Dhiraj Bara was born in Guwahati on 30 September 1951. His father was Lalit Chandra Bora and mother Kusum Bora. He was educated at Senikuthi Primary School in Guwahati. He was then educated at Manik Chandra Barua ME School. He then joined Cotton Collegiate School but got a scholarship from the Government of India and enrolled in the Daly College in Indore, Madhya Pradesh in class VII. After completing class XII in 1968, he enrolled in St. Stephen's College, Delhi University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. In 1975, he received a Master's degree in Experimental Physics from People's Friendship University, Moscow, Russia. He then received his PhD. in 1979 from the Physical Research Laboratory, Gujarat University.