Older Than Margherita Pizza, This Assamese Town’s Name Has An Italian Connection You Could Never Guess

When you think of Margherita, what comes to your mind? A hot cheesy pizza topped with red tomatoes, green basil, and white mozzarella, right? But before Queen Margherita of Italy inspired a pizza, she inspired something else. Right in India, in the lush lands of Assam, there’s a town that carries her name, Margherita. But how did this Assamese town get an Italian name?

Assam Has A Town Named ‘Margherita’

In India, Margherita is not just a pizza; it’s a real place. This census town in the Tinsukia district of upper Assam is surrounded by forests, tea gardens, hills, and the Dehing River. Margherita is a town surrounded by natural beauty and an industrial hub. Before the town got its name from the queen, it was called Ma-Kum, a word from the Ahom language, meaning ‘abode of all tribes’. But around the 1800s, during the British colonial era, things changed. 

An Italian engineer named Chevalier Roberto Paganini came to Assam to work on the Dibro-Sadiya railway project. He and his team were hired by the Assam Railways and Trading Company Limited, which had a major stake in coal mining in the area. Legend has it that either the railway company directors named this town in Assam ‘Margherita’ to honour Paganini or Paganini himself chose the name as a patriotic tribute to Queen Margherita of Italy, the reigning queen consort at the time. This happened around 1884, a few years before the Margherita pizza was created.

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A Quaint Town With A Rich Industrial Presence

Today, this town is not just famous for its name; it has also earned the nickname ‘Coal Queen’ because it became the centre of Assam’s coal mining industry. Even today, Coal India Ltd. runs one of its largest industrial plants in Margherita. The town is also home to thriving tea estates managed by Williamson Magor Group, one of Asia’s largest tea producers, plywood factories and other industries. 

If you are ever in Assam, don’t forget to visit Margherita. Even if you don’t find the beloved pizza here, there’s a lot to explore. Margherita is home to the Coal Heritage & Museum, India’s first coal museum that preserves over 100 years of the town’s mining history. Offering stunning views on clear days, the golf course is also a must-visit. 

Before the iconic pizza even existed, there was a Margherita town in Assam, a beautiful destination ready to charm you with its unique blend of culture, industry and nature.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons and Canva