Dimapur

Dimapur (/diməˈpʊər/) is the largest city and municipality in the Indian state of Nagaland. As of 2024 , the municipality had a population of 172000. The city is the main gateway and commercial centre of Nagaland. Located near the border with Assam along the banks of the Dhansiri River. Its main railway station is the second busiest station in Northeast India. There are two accounts of the way in which Dimapur got its name: many writer are of the opinion that the name 'Dimapur' was derived from Dimasa Kachari words Di-meaning water, Ma-meaning big and Pur-meaning city or township in the Dimasa dialect; while others contend that Dimapur is a corruption of Hidimbapur, meaning the city of Hidimbi (of Mahabharata fame) - the rakshasi-turned-woman whose marriage to the Pandava prince Bhima led to the birth of Ghatotkacha, which was the Hindu lineage created for Dimasa rulers by the Brahmin pandits at Khaspur.[4] According to the second theory, the name Hidimbapur is conjectured to have been abbreviated to Dimbapur and subsequently to have lost a consonant to become Dimapur. It is to be noted that Dimasa Kachari Kingdom at point of time was known as the "Heramba Kingdom".[5] In the Ahom Buranjis, Dimapur is referred to sometimes as Che-din-chi-pen (town-earth-burn-make) meaning "Brick-town" and its rulers as khun timisa[6] (distorted word for Dimasa).[7]