Tourist Attractions In Assam:

Assam, where the raging Brahmaputra flows, tea gardens brim, the nature work comes alive with national parks and sanctuaries. Assam, an up coming tourist destination is a land that keeps on unfolding its varied resources and attractiveness and also represent as the linkage and commercial hub of the whole North-East .

There are a variety of tourist attractions in Assam. This is one of the most beautiful regions of India where history unites with myths and religion, splendid gifts of nature come in the shape of wooded hills and valley and the mountains. Rich flora and fauna, rarely available elsewhere, add the variety of tourist attractions in Assam.

Some of the notable tourist attractions in Assam include :
Kamakhya Temple: This is a seat of Tantric Buddism in India. Mythologically Lord Vishnu severed corpse of Parvati into pieces with Sudarshan Charkra while Lord Shiva was carrying her dead body. Her yoni or vagina fell here making it one of the most sacred of Shaktipitas.

Haflong: It is a picturesque hill-station where one can see the rainbow down below. Jatinga, famous for the unexplained phenomenon of migratory birds 'committing mass suicide', is only 9 kms away from Haflong.

Sibsagar: The historical city has 200-year-old Sibsagar tank in the centre. Shivadol one of the three temples is said to the highest Shiva temple in India.

Majuli Island: Situated in the midst of river Brahmaputra, this is the world's largest river island. Over 15 Vaishnava monasteries or satras are located on Majuli.

The rich diversity of wild lives draws a lot of tourists in Assam. Barring Africa, perhaps no part of the world can boast of such a variety of wildlife.

Manas National Park: Located on the banks of the river Manas, it is well known for Tigers and is a World Heritage Site.

Kaziranga National Park: Home to fabled one horned Rhinoceros. This is also a world heritage site. Besides the above, Umananda Temple, Navagraha Temple, Basistha Ashram, Hajo, Cherrapunjee (where it rains most in the world!), Nmaeri National Park are other major tourist attractions in Assam.

Bohag Bihu (Mid-April), Ambubachi (June-July), Durga Puja (October) are major festivals in Assam which are big draw for tourists.

Bohag Bihu:
The most widely celebrated festival in the state, Bohag Bihu marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. It is also the time when local delicacies like pithas, narus and other mouth-watering sweets are ritually prepared in the households.

Though traditionally associated with the Bengalis, the people of Assam celebrate the four-day Durga Puja with much gaiety and fanfare as well.

Guwahati - A Commercial Center of the North-East:

Guwahati is also known as the commercial capital of Assam and trade center of the North-East. The best thing about the city is that any part of North-East is accessible from here. Umananda temple, Kamakhya Temple, Assam Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Assam State Museum are the major tourist attractions to see when one is at Guwahati. Located on the banks of Brahmaputra, the feel of the rural riverside is a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Central Market area.

Main Attractions of Guwahati:

Assam Zoo and Botanical Gardens:
These are open from September till March and its visiting time starts from seven in the morning upto four in the evening.

Assam State Museum:
It is open on weekdays except Mondays from ten till four thirty in the evening and on Sundays, the visiting timings are eight in the morning till noon.

Kamakhya Temple:
8 kms away 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 goddess Kali fell to Earth. The magnificent Brahmaputra and the city can be seen from a bird's view by walking a little further up the hill.

Majuli:
Situated 20 kms towards the north of Jorhat, this is the largest fresh water island in the world. This Island, that has a population of 1.6 lakhs, is also a natural habitat for the rare breeds of flora and fauna and serves as a migratory path for ducks, geese and other birds. For visiting Majuli one has to travel till Nimati Ghat(12 kms) and take a ferry ride to get there.

Sibsagar:
Sibsagar which is 60 kms away from Jorhat and 369 kms from Guwahati is the seat of Assamese culture from time immemorial. The Ahoms who ruled Assam for six centuries had Sibsagar as its capital and the number of historical monuments of the Ahoms are found in the region. It is also famous for Shivadol which is the tallest Shiva temple and the two smaller temples on either side of it for the Lord Vishnu and the Goddess Durga.

How to Reach:

Air :- There are a number of connecting flights from Delhi and Kolkata to Guwahati. It takes approximately two and a half hours to reach Guwahati from Delhi.

Rail :- If time is not an issue with you, you can travel to Guwahati by train which will take you a good 24-36 hours. Rajdhani Express is the best train between Delhi - Guwahati.