Barpeta District

Barpeta District is a district in the state of Assam with its administrative headquarters in Barpeta city. Barpeta is an important religious place known by the names of Tatikuchi, Porbhita, Mathura, Vrindavan, Chaukhutisthan, Nabaratna-Sabha and many others. 

When the great saint Shriman Shankardev came to Barpeta, he started many sessions or religious places in this area and because of these sessions, this place became a religious place. Because of this, Barpeta city is also called 'Boikunthpuri Dham' Before British rule, Barpeta place was an important part of Koch-Hajo and Ahom Empire. Barpeta region was ruled by different rulers like Varman, Salsthamus, Palas, Kamata and Koches during different periods.

Area of Barpeta District

The geographical area of the district is 2,282 sq km. And it is surrounded by the hills of Bhutan in the north, Kamrup district and Goalpara district in the south, Nalbari district in the east and Bongaigaon district in the west. The district consists of 9 sub-districts, 9 towns and 835 villages. Barpeta, Sarukhetri, Chenga, Gomafulbari, Pakabetbari, Chakchaka, Rupshi, Mandia and Gobardhana are the development blocks of the district.

Population of Barpeta District

As of 2011 census, the district had a population of 16,93,6 The sex ratio of the district is 953 females for every 1000 males. The administrative languages in the district are Assamese and English.

Economy of Barpeta District

The economy of the district is mainly dependent on agriculture. Most of the people in the district are engaged in agriculture to earn their livelihood. The adoption of new agricultural technologies among the farmers of the district helps in increasing the production of various agricultural commodities. Forestry is the secondary source of income of the district as it is located near the Manas National Park, one of the largest forests in Assam. The district has very little industrialization, but it has some small-scale industries in woodworking, toy making, brass products, gold jewelry and so on.

Education in Barpeta District

The district is known as the residence of many prestigious educational institutions. It provides a platform for higher education. The literacy rate of the district is 63.81%. Barpeta University Higher Secondary School, St. Teresa E.M. School, St. Joseph's E.M. School, St. Mary High School, Don Bosco School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Barpeta Girls College, Barpeta B.T. College, G.L. Choudhary College, B.H. College, Baochi Banikant Kakati College, M.C. College etc. are some of the best educational institutions in the district.

Attraction in Barpeta District

The district has many centers of attraction that attract many travelers from different parts of the country and the world. Sundardia Satra, located near Barpeta town, has played an important role in spreading Vaishnavism. This session was founded by the great saint Shri Madhavdev, who wrote two devotional books named 'Bhakti Ratnakar' and 'Namghosh' at this place. Patbaushi Sessions is located about 2 km away. Pari Hareshwar Temple is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the district. It is believed that the world-famous dance style 'Devdasi dance' originated from this temple. Some other notable places of interest in the district are Ganakkuchi Satra, Baradi Satra, Syed Shahnoor Diwan Dargah, Manas National Park, Brass Metal Industry of Sarthebari, etc. November to February and March to April are the best times to visit.

How to reach Barpeta District

There is very good availability of buses plying to Barpeta from Guwahati, Nalbari, Dhubri, Bongaigaon etc. There are a lot of buses plying between Guwahati and Barpeta. Taxis are also available for hire from all major landmarks to Barpeta. The nearest main railway station to the district headquarters Barpeta is Barpeta Road Railway Station which is located at a distance of about 30 km. The nearest airport to the district is the popular Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, located at a distance of about 96 km