikunthapur Forest, near Siliguri city. The rapid growth of
1170-399: Is famous for elephants. Sukna is the gateway to this sanctuary, which is 12 km from Siliguri. These sub-Himalayan forests are the home of various types of wild animals like the elephant , tiger , Indian bison , barking deer , wild pig, monkey, civet , snake, lizard, mountain goat, sambar , chital and fishing cat . These forests are also home of about 243 different bird species like
1260-518: Is moist Tropical and characterised by dense growth of tall Sal ( Shorea robusta ). Sal occupies about 80% of all vegetation in these tropical forest. These forests are categorised by their dominating plant species such as 1) East Himalayan Sal Forest, present on the lower slopes of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary contains Sal , Khair , Simul , Sissoo , Riverine grasslands and various rare species of plants like Orchids 2) East Himalayan Upper Bhabar Sal, mainly present at Jalpaiguri district which
1350-574: Is on the New Jalpaiguri-Alipurduar-Samuktala Road Line . This station is the halting point of 5 trains. Mainly passenger train halt at in this station. Matigara Railway Station (station code MTRA) is situated at Mathapari, West Bengal. Trains passing through this station include MLFC - SGUJ DEMU and SGUJ- MLFC DEMU. This station has a single platform and two tracks; one broad gauge line and one metre gauge line. Rangapani railway station (station code RNI)
1440-526: Is one of the few airports in India with zero sales tax on aviation turbine fuel. Siliguri hosts numerous sporting events and matches to influence and build develop young athletes from the city. Some of the important sports enthusiast local clubs in Siliguri organise several cricket, football, volleyball, swimming competition, table-tennis matches etc. Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Kanchenjunga Stadium conducts football and athletics. With
1530-669: Is one of the oldest railway station (station code SGUT) of the region, opened in 1880 for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy train) connecting Siliguri and Darjeeling. Its importance diminished with the construction of the Siliguri Junction railway station and New Jalpaiguri junction. Siliguri Town railway station is also a broad gauge and narrow gauge railway station, and is halting point for 8 trains only. Bagdogra railway station (station code BORA) comes under greater Siliguri metropolitan area. It
1620-471: Is part of the greater Siliguri metropolitan area. It is 14 km from Siliguri City center and serves Rangapani and adjacent areas. Rangapani railway station is on the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri line . This station is a halting point for 2 passenger trains. Bagdogra Airport is an international airport located towards the west of Siliguri city, operated as a civil enclave at AFS Bagdogra of
1710-654: Is popular for three Ts: Tea, Timber and Tourism. It is located on the banks of the Mahananda and the Teesta River in the foothills of the Himalayas . Siliguri is the third largest urban agglomeration in West Bengal, after Kolkata and Asansol . Siliguri has great strategic importance in West Bengal, with convenient access to three international borders: Nepal , Bangladesh and Bhutan . It also connects
1800-762: Is situated 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Guwahati. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation , the city's local government, administers an area of 216 square kilometres (83 sq mi),. At the same time, the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is the planning and development body of Greater Guwahati Metropolitan Area. Guwahati is the largest city in Northeast India . The Guwahati region hosts diverse wildlife including rare animals such as Asian elephants, pythons, tigers, rhinoceros, gaurs , primate species, and endangered birds. Guwahati derives its name from
1890-729: Is situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra . The city is known as the "gateway to North East India". The ancient cities of Pragjyotishpura and Durjaya ( North Guwahati ) were the capitals of the ancient state of Kamarupa . Many ancient Hindu temples like the Kamakhya Temple , Ugratara Temple , Basistha Temple , Doul Govinda Temple , Umananda Temple , Navagraha Temple , Sukreswar Temple , Rudreswar Temple , Manikarneswar Devalaya , Aswaklanta Temple, Dirgheshwari Temple , Lankeshwar Temple , Bhubaneswari Temple, Shree Ganesh Mandir, Shree Panchayatana Temple, Noonmati, and
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#17327759899481980-520: Is spread over an area of 260 km within the Siliguri Corridor , and has earned a moniker the Chicken's neck . The city is surrounded by dense forests towards north and lifeline of Siliguri, Mahananda River flows through the city thereby bisecting it into two halves. Teesta river is not far from the city. Siliguri has an average elevation of 122 metres (400 feet). As Siliguri is located in
2070-542: Is the central educational hub of Northeast India. Among the esteemed institutions is the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT), an autonomous institute dedicated in the field of technical studies in India. Cotton University , erstwhile Cotton College is yet another century-old institution in the fields of Science and Arts. Guwahati has numerous educational institutes and colleges such as: There are various private schools too like: Pandu , located on
2160-581: Is the headquarters of Assam Police . The city is under the Police Commissionerate of Guwahati headed by the Commissioner of Police, Guwahati. It is divided into three districts: East Police District, Central Police District, and West Police District, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. Each police district consists of officers, not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, functioning as executive magistrates within
2250-663: Is the largest city of the Indian state of Assam , and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur , the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam . Its airport is the 12th busiest in India , the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport . A major riverine port city along with hills, and one of the fastest growing cities in India , Guwahati
2340-656: Is the local body responsible for governing, developing and managing the city. It is divided into 60 municipal wards. Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is an agency responsible for planning and development of the greater Guwahati Metropolitan Area and for revising the Guwahati Master Plan and Building Bylaws to cover an area of 3,214 square kilometres (1,241 sq mi) by 2025. Guwahati consists of four assembly constituencies: Jalukbari, Dispur, Gauhati East and Gauhati West, all of which are part of Gauhati (Lok Sabha constituency) . Guwahati
2430-500: Is the official language in Siliguri subdivision , including Siliguri city. In the municipal corporation at the time of the 2011 census, 60.88% of the population spoke Bengali , 25.24% Hindi , 4.66% Nepali , 2.39% Bhojpuri , 1.58% Marwari and 1.24% Urdu as their first language. Bengalis form the majority linguistic group in the city, followed by Biharis , Marwaris , Punjabis , Nepalis , Odias , and Tribals . According to
2520-516: Is the wettest month (804 mm) and January is the driest month (12 mm). The average rainy days in July is 27 and for December and January it is 1. Humidity is high throughout the year. Religions of Siliguri (2011) Languages of Siliguri (2011) Based on the Census data of 2011, the population of Siliguri UA/Metropolitan (including Siliguri municipal corporation and Dabagram municipality) is 701,489, while
2610-727: The Indian Air Force . This airport is a major transport hub in the region, with flights to Kolkata , Durgapur , New Delhi , Mumbai , Chennai , Bangalore , Hyderabad , Ahmedabad , Guwahati , Dibrugarh and has international connectivity with Paro and Bangkok . The airport also has regular helicopter services to Gangtok . Due to its location near Darjeeling hills and Sikkim , the Bagdogra Airport sees thousands of tourists annually. Central government of India confirmed international airport status to this airport in 2002 with limited international operations. This
2700-498: The Indian national team . Siliguri has done a tremendous job for Indian table tennis. Bikash Ghosh Memorial Swimming Pool is beside Kanchenjunga Stadium in the city, and conducts swimming competitions. White water rafting is done nearby in the Teesta river . Kanchenjunga Stadium, a multipurpose stadium, is the main stadium in Siliguri, and is primarily used for football matches, although it has also hosted several cricket matches. It has
2790-502: The Saraighat Bridge and the other continuing west towards LGB International Airport via Gauhati University (Jalukbari). There are also many river ports/jetties along this corridor. The third major corridor extends towards the east (around 15 km [9.3 mi] from the city-center) linking Noonmati ( Guwahati Refinery ) and Narengi, and has facilitated residential growth along with it. Highway NH-37, which encircles
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2880-513: The Terai region, the soil is sandy in nature with the ratio of sand and silt much higher than clay. This region is very prone to earthquake as there are several fault lines nearby. The Siliguri subdivision is surrounded by Himalayan ranges towards north and towards south by the country Bangladesh , Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal and the Indian state of Bihar . On the east lies Jalpaiguri district and Kalimpong district and bounded on
2970-728: The pied hornbill , egret , kingfisher, drongo, fly catcher, woodpecker and others. Another common sight is migratory water birds. NH 27 crosses through the heart of the city which is now a part of the AH2 project. Siliguri is the origin of the century-old Hill Cart Road that is NH 110 , which connects Siliguri and Darjeeling (77 km) dating from the British period. Siliguri also is the origin of NH 10 which connects Gangtok, and NH 12 which connects Pankhabari-Mirik. The highways NH 327, that connects Siliguri — Panitanki and NH 327B connecting Panitanki - Mechi Bridg, are also part of AH2 . It connects to adjacent countries through following routes: Being
3060-505: The state government is responsible for developing and maintaining the infrastructure for water supply, while the Water Supply department of the corporation provides new connections, supplies water, and collects the user charges. The Conservancy Environment Department of the corporation provides Solid Waste Management services in the city. Each ward in the city has its own Solid Waste Management committee that takes care of cleanliness at
3150-582: The Assamese word "Guwa" (Assamese: গুৱা ) derived from the Sanskrit word Guvaka, meaning areca nut and its plant and "Hati" (Assamese: হাটী ) meaning rows, the rows of areca nut trees. The 10th-12th century Kalika Purana mention that Kamrup was inhabited by strong, cruel Kirata people. As per the legends constructed in the Yogini Tantra , the tank Dighalipukhuri located in the heart of
3240-477: The Brahmaputra, the city did not experience floods. However, human interference has disrupted the natural topography, leading to the current situation where "just half an hour of rain" can cause flooding in the city. Encroachment and concretization, which reduce open areas for natural water absorption, are the primary causes of floods according to Bhagawati. Guwahati was ranked the second most polluted city in
3330-517: The British captured Darjeeling and the entire Dooars region to build tea plantations and export the produce to England. To scale up exportation they introduced the Siliguri Town railway station which stands to this day, and introduced the Toy train from the station to Darjeeling in 1880. This helped Siliguri gain sub-divisional town status in 1907. The Siliguri Corridor was formed when Bengal
3420-553: The Court of the District and Sessions Judge, Kamrup established in 1920. It is a lower court of the district judiciary having territorial jurisdiction over the greater Guwahati area only. In recent years, Guwahati has experienced rapid population growth due to migration for education and employment opportunities. This population increase has led to undesirable expansion of the city and has resulted in various collateral problems, such as
3510-655: The Gauhati High Court, taking office on 5 April 1948. The Saraighat Bridge , notable for its role in connecting Northeast India with the rest of the country, was constructed between 1959 and 1962 by the Hindustan Construction Company at a cost of approximately ₹ 106 million at the time. It was completed in September 1962, and the first engine crossed it on 23 September 1962. In 1972, due to separation of Meghalaya from Assam ,
3600-527: The North-East with mainland India. Located in the foothills of Eastern Himalayas , Siliguri is a significant trading and transportation hub. According to Sailen Debnath, "Siliguri" means a stack of pebbles or stones. Until the 19th century this region was called as "Shilchaguri" when there was dense Dolka forest covering the region. Siliguri was a small agricultural village in the Kingdom of Sikkim . It
3690-584: The Sixth Central Pay Commission's recommendations were followed in 2008. This classification was initially based on the recommendations of the Fifth Central Pay Commission of India in 1997. New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai were classified as A-1 cities. City statuses were later revised based on the results of the 2001 Census of India . Hyderabad was upgraded from A to A-1 status on 31 August 2007, and
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3780-815: The Sixth Central Pay Finance. Under the latest HRA city ranking scheme, most popular media and culture considers only Tier-X cities to be metropolitan in nature. These eight cities are considered India's "metros". Under the recommendation of the Seventh Central Pay Commission, the CCA classification was abolished in 2008. The earlier HRA classification of cities was changed from A-1 to X; A, B-1, and B-2 to Y; and C and unclassified cities to Z. X, Y, and Z are more commonly known as Tier-1, Tier-2, and Tier-3 cities, respectively. There are eight X cities and ninety-seven Y cities. On
3870-710: The Union Board was set up in Siliguri under the Bengal Village Self-Government Act, 1919 and it provided public utilities in the city. The Municipal Council was set up in 1949 under the Bengal Municipal Act of 1932 with 8 wards. The first chairperson of the municipality was the Sub Divisional Officer, and the local councillors, called 'commissioners' in the then municipal act in effect, were nominated by
3960-571: The approval. The present City Development Plan 2041 for Siliguri was developed in 2015 as part of the Capacity Building for Urban Development project under the then Ministry of Urban Development by the private consultancy, CRISIL Risk and Infrastructure Solutions Limited . Siliguri City comes under Siliguri Jalpaiguri Planning Area and the responsibility of planning and development of the city lies with Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority . The Public Health Engineering Department of
4050-690: The banks of the Brahmaputra at the western part of the city, is an ancient urban area that acted as the chief military base for the Ahoms against external invasions. Due to extensive fortification ('Gorh') surrounding Pandu, it acts as a natural river harbor and is formally called Gar-Pandu. Pandu port falls under Dhubri-Sadiya National Waterway-2 and is an important terminal and transit point for goods and cargo as well as passenger and tourist vessels. Construction of both low-level and high-level jetty of fixed terminal, capable of handling container vessels, has been completed and has further enhanced revenue generation for
4140-1511: The basis of the 2011 census, two cities — Pune and Ahmedabad — were upgraded from Y to X and twenty one cities from Z to Y on 1 April 2014. Agra , Ajmer , Aligarh , Amravati , Amritsar , Anand , Asansol , Aurangabad , Bareilly , Belagavi , Brahmapur , Bhavnagar , Bhiwandi , Bhopal , Bhubaneswar , Bikaner , Bilaspur , Bokaro Steel City , Burdwan , Bellary , Chandigarh , Coimbatore , Cuttack , Dahod , Dehradun , Dombivli , Dhanbad , Bhilai , Durgapur , Erode , Faridabad , Ghaziabad , Gorakhpur , Guntur , Gurgaon , Guwahati , Gwalior , Hamirpur , Hubballi–Dharwad , Indore , Jabalpur , Jaipur , Jalandhar , Jalgaon , Jammu , Jamshedpur , Jamnagar , Jhansi , Jodhpur , Kalaburagi , Kakinada , Kannur , Kanpur , Karnal , Kochi , Kolhapur , Kollam , Kota , Kozhikode , Kumbakonam , Kurnool , Ludhiana , Lucknow , Madurai , Malappuram , Mathura , Mangaluru , Meerut , Mohali , Moradabad , Mysuru , Nagpur , Nanded , Nadiad , Nashik , Nellore , Noida , Patna , Pimpri-Chinchwad , Puducherry , Purulia , Prayagraj , Raipur , Rajkot , Ranchi , Rourkela , Ratlam , Saharanpur , Salem , Sangli , Shimla , Siliguri , Solapur , Srinagar , Surat , Thanjavur , Thiruvananthapuram , Thrissur , Tiruchirappalli , Tirunelveli , Tiruvannamalai , Ujjain , Vijayapura , Vadodara , Varanasi , Vasai-Virar , Vijayawada , Visakhapatnam , Vellore , and Warangal . The cities were classified as follows before
4230-537: The buyers find it difficult to buy these items. Vegetables are transported into Assam from West Bengal , Bihar , Uttar Pradesh , Delhi , Maharashtra and Meghalaya and the truckers en route have to pay considerable amount of money as tax at various check posts. It is one of the causes of rise in prices of vegetables in the markets of Guwahati. The prices of locally available vegetables and fruits undergo large markup because of transportation expenses grounds, besides intra-State check posts taxes. In addition to these,
4320-535: The capital of Assam was moved to Dispur , a neighbourhood in Guwahati from the erstwhile capital of Shillong. The Brahmaputra river flows to the north of the metropolis. The city is bordered on the south by the foothills of the Shillong plateau and to the east by the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. The Bharalu River , a tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows right through the heart of the city. To
4410-600: The capital of Assam, lies in Guwahati. The passing of the North Eastern (Reorganization Areas) Act in 1971 by the Indian Parliament accorded Meghalaya the status of a full-fledged state. After the creation of Meghalaya as a separate state, Shillong continued to be the joint capital of both Assam and Meghalaya. However, in 1972, the Government of Assam decided to shift the capital to Dispur. Accordingly,
4500-528: The chairperson. This board will take care of the civic utilities of the city till the new municipal body is elected. This follows the establishment of similar boards first in state capital Kolkata and then the rest of the state. Siliguri is part of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency . The last elections for the Lok Sabha took place in 2024 , when Raju Bista from Bharatiya Janta Party won
4590-589: The child population (0-14) in Guwahati was 9.40% in 2011. The average literacy rate was stated to be 91.47% with male literacy at 94.24% and female literacy at 88.50%. The sex ratio was recorded to be 933 females per 1000 males and child sex ratio to be 940 girls per 1000 boys. Languages spoken in Guwahati (2011) According to the 2011 census, there were around 962,334 people living in Guwahati city, of which around 57.80% spoke Assamese , 20.40% Bengali , 12.29% Hindi , 1.92% Nepali , 1.69% Boro , 0.91% Manipuri and 0.90% Bhojpuri as their first language. Guwahati
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#17327759899484680-632: The city Siliguri. This station is well connected to almost all parts of the country except Goa . This station ranked 10th cleanest railway station in India in a 2016 survey and was among the top 100 booking stations of Indian railway. Many premium services are available, including 1 international Mitali Express , Howrah–New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express , New Jalpaiguri - Guwahati Vande Bharat Express , New Jalpaiguri–Patna Vande Bharat Express , 4 Rajdhani Express , 2 Tourist Vistadome Express, 1 Shatabdi Express and 2 Humsafar Express. Siliguri Junction railway station (station code SGUJ) established in 1949
4770-457: The city has led to deforestation, making Siliguri warmer day by day and unbalancing the ecosystem. Siliguri is located in the Terai region ("moist land"), a belt of marshy grasslands and dense tropical deciduous moist forests at the base of Himalaya range which is rich in biodiversity, containing numerous rare species of flora and fauna. These forests are characterised by their distinct wildlife variety. Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary near Siliguri
4860-711: The city was dug by King Bhagadatta of Kamrup on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter Bhanumati with Duryodhan . Located within Guwahati is the Shakti temple of Goddess Kamakhya in Nilachal hill (an important seat of Tantric and Vajrayana Buddhism ), the ancient and unique astrological temple Navagraha in Chitrachal Hill, and archaeological remains in Basistha and other archaeological locations of mythological importance. The Ambari excavations trace
4950-579: The city's southern parts and links the southern corridor in Noumile to the western corridor in Jalukbari is currently supporting rapid development. Similarly, the VIP Road linking Zoo Road with the eastern corridor and recently completed Hengerabari-Narengi Road are also supporting massive residential development to the east. Guwahati is one among 98 Indian cities proposed to become Smart Cities under
5040-488: The city. The manufacturing sector in Guwahati contributes a substantial share to the economy of the city. Petroleum manufacturing is an important economic activity in the city. The Guwahati Refinery is the most important manufacturing industry in the city. Located at Noonmati, the refinery was set up by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited as the first public sector refinery of India as well as
5130-513: The corporation has 23 departments. It has 47 wards, of which 14 wards are in Jalpaiguri district, while the remaining 33 wards are in Darjeeling district. The last municipal elections were held on 2015, when Communist Party of India (Marxist) won 23 seats, All India Trinamool Congress won 17 seats, Indian National Congress won 5 seats, Bharatiya Janata Party won 2 seats, while an independent candidate won 1 seat. The mayor of Siliguri for
5220-610: The country's total tea production. So high is the production of tea in Assam that it is the biggest industry in the state. The headquarters of the Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) is located at Guwahati. The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC), located adjacent to the capital complex at Dispur, is the world's largest CTC tea auction center and the second largest in terms of total tea auctioned. The inaugural sale took place on 25 September 1970 and
5310-948: The first sitting of the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly was held at Dispur on 16 March 1973. Dispur houses the Secretariat of Assam Government, the Assam Assembly House, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Regional Office, the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) House and the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC). Guwahati Municipal Corporation
5400-468: The five-year term from 2015 till 2020 was Ashok Bhattacharya from CPI(M) , who was later elected as the local Member of Legislative Assembly as well. The term of the last elected body of Siliguri Municipal Corporation ended on 7 May 2020 but municipal elections could not be held because of the COVID-19 pandemic . A Board of Administrators was established with the outgoing mayor, Ashok Bhattacharya, as
5490-623: The growth of a southern city sub-center at Ganeshguri, along with other residential areas to the south developed during the past few decades. The corridor extending towards the west (around 30 km [19 mi] from the city center) contains a rail-road linking not only Guwahati but also other parts of the northeastern region east of Guwahati to western Assam and the rest of India. The corridor links residential and historically important areas such as Nilachal Hill (Kamakhya), Pandu, and Maligaon (headquarters of Northeast Frontier Railways) before it separates into two – one towards North Guwahati via
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#17327759899485580-575: The headquarters of the Borphukan , Ahom governor of Lower Assam till 1824.The Borphukan's residence was in the present Fancy Bazaar area and his council-hall, called Dopdar , was about 300 yards (270 m) to the west of the Bharalu stream.The Majindar Baruah, the personal secretary of the Borphukan, had his residence in the present-day deputy commissioner's residence. During Ahom period Guwahati
5670-424: The headquarters were removed to Shillong in the Khasi hills . The Gauhati High Court (formerly known as the High Court of Assam) was promulgated on 1 March 1948 by the then Governor General of India, Lord Mountbatten , in accordance with the Government of India Act 1935 . It became effective on 5 April 1948 and was initially established for the Province of Assam. R.F. Lodge was the inaugural Chief Justice of
5760-432: The hottest month, August, is 27.1 °C. The temperature in peak summer sometimes exceeds 38 °C. On the other hand, the winter maximum temperature hovers around 20-25 °C, and the minimum drops 6-9 °C. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 16.4 °C. The minimum temperature in winter season sometimes drops 5 °C or below. The highest temperature ever recorded in Siliguri is 41.9 °C, recorded on 7 June 2023, while
5850-418: The like, are situated in the city, giving it the title of "The City of Temples". Guwahati lies between the banks of the Brahmaputra River and the foothills of the Shillong plateau, with LGB International Airport to the west and the town of Narengi to the east. The North Guwahati area, to the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, is being gradually incorporated into the city limits. The noted Madan Kamdev
5940-438: The lowest was recorded on 8 January 2018, when the mercury plummeted to 1.9 °C. Rainfall and other conditions On an average, Siliguri gets above 3000 mm per year. Winters are mostly dry, with the summers being rainy. About 80% of the annual rainfall is felt between June and September, this period is known as monsoons or rainy season in the season cycle. Heavy showers are often felt in May, June, July, August and September. July
6030-453: The most important is the corridor formed along the Guwahati-Shillong (GS) Road towards the south (almost 15 km [9.3 mi] from the city-center). The GS Road corridor is an important commercial area with retail, wholesale and commercial offices developed along the main road; it is also a densely built residential area in the inner parts. The capital complex of Assam at Dispur is situated in this corridor. This corridor has facilitated
6120-634: The most important railway station in Northeast India. Due to tremendous growth, Siliguri is now far away from its past outlook, becoming the largest and fastest growing city in eastern India after Guwahati . The growth rate of Siliguri was 57.8% during 1971- 1981. Considering this growth, Siliguri came under the Integrated Urban Development Project program in 1981. Siliguri population growth rate rose to 46.8% of 1981–1991. A treaty between India and China for trade through Nathu La Pass , has expedited development and prospects of Siliguri as an international transportation and logistics hub. Later in 1994 Siliguri built
6210-438: The near future is expected to worsen to the point where residents of certain areas may be forced to relocate. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the alteration of drainage channels and wetlands due to rapid urbanization has exacerbated the problem of flooding. Professor Abani Kumar Bhagawati of Gauhati University stated that since before there were sufficient wetlands to absorb rainwater and channels to carry excess water to
6300-452: The period of the city of Guwahati between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE, in the Shunga - Kushana period of Indian history . Descriptions by Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) reveal that during the reign of the Varman king Bhaskaravarman (7th century CE), the city stretched for about 30 li (15 km or 9.3 mi). Archaeological evidence by excavations in Ambari, and excavated brick walls and houses discovered during construction of
6390-413: The population in the Municipal corporation area is 5,13,264. Males constitute 51.44% of the population and females 48.55%. Population shares of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe category persons in Siliguri municipal area are 8.84% and 1.25% respectively. The literacy rate in Siliguri is 77.64%. There are 154 notified and 31 non-notified slums in Siliguri, where 32% of Siliguri's population lives. Bengali
6480-510: The present Cotton College 's auditorium suggest the city was of economic and strategic importance until the 9th–11th century CE. Koch King Parikshit had his capital at Pragjyotishpur near the Aswatirtha during the conflicts with Mughals . It came under Mughal occupation between (1633–59, 1662–69, 1679–81), their vestige was completely removed after the Battle of Itakhuli . Guwahati was
6570-510: The provision for an international outdoor and indoor stadium, Siliguri has enough opportunities to host national level matches. This has led Siliguri become a prominent city for national champions like Mantu Ghosh , the gold medalist winner in the bi-annual South Asian Games (SAF) for table tennis, Ankita Das , Nandita Saha and Soumyajit Ghosh another internationally acclaimed table tennis player and Wriddhiman Saha – Indian international cricketer who plays First-class and Test cricket for
6660-412: The refinery include Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Kerosene Oil, Turbine Fuel (aviation use), Motor Spirit, High-Speed Motor Diesel, Light Diesel Oil, and Raw Petroleum Coke. There is also an LPG bottling plant in the city. Tea manufacturing and processing is another important activity of Guwahati. Assam is one of the highest tea-producing areas in the world, contributing 80% of India's export and 55% of
6750-475: The refinery of Indian Oil since 1962. It was built with an initial crude processing capacity of 0.75 million tonnes per year at the time of its commission which was gradually increased to 1.0 million tonnes per year. It produces various products and supplies them to the other northeast states and also beyond to Siliguri through the Guwahati-Siliguri pipeline. The various products produced by
6840-406: The rise in the number of slums. It is projected that the population of Guwahati will reach 1.5 million by 2035, up from an estimated 1.1 million in 2020. One of the economic problems that the citizens of Guwahati have to put up with is the hike in prices of many essentials, chiefly vegetables, poultry, and fish. The prices of these commodities keep escalating at an inordinate rate because of which
6930-461: The same with Bangalore on 21 September 2007. The CCA classification was abolished in 2008. Under the older HRA classification, most popular media and culture considered only A-1 cities to be metropolitan in nature, therefore India's "metros". Indore The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) classifies centres into six tiers based on population. The tables below show the classification. Guwahati Guwahati ( Assamese: [ɡua.ɦa.ti] )
7020-636: The seat. The last elections to the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha took place in 2021 . The Member of Legislative Assembly representing Siliguri Vidhan Sabha Constituency is Sankar Ghosh . Building plans in Siliguri are approved by Siliguri Municipal corporation; for building up to 3 storeys including parking, the Borough Offices give clearance, while for buildings with more than 3 storeys, the Building Department gives
7110-410: The south, east, and west. In the past few decades, southern Guwahati areas such as Ganeshguri, Beltola, Hatigaon, Six Mile, and Panjabari began forming a southern sub-center surrounding the capital complex at Dispur. The core area consists of the old city with Pan Bazaar , Paltan Bazaar , Fancy Bazaar and Uzan Bazaar , with each area facilitating unique urban activities. Among the city corridors,
7200-464: The south-west of the city lies Dipor Bil , a permanent freshwater lake with no prominent inflows apart from monsoon run-off from the hills to the south of the lake. The lake drains into the Brahmaputra, 5 km (3.1 mi) to the north, and acts as a natural stormwater reservoir for the city. There are also multiple hills within the city limits. Guwahati's 'urban form' radiates from a central core with growth corridors radiating and extending towards
7290-504: The state capitals of Northeast India . Completion of the project will boost the vital upliftment of the whole region. The city still needs attention to improve its infrastructure. Funding from the Asian Development Bank is providing assistance to improve Guwahati's transportation infrastructure along with a substantial amount from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for its development. Dispur,
7380-631: The state government. After the amendment of the act in 1956, 3/4 of the local representatives were elected, while the remaining nominated by the Deputy Commissioner. The first elected chairperson of Siliguri was Jagdish Chandra Bhattacharya. In 1994, the municipal council was upgraded to the Siliguri Municipal Corporation with 47 wards. It had five departments then: General Administration, Collection, License, Public Works and Sanitation and Public Health. As of now,
7470-841: The ward level. The Public Works Department of the corporation and Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority are both responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads in Siliguri. Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority also prepared the Traffic & Transportation Master Plan 2030 and the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Siliguri Jalpaiguri Planning Area. Siliguri and surrounding the Sub-Himalayan forests are rich in fauna diversity. The plains of North Bengal (Siliguri, Jalpaiguri , Cooch Behar etc.) are surrounded by deep forests. These forests are home of various rare and common species of plants. The forest here
7560-490: The west by the country of Nepal , thus strategically so important. Siliguri falls under the humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ), when using the Köppen climate classification . Warm summers, cooler winters and a severe monsoon defines Siliguri's climate. Temperature The average annual temperature in Siliguri is 23.2 °C. In summer, the temperature varies from a minimum of 20-24 °C to a maximum of 30-35 °C. The temperature of
7650-626: The wholesale dealers, as well as the retail sellers, augment the prices of the commodities according to their own desires. The price of poultry, mainly chicken, that reaches the city markets from places like Chaygaon and Barpeta have been soaring rapidly because of similar factors. There has been steep rise in the price of fish as well, the prominent varieties of which being Rohu ("Rou"), Catla ("Bahu"), Walking catfish ("Magur") and Monopterus ("Kuchia") among many others. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated inflation, causing food prices to rise. According to experts, urban flooding in Guwahati in
7740-556: The world in a 2023 report published by IQAir, behind Begusarai and ahead of Delhi , reflecting India's status as the country with the third highest level of pollution after Bangladesh and Pakistan. Guwahati is one of the fastest-growing cities in India. Guwahati has a population of 962,334 as per the 2011 census. Population of Guwahati in 2021 is estimated to be 11 lakhs (approx). It is estimated that Guwahati metro will house 2.8 million residents by 2025. Below Graph shows Population of Guwahati (1950-2040): - The percentage of
7830-523: Was captured by the Kingdom of Nepal in 1788, after which Kirati and Nepali Lepchas came to settle in this region. At that time a river port on Mahananda , South of Siliguri in Phansidewa had an important role in having trade bond with Malda , Bengal and Bihar . This riverine trade line was thus used by the Bhutanese and Sikkimese to bring goods into their mainland. Siliguri started as
7920-588: Was divided into West Bengal and East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) in 1947, with Sikkim later merging with India in 1975. At this point many immigrants came to settle here for better infrastructure, which led to an increased population. Later in 1950 Siliguri achieved municipal status. Keeping in mind the importance of Siliguri, in 1951, the Assam rail link was established with newly made (1949) Meter gauge Siliguri Junction railway station . After few years in 1961 all these stations were connected with broad gauge New Jalpaiguri Junction railway station which later became
8010-515: Was fortified strongly and connected with the country with a number of roads. The Dighalipukhuri was used as a boatyard during this period. During the time of splendor, since the reign of Gadadhar Singha ; the Ahom rulers paid their attention to building several temples in various religious sites at Guwahati. On the cession of Assam to the British in 1826 it was made the seat of the British administration of Assam, and so continued till 1874, when
8100-672: Was reflected in its local governance as well. The earliest form of local urban governance was a Sanitation Committee set up in 1915. Its function was to dispose off night soil. Till 1921, most aspects of local governance in Darjeeling district, including Siliguri, was looked after by the Darjeeling Improvement Fund. In 1922, Siliguri Local Board with nominated members was created under the Bengal Local Self Government Act, 1885. In 1938,
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