India: All about Assam Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bharalu

The Bharalu (also known as the "Bhorolu") flows through the centre of Dispur. A tributary of the Brahmaputra River, the Bharalu is one of the most polluted rivers in not only Assam, but all of India.

The river starts in the Khasi Hills of neighbouring Indian state, Meghalaya, flows through Dispur and the city the capital is a suburb of, Guwahati, before reaching its confluence with the Brahmaputra. Rubbish from restaurants, businesses, markets and untreated sewage and waste from citizen homes regularly end up in the river, which serves as a drainage section for Guwahati. The Bharalu is thought to be the main cause of contamination for the Brahmaputra, which is concerning as the Brahmaputra serves as the main source of Guwahati's water supply.

The risk of illness and effects on the quality of life has been a great concern for the citizens of Dispur and Guwahati. Guwahati has no pipelines for sewage, no network to transport the sewage nor any sewage treatment plants to deal with the problem. The city relies on septic tanks kept underground to contain the sewage, however this carries a great risk of groundwater contamination. The Indian government is looking to resolve the problem, and are discussing plans to establish sewage treatment plants in the city, and the rest of Assam.

Answer: Bangladesh and Bhutan

Bhutan lies north of India and shares a border with four Indian states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal. The India-Bhutan border is around 435 miles (700 km) long, and the Assam-Bhutan border constitutes around 165 miles (270 km) of this.

Bangladesh lies south of India and shares a border with five Indian states, including Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and West Bengal. The border between India and Bangladesh is around 2,545 miles (4,095 km) in total, with just over 530 miles (855 km) of this border being between Assam and Bangladesh.

Answer: Himachal Pradesh

The state of Assam is shaped somewhat like the letter "Y" lying on its side. Nagaland and Manipur lie east of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura lie south of Assam, Meghalaya lies south and west of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh lies north of Assam and West Bengal lies west of Assam, via the Siliguri Corridor (which is a 14 miles (22 km) wide strip of land that connects Assam to the rest of India).

Himachal Pradesh is located further north in India, and is the northernmost Indian state (with Assam and its surrounding states being in the north-east).

Answer: Greater one-horned rhinoceros

Also known as the Indian rhinoceros, the greater one-horned rhinoceros was saved from the brink of extinction thanks to the Kaziranga National Park, which has the largest population of the species in the world living there. The Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is also home to elephants, panthers, bears, tigers and many birds. The park is the largest natural area undisturbed by humans in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. The park encompasses an area of 170 square miles (430 square km).

The Kaziranga National Park also holds one of the highest densities of tigers in the world. In 2006 it was declared a tiger reserve.

Also in Assam, the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of the greater one-horned rhinoceros in the world.

Answer: Digboi

Located in the northeast of Assam in the Tinsukia district, Digboi was the site of the first oil well dug in India, in the 1860s. A Canadian worker was alleged to have shouted "Dig boy, dig!" which is where the town gets its name from. The first oil refinery was established here around 1901 by the Assam Oil Company Ltd, but now is now owned by the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Digboi remains India's longest oilfield still in operation, although the crude oil production is not as much as it was.

Answer: Garhgaon

Founded by the Tai prince Sukaphaa, in 1228 AD, the Ahom Kingdom existed during the Middle Ages throughout the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam. The kingdom was prevalent for almost 600 years, between 1228-1826 AD. It became a full state in its own right under the reign of Suhungmung between 1497-1593 AD. The society was very multicultural, with different ethnic groups and traditions being mixed together in a process called "Ahomisation." The society operated under the Paik system, in which labour was forced and unpaid and undertaken by able adult males. Nobles, royalty, priests, slaves and those of a high caste were excused from this labour. Land was given to peasants in exchange for military service. Bartering was more common in the kingdom than the use of money. The Ahom Kingdom became occupied by Burma after frequent invasions by the Burmese starting in 1817, and culminating in the occupation.

Garhgaon is a town in Assam established by Ahom King Suklenmung, in 1540. It lies around 9 miles (15 km) away from the Assamese city of Sivasagar, around a 30 minute drive away from the city.

The Kareng Ghar (also known as the "Garhgaon Palace") is one of the most well-preserved and striking examples of Ahom architecture. The palace was destroyed, but began to be rebuilt around 1751-52 under the orders of Ahom king, Suremphaa. It was used as a residence for Ahom royalty. It has three underground floors and two tunnels should the Ahom royals have ever needed to escape an invading army, or some form of rebellion. It now stands as a seven story grand reminder of the Ahom Kingdom and its history.

Answer: Rhesus macaque

The rhesus macaques (also known as the rhesus monkey) frequent the Negheriting Shiva Doul, adding to its status as a tourist attraction. The temple was built between the 8th and 9th centuries by the Kacharis, pre-dating the Ahom Kingdom. The temple had to be rebuilt after natural disasters occurred in the area, however, the temple was destroyed again when Dihing River changed course, sinking the temple into the river.

However, the temple was rebuilt and refurbished under the orders of Ahom king, Rajeswar Singha.

A worshipper of Shiva found the lingam from the ruined temple in the river, and bought it to Rajeswar Singha, who used it to reconstruct the temple.

Answer: Arunachal Pradesh

Also known as the "Bhupen Hazarika Setu" after Assamese Indian poet, musician and film maker, Bhupen Hazarika, Dhola Sadiya Bridge spans the Lohit River, which is one of the largest tributaries of the Brahmaputra. This beam bridge is just over 5 miles (9 km) long, and is around 40 foot (13 m) wide. It is India's longest bridge over water.

The bridge began to be constructed in 2011 and was completed and opened to the public in 2017. It was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in 2017. The bridge is built to handle the weight of army tanks, should the Indian army ever need to use it, and can take the weight of a 60 tonne (130,000 pound) army tank. The location of the bridge is significant, because since the Sino-Indian War of 1962, China has claimed that Arunachal Pradesh belongs to them, and not India.

Answer: Nagaon

The town of Nagaon is located in the Nagaon district, Assam, around 75 miles (120 km) east of Guwahati. The Kolong River, an anabranch of the Brahmaputra River, flows through the middle of the city splitting it in two. Revered Assamese writer, Anandaram Dhekial Phukan, spent a lot of his life in Nagaon.

With construction being begun in 2003 and completed in 2021, the Maha Mrityunjay Temple is shaped like a lingam and is around 125 feet (40 m) high. The temple was damaged during a 6.7 earthquake in 2021, but the damage occurred mainly by cracking the top, with no structural damage occurring.

Answer: Hajo

Located at the top of the Garudachal Hill in the small town of Hajo in Lower Assam, the Powa Mecca ("1/4th Mecca") is the most popular Muslim pilgrimage site in Assam. Hajo also attracts pilgrimages from Hindus and Buddhists, with Hindus visiting shrines to Shiva, Shakti etc. Buddhists (especially ones who are from neighbouring Bhutan and Tibet) believe that Hajo is where Buddha died. There are temples and other structures here over a thousand years old.

Pir Giasuddin Auliya was important in spreading Islam throughout Assam. The mosque where his tomb is was constructed in around 1657 AD by Sujauddin Mohammed Shah, during the rule of Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. It is said that a Muslim will receive a fourth of the benefits of visiting the mosque, that they would have got by visiting Mecca.

Answer: Rang Ghar

Standing since around 1746 AD, and nicknamed "the Colosseum of the East," Rang Ghar means "House of Entertainment" in Assamese. It stands as a well-preserved and important reminder of the grand beauty of Assamese architecture. It was originally built using wood and bamboo under the orders of the 30th king of the Ahom Kingdom, Pramatta Singha, but was later rebuilt with brick under the direction of Sunenphaa, a following ruler of the Ahom Kingdom. Pramatta Singha established the building to be used for Ahom royalty and the upper class to enjoy watching buffalo fighting and other events.

In modern history, Rang Ghar was chosen in 2007 to be the logo of the 33rd National Games held in Assam that year. Because of the regular earthquakes in the area and seismic disturbance by oil companies, Rang Ghar has unfortunately sustained over 30 noticeable cracks in its architecture.

Answer: Bengali and Boro

A Sino-Tibetan language, Boro is widely spoken in Assam, with the Boro people constituting the largest ethnolinguistic group in the the state.

Bengali is mainly spoken in Assam in the Barak Valley region. Bengali is also an official language of Assam's neighbouring Indian states, Tripura and West Bengal. It is also the most widely spoken language in India's neighbouring country, Bangladesh, with around 98% of the population of Bangladesh speaking it as a first language.

Answer: Tea

Assam is renowned for its tea. Assam tea is made from the camellia sinensis plant, which is indigenous to the state. Tea planters have tried to plant Chinese tea plants in Assam soil, but the plants would not prosper in the soil. Assam tea is known for its strong and malty flavour which is made possible by the humid conditions of Assam, due to the regular rainfall combined with heat in the state.

In contrast to India's other renowned teas, such as Darjeeling in West Bengal and Nilgiri in Tamil Nadu which grow in the highlands, Assam tea is grown in the lowlands of the state. Generations of tea farmers exist in Assam, even being referred to as the "tea tribes" by the Assamese government, with the groups being referred to strictly because of their profession. The tea tribes are multi ethnic.

Answer: Kamakhya Temple

Located in western Assam in the Nilachal hills in Guwahati, the Kamakhya Temple is one of the oldest temples in India that espouses Tantra. Built around the 8th-9th centuries, the temple is of Hindu architecture, and specifically is first of the nilachal style that is prevalent around Assam. It is also the eldest of the 51 pithas (important shrines and pilgrimage sites) revered in Shaktism, a Hindu sect which focuses mainly on Hindu goddesses. The temple is actually a complex of temples, with each one being dedicated to individual goddesses of Shaktism, such as Kamakhya (Hindu goddes of sex), Kali (goddess of destruction, time and power), Chhinnamasta (goddess of recreation, destruction and death), Tara (goddess of wisdom), etc.

The Ambubachi Mela is held in the temple annually, during the monsoon season to celebrate the menstruation of the goddess Kamakhya. The temple is closed for three days to allow the goddess to rest during this time, and then reopened on the fourth day of the festival for the worshippers to give Kamakhya offerings.

Answer: Majuli

Majuli is accessible via ferry from the the city of Jorhat, Assam. It is around 250 miles (400 km) away from Guwahati. At the start of the 20th century, Majuli encompassed an area of around 485 square miles (1,255 square km) but is continually shrinking due to the constant growth of the Brahmaputra River that surrounds it.

Assamese is the dominant language on the island. Birds migrate to the island in winter, including the pelican, the greater adjutant, the snow crane and the lesser whistling duck. The southern part of Majuli is particularly good for bird watching.