Kamrup District in Assam is named after Kamarupa, a name by which Assam was known in the ancient times, and is the administrative district of the state. This district is located in the western part of Assam and embodies the Kamrupi dialect and culture. This distinctive dialect is however shared with the present day Barpeta District and Nalbari District. These districts were a part of undivided Kamrup before 1980. It is also known for the peasant uprising during the British rule. Kamrup District contains two sub- divisions namely, Rangia and Guwahati. Below this level, there are 8 Revenue Circles under Guwahati sub-division and 3 Revenue Circles under Rangia sub-division. Furthermore, from developmental angle, the district is divided into 15 Development Blocks. Below the block level set-up, there are 162 Gaon Panchayats, each comprising of a number of villages and governed by local-self bodies.
History of Kamrup District
Lord Shiva married the daughter of Daksha, named Parvati. However, Daksha, a very powerful king during that time, did not like his son-in-law for some reasons and as a result did not invite him for the "Jagna" (the great sacrifice) ceremony, which the king organized with great pomp and show. Parvati attended the ceremony and went there with the permission from her husband. As she reached the auspicious venue, "Daksha" did make rude comments on her husband in front of all the guests. She became very angry, and irritated at the disrespect shown to her husband, she sacrificed her life on the spot itself.
Unable to overcome with grief of his wife`s death, Shiva began a grim penance and wandered about the world carrying her dead body on his head. Shiva`s `dance of death` and penance shook all the gods because it threatened to destroy the world. In order to stop the frightful wanderings of Shiva, the supreme god, Lord Vishnu, cut the dead body of Sati into fifty- one pieces with his "Shudarshan Chakra".The pieces fell onto the earth in fifty one different places and wherever they fell, the ground was held to be Holi. One of Parvati`s organs fell on Nilachal hill in Guwahati and the place was thenceforth held sacred and it says that the famous Kamakhya Temple was originated from that "Sati`s" organ only.
As Lord Shiva continued with his `dance of death`, the other gods became afraid that he would thereby acquire universal power. They sent Manmatha or Kama Deva, the God of Love, to make Shiva fall in love again, and thereby break his penance. Kamdeva succeeded in his mission, but having discovered the reality, Shiva was so enraged that, by a fiery glance of his third eye, he burnt Kamadeva into ashes. Kamadeva eventually regained his life and his original `form` (Rupa) in Assam and the land where this took place become known as "Kamrup" ("Kamarupa").
Geography of Kamrup District
Kamrup District is situated between 25.46 and 26.49 North Latitude and between 90.48 and 91.50 East Longitude, and bordered by Udalguri and Baska District in the North, Meghalaya in south, Goalpara District and Nalbari District in the West and in the East it is bordered by Darrang District and Kamrup Metropolitan District. Kamrup District was originally a district of British India, in the Brahmaputra River valley division of Assam and Eastern Bengal, with Guwahati as its head quarters. It is located in the immediate neighbourhood of Brahmaputra River. Because of its low land it is exposed to annual inundation. The only cultivation that takes place is that of rice. The hills that are located south of Brahmaputra reach a height of 800 feet. 
Demography of Kamrup District
According to the Population Census in 2011, Kamrup district had a population of 1,517,202. Out of which the male and female were 779,608 and 737,594 respectively. This gives the ranking of Kamrup District in 327th district in India out of a total of 640 district .The population of Kamrup District constituted 4.87 percent of total population of Assam. There was an increase of 15.67 percent in the population compared to population as per 2001. The population density of Kamrup district is 436 people per sq. km. The average literacy rate of Kamrup in 2011 was 72.81 percent. The male and female literacy rates were 77.64 percent and 67.69 percent respectively. The total literates in Kamrup District were 962,677. Out of which the male and female were 528,117 and 434,560 respectively. Concerning about the Sex Ratio in Kamrup District, it stood at 946 per 1000 male.
Tourism in Kamrup District
The river Brahmaputra, that divides the district into two equal portions, is easily navigable by river streamers throughout the year, and actually receives several tributaries navigable by large local boats during the rainy seasons. The chief of these are the Manas River, Chaul Khoya River and Barnadi River on the north, and the Kulsi River and Dibru River on the south bank. There is a forest reserve in the district that is completely government undertaking and there are also plantations where seedlings like sal, Indian teak tree, sum and nohar are reared and also experimented with caoutchouc tree.
The Kamakhya Temple and Hajo attract many pilgrim tourists from around the country. The local manufacturers indulge in weaving of cotton cloths and silk for home use and also for making of plates and brass cups. Madan Kamdev Temple is a mystery, a marvel, an enigma which speaks about the ancient Kamrup. The art work and sculptures define love and joy proclaiming ageless beauty and essence of traditional Indian art form.
Saraighat War Memorial Park was constructed for promotion and preservation of the memories associated with the Battle of Saraighat which took place in the year 1671 A.D. between Mughals and Ahoms under the command of the great Ahom "Senapati" Lachit Barphukan. For Muslims there is Poa Macca, a place located at Hajo, a small town near Guwahati, is the tomb of seer Giasuddin Auliya. It is said that by offering prayers here the devotees gain one fourth of the spiritual enlightenment of what could be gained at Mecca, hence the name given as "poa" which means one-fourth.
