Radio Friends of Assam

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

QSL from Argentina

 
After several try, on 23rd November 2011 I got success to hear Argentina National Radio or Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior (RAE) on 15345 kHz in German Language and soon after sent an email reception report which was verified by an eQSL on 17th December 2011 by Rayen Braun, the German Editor. This is what Rayen wrote:

Dear Mr. Purkayastha!

Enclosed I send you our e-QSL and hope you enjoy it!

Best regards from Argentina

Rayen Braun

German Editor
=========================================
And Here is the recording of that German transmission I heard: https://www.box.com/s/deca4a48b0ee03389540
=========================================


                       




Monday, June 25, 2012

eQSL from South Asia Radio- New Internet Radio Station of India


Received this eQSL from South Asia Radio, a new internet based radio station from India for their test transmission via internet stream on 24th June 2012. This is what the owner of this station Mr. E.P. Brijesh wrote in his email in reply to my reception report: 

Dear Mr. Prithwiraj Purkayastha,

Greetings from South Asia Radio!

Thanks a lot for tuning in to our station and sending us your valuable feedbacks. Also Kindly note that there will be a Sunday DX Program called "DX Waves"

Kindly find the attached e-QSL.

Thanks and Regards,
Your Friend,

E.P Brijesh
South Asia Radio
25.06.2012

Special eQSL from Radio Atlantic 2000 International


Special eQSL from Atlantic 2000 International for their 30th Anniversary transmission on 10th June 2012. This station heard via internet stream.


ABOUT THE STATION:

Atlantic 2000 International was broadcasting for the first time on shortwave on June 6, 1982 on 7325 kHz. We were on the air usually every month until July 1988.

Our first transmission equipment was a home-made 25 W transmitter, using valves.

In 1984, we built a 30 W transmitter. With our 2 equipments, we regularly broadcasted simultaneously on 2 frequencies.

Some frequencies were tested, on the 48, 41, 38 and 26 meter bands. The best results were obtained on the 41 meter band.

We received many reception reports from France, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Norway.

After more 19 years of silence, Atlantic 2000 was back on the air on October 28, 2007 with a test transmission on 6280 kHz in the morning, and on 6210 kHz in the evening.

From 2008 to 2010, we broadcasted from Italy, by using the transmitters of Mystery Radio, and then, Radio Amica. From December 2010, we broadcast on 6005 kHz, from Kall-Krekel in Germany, who is the transmitting site of Radio 700.

Since October 2011, Atlantic 2000 is transmitting on 9480 kHz, using the relay service of MV Baltic Radio, from Göhren in Germany. The 31 meter band increased our coverage area.

Since 2007, we received a lot of reception reports from Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain, Serbia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Greece, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Luxembourg, India, Japan and New Zealand.

Atlantic 2000 was also received in the USA via some shortwave web receivers situated in Europe.
Atlantic 2000 regularly broadcasts on the Internet, by using the Shoutcast and Podcast modes. We have a lot of connections. Many listeners are now interested by this new transmission mode.

Keep in touch with Atlantic 2000. http://radioatlantic2000.free.fr


Special eQSL from Rhein Main Radio Club



Special eQSL from Rhein Main Radio Club (RMRC), Germany for their 10th June special one hour transmission on European DX Conference (EDXC). Here is what RMRC Treasurer Mr. Michael Haun wrote in his email accompanying this QSL:

Dear friend,
sorry for the trouble you got with the first card. Attached please find a new QSL card, which should satisfy your wishes.
Kind regards from Germany

Michael Haun
RMRC Treasurer



Read More about RMRC: http://www.rmrc.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=41&Itemid=65&lang=en

Revealing Beauty of Life through Air Waves

[This article was based on my experiences during the Mandarmani DXpedition organised by Indian DX Club International at Mandarmani during the mid part of January 2012. It was first published on club's website (http://www.idxci.in/revealing-beauty-of-life-through-air-waves/) and I am just reposting it here with few photographic inputs.] 





Gooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllll !!!  Gooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll !!!! At 4:00 AM on a chilly morning at a hotel room in Samudra Bilas in Mandarmani, Dr.Supratik Sanatani, the famous ophthalmologist from Kolkata, shouted in cheer and immense joy ! Hearing his cheerful voice we all other team members in the same hotel, who went to bed just few minutes before, after sleepless search for distance and exotic radio stations, woke up and rushed to doctor’s shack to found the reason of his excitement. In a few minutes we also started celebrating as we also found the same as that doctor did ! That was a great moment for all of us at hotel Samudra Bilas where we were staying in search of the world through the waves, the Radio Waves!! 

Dr. Sanatani


Yes, ten person from different professions and different locations of India gathered in the that resort at Mandarmoni, at the southern tip of West Bengal coastline in India, with a similar vision and our aim was to hear the far far distance radio stations of the world via radio waves. The reason behind Dr. Supratik Sanatani’s joy was that at that time when the entire country might be sleeping, at that same time he was busy with his radio equipments and ultimately got success in listening a radio station from Amazonian nation Brazil and it was Radio Cultura on the shortwave coming out with live commentary of a football match between two local teams. Just imagine how wonderful was that moment was, when sitting in a small coastal place in India he was able to hear a local event’s live description which was happening in Brazil !!! Absolutely amazing ! On that special mission we not only heard stations from Brazil but heard signals from international radio stations from Laos, Indonesia, UAE, USA, Peru, Madagascar, Oman, Bahrain, Botswana, Armenia, Mali, Israel, Sudan, Zambia, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Rawanda, Germany, Romania and many more countries and no doubt news and event updates from many of such nations are not easily available in television or internet. And this is where the magic of this secret mission that we all DXers were on from 20th to 22nd January 2012. 




I began this journey to that abode of DXing at Samudra Bilas in Mandarmani on 18th of January from my home town Jorhat. On that evening after a hard working day at office I cached the bus to Guwahati where I was supposed to take the Saraighat Express for reaching Kolkata. Mandarmani is about 180 kms way by road from Kolkata and from my home town I travelled by Bus, train and then car and crossed around 1600 kms to reach the DXped camp on 20th late evening.





Hotel Samudra Bilas



The most erratic moment of my journey was that when I heard in the mid way after reaching a small rail station called Pancharatna that our train is delayed by around 7 hours as a goods train derailed on the way. I reached Howrah station 6 hour late and just after reaching there I was directed to catch a local train to reach Alampur via Mourigram rail station. It was quite difficult for me to understand the train routs in West Bengal as every time I visited Kolkata on official purpose I travel by car arranged by our company to move from one place to another. So I took the help of local passengers and boarded the local Howrah-Kharagpur local train and one old gentleman was kind enough to guide me when to get down from train at Mourigram station. From Mourogram I hired one auto rickshow to reach “Alampur Mor” (Highway corner) and here I could not stop myself to taste the famous Kachuri and Rosogulla of West Bengal in a roadside dhaba ! As I was very much hungry I could not say how much I consumed, but only can say it was so tasty. I was in constant touch with Swopan Chakraborty who, by that time, already reached at Mandarmani along with Partha Sarathi Goswami and Dr. Supratik Sanatani and he informed me that they are working on some ground and antenna system and by evening the stage for great radio extravaganza will be ready. This increased my excitement to reach the camp more but I was directed to wait for another few minutes at Alampur as the other DXpeditioners would come by another SUV to pick me up from there for Mandarmani. After waiting for around one hour, I saw a Tavera SUV coming from Kolkata side of the highway with few PVC pipes tied on the top (for beverage) ! I simply guessed that it must be Babul Gupta and his team (Pradip Chandra Kundu, Sudipta Ghose and new entrant to DXped team Rev. Jyoti P. Chakravorty ! Without waiting I rushed towards the car and saw that veteran DXer and a person about whom I was hearing for many years, Mr. Babul Gupta, was running towards me ! I always imagined this person a very kind hearted and loving and my guess was proved during our first meeting. From there we reached Mandarmani beach side by 6:30 PM but as the water level was increased due to high tide we were forced to wait another two hours, at a beach side tea stall, to reach the camp. But that wait was very much productive for me as those veteran DXers were discussing about old but golden days of DXing and how interesting to know about those wonderful days of Indian DX Club International, the host of DXpedition at Mandarmani. We reached the Samudra Bilas hotel at 8:30 PM and it was really tiring journey full of new experiences but in next few days what I gained in that DXped camp, they were just amazing and most remarkable, a lifetime experience.

Friends in Action



Indian Dx Club International was formed sometime in the seventies in Kolkata with members from all over India. Those days this famous club use to publish news letters on regular basis, organised DX meets, issues QSLs and many more. But due to several reasons, the club activities were discontinued until the club was revived with veterans and some energetic young Dxers in 2007. Since year 2009 this club is organising annual DXpeditions with its members participating with lots of enthuasim. The IDXC Mandarmani DXpeditions are being organised annually since 2009 and it was the third edition of MM DXped this year. Few DX enthusiasts of this club also did assembled in Talsari in 2009 for another DXpedition.





I was introduced to hobby of radio listening by one article published in the Assamese magazine “Jilingoni” written by Ashim Jyoti Ghosh. Since then I was listening to radio and revealing its wide spread reach through out the globe. Since then I came in touch with ace Dxers like Dr. Supratik Sanatani, Babul Gupta, Sudipta Ghose, Alokesh Gupta, Swopan Chakraborty, Partha Sarathi Goswami who are from east India. I visited Swopan Chakraborty’s house in 2010 and met PSG last year. And it was a dream of mine to some day attend a DXpedition of IDXC with fellow club members whom I know via correspondence but not physically and simply experts in this field. But I was really amazed that this time I not only met them but also shared views as well as hotel same rooms and radio shacks with these ace DXers!




The best thing about Mandarmani is that there is no any electricity in this village and so radio listening is a pleasure here. Only DG sets run between evening and midnight. Our DXpeditioners ran their equipments using battery power. Total 10 members of Indian DX Club International from West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and New Delhi participated in this year’s DXpedition. Swopan Chakraborty was always advising me that I must attend DXpedition at least to see the amazing DX tools. And the equipments used in MM3 like ICOM R75, R71, IC718, NRD 61 A, Perseus, Drake R8B, Sangean ATS-909, ANJAN DST-10 and many more receivers, antennas such as that wonderful 236 mtr long beverage, few different directional long wires, a dipole antenna brought by Babul Gupta, and few other equipments like MFJ antenna tuner and noise cancellers, etc. But the biggest surprise in Mandarmani was given by Sudipta Ghose, who brought a Perseus very much secretly and it was really ultimate for me……WOW !!, what an interesting assembly of DXing that was !! I was also attracted by the art of Babul Gupta who home brewed his own dipole antenna, baluns, splitters and other antenna equipments.




I just thought that if I might be living in Kolkata and could visit Babul Gupta & Dr.Supratik Sanatani’s QTH off and on, then I might have learn more and many of my problem regarding antenna brewing would have been solved, for which I often irritate Swopan Chakraborty and PSG over phone !! So, using these DX gears and after three sleepless nights we found many success tracing the rare signals in the waves. Particularly those days the tropical bands were performing good and stations like Radio Cultura and few other Brazilian stations, Radio Tarma from Peru, CVC Zambia, RRI Palankaraya, Lao National Radio, Tajik Radio, Radio Djibouti, Radio Khartoum from Sudan, Radio Ethiopia, KOL Isreal, Cross Radio, stations from Chile, Radio Nikkei from Japan, tropical band stations from Australia, Indonesia and most interestingly few central Asian and European stations on Long Wave too were successfully logged during this DXpedition.



My personal country logged in MM3 is 48, only via shortwave, which simply proves that shortwave is still alive and hope it’ll be there forever too. My surprise was those pirate medium wave stations operated by local broadcasters (locations of them we could not trace) which we logged here. They played mostly Bengali songs, radio drama and local advertisements and announcements, but they were coming as if they were operating just from the next door of our hotel room !!! I brought my newly purchased FujiFilm long zooming camera for photo shoot and my personal photography. And the beautiful landscape of Mandarmani has every ingredients for excellent photography too. I clicked few wonderful shots of my life time there including that MM3 members photos reflecting in Jyoti P Chakravorty’s Sun Glass !!!! And I met another great photographer in form of Dr. Supratik Sanatani, who does everything from his heart, be it listening to radio or catching subjects through his camera lens.



The main aim of this DXped was to bring more thrill to the life of each participating DXers and began a bond of friendship among the radio hobbyist and let the new DXers learn those golden days of DXing and learn about the technical aspects of radio listening with some practical hand and all these aims were very nicely achieved by Mandarmoni DXpedition Part three. I hope that the reviving Indian DX Club International will live long and beckon people of India to experience the beauty of life through the air waves !






MY LOGS DURING MANDARMANI DXPEDITION-3

My logs during MM3 can be read and downloaded here:


And the compiled log sheet of all participants can be found here: http://www.idxci.in/mandarmani-dxped-3-logs/
Read about previous DXpeditions of Indian DX Club International here: 

Talsari DXpedition 2009:: http://talsaridxped.blogspot.in/

Mandarmani DXpedition 2009:: http://mandarmanidxped.blogspot.in/

Mandarmani DXpedition 2010:: http://mmdxped2.blogspot.in/

Mandarmani DXpedition 2012:: http://www.idxci.in/mandarmani-dxpedition-3/

DX-India 10th Anniversary DX Contest Results Announced


After a long and excited wait of Eight months the DX-India authorities has announced the results of their 10th Anniversary commemorating DX Contest on 24th June 2012. DX India is a email based group of radio hobbyists specializing on broadcasting in India. It was started on October 1, 2001 to exchange the latest information on the broadcasting scene in India. With a total membership of more than two hundred DXers from around the world, Dx- India is the most reliable and only available source from which SW listeners getting valuable informations on day to day happenings in the broadcast industry in India. And I am so lucky that my name is also there among the winners of DX-India 10th Anniversary contest. Here is the detail result posted in DX_India:


Position        Name & location       Points
1 PATRICK ROBIC, LEIBNITZ, AUSTRIA 34

2 RAJESH CHANDWANI, GURGAON, INDIA 24

2 DMITRY MEZIN, KAZAN, RUSSIA 24

3 MUKESH KUMAR, MUZAFFARPUR, INDIA 23

4 ALEXANDER GOLOVIKHIN, TOGLIATTI, RUSSIA 22

5 PRITHWIRAJ PURKAYASTHA, JORHAT, INDIA 21

6 SUBIR BASU, KOLKATA, INDIA 20

7 BRUCE WHITE, KAROONDA, AUSTRALIA 17

8 MITUL KANSAL, MARKANDA, INDIA 16

9 STEVE HANDLER, IL, USA 15

9 MUKESH KR GOLA, HYDERABAD, INDIA 15

10 VLADIMIR ROZHKOV, KANSK, RUSSIA 12

11 MELWYN ALFRED, VIRUDHUNAGAR, INDIA 10

12 M.GANESAN, GOA, INDIA 7

13 SERGIUS PANASYUK, VINNYTSYA, UKRAINE 4

13 ANATOLY KLEPOV, MOSCOW, RUSSIA 4

13 K.P.MUNEER, SHARJAH, UAE 4

14 PETER NG, JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA 3

15 JORGE MEDINA, PUNTO FIJO, VENEZUELA 2

15 WILLIAMS LOPEZ, LARA, VENEZUELA 2

15 LUIS A. GUERRA, LARA, VENEZUELA 2

15 SIMON PETER LIEHR, MEISSEN, GERMANY 2

16 SHINICHI SHIRAISHI, SENDAI, JAPAN 1

16 SINIY VORON YAKUTSK RUSSIA 1

16 P.S.SEKAR, THALAINAYAR, INDIA 1


DX-India Founder Jose Jacob (Right) and Moderator Alokesh Gupta (Left)
{Photo Curtsy: http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/}

Notes on entries received :

- Rajesh Chandwani of Gurgaon,  India reported on highest no. of AIR sites - 24 out of 29 possible.

- Total entries received: 26
- Total countries: 12
- Total continents : 5 (except Africa)
- Total reports received: 365
- Total valid reports: 232
- The reception reports received will be forwarded to AIR 

DX India 10th anniversary special program via AWR Wavescan :


Total Reception Reports received : 40
Country wise breakdown :
India- 12
Russia- 7
Germany- 4
Japan- 3
Spain- 3
Indonesia- 2
Ukraine- 2
Bangladesh- 1
France- 1
Reunion Island - 1
Sweden- 1
UAE - 1
Uzbekistan- 1
Venezuela- 1


Postal reception reports received : 5

Emailed reception reports received : 35

- DX India QSL cards has been posted to all on 22nd June 2012.

- The reception reports received will be forwarded to AWR


QSL cards for DX India 10th Anniversary BCDX net conducted on 1st Oct 2011 will be sent separately. 

DX-India 10th Anniversary Special QSL (Curtsy: DX-India)


What was the contest all about?


Here is the details posted in DX-India Yahoo Group about the contest in September 2012. 

10th Anniversary DX India Contest


The details of the contest are as follows:

Contest Period: From 0000 UTC 1 October 2011 to 2359 UTC 10 October 2011.

Monitor as many SW stations of All India Radio (AIR) as possible.
Prepare Reception Reports for each AIR station on separate sheets.
Download the reception report format here : http://tinyurl.com/43o2mwk

Points are calculated depending upon the location of the Dxer as follows:

Asia/Oceania : 1 point per AIR station
Europe & Africa : 2 Points per AIR station
North & South America : 3 points per AIR station

Prizes: Awards for Top scoring Three Entries

- World Radio TV Handbook 2012 for top scoring entry from South Asia
- Danish SW Club Intl’s Domestic Broadcasting Survey-13
- Book “This is All India Radio” by U.L.Baruah
- Joe Carr’s Antenna Handbook
- DX India 10th Anniversary T-Shirts
- Special Postal covers from India on Communication
- Rare special cover on platinum jubilee of All India Radio
- Other prizes to be announced soon

In addition a Participation Certificate will be issued to all those who send entries. The Reception reports received will be forwarded to All India Radio for possible QSL'ing.

Send the entries by post/email postmarked before 31st October 2011

Email: dxindia10@gmail.com

Address: DX India 10th Anni. Contest, PO Box 4914, New Delhi 110029, India.

Results will be declared in December 2011.

Note: Out of 29 AIR SW stations, 25 are currently active. The detailed schedules are available at:

http://qsl.net/vu2jos/sw/loc.htm

http://qsl.net/vu2jos/sw/freq.htm

http://qsl.net/vu2jos/es/time.htm

Sponsors :

- World Radio TV Handbook www.wrth.com
- The Danish Shortwave Club International www.dswci.org
- DX India www.qsl.net/vu2jos
- Radioactivity http://alokeshgupta.blogspot.com

DX India special broadcast via AWR Wavescan

In the AWR Wavescan program to be broadcast on 2nd October 2011, there will be a special segment about 10th Anniversary of DX India.

The schedule of AWR Wavescan is:

1200-1230 UTC 17535 Wertachtal
1330-1400 UTC 11880 Guam
1430-1500 UTC 11720 Guam
1500-1530 UTC 11720 Guam
1530-1600 UTC 15255 Wertachtal
1600-1630 UTC 11805 Guam, 12035 Guam
1630-1700 UTC 11740 Guam

Also via WRMI.

Special QSL Cards will be issued for the same. Send your reception report at :

Address: DX India 10th Anni. QSL, PO Box 4914, New Delhi 110029, India.

Email: dxindia10@gmail.com

DX India special via Amateur Radio

BCDXers who are hams are requested to be on band for a friendly meeting on air on 1st October 2011, Saturday(10th anniversary of Dx India) and contact / monitor VU2JOS as follows.

0130-0200 UTC (7.00 am to 7.30 am IST) : 7073 kHz, LSB
1230-1300 UTC (6.00 pm to 6.30 pm IST) : 14160 kHz USB

Special QSL Cards will be issued for the same. Send your reception report at :

Address: DX India 10th Anni. QSL, PO Box 4914, New Delhi 110029, India.

Email: dxindia10@gmail.com

Looking forward to your participation !

Jose Jacob & Alokesh Gupta
DX India YG
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dx_india/

Saturday, June 23, 2012

My Jorhat, Lovely Jorhat....


Established as the new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the decaying and declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat as the name signifies, was just a couple(Jor) of marts (Hut). From these two parallel marts namely Chowkihut and Macharhut, which lay on the eastern and the western banks of the river Bhogdoi. Jorhat today has grown into a thriving cosmopolitan town with a strong sense of character and identity. It is the best laid out town in Upper Assam with broad roads, cutting each other at right angles. The variety of heterogeneity of the town population, specially its business community – comprising of Punjabis, Biharis, Marwaries, Bengalis and even odd South Indian is something commendable. Yet each person, irrespective of his place of origin, who has made Jorhat his home is staunchly loyal to his adopted home and fully identifies with it. Urban, polite and polished behaviour is the distinguishing features of an average Jorhat man. 






Jorhat is located between the Brahmaputra on the north and Nagaland on the south at 26 degree 46 minute’s north latitude and 96 degree 16 minute’s longitude in the central part of Brahmaputra Valley. “JORHAT” or “JOREHAUT” means two hats or mandis-“Macharhat” and “Chowkihat” which existed on the two different banks of the river Bhogdoi during the 18th Century, Jorhat was the last capital of the Ahom Kingdom. In the year 1794 the Ahom king Gaurinath shifted the capital from Sibsagar (erst-while ”Rangpur”) to Jorhat. This town was a flourishing and commercial metropolis but completely destroyed after a series of the Burmese invasions since 1817 till the arrival of the British force in the year 1824 under the Stewardship of David Scott and Captain Richard.

The British Rule, though, was not free from rebellions and revolutions, contributed to reemergence of this historical town. From the very first decade of the British rule, the great revolutionists who emerged were Gomdhar Konwar, Jeuram and Piyali, British system of administration, came into vouge in the year 1839 with an established Police Thana. During the great “Sepoy Mutiny” and Piyali Barua was sabotaged and these leader were hanged in public at this very place in 1858.



In 1885,a narrow gauge train services (Jorhat Provincial Railway)had come into operation and ultimately became instrumental in rapid growth of tea industry.

Though, the Civil Sub-division under Sibsagar district at Jorhat was formed in 1869,this great place was declared as administration head quarter of the undivided Sibsagar district in 1911 which comprised of the present Sibsagar, Jorhat and Golaghat and parts of Karbi-Anglong district with Major A. Playfare as the first Deputy Commissioner.

On the North of the district, the river Brahmaputra forms the largest riverine island of the world, MAJULI, spreading over 924.6 sq. Km. with a population of about 1.50 lakh being threatened by the constant erosion by this mighty, unstable river Majuli had been the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnavites since the ages of the Ahom rules. There are several Satras resembling medieval monastries headed by Satradhikars preaching and teaching the Vaishnavism which was initiated by Sankardeva (1449-1568). Each Satra has unknown wealth of Vaishnav Scriptures and exensive revenue free lands being cualativated by the “Bhakats” of the Satras.

Today Jorhat with its favourable geographical location is a must visit place which can offer you both gimps to the history and heritage of Assam with immense scope to visit some famous tourist destinations like Kaziranga National Park, Majuli, Sivasagar and hill town Mokokchung in Nagaland making Jorhat a base camp!! 


The town can be reached using road, rail and flights. The road connectivity to Jorhat from nearby towns and cities is also good.
Jorhat By Air
Jorhat has an airport that is located nearby and it is called the Rowraih Airport. The place is connected to some of the main cities in the country such as Bangalore, Guwahati and Kolkata. It has flights to places such as Shillong and Dibrugarh as well. Taxis are available and if you are landing at the airport, these can be used to reach the town.
Jorhat By Train
The town of Jorhat has a railway station that receives two trains from Guwahati. The nearest major railhead is the Mariani Junction that is located around 17 km from the town itself. The frequency of trains passing through this place is higher. Tickets rates for a second class sleeper berth are around Rs 170 from Guwahati to Jorhat. Taxis are available at both Jorhat Junction and Mariani Junction to the town center.
Starting StationTrainArrival at Jorhat                       Service Days
Guwahati (GHY)Jttn Intercity
(15605)
08:45 AM
(duration: 10h 15m)
All Days
Jan Shatabdi Ex
(12067)
01:10 PM
(duration: 6h 40m)
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri & Sat

Jorhat By Road
The city of Jorhat is about 308 km from Guwahati, a distance that is covered in about 6 hours by regular buses connecting both the cities. There are state as well as private bus services that are used for transportation to and from the place. Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) runs buses to Guwahati, Tezpur, Sibsagar, Tinsukia, Dimapur, Itanagar and to Kaziranga.



Around Johat:


Lachit Barphukan Maidam: Lachit Borphukan's Maidam was constructed in memory of Lachit Borphukan, an Ahom general. The General is remembered for his bravery and for commanding the army against the Mughals at Saraighat in 1672. The vault was constructed in order to honour this warrior of the 16th century, who helped the Ahom rulers in defeating the Mughals. 




Dhekiakhowa Bor Namghar: If you visit Assam as a pilgrim's place or you want to see top religious places in Assam than Dhekiahkowa Bor Namghar is a must see in Jorhat District in Assam. Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar actually needs no description for those who belive in the spiritual gurus of Assam Shankardev and Madhavdev. This legendary Namghar was established in 1461 A.D. by Sri Sri Madhabdev, the disciple of Sri Sri Sankardev (the preacher & propounder of Vaishnavism in Assam & the father figure of Assamese culture). Sri Madhabdev came by a boat through the river that flows beside the Namghar (Assamese place of worship) and alighted in this place. A very poor family used to live in this place. They offered Sri Madhabdev Dhekia Sak (an edible green leafy plant) to eat which he thoroughly liked. So this Namghar came to be known as Dhekia (the plant) khowa (eaten) Namghar. 



Kokilamukh & Shanti Ashrama: Situated only few kilometres away from Jorhat town on the banks of mighty Brahmaputra, Kokilamukh also has a historical background. It was here that Chandra Kanta Singha, one of the last of the Ahom kings was defeated by the Burmese. Another Ahom king Pratap Singha constructed a road along the Brahmaputra known as Bar-Ali from Dergaon to Garhgaon and Kokilamukh was an important place which touched this route. Later,the British first started their ferry service from Kokilamukh Ghat, and it was in 1912, that Nigamanda Param Shankha established the Shanti Ashram here. Purchasing an 80 bighas plot at Kumarveti Chapri village of Kokilamukh , the Math was instituted by Shri Shri Thakura Nigamananda with the asan of Gurubrhama in the propitious occasion of Akshay Tritiya on 7th Baisakh 1319 B.S. and named "Shanti Ashram". Many species of migratory birds come to the water bodies lies across Kokilamukh and nearing Janjimukh from all over the world every winter. Around 200 species of birds throng the water bodies, and occupy about 2,108 hectares of land along the Brahamaputra from Kokilamukh to Janjimukh every winter. Among these there are many species of pelicans, swans and several species of ducks including greater adjutant storks, swamp partridge and Siberian cranes. Every winter, thousands of migratory birds of different species, including grey and white pelicans, flock to this area. 





Nimati Ghat & Mou Chapori River Resort: Situated near Nimatighat on a small island of mighty Brahmaputra, Mou Chapori River Resort is a nice place at Jorhat. Its a small river island (on mighty Brahmaputra) and an ideal place for family outings. Cottages are pretty decent and available at affordable prices. The sunrise and sunset view over the river Brahmaputra is amazing. It has a wonderful children's park. 






Majuli: Majuli is the world’s biggest riverine island and a principal place of pilgrimage for the Vaishnavites of Assam since the Ahom days. There are several Satras of Vaishnava religious creed. Of these holy seats, Auniati, Daksinpath, Garamur and Kamlabari are the four most prominent. What is of special importance is its satra establishment, consisting of separate structures, built for different purposes. 







Mariani: Mariani is a neighbourhood railway town of Jorhat City. .It is about 17.5 km for Jorhat. Mariani is in the border of Nagaland.  Mariani is famous for the diamonds Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located on the road side on the way to Nakachari from Mariani at a distance of 5 km, and also for its foreign goods market and that tasty Dhosa prepared by a railway vendor inside railway platform. This small town is surrounded by some of the largest tea gardens in India. It is also well connected with the rest of the country for it is an important railway junctions. 









Gibbon Wild Life Sanctuary: Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, famed for its hoolock gibbon population, is an isolated wildlife forest surrounded by tea plantations situated near Mariani, around 20 kms from Jorhat town. This sanctuary was established with the aim to protect the hoolock gibbon, an ape species, in the country. Hoolock Gibbons are the only apes found in India (apart from a billion humans of course!). They have long forelimbs and shorter hind limbs which are very conducive for these animals to move around the forest by swinging along the branches on the canopy of the forest. They are almost entirely arboreal and come down to the ground only in exceptional situations. They even quench their thirst from the water content in the leaves on the canopy. Hence a well connected dense rainforest is essential for the survival of this species.

The Hollongapar sanctuary was once contiguous with the forests of Nagaland. Extensive logging and establishment of tea gardens all around the sanctuary have completely fragmented and isolated this patch of forest from the forests of Nagaland. Today, this sanctuary measures about 20 sq kms (20.98 sq km officially but the actual area is around 19 sq km) and is fragmented into 5 segments.

There are about 40 species of mammals that live in the sanctuary. Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary protects capped langur, stump-tailed macaque, pigtail macaque, Assamese macaque, rhesus macaque and slow loris. It is also a habitat for elephant, leopard, Chinese pangolin, Malayan giant squirrel, Assamese macaque and capped langurs. 








Thengal Mennor & Kaziranga Golf Resort: Now converted into heritage resort and hotel Heritage North East Group the Thengal Manor is a 72 year old mansion in Jorhat. Its name is written in the annals of history because on 12th August 1935, the first daily newspaper in the Assamese language, ‘Dainik Batori’ was launched from here. Thengal House was constructed in the year 1929 by Rai Bahadur Siva Prasad Barooah. Thengal offers you the unique pleasure of gracious living in the lap of nature. Plush suites of single and double bedrooms with baths and dressing rooms attached.


Located at Sangsua and Gatoonga Tea Estates in Jorhat the KAZIRANGA GOLF RESORT is conceived as premium, futuristic abode for spending a holiday in a colonial tea environment, learning the game of golf at one of the largest Golf Academy and 18 hole championship Golf Course and enjoying life in a natural setting. The Heritage North East will take you back in time when you visit Kaziranga Golf Resort and ‘Burra Sahib’s Bungalow’ built during 1900-1905. Starting with the British colonial exterior, soak in the sprawling interiors of carpeted floors, four bedrooms, high ceilings, verandahs with sloping roofs and a panoramic view of acres of flower-bedecked garden. Named after the 150 year old giant Banyan tree this Bungalow (previously known as Mistry Sahib’s Bungalow) is a part of the Resort and located 15 minutes drive away from the Club House.






Ayur Sanjeeva Ayurvedic Resort: Situated at around seven kelometers away from main town amidst the greenery of the tea garden and having the vast open land Malow Pathar behind it and with the perpetual cool breeze coming from the nearby Brahamaputra, this resort is going to be the dreamland for nature lovers. The outsiders who have the curiosity for Assamese tea gardens can easily access the beauty and knowledge about it. Another centre of attraction in Ayur Sanjeeva is the Santhigiri Ayurveda Village. It is a division of Santhigiri Healthcare and Research Organisation. In this healthcare centre some chronic diseases are treated with Kerala’s age-old Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatments and specialised Ayurveda and Siddha medicines. Among these diseases paralysis, arthritis, spondylities, rheumatism, muscular pains, sprains, dislocation, hypertension, sinusitis, migraine, diabetes, asthma, psoriasis, piles, fistula, obesity, jaundice, kidney disorders are remarkable. 





Shyam Gaon, Titabor: Titabor Shyam Gaon, located around 20 km away from Jorhat town, is the picturesque village has an enticing old-world charm. It is very much similar to Naam Phakial Gaon in Tinsukia which trace their ancestry to the great Tai race. The village folk here speak a dialect similar to the language in Thailand and still follow the traditional customs and dress code of the great Tai race, which is found across South Asia, Southeast Asia and China. They are Buddhist in religion. They have their own separate scripts and has also preserved in a few manuscripts, which are mainly religious scriptures. These manuscripts are written in Tai-scripts, which are preserved in their village Vihars.






Within Jorhat Town Area:








Kushal Konwar & Kamala Miri Cemetery: The participation of Assam in India’s struggle for freedom was at par with any other part of the country. Many eminent persons from the State joined hands with the leaders of the Indian National Congress and participated in important movements that were carried on from time to time. Many young men and women fell victim to the bullets of the police and the army. Kushal Kunwar , a valiant hero of 42's rebellion went to the gallows with a smiling face on 15th June 1943 being falsely implicated in a train derailment case that took place at Sarupathar. Konwar was the secretary of the congress party at that time. Although the derailment was caused by a group of revolutionaries, Konwar, a votary of non-violence who had gone to the sight to stop the revolutionaries from taking a violent step was caught and sentenced to death. He is the only martyr who went to gallows in 1942 in India. Kamala Miri, an Assamese Mishing hero of 42's rebellion sacrificed his life for the cause of the country in Jorhat Jail on 22nd April 1943. Miri refused to come out of the prison by giving into the demand of the British who wanted a written assurance from him that he would not participate in the struggle movement henceforth. Cemetery of both these great son of Assam situated near Jorhat Central Jail. This is worth place to visit in Jorhat.








Burigosani Than or Devalay: The Burigosain and the priest were brought from Jayantiya after defeating that king and were established first at Rangpur. When the capital was shifted to Jorhat, the image of Burigosain was also shifted and placed in a temple which lies in the middle of the town. It is a sakta Shrine and centre of Hindu religious practices in Jorhat.







Chandrakanta Handique Bhaban: The Chandrakanta Handique Bhavan, donated by late Radhakanta Handique, is the headquarters of Asom Sahitya Sabha. It was built in 1926. Personalities like late Chandradhar Baruah, late Dimbeswar Neog, late Mitradev Mahanta and others form Jorhat adorned the presidentship of Asom Sahitya Sabha.







River Bhogdoi: Bhogdoi is the main source of water for people in Jorhat. The Bhogdoi River is a tributary of the Brahmaputra in India. From its origin in the Naga hills it flows through the City of Jorhat and then it merges with another river and its name becomes Gelabill. As per history said, Bhogdoi is the artificially made by Ahoms to meet the water requirements of Jorhat. Today Bhogdoi has become an integral part of every Jorhatian's life.







Gar-Ali: Visitors to Garali are enchanted by the richness of its culture, touched by the warmth of its people, amazed by the grandeur of its monuments and delighted by the excellent standards of hotels. An evening at Gar-Ali includes visits to Burigohani Than, Bahadur Gaobura's cemetery, Jyotiprasad Memorial, walk through Gar-Ali, taste the snacks at Belly Amy's bakery, taste the “Doi” (Curd) of Suresh Bhandar or Enjoy some testy pizzas at Crazy Hut or Even You can enjoy a latest bollywood film in Smritigopal Cinema Hall or Elley Cinema. Gar-Ali is the main shopping centre in Jorhat where you can find sales outlets of many top brands. Also this Gar-Ali hosts all the festivity of Jorhat including Mahalaya, Bijaya Dashami, Idd, Bihu and many more. You can say that is place is the backbone of Jorhat town and the place of joy.






Rajmao Pukhuri or Borpukhuri: This is a historic Rajmao pukhuri was built by Swargadeo Chandra Kanta Singha in 1816, has become a become a favoured spot for ‘morning walkers.’. The park attached to it is also a attraction of Jorhat along with the adjacent Idd Gah and 100 years old Jorhat Tennis Club.









Gymkhana Club & Annual Horse Race: Jorhat is regarded as the nerve center of the tea industry of India. During the 1860s and 1870s, the entire city was gradually dotted with a number of tea gardens. Due to the dull and lonely life at the plantation sites, the planters decided to set up a club in the area. In 1876, the planters, led by the Superintendent of the Jorhat Tea Co. - J. Huttman, constructed a club and racecourse in the state. The original Gymkhana Club was only a quaint little woodhouse, situated in the middle of the racecourse, about 2 km to the east of the present building. The present clubhouse was constructed in the year 1885, offering a wide range of socio cultural activities, sports and recreation, including includes tennis, billiards, bridge, races, flower balls, seasonal balls, and bars. With time, the Gymkhana Club of Jorhat came to be renowned all across India and became a major tourist attraction of Assam.




Gymkhana Club has a lush green 9-hole golf course. This is regarded as the world’s third oldest golf course and as such, is vying for a place in the list of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Apart from this, the other attractions in the club include swimming pool, polo and a cinema theatre. The club boasts of being a famous venue for holding a number of matches, like the CK Naidu Cricket tournament matches, the Tea Tourism Festival (2002) and annual historic horse races. A major trophy awarded here every year is the “Governor’s Trophy”. Famous as the "Jorhat Races", are among the oldest sporting events in the State of Assam. Since 1877, the races have run annually. To the Mising Tribe of Assam, the 132 year old Jorhat Races are as important as India's premier classic - The Indian Derby. Both events run annually on the 1st Sunday of February.

Tinikunia Pukhuri: One doesn’t have to go far from the madding crowd to enjoy this idyllic spot. Right in the midst of the cacophony lies the serene Tinikunia Pukhuri, a bird’s paradise, but seldom visited because of an overgrowth of grass and bushes. This has now been developed into a walkers’ paradise complete with a quaint pathway along the lakeside, swings for children, a fountain and grill fence by the district administration and Lions Club. The pond was dredged by the Jorhat Municipal Board to generate electricity in 1923. Initially, it had an area of more than 65 bighas but now the area is nearly 18 bighas. In winter, the pond is visited by birds of all kinds, many of them migratory.







Bangalpukhuri: Bangalpukhari is a historical tank located to the south of Jorhat town near Na-ali, in Assam. The history of the tank dates back to 1739 of the Saka era. In the month of Shravan of same year, Badan Barphukan was murdered by Rupsinghh Bangal, when he was going to take bath here. Badan Barphukan, an Ahom Governor who for his personal gains brought soldiers from Burma and tortured the innocent people of Assam with an unimaginable cruelty.Rupsinghh Bangal was rewarded with some money for this act, which he spent in renovating this tank. The water of this tank is not used because it was excavated with the money received for killing a man.

Raja Maidam: An important site in Jorhat, Raja Maidam is the vault of King Purandar Sinha who died on the 1st October, 1894. It is situated on the south bank of Toklai River. This maidam was constructed to preserve the ashes of the late king.

Toklai Tea Experimental Station: The beginning of a new era of tea research in India was marked by the establishment of the Scientific Department of Indian Tea Association (ITA) in the year 1900. This was consolidated with the creation of the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911. The formation of the Tea Research Association (TRA) in 1964 with Tocklai at the centre of all activities further expanded the horizon of tea research to cover the entire Northeast India. Research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing is carried out at Tocklai Experimental station, Jorhat the oldest and the largest research station of its kind in the world.



Fair & Festivals of Jorhat:


Jorhat is the cultural capital of Assam and also the most Joyful city in Upper Assam. Here people from different culture and community live together and celebrate their festivals with great joy and collective participation. The main festival of Jorhat is Bihu which is also the state festival of Assam. Apart from this Durga Puja, Ganesh Mahotsav, Shiv Ratri, Idd, Christmas, Guru Purnima, Buddha Purnima, etc. are celebrated in diffetent religious institutions spread across the town. The annual Tea Tourism Festival and Horse Race held at Gymkhana Club, the annual Assam Mohotsav held at Kachari Field providing a window to the state's diversity of culture, the annual Trade Fair, Expo, Book Fair, etc. are also attraction of Jorhat, where one can find the prove of how Jorhatians living together united in immense diversity of culture and religion. 













Compiled By: Prithwiraj Purkayastha

Photos: Prithwi's Photography & Some other internet source.

Curtsy: All named and unnamed sources from where materials collected.