Silchar (Bengali: Shilchr, Assamese: Xilsr, Sylheti: Hilchor) is the headquarters of Cachar district in the state of Assam in India. It is the economic gateway to the state of Mizoram and part of Manipur. It is 343 kilometres (213mi) south east of Guwahati. The city of Silchar is the second largest city in the state of Assam and an important commercial centre and consequently witnesses the settlement of a sizable population of traders from distant parts of India. Being politically stable in the otherwise disturbed Northeast earned it the bon mot of "Island of Peace" from India's then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. During the British rule, ships were docked at the bank of the "River Barak" so a market developed at the bank and became a major place of economic activity. The bank was covered with stones to help dock ships and vessels, and the market developed at a place which was fully covered with stones. People started to refer to the place as "Shiler Chor", meaning...
