Tezpur Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Tezpur Town
Head-quarters of Darrang District, Eastern Bengal and Assam, situated in 26° 37' N. and 92° 47' E., on the right bank of the Brahmaputra. The town is small, but is steadily growing in size. Population (1901), 5,047. Communications with the outside world are maintained chiefly by the river steamers which ply between Calcutta and Dibrugarh ; but the north trunk road passes through the town, and a light railway runs from Tezpur ghat to Balipara, about 20 miles north. Tezpur is said to have been the capital of a mythical Hindu prince, Bana Raja, who engaged in a sanguinary conflict with Krishna. His palace is popularly believed to have stood on a site now occupied by the Deputy-Commissioner's office, and numerous carved stones and pillars are found lying about the town. A little to the west are the ruins of a large stone temple which was evidently erected many centuries ago. The material em- ployed was granite, and some of the shafts, which are 8 feet high and 11/2 feet in circumference, were hewn from a single block of stone. In its original condition this temple must have been a fine example of the mason's art ; but it has been utterly destroyed, and hardly one stone is left standing upon another. The town has been laid out with great taste and judgement, and presents a pretty and park- like appearance. The houses of the European residents are built on low hills along the river front, from which on a clear day a mag- nificent view is to be obtained of the Himalayan snows. The native quarter lies farther away. Tezpur is the head-quarters of the Dis- trict staff, and, in addition to the usual public buildings, contains a lunatic asylum, a hospital with 40 beds, and a jail with accom- modation for 310 persons. The convicts are principally employed in weaving, bamboo and cane work, oil-pressing, and surkhi-pounding. The town was formed into a municipality in 1893. The municipal receipts and expenditure during the nine years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 17,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 17,000, chiefly derived from fees from pounds and markets (Rs. 5,100) and a grant from Provincial revenues (Rs. 5,000), while the expenditure of Rs. 16,000 included conservancy (Rs. 5,300) and public works (Rs. 5,000). There are no manufactures of any importance, but the bazar contains the warehouses of several substantial merchants who sell grain, piece- goods, salt, and oil, and buy rubber, mustard, and other country produce. The chief educational institution is a high school, which in 1903-4 had an average attendance of 189 boys. A small detach- ment of military police is stationed in the town, and loi members of the Assam Valley Light Horse are resident in the District.
