Bihar

The Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, India

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi (98,940 km2) and 3rd largest by population. It is bounded by Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, Northern part of West Bengal to the east and by Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two parts by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east. Bihar has forest area of 6,764.14 km2, which is 7.2% of its geographical area. In 2000, Bihar was subdivided, the southern part becoming the state of Jharkhand. Close to 85% of the population lives in villages. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.

Ancient Bihar was a centre of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India. From Magadha arose India's first and greatest empire, the Maurya empire as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism. Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important centre of Indian civilization. Close to Patna, Nalanda and Vikramshila were centres of learning established in the 5th and 8th century respectively in Bihar, and are counted as one of the oldest international universities of the time.

Dibrugarh

A view of sunset from Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh is a city and is the headquarters of the Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam. Well known as the Tea City of India, Dibrugarh is a major city in eastern India in line with Guwahati and Bhubaneswar and is the emerging communication and industrial hub of North East India. Dibrugarh is also one of the two main cities in the state of Assam to receive urban development aid from the Asian Development Bank and is the nerve centre of industry, communication and healthcare of the upper Assam region. Dibrugarh is located 439 km (273 miles) east of Guwahati, the capital city of the Indian state of Assam. Dibrugarh is well connected to the rest of India by rail, road and air transport and thus serves as a gateway to eastern Assam and also parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Moreover, there has also been a consistent demand, particularly from the industrial sectors, for starting international flights from Dibrugarh to Bangkok and Singapore. Mega projects like Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, India's longest rail cum road bridge Bogibeel bridge and other upcoming modern urban infrastructure are transforming Dibrugarh into a vibrant city. Of late, the city of Dibrugarh is emerging as a popular destination for business and leisure trips for tourists from India and abroad and the 9th edition of the North East Business Summit was held in the city with the theme 'Building bridges with South East Asia', where representatives from South East Asian nations and business leaders of the country pledged to contribute substantially for the socio-economic growth of the North East. Dibrugarh is also a centre of education and research and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) organized the 18th National Space Science Symposium in the city in January–February, 2014. The city Master Plan area of Dibrugarh is 66.14 sq. kilometres and population is 186,214.

Panoramic view of Dibrugarh city

Tinsukia

A view of the Tinikunia Pukhuri

Tinsukia is a small town and municipal board in Tinsukia district, Assam, India. Tinsukia is a regional business hub in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated 480 kilometres (298 mi) north east of Guwahati and 84 kilometres (52 mi) kilometres away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh.

It is the administrative headquarters of Tinsukia District of Assam, India. Hailed as the business capital of Assam, the place has a heady mix of Assamese, and Hindi- speaking people. The city is changing with the construction of numerous new malls and buildings.

Tinsukia is an industrial and commercial centre of Assam dealing in agricultural products such as tea, oranges, ginger, citrus fruits and paddy. Tinsukia also serves as the rail-head of Assam, housing the state's largest railway junction and is also a junction connecting the state and the country by road and rail.

Past History

Tinsukia is the site of Bengmara, which was originally known as Changmai Pathar. It was the capital city of the Muttack Kingdom which was fouded by Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha.

Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha was known as Mezara, who rose to become an able administrator. Mezara adopted the name Sarbananda Singha after become the King. Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha introduced coins after his name and in Saka 1716 and 1717, he inscribed the title Swargadeo in the coins.

As instructed by Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha, his Minister Gopinath Barbaruah alies Godha dug a pond in triangular shaped which is known as Tinikunia Pukhuri. In 1884 a station was constructed near this pond, when the Dibru-Sadiya Rail line was laid, which was named as Tinsukia. Ever since then the City was popularly known as Tinsukia.