Baghmara, Meghalaya

Baghmara, Meghalaya
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.