Assam
The rich, green land of rolling plains and dense forests is the gateway to the north eastern part of India . The mighty Brahmaputra River that has its origins in Tibet charts its majestic course through this state. This mystic land of eternal blue hills and beautiful rivers is renowned for its tea, rich flora and fauna, the world famous one horned rhinoceros and other rare species of wildlife on the verge of extinction. Barring Africa , there is perhaps no part of the world where such a variety of wildlife exists.
More than 40 percent of Assam's population is thought to be of migrant origin. During the six hundred years of ruling, the Ahom Dynasty managed to keep the kingdom, independent from Mughal, before the British, as well as other invaders though Mughal attacked Assam seventeen times. The British entered Assam in 1824 as tea planters, which was the starting point of the destruction of Ahom Dynasty.
The fairs and festivals in this sparsely populated state are essentially an opportunity for people from far and wide to converge and see the culture of the land.
Assam, located just below the eastern Himalayan foothills is bordered in the North and East by the Kingdom of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. Along the south lie Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Meghalaya lies to her South-West, Bengal and Bangladesh to her West. Assam also shares international borders with Bhutan , China and Bangladesh . Dispur is the capital of Assam.
Assam and its commercial capital Guwahati form the gateway to the northeastern states, together called the seven sisters. These states are connected to the rest of India via Assam 's border with West Bengal and a narrow strip called the "Chicken's Neck."
The society in Assam is not just a conglomeration of diverse racial and cultural elements but a composite whole arising out of the integration and synthesis of all of them. The Satras (seat of the religious head Satradhikar) and Namghars (house of names or Prayer hall) plays an important role in the life of an average Assamese and have acted as religious as well as cultural institutions.
There are two distinct climates operating in Assam . While the hills enjoy sub-alpine climate, the plains of the state experience tropical climate with high humidity level in the monsoon. Spring and autumn with moderate temperatures and modest rainfall are the best seasons of Assam.
| What to See | ||
|---|---|---|
| Guwahati | Dibrugarh | Kaziranga |
Guwahati, this gorgeous city is the capital of Assam. It is located on banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River, surrounded by a ring of beautiful mountains in the North Eastern region of India . The city is the major gateway to the cities of North East India and gateway to this region. It is a place of pilgrimage and also is an important business and commercial centre, cultural hub and educational nerve centre of North Eastern India.
Famed as Kamrup, the birthplace of Kamdev - the God of Love, in ancient times, revered in the Mahabharata as Pragjyotishpur - The Light of the East, a lot of water has since flowed down the Lohit (Assamese for the Brahmaputra ) and today, Guwahati has emerged as the largest tea-auctioning centre in the world.
Tremble in the half-lit, surreal interiors of the Kamakhya Temple, revel in a tumultuous cruise on the River Brahmaputra, do a quick tour of Dispur, the state capital lying in its suburbs or simply escape to the enchanting Garo, Khasi and Naga Hills lying beyond. The deceptive quiet of the place won't ever let you feel that you're in the largest city in the region.
Guwahati the land of muga silk and delectable Assam tea is just waiting to enchant you!
HOW TO REACH
By Air - Guwahati is the gateway to the North East. It is well connected to the major cities like Delhi , Kolkata, Mumbai, etc. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airways connect Guwahati to Delhi which takes two half hours, Kolkata - Guwahati flight take one and half hour.
By Rail - Paltan Bazar Railway Station, is very busy & overcrowded which well connected to the other major cities with Express and regular trains.
By Road - Guahati is well connected to the other major cities with a good road network.
WHEN TO GO
Best time to travel Guwahati is between October and April.
WHAT TO SEEKaziranga National Park - This wildlife sanctuary is world famous for one horned rhinos and various other wild animals. The park lies 225 km east of Guwahati, on the banks of the mighty river Brahmaputra . This 430sq. kms. of grassland and impenetrable evergreen semi- deciduous forest. Home of the one horned Indian Rhinoceros, Kaziranga also abounds in the buffalo, the tiger, the swamp and hog deer, the wild elephant, sambar, gibbon and hundreds of species of resident and migratory birds. The best months to visit are from October to April.
Kamakhya Temple - Perched atop the Nilachal Hill, this wonderful example of traditional Assamese architecture offers a breathtaking view of the Brahmaputra roaring below. A seat of tantric Hinduism, legend has it that when Shiva was carrying away the corpse of his wife Sati, her yoni or vagina fell here making it one of the greatest shaktipithas in India. Every year, hordes of pilgrims gather here during the Ambabuchi festival (June/ July) which celebrates the completion of the Mother Goddess's menstrual cycle. And, once you have been through the dark and eerie insides of the temple, you won't be surprised to know that it has been associated with an ancient Khasi sacrificial site. Frequent buses from the Paltan Bazaar stand will drop you at Kamakhya.
Umananda Temple - The best thing about this temple is its picturesque location on Peacock Island , the largest of the three islands in the middle of the River Brahmaputra. Built in the memory of Uma, the consort of Shiva, the three temples of Umananda, Chandrashekhar and Hargaura have exquisite rock carvings and are thronged by devotees on the occasion of Shivaratri.
Navagraha Temple - Accessible by a pucca road, the Navagraha Temple is located on the Chitrachal Hill close to Silpukhuri. The unique features of this shrine are the nine lingas inside the temple representing the navagrahas or the nine planets, which are worshipped to ward off evil.
Basistha Ashram - Legend has it that this beautiful site by a gurgling hilly brook on the southern limits of the city was once the haunt of the venerable sage Basistha. With a tiny old temple and picture perfect setting, it has now become a popular picnic spot for the city crowd.
Assam State Museum - A treasure house of archaeological and demographic specimens that go back to the 5th century, the museum, situated near Dighali Pukhuri in the heart of the city, is a must-see for anybody interested in the culture of the Assamese people.
Assam State Zoo and Botanical Gardens - At 5 km east of the railway station, the state zoo is a well managed, sprawling establishment unlike most other zoos in the country. Apart from tigers and leopards the one reason you simply cannot afford to miss out on the zoo is the rare one-horned rhino along with its two-horned African brethren.
WHERE TO EAT
There are good restaurants in the city and you can also try the special restaurant at the luxury hotels. Paradise Restaurant, Moniram Dewan Road : Tasty rice-vegetables-pulses-fish meals coupled with a mug of beer at the bar upstairs.
Woodlands, GS Road - Feast on traditional South Indian goodies in a relaxed setting.
Utsav, Hotel Nandan, GS Road - One of the better places to savour crisp North Indian tandooris and naans.
TopDibrugarh, district headquarters of Lakhimpur is surrounded by tea gardens, greenery and inhabited mostly by Bengalis. It is reputed as a commercial town. Located along the river Brahmaputra , Dibrugarh is sometimes referred to as the gateway to some districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
The name derived from the mouth (mukh) of the river Dibaru or Dibru. Dibrugarh is a separate district having its own identity with the District HQ still in Dibrugarh town itself.
A planned city has been built up at Barbari around Assam medical college. Also, there is a dam, constructed at a huge cost in order to save the town from the devastating flood of Brahmaputra.
HOW TO REACH
By Air - The Mohanbarie Air port of Dibrugarh is located about 13km from the heart of the town. Regular flights from Delhi , Kolkata and Guwahati operate to this airport. Links from other metros of the country exist via Guwahati airport. Air India also operates an international weekly flight between Bangkok and Guwahati. The Indian Airlines, Sahara Airlines, and Deccan Air operate regular flights to Guwahati and Dibrugarh.
By Rail - Dibrugarh town is well connected by train with the rest of the country. There are train services/links to Dibrugarh town from Kolkata, New Delhi , Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore , Cochin , Amritsar and Trivandrum . Rajdhani express (from New Delhi ) also runs to Dibrugarh town by both the routes, via Mughalsarai and Lucknow.
By Road - A network of National Highways and other roads connect Dibugarh with the NH 37 running across it.
WHEN TO GO
Best time to travel Dibrugarh is between August to March.
WHAT TO SEE
Brahmaputra River - It is an upcoming major trading centre and a lovely river side town in Upper Assam . This is the place where the mighty river Brahmaputra is at its majestic best
Tea Gardens - Dibrugarh is in the midst of tea plantations. It has beautiful lush green tea gardens. It is the largest tea-exporting town in India . In Dibrugarh one can go around the tea gardens, which are located in, and around the town. A large number of tea estates are located along National Highway-37 covering large area of Dibrugarh district.
WHERE TO EAT
The restaurant at the Chang Bungalow is the best option.
TopKaziranga National Park is located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam, the north eastern states of India . It is famous as a refuge for the Indian or one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). Stretching over an area of 430 km². The national park is a vast stretch of coarse, tall elephant grass, marshland and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests. The Park celebrates its centenary in 2005.
HOW TO REACH
By Air - Jorhat is the nearest airport i.e just 94 kms from Kaziranga. It is well connected the to the major cities.
Guwahati is just 220 kms from Kaziranga which is a major airport and city.
By Rail - The nearest railhead is Furkating at a distance of 75 km. Jorhat is a major railhead which is connected to the other major cities with express and regular trains.
By Road - There are regular bus services run by the State Transport Corporation or you can take a private luxury coaches. The Bus stoppage for Kaziranga is known as Kohora.
WHEN TO GO
Best time to travel Kazirana is between November to March.
WHAT TO SEE
Kaziranga National Park - Kaziranga reserve was created to preserve Indian rhinocerous numbers, it was established as a proposed forest reserve on June 1, 1905 and in 1954, the rhino was given legal protection through the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill that laid down heavy penalties for killing it. In 1974 Kaziranga was designated a national park, the first national park in Assam . Bounded by the misty blue hills of Barail and Karbi Anglong to the south, the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Today it holds the world's largest population of Indian rhinos, numbering more than one thousand.
Kaziranga is home also to elephants, sloth bears, tigers, leopards, jungle cats, hog badgers, capped langurs, hoolock gibbons, wild boars, jackals, porcupines, pythons, water buffaloes, Indian bison, swamp deer, sambars and hog deer. Besides these, the park has a respectable avian population, which increases considerably in the winter, when migrating birds visit the park.
WHERE TO EAT
You can try the special restaurant at the luxury hotels.
Top| North India | East India | West India | South India | Central India | North East India |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jammu & Kashmir | Bihar | Rajasthan | Andhra Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | Assam |
| Himachal Pradesh | Orissa | Gujarat | Karnataka | Chhattisgarh | Sikkim |
| Punjab | Jharkhand | Goa | Kerala | Nagaland | |
| Uttarakhand | West Bengal | Maharashtra | Tamil Nadu | Meghalaya | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Manipur | ||||
| Haryana | Mizoram | ||||
| Tripura | |||||
| Arunachal Pradesh |
| Union Territories of India | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Chandigarh | Dadra and Nagar | Daman and Diu |
| Lakshadweep | Delhi | Pondicherry | |