Sonari

Sonari সোণাৰি
town
Sonari Location in Assam, India
Coordinates: 27°04′N 95°02′E / 27.07°N 95.03°E / 27.07; 95.03Coordinates: 27°04′N 95°02′E / 27.07°N 95.03°E / 27.07; 95.03
Country	India
State	Assam
District	Sibsagar
Government
• Body	Sonari Municipality Board
Elevation	97 m (318 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	17,430
Languages
• Official	Assamese
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)

Sonari (IPA: ˈsəʊnɑːrɪ)(Assamese: সোণাৰি) is a sub-divisional mid-size town and a municipal board in Sibsagar district in the Indian state of Assam.

Geography

Sonari is located at 27°04′N 95°02′E / 27.07°N 95.03°E / 27.07; 95.03.^[1] It has an average elevation of 97 metres (318 feet). It is a major town on the nearly 500 year old "Dhodar Ali" (Free translation= Road of the lazy) built by the Ahom Kings. Dhodar ali was forcefully commissioned by Ahom king Gadadhar Singha using the so-called lazy people or the socially unproductive 'Dhods' residing within Assam. Situated by the side of the Taokak river, Sonari is the headquarters of Charaideo subdivision, Sivasagar District, Assam. The nearest railway station is Bhojo, which is about 3 km away located by the bank of historical Disang River. The best way to reach sonari by road is from Sivasagar town through the Dhodar Ali near which the famous royal mausoleum of the Ahom Kings at Charaideo is situated. Sonari is a centre for tea and timber industries and is the gateway to the Mon district of Nagaland.

History

It is claimed that the original name of Sonari was Sonapur. During the Ahom king's period in 1253 AD, the goldsmiths working for the Ahom royals lived here giving the name of the town(the Assamese word for goldsmith is Sonari).^[2][3] There are even claims that Great Borahi king Mahamanikya (Mahamanifa) lived in Rajadhap area of Sonari during 15th century, in whose court Madhava Kandali translated Ramayana into Assamese before the era of saint Shankardeva. It is also believed that Bhogoniya Raja Jayadwaj Singha rested for days in Sonari before proceeding to Namrup during the invasion of Assam and Ahom capital by Aurangzeb's general Mirjumlah during 1663.One of the first two tea estates set up by Maniram Dewan has now been discovered by Dr Pradip Baruah of the Tocklai Experimental Station of the Tea Research Association.Dewan established the Cinnamara TE at Jorhat and Senglung TE near Suffry, Sonari, around 169 years back, in 1845.^[4] Maniram Dewan was the first Indian commercial tea planter.^[5]

In the middle of the town there is a park around a historic Ahom Kingdom's tank called Bor Pukhuri.^[6] This park near the post office is now called Lachit Nagar park, since a full size statue of Assam's great general from Ahom period is erected here. Similarly a statue of Koch General Chilarai has been erected near Tawkak river bridge while entering the town. In 2004 during the birth centenary of Geetikavi Parvati Prasad Baruva a bust size white statue of this lyrical poet was inaugurated at Sonari.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[7] Sonari had a population of 17,430. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Sonari has an average literacy rate of 92%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79% and female literacy is 72%. In Sonari, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Importance

Sonari is one of the most important towns in eastern Assam. It is a commercial center for Charaideo Sub-Division of Sivasagar District. There is a Sub-Divisional Court and an S.D.O. court at Rajadhap. There are several tea gardens around Sonari and a Gymkhana club golf course. Built sometime around 1945 this golf course was created by the tea planters.^[8] The golf course is 1.5 km away from the Sonari Gymkhana, and as a whole about 5 km away from the centre of Sonari Town . There are dramatic changes in elevation on this course which make it interesting. This course is part of the NAPUK tea estate. Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha,Sonari Branch is Affiliated to INTUC No. IV/2211 of 1959 and Registrtion no.445 ^[9]

In the Middle of the town there is a park around a historic Ahom Kingdom's tank called Bor Pukhuri.

There is a Daily Super market in the middle of the town. Produces from nearby villages like Mahmora, kakatibari are sold near this market.

There are many good educational institutions in the town, catering the needs of many nearby villages and tea-gardens. Some of them are: Sonari College, B.P.B.M. Higher Secondary School, P.K.B. Girls HS School, Sankardev Shishu Niketan, Sonari Town High School, Haji OMM school, St. Joseph's High School, Sonari Junior College, Chah Mazdoor Vidya Niketan, Sonari Commerce College, etc. Notably, B.P.B.M.H.S.School recently completed her Diamond Jubilee year and St. Joseph's High School completed her Silver Jubilee year. Sonari has Hindi school for many years now. There is a Sub-divisional public library near sonari college as well. there are religious places of worship like Sarbojanin Naam ghar, Gurudwara Sahib, Hari Mandir, Kali Mandir, Shiv Mandir, Shani Mandir, Mosque, Buddha Mandir, Hanuman mandir etc. giving a truly secular and cosmopolitan feeling.

In recent years a 100 bedded sub-divisional civil hospital has been created in the outskirt of the city with funds from the Government of Assam and the North-Eastern Council(N.E.C) with additional support from N.R.H.M.Project.The government of Assam received Rs.417.31 lakhs from the NorthEastern Council (NEC) for up-gradation of Sonari Civil Hospital. Some of the famous people from sonari are Lyrical-Poet "Geetikavi" Parvati Prasad Baruwa, Poet 'Kavita Konwar' Ambeswar Chetia Phukan etc. Parvati Prasad Baruwa(1904–1964) was a tea planter, poet, lyricist, dramatist: an icon of Assamese culture and literature.

Sonari town is located about 45 km from the historic town of Sivasagar and roughly located between Sivasagar and Namrup Town. Bhojo, the nearest railway station is well connected by major passenger trains like intercity. Distance from Dibrugarh Mohanbari Airport to Sonari is about 77 km.

The town has a police station of its own name right in the centre of the town. There is also a jail at the outskirts of the town. The Pin code of Sonari is 785690 and the STD code 03772.

Politics

Sonari is part of Jorhat (Lok Sabha constituency).^[10] The present MP is Mr. Kamakhaya Prasad Tasa from the BJP party, who replaced Bijoy Krishna Handique (INC) who was the MP from 1991.

Sarat borkataky is the incumbent MLA from INC. Bhadreswar Buragohain, Satya Tanti were some earlier MLAs. Contemporary general secretary of AASU is from Sonari(Borhat).

Communication

Sonari has decent landline, mobile and internet connectivity. Internet connectivity through wireless datacards and Broadband is available. The major cellular service providers are BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone, IDEA, Reliance, Aircel, Tata Indicom.

3G services are available in the town.

List of Hospitals

1. Kanoklota Nursing Home
2. Civil Hospital, Rajapukhuri

List of Tea Gardens nearby

1. Sewujpur Tea Factory
2. Nagahat T. E.
3. Napuk Tea Estate
4. Aideobari T.E.
5. Aideopukhuri T.E.
6. Ratanpur T.E.
7. Bimolapur T.E.
8. Joonktolle T.E.
9. Muktabari T.E.
10. Banamali T.E.
11. Borahi T.E.
12. Tiok T.E.
13. Salkathoni T.E.
14. Sonari T.E.
15. Muthrapore T.E.
16. Jaboka T.E.
17. Towkak T.E.
18. Dipling T.E.
19. Manjushree T.E.^[11]
20. Sundarpur T.E.

References

http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S03/AS_ACPC.pdf

External links

• www.geetikavi.com