Golaghat ( Gʊlaɡʱat ), the 3rd largest subdivision of the Indian state of Assam, later elevated to the position of a full–fledged district headquarter on 5 October 1987, is a city and a municipality and the seat of administrative operations of Golaghat district, besides being a twin city to Jorhat which is about 55 km away. It is one of the oldest urban areas in Assam that recently featured on the Smart Cities nominations list, along with Guwahati and four other prominent urban areas of the state; although losing out to Guwahati at the final stage. The Dhansiri, one of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra, passes through Golaghat and is the primary water source for its citizens.
One of the earliest tea urban centres in Assam that has been the headquarters of the oldest subdivision for over years since 1839, the local government body, Golaghat Municipal Board (GMB), was set up in early 1920, becoming a long-established civic body of the state, formed before independent India. It is a historical body of years of age in continuous operation.
Golaghat has the inceptive post/mail service and telegraphic communication systems in Assam going back to 1876.A Glimpse of Assam The oldest social – literature/rhetorical congresses of Assam – the Golaghat Sahitya Sabha of Asam Sahitya Sabha, also began here in 1918. The Golaghat Amateur Theatre Society (GATS), one of the premier theater societies of the state, was set up here in 1895 to uplift the dramatic and cultural activities in the region, particularly Golaghat. The Golaghat Bar Association (GBA), founded in 1891, is one of the oldest legal societies in Assam, especially in the Upper – Assam division.
Golaghat has a number of heritage buildings and sites – the Golaghat British Cemetery, constructed in 1876, the Bezbaruah Higher Secondary School, set up in the late 19th century in the year 1886 by the educationalist Dinanath Bezbarua, the Baptist Church founded by the American missionaries in 1898, the Christian High (Mission) School built by the American Women Foreign Mission Society in 1919, Assam's first department store – Doss & Co., constructed in 1930 and incorporated under the Registrar of Companies (RoC) – Shillong in the year 1955 to name a few.
The headquarters of Assam Valley Tea Planters' Association (now Assam Tea Planters Association) were also based in Golaghat. Set up in 1941 under Mahendra Nath Barooah's management,In 1941, Mahendra Nath Barooah of Golaghat, the newly-elected Secretary moved the office to one of his cottages at Golaghat. The headquarters remained for nine years. Assam Tea Planters Association – About Us: http://www.atpa.in/about.html the erstwhile headquarters played a significant role in enrolling associate members, besides laying the first foundations of growth, recognition and reputation that the association is presently credited for. Golaghat also has one of the oldest boards of trades and industries in the state. The United Chamber of Commerce (UCC) formed in 1954 antecedes many newer chambers of commerce that have been set up in the state in the more recent years.
Assam's first major regional political party, the AGP was formed here and launched in the year 1985 at the historic Golaghat Convention and by 2008; the same members of the convention reunified the party at this place.
The place is also the headquarters of The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), one of the tea growers' groups in the state of Assam, a constituent member of Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA), Assam Valley branch.
Etymology The name Golaghat (gola which means shop and ghat meaning the landing point of river ferry or enclosure for boats) originated from the shops established by the Marwari businessmen during the mid-20th century on the bank of Dhansiri river near present Golaghat.
There is another view, which is more sophisticated and older than the arrival of the British and Indian businessmen. During the Ahom kingdom era, there was a storehouse of cannonballs also locally called Gola and transported by local ferry Ghat, from which name Golaghat has been derived.
History 9th century The stone inscription of Nagajari-khanikar village of Sarupathar, dating back to the 5th century, reveals that there was an independent kingdom in Doyang – Dhansiri valley and the relics of ramparts, brick structures, temples and tanks etc. discovered in these areas suggest the presence of a kingdom during the 9th and 10th century. Under Ahoms The Doyang – Dhansiri valley came under the rule of Ahom dynasty during the 16th century. During Ahom rule, this area was under Morongi-khowa Gohain, an administrative officer. Early modern In 1751, certain portions of Barpathar, Sarupathar Barangi mauzas of Golaghat circle and Duarbagari of Bokakhat circle were transferred to the United Mikir and N.C. Hills districts.
During the last phrase of the Ahom kingdom, when the independent sovereignty of Ahoms had come to an end, Purandar Singha was entrusted in 1833 with the administration of Upper – Assam by the East India Company who had already won mastery over Assam. However, this artificial ornamentation by the scion of Ahom Royal House was short-lived, and in the year 1838, the whole area was resumed by the authorities of the company and annexed to the British territory with the appointment of Col. Aham White as the political agent on 16 September during the same year.
By a proclamation in 1839, the British took possession of Assam and the area was divided into two districts of Lakhimpur and Sibsagar, where the Doyang – Dhansiri valley was included under the newly formed Golaghat subdivision of Sibsagar district in 1839. Golaghat became the largest subdivision in Assam and comprised Dergaon and Golaghat circles. Golaghat circle was the largest among them with 150.10 square miles of area, while Dergaon was the smallest. During this time, Purandar Singha continued to rule with Jorhat as the capital of his territory, Upper – Assam, but with the formation of two other subdivisions, one at Jaipur and the other at Golaghat.
On 18 December 1846, Jorhat was declared a subdivision comprising certain portions of Golaghat subdivision. The earliest head post offices of the Assam circle of British Assam were located in Golaghat besides Debrughur, Goahati, Jorhat, Nowgong, Sibsagar, Shillong and Tezpore.Spelled as in the book – A Glimpse of AssamA Glimpse of Assam
Much later after telegraph lines had been stretched between Calcutta and Guwahati in 1869; Golaghat got its speaking wires' system in and around 1876. The lines were stretched to connect Golaghat with Kohima, Shillong with Goahati, Sibsagar with Nazerah and Debrughur with Makum.Spelled as in the book – A Glimpse of Assam
Population and Education, page 25
In British Assam, Golaghat derived its importance chiefly because of having advanced communication systems during that time and on account of its connection by road with Kohima.Stations, page 67 A Glimpse of AssamA Glimpse of Assam One of the oldest railway lines in Assam was also built in Golaghat.A Glimpse of Assam The text noted from the book Glimpse of Assam written by Mrs. S.R. Ward in 1884 state: Mr Bryers who was then the Chief of Cachar and Assam Railway Survey succeeded in finding a railway route that would be carried up the Dhunsiri valley to Golaghat... thus giving Assam direct railway communication with Chittagong and Calcutta.Stations, page 74 A Glimpse of Assam
Late modern and contemporary Golaghat elevated to the position of a full-fledged district in Assam comprising an area of 3,502 km2 (or 1, 352.13 sq. mi) on 5 October 1987 and is known for its notable contribution in India's independence movement, arts and culture, literature and sports in the region.
Kushal Konwar, Kamala Miri, Dwariki Das, Biju Vaishnav, Sankar Chandra Barua, Tara Prasad Barooah, Maheshwar Barooah, Rajendra Nath Barua, Gaurilal Jain, Ganga Ram Bormedhi and Dwarikanath Goswami are Indian independence activists of the town. The 19th century writer, Hem Chandra Barua, who authored the first Assamese dictionary Hemkosh hailed from Golaghat. Ghanashyam Barua, a resident of this place, reckoned in the field of politics as the first Central Minister of Assam, translated William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors into Assamese along with three of his partners. Several national and international sportspeople in fields of athletics, table tennis, tennis, boxing and football have come from Golaghat. Numaligarh Refinery is the biggest revenue generating industrial sector in Golaghat.
Administration
Local government
The administration of Golaghat is formed of two tiers: a city-wide and a local tier. The city-wide administration is coordinated by the Golaghat Development Authority, while the local administration is carried out by the Golaghat Municipal Board. The development authority functions under the Directorate of Town and Country Planning – Urban Development Department, Government of Assam and is responsible for the implementation of infrastructure projects, besides preparation of master plan for Golaghat urban area to ensure distributed growth. The authority works closely with the municipal board.
The municipal board covers the geographical area of within Golaghat and has the administration over 9,646 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water and sewerage, besides performing certain obligatory services as a part of the local administration.
The Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat is the executive head and is responsible for law and order, implementation of government schemes, besides being also authorised to hear revenue cases pertaining to the district.
The Chairperson of Golaghat is an elected representative who is accountable for the strategic governance of Golaghat headquarters. The Chairperson directs the elected Ward Commissioners in entirety of Golaghat on various civic matters.
The main functions include, but not limited to the following: Strategic planning, including housing, waste management, the environment and production of the Golaghat Master Plan Refuse or permit planning permission on strategic grounds Transport policy Fire and emergency planning, delivered by the functional body Fire & Emergency Services, Assam Policing and crime policy Economic development, delivered through the functional body Golaghat Development Authority Power to create development corporations
Neighbourhoods This is a list of the areas of Golaghat, in alphabetical order. In political or administrative usage contemporary areas of Golaghat are informal, often being based on or adapted from historic contexts. For electoral purposes the areas are divided into wards.
The oldest borough in Golaghat is Amolapatty.Amola, meaning Clerk, Amolapatty, meaning, neighbourhood of clerks, set up in Golaghat, Nowgong and Dibrugarh. Anglicized spelling Omlah or Amlah.
Shodhak, Volume 6, Parts 1-3. Bhartiya Pragtisheel Shiksha Parishad. 1977. p. 86. Retrieved 1 December 2019. NeighbourhoodsOldAmolapatty – Old†Baagicha Ali†Amolapatty – New†‡OthersArengapara†‡Bengenakhowa†‡Bet Mahal†‡Chandan Nagar†Chanmari†Geeta Nagar†Junaki Nagar†Krishna Nagar†Maruwaripatty†Missionpatty†‡Paltanpatty†Santipur†Subhash Colony†Sreemanta Nagar†Tapan Nagar†‡Tenpur†SuburbsMoinaparaNarakanwarPuliborRangajan† Primarily a residential area. ‡ A commercial area.
Geography Scope Golaghat is located at .Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Golaghat It has an average elevation of .
The Golaghat telephone area code (3774) covers a larger area, the entire Golaghat district, while the PINs 785 621 – 785 702 range from Golaghat H.O. (Head Post Office) to other regions, such as the sub–office delivery in Bengenakhowa, branch office in Missionpatty etc.
Status