What is the Capital of Assam?

You may ask anybody about the capital of Assam, and they will tell you Guwahati. But do you know the capital of Assam is really a very small, quiet locality which lies directly next to Guwahati?

Readers usually get stumped when asked about the capital of Assam. The confusion is due to the fact that Guwahati is the biggest and most popular city in the state, it is a natural assumption that it is the one that is entitled to the title. But, the official capital of Assam is Dispur. 

Let us take a look at the history of this significant administrative center of Assam, the way it was transformed to become the political center, and the reasons why there is confusion with Guwahati.

Capital of Assam

Dispur is the capital of Assam. Dispur is situated a few kilometers from Guwahati and became the new state capital in 1973. It is the headquarters of Assam Secretariat, State Assembly and other important government offices and serves as the main administrative hub of the region.

The History of the Capital of Assam

We should examine the historical rearrangement of Northeast India to know how Dispur became the political center of Assam.

Prior to 1972, the capital of the undivided state of Assam was the beautiful hill station of Shillong. In 1972, the Indian government split the new state of Meghalaya out of Assam. Since Shillong was within the new territorial boundary of Meghalaya, it has become the capital of Meghalaya. Assam was in dire need of a new administrative headquarters. In 1973 the government chose a small Guwahati suburb of Dispur as the new permanent capital.

Source: NotebookLM

Interesting Facts About Dispur

The following are some of the interesting facts about Dispur:

1. The world has its own tea trading centre called the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre situated in Dispur.

2. The secretariat office of Assam is known as Janata Bhawan and it is located in Dispur.

3. Dispur, although being the capital city of Assam, lacks its own independent railway station or airport; instead, it uses the transit hubs of Guwahati.

4. The township of Jatia is an ancient town situated next to Dispur and provides a combination of old-fashioned culture and the contemporary government.

5. Dispur has a number of leading hospitals, and it is an important healthcare center to the local districts.

Why Guwahati did not become the capital of Assam?

The city of Guwahati is the biggest city and commercial center but does not act as an administrative center. In order to keep political administration apart, the government specially created a suburb, named Dispur, to host the state assembly and secretariat, leaving commercial business of Guwahati untouched.

When Dispur became the capital of Assam?

In 1973, Dispur was made the capital of Assam. This change was necessitated since the division of Meghalaya and Assam in 1972. The Meghalaya state was formed and it since Shillong fell within the borders of Meghalaya, there was a need of a separate capital for Assam.

Key Takeaways

The following are key takeaways from the article:

1. Dispur is the official capital of Assam.

2. In 1973, it was made the capital.

3. Before Meghalaya was a separate state, Shillong was the capital of Assam.

4. Dispur is an administrative locality of the Guwahati metropolitan area.

5. It is the home of the Janata Bhawan (Assam Secretariat).

6. Guwahati is the commercial center of Assam, and Dispur is the political center.

Check out some more interesting articles from the general knowledge section to boost your knowledge of national and international topics. Stay connected with Jagran Josh for more topics like this.