Diphu () is a town in the

Karbi Anglong district Karbi Anglong district is an District, administrative unit in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Assam. It is an autonomous district administered by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) according to the provisions ...

of the state of

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is the meeting place of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and the headquarter of

Etymology

The word ''Diphu'' came from Dimasa language, 'Di' stand for 'clear liquid/water', and 'Phu' stand for 'to pass through', meaning a place where 'clear river pass through'. Historically, it is said that the stream in Diphu carries large amounts of sediment during the rainy season, giving it a whitish colour, hence its name. However, the rivulet from which the town derived it name has lost its beauty, due to urbanisation, encroachment, lack of regulations, and proper oversight.

Geography

Diphu is located at . It has an average elevation of 186 metres (610 feet). It is about 270 km by road and 213 km by railways from Guwahati. The town is located on a hilly plateau.

Demographics

Population

As of the 2011 census of India, Diphu had a population of 61,797. Based on population, it is classified as a class-II city (between 50,000 and 99,999 inhabitants). Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Diphu has an average literacy rate of 90%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. The male literacy rate is 94% and female literacy rate is 86%. In Diphu, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Languages

Karbi is the most spoken language at 25,045 speakers, followed by Bengali at 13,400 and Assamese at 8,007,

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

is spoken by 5,277 people, Nepali at 2,712 and

Bodo Bodo may refer to: Ethnicity * Boro people, also called ''Bodo'', an ethno-linguistic group mainly from Northwest Assam, India * Bodo-Kachari people, an umbrella group from Nepal, India and Bangladesh that includes the Boro people Culture an ...

at 1,909.

Religion

The dominant religion of the town is

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

, followed by

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

Culture

The town is home to many indigenous communities and other communities from rest of the country. Dimasa Kachari, Karbis,

Rengma The Rengma Naga are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group inhabiting the Northeast Indian states of Nagaland and Assam. According to the 2011 Census of India, the population of Rengmas in Nagaland stands at 62,951 and the population of Rengmas in Assam ...

, Tiwa Kachari, Bodo Kachari, Garo Kachari and Rabha Kachari being the major tribes of the district. The town exhibits peaceful and harmonious coexistence among them. It houses temples, churches, mosques and gurudwaras. The town celebrates all the major festivals together with much fun-fare. #Karbi youth festival, Rongker, Bushu-Dima(Bisu), Wangala,

Bihu Bihu is an important cultural festival unique to the Indian state of Assam and is of three types – 'Rongali' or ' Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or ' Kati Bihu' observed in October or November, and 'Bhogali' or ' Magh Bihu' observe ...

, Sikpui-Ruoi,

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

Durga Puja Durga Puja (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which pays homage to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victo ...

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

, Baikho and other festivals are celebrated with fervour and joy.

Educational institutions

Assam University Assam University is a central public university located at Silchar, Assam, India. It was founded in the year 1994 by the provisions of an act enacted by the Parliament of India. Former Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha is the Chancellor, the Gover ...

, Diphu Campus * Diphu Medical College and Hospital * Diphu Government College * Diphu Law College * Diphu BEd College * IGNOU study centre * Industrial Training Institute (ITI).

Health infrastructure

* Diphu Medical College and Hospital

Transportation

Road

National Highway 329 and National Highway 329A passes through the town. Diphu is well connected to most districts and important towns of Assam by Government and private buses. Shared

Car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...

also ply between nearby town and places.

Auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...

is the main mode of transport within the town. A flyover bridge is currently being built to avoid traffic congestion in the town.

Rail

The town is served by Diphu railway station of

Northeast Frontier Railway zone The Northeast Frontier Railway (abbreviated NFR) is one of the Zones and divisions of Indian Railways, 19 railway zones of the Indian Railways. It is headquartered in Maligaon, Guwahati in the state of Assam, and responsible for operation and e ...

which lies on Lumding–Dibrugarh section. Many crucial trains connect the town like Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, Brahmaputra Mail, Kamrup Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Chandigarh Express, Nagaland Express etc.

Sports

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

is the most popular sport in Karbi Anglong. The multipurpose Karbi Anglong Sports Association (KASA) Stadium is home to Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC, a professional football club based in Diphu. It competes in the Assam State Premier League and the I-League 3. Currently, there is one Stadium at KASA Sports Complex and another under construction at Chutianala, Diphu.

Politics

At national level, Diphu fall under the Diphu Lok Sabha constituency. Amarsing Tisso of

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

is the current Member of Parliament, and office holder of the constituency, serving since 2024. At state level, Diphu town is under Diphu Assembly constituency, and Bidya Sing Engleng is the current MLA, and office holder of the constituency. At Autonomous council level, Diphu fall under the purview of Lumbajong MAC Constituency of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. Johny Timung is the current MAC (Member of Autonomous Council), and office holder of the constituency. Rah Kro is the incumbent mayor of Diphu he has been in the office since 2019. He belongs to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. In April 2025 his tenure was stretched again to 2027 since 2019 there has been no municipal elections in Diphu due to the mounting pressure from both opposition parties and civil societies the reason has been cited as delimitation of the wards.

Notable people

* Amarsing Tisso, current Member of parliament of Diphu Lok Sabha constituency (2024-present). * Horen Sing Bey, former- M.P. (2019-2024). * Biren Sing Engti, former-M.P. (1977-1984, 1984-1991, & 2004-2009, 2009-2014, 2014-2019). * Jayanta Rongpi, former-M.P. (1991-1996, 1996-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2004). * Rongbong Terang, former Principal of Diphu Government College, and

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

awardee. * Semsonsing Ingti, founder of undemarcated Karbi Anglong & West Karbi Anglong district (the then Mikir Hills).

References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Karbi Anglong district