Overview

Baksa district was carved out of a part of Nalbari, Barpeta, Kamrup, Tamalpur and a small portion of Darrang district. As a result of the historic BTC(Bodoland Territorial Council) accord signed on February 10, 2003, formed BTAD(Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District) was formed with five districts, namely Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa Tamalpur, and Udalguri. Though the original word 'Baksa' is not above controversy, a good chunk of the population prefers to use 'Bagsa' in lieu of 'Baksa'. The popular assumption that 'Baksa' is the misspelt form of 'Bangsa'--a 'Dzonkha' word meaning a farm house and a corridor, as it is known that the Bhutanese king and subjects used this area for trade and passage to the plains. 'Bangsa' (Bagsa or Baksa) was in fact one of the most important 'Dooars' of Bhutan.

Another source says that the name "Bagsa" originated from the Bhutanese language. According to the Bhutanese origin, they denoted the area as "Bagsa Duar". "Bagsa" meaning one kind of rice, and "Duar" meaning entrance point. As the Bhutanese king ruled these areas for a long time in the first half of the nineteenth century, it might be possible that the name "Bagsa" or "Baksa" had a Bhutanese origin.

According to Bodo source the name originated from a kind of rice grain which is known as "Bagsa". The said rice grain is one kind of broken and uncleaned product that is gained after milling the rice.

As the name Baksa is itself derived from various sources and antecedents so there exists lots of controversy over the name. But still today, no concrete evidence has been found that might determine the final source. Only popular sources and folklore are evident, but no historical source has been found. So serious research needs to be done in this respect.

Now the name Baksa is officially taken and used.

Why visit Baksa?

Baksa district is located in the northwestern part of Assam, with the district headquarters at Mushalpur, which is 105 km away from the State Capital, Guwahati, and 20 km away from National Highway No. 31 towards the North. The district headquarters is linked to the National Highway 31 mainly at two junction points, namely Barama and Kadamtola, which are about 14 and 18 Km away from Nalbari district HQ towards West via NH 31. The main mode of connectivity to the district is through the road. The district shares the privilege of being the International Boundary with Bhutan in the North with a mixed topography of plains and foothills. The gentle and gradual slopes can be seen stretching from the foothills of Bhutan and reaching out to the southern tips of Barpeta, Nalbari and Kamrup districts. The East and Western boundaries of the district repectively shares with the neighbouring district of Odalguri (Earlier Udalguri) or Chirang.

The vegetation of the district is characterised mainly by lush green forest and varieties of flora and fauna. Manas National Park stands out as the glaring example of this bio-diversified feature of the district.

The climate of the district is sub-tropical in nature with warm and humid summer, and also followed by cool and dry winter. The average rainfall of the district is found to be 76 mm in recent years.

Best Time to Visit ?

From October to March, Baksa welcomes you with its pleasant weather.  The best time to visit Manas National Park is between November and April, when the weather is pleasant, and the park is fully accessible for jeep and elephant safaris. While the park is open during these months, the peak season for spotting animals like the Bengal tiger and one-horned rhino is March to April.

How to reach: 

By road connectivity:
i) From Adabari Bus Terminal, Guwahati, there is a direct bus service to Mushalpur(HQ). The distance is about 100 Km.

ii) From Adabari Bus Terminal, Guwahati, there is a direct bus service to Tamulpur Sub-Div HQ. The distance is about 60 Km.

iii) From Adabari Bus Terminal, Guwahati, there is a direct bus service to Salbari Sub-Div HQ. The distance is about 160 Km.

iv) There are several Bus services and small car services(Winger, Cruiser, etc.) from Adabari and Basistha Chariali, Guwahati via NH31 touching two connection points to the Dist HQ (one at Barama, another at Kadamtola) (Distance Ghy-Barama via NH31 is about 75 Km and Ghy-Kadamtola via NH31 is about 80 Km)
 

By Train: 

The district does not have a railway station at HQ. The only railway station at Goreswar under the Tamulpur district area is also not functioning due to BG line conversion work. The nearest railway station is Tihu, which falls under the Nalbari district(Distance 35 Km from District HQ). The distance of Nalbari Railway Station from Dist. HQ is about 45 Km and Distance of Pathsala Railway Station(under Barpeta district) is about 50 Km.
The distance of Guwahati Railway Station to the District HQ by road (via NH 31) is about 105 Km.

By Air: 

The nearest airport is Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Borjhar. The distance from Dist. HQ is about 130 Km.

Entry and Exit points to different areas of Baksa district touching NH31 towards north
1) Baihata Chariali(NH31) --> Goreswar --> Naokata
2) Rangia (NH31) --> Tamulpur --> Kumarikata --> Patkijuli
3) Rangia (NH31) --> Tamulpur --> Nagrijuli
4) Ghagrapar (NH31) --> Tamulpur
5) Nalbari (NH31)(Ganesh Mandir) --> Baganpara --> Nayabasti --> Subankhata --> Uttarkuchi
6) Barama (NH31) --> Barimakha --> Barbari --> Pakhamara (proposed National Highway)
7) Barama (NH31) --> Geruapara --> Bhalukdonga --> Adalbari --> Mushalpur(Dist. HQ) --> Nikashi
8) Kadamtola (NH31) --> Bhalukdonga --> Adalbari --> Barimukh --> Mushalpur(HQ) --> Nikashi
9) Tihu Chowk (NH31) --> Athiabari --> Thamna --> Charaimari --> Doomni
10) Patacharkuchi (NH31) --> Jalah --> Anchali --> Simla --> Daodhara --> Nganglam(Bhutan)
11) Pathsala (NH31) --> Anchali --> Simla --> Daodhara --> Nganglam(Bhutan) (NH 152)
12) Bhabanipur (NH31) --> Saudarbhita --> Salbari --> Rupahi
13) Barpeta Road (NH31) --> Gobardhana --> Basbari --> Manas National Park --> Mathanguri
14) Barpeta Road (NH31) --> Doomni Bridge --> Labdanguri

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Natural Tourism

History:

As the district is predominantly inhabited by the Bodo people so the influence of Bodo art and culture is seen much in the district. Along with it, the culture of other caste and tribes can also be seen in the district.

Dress: Generally, two cultural trends can be seen in Baksa district. One is general and other is that of tribal people. While the General women wear Mekhela Sador and Saris, the tribal people especially Bodo women wear Dokhona. All the male people irrespective of caste and creed wear Long-pant while at outdoors and Gamocha when in home.

Dance: Different kinds of dances are prevalent in Baksa district. As there is different kinds of tribes living in the district, their dance is also different. While Assamese speaking people's favourite dance is Bihu, Bodos and other tribes have divergent types of dances. Varied Bodo dances are- Bagurumba, Kherai, Mwchaglangnai, Daosa-Thwi- Lwngnai, Rwnswndri etc. Adivasi dances are- Jhumoor dance, Karam dance, Domkaich dance etc.. Nepali dances are- Sangini dance, Loknritya, Khukri dance etc.

Festivals: Almost all kinds of festivals are celebrated in the district. International, National and Local- every festival is celebrated with pomp and gaiety. International festivals like Christmas, 31st Dec Night and New Years day is very popular with Christian masses in particular and non-Christian in general. National festivals like Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Diwali, Ganesh Puja, Rash Yatra, Saraswati Puja etc. are also celebrated with equal spirit and fervour. Local festivals like- Bihu, Bwisagu, Magh Bihu, Magw, Bathou Puja etc. are also observed with pomp and gaiety.

Did you know?

The Baksa district is inhabited by mainly Bodo-Kachari, Assamese, Sarania-Kachari, Koch-Rajbonshi, Adibashi(Tea Tribe), Nepali, Bengali and religious minorities.