Baghmara
Baghmara is the only town in South Garo Hills District .This is
a very important commercial town situated on the right bank of Simsang
river. It is the headquarters of the newly created South Garo Hills
district. The distance of this town is 122 kilometres from Tura.
It lies on the international border Bangladesh and Garo Hills.
The name Baghmara is given by the Bengali inhabitants who settled
in and around Baghmara. The original name of this small town was
Konagittim where it market place was known as Chimonganli.
This Baghmara has its name after its founder Pa Balman A.Sangma
whose nickname was Bong, who was born in 1840 at Siju village. During
the British Administration, he had been appointed as Laskar in 1877.
He came and settled at Konagittim after being made Laskar. He used
to trade in agar wood which was obtained from the jungles. Bong
Laskar had earned reputation as a trader and philanthropist. Thus
'Chimonganti' is named as Bong Bazaar after him.
In the year 1886, one day he killed a huge tiger at this spot
with his bare hands by tearing its jaws apart. Thus he was apparently
reputed as an intrepid hunter of more than ordinary strength. Local
accounts suggest that the tiger was nine feet three inches long.
The news of this feat spread all over the country side and hence
the place became Baghmara (Bagh - tiger, mara - killed) and that
whole area was called Baghmara.
After Independence, the importance of Baghmara as a trading centre
dwindled owing to the closure ot the natural outlet through what
was then East Pakistan. A weekly market is, however, still being
held on Tuesday. It used to be a flourishing market during the pre-partition
days, where the manifold produces of the southern slopes of Garo
Hills used to find a good market. Baghmara is popular for the tasty
fish caught from Simsang river which flows through the township.
Exquisitely tasty Simsang-River-fish makes Baghmara a gourmet's
delight.
At present, Baghmara has become one of the more important places
in the State, being the headquarters of the district and also Dambuk
A'ga Development Block. It also has all the amenities of a town
like Post Office, Hospital, Veterinary Hospital, High Schools, Middle
Schools and a newly created College.
Baghmara and its environs are well known for the rare carnivorous
pitcher-plant, which is locally known in Garo as Memang Koksi.
Baghmara, is the birthplace of Captain Williamson A. Sangma, the
founder Chief Minister of Meghalaya. It is the socio-cultural hub
of the Garos of South Garo Hills and is the principal growth centre
of the area.
Baghmara is 122 kilometres off Tura on the Tura-Bagmara-Moheskhola
Highway and it is 445 kms away from the state Capital Shillong.
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General Information & Accomdation info on Baghmara city of Meghalaya - India
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