Tourist Attractions In Guwahati:

The prominent tourist attractions in Guwahati are its ancient temples. The Kamakhya Temple situated atop the Nilachal Hill is considered to be the most sacred among the tantrik shrines of Shakti worship in the world.

Built in the 10th century by the Koch King Naranarayan, the Kamakhya Temple is famous for the ritual of animal sacrifice to appease the Gods. Above Kamakhya is a small temple, Bhubhaneshwari that gives a breathtaking view of the city of Guwahati. Umananda temple dedicated to Shiva is one of the most beautiful temples in Assam. The temple stands on an island and you have to take a motorboat or a public ferry from Umananda Ghat to reach the temple. The Navagraha temple in east Guwahati is as the name suggests the "temple of the nine planets," and was an ancient seat of astrology and astronomy. Housed in a red beehive-shaped dome, the central lingam is encircled by further nine representing the planets.

About 12 kms to the south of Guwahati is the Vashistha Ashram, which is believed to be the place where the famous sage Vasishta lived.

Besides the temple tour, Guwahati also has some interesting tourist attractions. Guwahati Zoo should be on the itinerary if you are a wild life enthusiast because it is the largest natural zoo of the country. There are various museums too like the State Museum, Anthropological Museum, Forest Museum, and Cottage Industries Museum, which are treasure houses of Assam's rich cultural past. The Guwahati planetarium, located on MG Road will also be a fascinating experience. To get a real experience of the rich arts of the Assam you should stopover at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Panjabari.

Attractions around Guwahati:

Dighalipukhuri
A a water body in the heart of the city with boating facilities, cruises on the river Brahmaputra in the 'Jolporee', the famous Balaji Temple of Tirupati,Planetarium, the Saraighat Bridge over the Brahmaputra, the Guwahati Oil Refinery, Lachit Barphukan Park and the Guwahati University are places worth visiting.

Chandubi Lake
A natural lagoon and fine picnic spot which is 64 kms. from Guwahati. The lake and its surroundings is an ideal holiday resort with the added attraction of fishing and rowing.

The place is easily accessible by bus from Guwahati.The best season to visit is from November to April.

Sualkuchi
Assam produces three unique varieties of silks, the Golden Muga, the White Pat and the warm Eri. Silks grown all over the state find their way to Sualkuchi, 32 kms from Guwahati.

Sualkuchi is one of the world's largest weaving villages often called the Manchester of the East. The entire population here is engaged in weaving exquisite silf fabrics. A renowned centre of silk production, particularly known for Muga - the golden silk of Assam which is not produced anywhere else in the world.

Hajo
Located 32 kms. from Guwahati on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, it is a place where three religions meet - Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism.

It has a large number of temples, the chief among them being Hayagriva-Madhab Temple. There is a belief that this temple contains the relic of Lord Buddha, while a section of the Buddhist hold that Lord Buddha attained nirvana here. Large number of Bhutanese visit this temple every year during the winter season.

There is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims here known as Poa-Mecca.

According to mythology, the Pandavas had taken shelter in this region during their agyatvas or the period in hiding. One can see the stone bowl used by Bhima during this agyatvas.