Itanagar () is the capital and largest town of the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The seat of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the seat of government of Arunachal Pradesh, and the seat of Gauhati High Court permanent bench at Naharlagun are all in Itanagar. Being the hub of all the major economic bases, Itanagar, along with the adjacent town of Naharlagun, comprise the administrative region of the Itanagar Capital Complex Region. This stretches from the Itanagar Municipal limit at Chandranagar Town extended until Nirjuli Town, and is a major junction of cultural, economic, fashion, education and recreational activities.
Etymology
Itafort, ‘the fort of bricks’ from which the state capital derives its name, is situated in the heart of Itanagar. The fort has an irregular shape, built mainly with bricks dating back to the 14th-15th century of Mayapur of Ramachandra, a king of the Jitari Dynasty.
Geography
Itanagar is located at . It has an average elevation of 320 metres.
Climate
Itanagar features a humid subtropical climate (Köppen:
Cwa), with dry, mild winters and hot, humid and wet summers.
Culture
Itanagar has a number of tribes, i.e.,
Nyishi,
Adi people,
Apatani people,
Tagin people,
Galo people, etc.
Demographics
India [[census]],
Religion
A majority of the tribes are worshipers of nature, with
Tani people being descendants of the Forefather
Abotani being followers of Donyi-Polo. According to the 2011 census, 40.94% of the population is
Hindu, 29.51%
Christians, 21.17%
Donyi Polo, 4.52%
Muslim and 2.88%
Buddhist.
Languages
According to 2011 census,
Nishi language was the most spoken language in Itanagar with 17,896 speakers, followed by
Bengali language at 8,125,
Adi language at 8,102,
Apatani language at 4,256,
Nepali language at 3,721,
Hindi at 3,641, Assamese at 3,538 and Bhojpuri at 1,987.
Education
Universities and colleges
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Dera Natung Government College
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Don Bosco College
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Himalayan University
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NERIST
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National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh
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Rajiv Gandhi Government Polytechnic
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Rajiv Gandhi University
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Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences
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Indira Gandhi National Open University
Media and communications
Television
DD Arunprabha is the state-owned television broadcaster of Arunachal Pradesh.
Radio
Radio stations of Itanagar are: All India Radio, RadioCity Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh's first community radio) and Big FM 92.7 (India's largest national radio network).
Newspapers
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The Arunachal Times
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Echo of Arunachal
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Dawnlit Post
Places of Interest
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Ita Fort, one of the most important historical sites in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The name literally means "Fort of bricks"( brick being called "Ita" in the Assamese language). The Ita Fort was built as early as the 14th or the 15th century. The fort has an irregular shape, built mainly with bricks dating back to the 14th-15th Century. The total brickwork is of 16,200 cubic meter lengths which have been identified by some scholars with the Chutia Kingdom. The fort has three different entrances at three different sides, which are western, eastern, and southern sides.
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Jawaharlal Nehru Museum, Itanagar is also known for showcasing the rich tribal culture of the state.
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Gekar sinyi (Ganga Lake) is a beautiful natural lake which literally means confined lake in the Nishi people dialect. It is surrounded by a landmass of hard rock. Primeval vegetation, orchids masses on tall trees and tree ferns contribute to its popularity as a hot picnic spot and recreation hub. Boating facilities and a swimming pool are available at the site.
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Buddhist monastery Gompa
Transport
Road
National Highway 415 connects Itanagar to the rest of the country. Regular bus and taxi services are available from
Guwahati.
Railway
Naharlagun railway station is the nearest railway station, which is nearly 15 km away from the city. Taxi and bus services are easily available from the railway station to Itanagar. Donyi Polo Express can be availed which runs on all days of a week from
Guwahati and Shatabdi Express is available thrice a week from
Guwahati. The Arunachal AC Superfast Express runs between Naharlagun and Anand Vihar Terminal twice a week, which is the only direct train that connects Arunachal Pradesh with the
New Delhi.
Air
Regular
helicopter service is available from
Guwahati to
Naharlagun. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi laid the
Cornerstone for
Itanagar Airport at Hollongi on 9 February 2019. It has been named as
Donyi Polo Airport, and was inaugurated on 19 November 2022, with flight services operated by Alliance Air,
IndiGo and
FlyBig airlines.
See also
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Arunachal Pradesh
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Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly
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Tourism in North East India
External links
