Baghmara

Baghmara is located in the state of Meghalaya and is also the headquarters of the district of South Garo Hills. The town shares a border with Bangladesh and is 445 km from Shillong and 120 km from Tura. Baghmara is an important commercial town of Meghalaya.

Pa Balman A Sangma was the original founder of this town, and it is after him that the Bengali citizens of the state have rechristened the town Baghmara, in place of it’s previous name Konagittim.

A considerable part of Baghmara’s geographical area was lost to Bangladesh after the partition. It used to be a thriving trading center with several open markets held every week. In spite of the division the town has retained it’s natural beauty as well as kept up with a certain pace of growth.

The landscape of Baghmara consists of hills and tracts with the River Simsang making its way through most of it. There isn’t one particular tourist attraction here, it is all the rivers, lakes, hills and the vegetation put together that make up some very picturesque locales which attract travellers every season.

At a distance of 4 km from the main town of Baghmara is the Baghmara Reserve Forest, a dense forest inhabited with elephants, birds and langurs. The birds are of several varieties and the elephants can be seen in massive herds making their way from Baghmara to the Balapakram National Park via the Baghmara Reserve Forest.

Baghmara is also visited in order to experience the culture and traditions of the Garo community that resides here. The fish of the Simsang River is known to be extremely delicious. The vegetable produce from the southern slopes of the Garo Hills is also much sought after for it’s freshness and quality.

Baghmara does not have an airport or a railway station and has to be accessed from Guwahati, Assam, which is at a distance of 150 km. One can also take a bus or a taxi from Tura or Shillong to get to Baghmara. October to January are the best months to visit Baghmara.