Sabroom: Southern Most Town of North-East India

India is a land of incredible places, outstanding terrains, and breathtaking & picturesque territories. India lives in small towns and villages which are scattered all over the country. Indian cities are an amalgamation of people coming from all corners. In an attempt to take out some of these smaller known places and making the readers aware, we are going to write about them on this blog. I am going to write about a few places which I have visited and have stayed in for a long time. I know these places as I have spent a lot of time there and have interacted with the people very closely.

Today, in this post I am going to write about the southernmost town of North-East India, Sabroom. Sabroom is a Nagar Panchayat in South Tripura District (Refer Map of India). It is situated at a distance of 39 Kilometers from the district headquarters, Belonia and about 132 Kilometers from Agartala, the capital of Tripura. It is a small town with its own flavors and essences that make it special to everyone who has visited the place, even once in a lifetime.

My paternal village Jalefa is 6 Kilometers ahead of Sabroom while going from Agartala. I have spent a lot of time in my childhood in these places. Ours is a tiny village where there was no electricity until I reached noon school. I grew up in Agartala, the capital. In Jalefa, there is a small village market, which has grown in the last decade, I must admit. We had market days – twice a week – when villagers and sellers from nearby villages used to bring in their goods to sell in Jalefa Bazar. Wednesdays and Sundays, I still remember. You would get all that you need for a living in that village market. And for everything else that you might want, Sabroom is the nearest town. 

Since it is situated on National Highway number 8 (previously NH44) you can always get buses and other vehicles moving around. Sabroom is at one end of NH8. When we were kids, I remember we used to wait for a long time for a traveling bus or a commander jeep to reach Sabroom from Jalefa. It used to be an incredible journey, standing on the foot-rest at the back, holding the rods tight and almost flying in the heavy breeze.

One of the Busiest Schools in Sabroom

There were only a couple of schools when I was a kid, in Sabroom; but now, there are a couple more. The main source of income is agriculture; however, many are still doing government jobs and few have their own business, in terms of shops and garages. Rubber is the major cash crop along with tea and teak wood plantations. Rice and various seasonal vegetables form the lion’s share of cultivation. 

NOTE 1: Rubber Plantation is a Big Industry in the Northeastern India and has boosted our national GDP for years since it was started many decades ago. If you want to read more about it, here is a book that explains the Economics of Rubber Plantation.

To reach Sabroom from anywhere outside the state, one must reach Agartala first. There are direct flights to Agartala from Kolkata, Guwahati, Bangalore, Delhi and some other places in India. From Guwahati, you can also catch a bus or a train, now that there are railways in the state too. Once in Agartala, the options to reach Sabroom are many. There are a lot of buses plying from Agartala (Nagerjola Bus Stand) to Sabroom bus stand. Or you can go till Udaipur, another town in between and take another bus or a jeep or minibuses which go to Sabroom and Belonia. Buses generally operate only during the daytime. Now they are laying railway tracks and the work will finish soon. Once done, one can avail a train journey as well. Udaipur is already connected.

Sabroom shares border with Bangladesh all around. There is a river Feni which runs on the Indo-Bangla border. It is a narrow and moderately deep river which is guarded by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh’s Bangladesh Riffles (BDR) on their respective sides. 

Border Security Force Patrolling the Sabroom Border

During a few renowned festivals in the region (like Barauni Snan) the borders are opened and people from one country can visit the other just by crossing the river. Many families who are now separated and live on either side of the border can meet and get together during these days. This is one incredible sight! 

One can go after crossing the Sabroom Bazar and sit on the banks of the river on regular days too and see people from the other country doing their household chores on the banks of the river. Many times I saw and heard people shouting on top of their voices just to greet each other. It is awesome to see for anyone who has not been there – something unique!

Sabroom Kalibari, the Buddhist monastery and the Dashami Ghat / Melar Math (Dussehra Celebrations are done here) are the most happening spots where you can see people visiting from across the state. The Ex-President of India, Late Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and the Dalai Lama has also made visits to Sabroom in the recent past. The Prime Ministers of Bangladesh, on multiple occasions over the years, have visited India through Sabroom, crossing the river Feni. 

Sabroom Nagar Panchayat

If you love village life and want to see how old villages of the regions used to look like, you can very well visit this place. You can still see mud houses with hay roofs while traveling, from the main road itself. People are friendly and with the introduction of Smart Phones and Digital India, I am sure you will not have a problem with the language as well. Many will be able to reciprocate in Hindi or English. From a needle to motorbikes and cars, you will get everything that you would need in Sabroom and the nearby areas. 

That is my place. This is where I belong. I wish I can go back to Sabroom soon, again! 

NOTE 2: If you want to read & learn more about Tripura, you can refer to this book, which talks about the history of the state with great details. Even if you are a lover of little know Indian history, this book is a very good read.

If you visit or if you have any questions, do let me know in your comments. I love answering your queries.

Warm Regards,

Tan

I write regularly on www.TheIndianFreelancer.com

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