Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh lies in the upper reaches of Assam, about 435 km away from Guwahati, in the south west. Located on the banks of the River Brahmaputra, Dibrugarh, along with Sibsagar and Tinsukia accounts for almost 50% of the total tea production of Assam. In fact, Dibrugarh is sometimes referred to as the Tea City of India, because of the high production of tea in the region.

Dibrugarh has had a fluctuating relationship with the River Brahmaputra. Back in 1950, the river changed its course because of the Medog Earthquake, resulting in widespread destruction in the city. The earthquake and the resulting flood destroyed almost 75% of the city of Dibrugarh.

The city has recovered from the aftermath since then, and people have come to accept the mercurial nature of the river while staying in its shadow. Dibrugarh, apart from being one of the largest producers of tea in the country, is also known for its oil and natural gas reserves.

In fact, tea production, along with Oil and Natural Gas exploration forms the core of the economic activities in the region. Apart from that, some other prevalent industries in the region are plywood factories and the cottage industries. Dibrugarh is especially well known for the production of Assam Silk.

The tourist attractions in Dibrugarh mainly comprise of the tea garden tours. A cruise in the Brahmaputra River is also possible here. The city enjoys a pleasant weather throughout the year. The average temperature during the summer months here is 30° Celsius while the winter temperature stays at about 10-12° Celsius.

Dibrugarh is also the education hub of the north-east. Some institutions of note present in the city are the Dibrugarh University, Assam Medical College, Kanoi College, Salt Brook Academy and others. Apart from being the education hub Dibrugarh is also the easternmost city of India to have a railway station and is well connected to some important cities of India, viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata among others.

Dibrugarh also has an airport which serves direct flights from the cities of Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. The excellent transport links of the region make it a good gateway for tourists to explore the rest of Assam and other north-eastern states of India.