Tourism in Assam

Assamis the main and oldest state in theNorth-East Regionof India and as the gateway to the rest of theSeven Sister States.The land of red river and blue hills, Assam comprises three main geographical areas: theBrahmaputra Valleywhich stretching along the length of theBrahmaputrariver, the Barak Valley extending like a tail, and the intervening Karbi Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Assam shares its border with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal; and there are National Highways leading to their capital cities. It also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh and is very close to Myanmar. In ancient times Assam was known asPragjyotisha orPragjyotishpura,andKamarupa.

6th International Tourism Mart 2017 began in Guwahati on 5 December 2017.

Major attractions

A rhino inKaziranga National Park.The park is home to two-thirds of the world'sgreat one-horned rhinoceroses.

Elephant safari in Kaziranga National Park

A scenic tea estate of Assam

For the purposes of tourism there are wildlife reserves like theKaziranga National Park,Manas National Park,Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary,Nameri National Park,Dibru-Saikhowa National Parketc. It has a rich cultural heritage going back to theAhom Dynastywhich governed the region for many centuries before the British occupation.

Notable tourist destinations are listed below:^[1]

Guwahati

Kamakhya Temple

One of the key urban centres of Assam and the biggest city inNorth-East India,Brahmaputra,Shankardev Kalakshetra,Umananda Temple,Assam State Zoo,Shilpagram etc.Chandubi Lake,Sonapur,Madan Kamdev,Chandrapur andPobitora Wildlife Sanctuaryare other famous spots outskirts the city. While visitingMadan Kamdev,tourists also visit the ancient temple Gopeswar Mandir situated in the villageDeuduar.

Majuli

A view of Majuli

The largest freshwater island^[2]in South Asia on theBrahmaputra River.Majuli is famous for its Vaishnavite Satras such asKamalabari Satra,Dakhinpat Satra,Garamurh Satra,Auniati Satra,Bengenaati SatraandSamaguri Satra.

Kaziranga National Park

This protected area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and serves as one of the last remaining habitat of the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros. Also check outManas National ParkandOrang National Park.^[3]^[4]

Dima Hasao

Dima Hasao is a hill district of Assam with full of natural beauties. The headquarters of Dima HasaoHaflongis a beautiful hilly town and the only hill station of Assam. The village ofJatingais famous for mysterious suicides of birds. Some of the notable tourism places are Umrangso, Panimur Falls, Maibang, Tumjang Trek at Selkal Peak etc.

Sonitpur

View of Nameri National Park of Sonitpur District.

Protected areas to see in the district areNameri National Park,Bura-Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary,Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuaryand a part ofOrang National Park. Bhalukpongis also an important tourist place.Tezpuris a small town steeped in history and culture. Some of these areAgnigarh,Mahabhairav Temple,Chitralekha Udyan,Bamuni Hills, Usha Pahar etc.Biswanath Charialitown is 75 km away from Tezpur, is famous for theBiswanath Ghat,also called popularly as "Gupta Kashi".

Jorhat

A fastly growing urban centre, the last capital of Ahom kingdom and the cultural capital of Assam, Jorhat known for many historical monuments of Ahom era and heritage places built in and around the city during British Raj like Raja Maidam, Lachit Borphukon Maidam,Jorhat Gymkhana Club,Bura Sahib's Bungalow of Kaziranga Golf Resort, Thengal Bhawan etc. Pilgrimage sites likeDhekiakhowa Bornamghar,which was built by saintMadhavdeva and Borbheti are also the places to visit.Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary(home ofHoolock gibbon), man-madeMolai forest,Sui-ka-pha Samanway Kshetra, Jorhat Science Centre and Planetarium,Tocklai Tea Research Instituteare the other attractions here.

Sivasagar

Rang Ghar

As Sivasagar was the seat of theAhomKingdom, it is surrounded by many ancient monuments of Ahom era. Those areRang Ghar,Talatal Ghar,Sivadol,Gola Ghar,Kareng GharofGarhgaon,Joy Dol,Sivasagar Tank (Borpukhuri),Joysagar Lake,Gourisagar Lake,Joymati Maydam,Vishnu Dol, Devi Dol, Gourisagar Dol,Charaideo,Namdang Stone Bridgeetc. Tai Museum andUttaran Museumwhich exhibits the history of Ahom.Panidihing Bird Sanctuary,the abode of more than 250 species of birds.

Hajo

Hajo is an ancient pilgrimage centre for three religionsHinduism,IslamandBuddhism.

Tinsukia

Many prominentshopping mallsare there in Tinsukia.Dibru-Saikhowa National Park,one of the biggest national parks in India are situated in Tinsukia. This national park is considered to be a biological hotspot. The Tilinga Mandir (Bell Temple) is a well-known temple situated in the outskirts of Tinsukia city.Digboi Refinery,Asia's oldest refinery is situated here. A railway park is recent addition to the city.Dehing Patkai Festivalare annual festival held at Lekhapani in Tinsukia district. India's only coal museum is situated at Margherita town in Tinsukia district. Tribal communities in Tinsukia district have taken initiatives to promote ecotourism in the region. The Singpho Eco Tourist lodge in Margherita-Pengari road and the Faneng Village at Lekhapani are two such initiatives by the local tribal communities.

Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh is called the tea capital of the world. The town is situated on the edge of the Brahmaputra River. Set amidst extensive tea estates, Dibrugarh offers tourists the opportunity to experience a life in a tea estate. Recently, tea tourism has started becoming popular, with travel companies such as Greener Pastures and Purvi Discovery offering tea tours. Tipam is a famous tourist spot of Dibrugarh. Tipam is an ethnic village which is famous for its historical places. Besides Tipam,Dehing Patkai National Parkis the other attraction. Presently the city has the biggestrailway stationin Assam with 18 Lines opened in 2009.Rajdhani ExpressTrain Originate from Dibrugarh and Dibrugarh Town.

Udalguri

Other than the multitude of culture and tradition of the various ethnic communities, the district has several tourist places. Some of the important ones areBathou Templeand Research centre,Namghars,HanumanTemple,Bhairabkunda Picnic Spot,Gethsemane Man-made Forest^[5](Bhairabkunda) and Bogamati.

Morigaon

Tourist destination^[6]of middleAssaminMorigaon districtnearRaha, Assam4.5 km away near NH-37/AHNational Highway 37isJungal Balahunamed after the legendary Tiwa King.It is 6.5 km away fromChaparmukh Junction railway station,130 km away fromLokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.NearNagaontown 27 km away.

Practical Information

Weather & Rainfall

Assam has temperate weather with maximum of 35-38 °C in summer and a minimum of 6-8 °C in winter in low-lying areas, particularly the Brahmaputra Valley and Barak Valley. As one ascends towards the hilly areas, however, the mercury falls considerably in winters. Assam experiences high rainfall and humidity – afternoon thunder showers are a common occurrence during monsoons – and early morning fog in winter is also common.

Transportation

Arriving by Air:Guwahati'sLokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airportis well-connected to the major cities in India. Taxi service, including prepaid services, is available at airports for transfers to the city. There are also airports in Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tezpur that run flights to Kolkata and other parts of the northeastern region.

Arriving by Rail:The three major routes of the North East Frontier Railway connected Assam to nodal stations in the rest of the country.Guwahati,Assam's largest railway station, is served by direct trains to New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluruuwahati.

Road:TheAssam State Transport Corporationalong with several private companies operates buses connecting Guwahati with Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Silchar, Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal, Aizawal and Itnagar.

References

^[7]

^"Welcome to Assam Tourism Official website of Deptt. of Tourism, Assam, India".assamtourism.gov.in. 3 April 1987.Retrieved23 September2016.
^Majuli, River Island."Largest river island".Guinness World Records.Retrieved6 September2016.
^Karmakar, Rahul (26 July 2019)."Assam floods: Why we need to act fast to save Kaziranga and its wildlife".The Hindu.ISSN 0971-751X.Retrieved29 July2019.
^"Kaziranga National Park".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2019.Retrieved29 July2019.
^"Afforestation changes life and landscape: How a district in Assam lost a forest, gained a future".The Indian Express.25 December 2017.Retrieved15 May2020.
^Webdesk, Time8 (20 March 2022)."Jongal Balahu Rampart in Raha will be converted into a tourist destination".TIME8.Retrieved31 October2022.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Home | Department of Tourism | Government Of Assam, India".tourism.assam.gov.in.Retrieved13 July2021.

External links

Assamtravel guide from Wikivoyage
Assam Tourism, Official Website
Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited

[1] "Welcome to Assam Tourism Official website of Deptt. of Tourism, Assam, India".assamtourism.gov.in. 3 April 1987.Retrieved23 September2016.

[2] Majuli, River Island."Largest river island".Guinness World Records.Retrieved6 September2016.

[3] Karmakar, Rahul (26 July 2019)."Assam floods: Why we need to act fast to save Kaziranga and its wildlife".The Hindu.ISSN 0971-751X.Retrieved29 July2019.

[4] "Kaziranga National Park".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2019.Retrieved29 July2019.

[5] "Afforestation changes life and landscape: How a district in Assam lost a forest, gained a future".The Indian Express.25 December 2017.Retrieved15 May2020.

[6] Webdesk, Time8 (20 March 2022)."Jongal Balahu Rampart in Raha will be converted into a tourist destination".TIME8.Retrieved31 October2022.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[7] "Home | Department of Tourism | Government Of Assam, India".tourism.assam.gov.in.Retrieved13 July2021.

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