Guwahati: the gateway to the northeastern states

Located on the banks of the alluring Brahmaputra River, Guwahati, the capital of Assam, is the largest city in the state and the gateway to the northeastern states. Guwahati’s most important tourist attractions are its ancient temples: Kamakhya Temple, situated on the top of Nilachal Hill, is revered as the holiest among the tantric shrines of Shakti worship. The temple is a testament to the rich and distinctive Assamese architectural style. The beautiful Brahmaputra and the city of Guwahati can be seen from a bird’s eye view by climbing a few steps up Nilacha Hill.

Hugging the shores of turbulent Brahmaputra, Guwahati is the gateway to India’s enchanting northeast. The Eastern Light, Pragjyotishpura as it was known, is said to have been a vast kingdom during the epic period of the Mahabharata. Today, Guwahati is the center of the region and also its largest city.

Places Of Attractions

Kaziranga National Park

Not visiting Kaziranga National Park will be inexcusable as you will miss out on exotic wildlife not present elsewhere. Kaziranga National Park is home to the nearly extinct one-horned rhinoceros. Due to some imaginative conservation measures, the one-horned rhino population in Kaziranga has increased to a whopping 1,700. Other exotic wildlife attractions in this park include hordes of Indian elephants, Indian bison, swamp deer, sloth bears, tigers, leopards, badgers, warthogs, jackals, wild buffalo, pythons, and monitor lizards.

Kamakhya temple

8 km from Guwahati and on the Nilachal hill, is the important temple of the goddess Kali. It represents the distinctive Assamese style in architecture and marks the place where one of the pieces of the goddess Kali fell to Earth. The magnificent Brahmaputra and the city can be seen from a bird’s eye view by walking a little further up the hill.

Sualkuchi

Assam produces three distinct silk varieties: the Golden Muga, the White Pat, and the warm Eri. Silks grown throughout the state arrive in Sualkuchi, 32 km from Guwahati. It is one of the world’s largest weaving cities, often called the Manchester of the East. The entire population here is involved in the production of exquisite silk fabrics. A renowned center of silk production, particularly known for Muga, Assam’s golden silk is produced nowhere else in the world.

Umananda Temple

The great Shiva temple situated on Peacock Island in the middle of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati attracts devotees from all over the country during Shiva Ratri. The temple can be visited by crossing the river on a rural boat sailing from Kachari ghat. On the north bank of the Brahmaputra, facing Guwahati, where the third Pandava Arjun is believed to have watered his horse while traveling during Ashwamedh Yajna. There are regular ferry services to this location.