Assam is a gateway to North Eastern state of India. It is surrounded by other North eastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and. Maghalaya. Assam along with these 6 states together is called Seven Sisters. Assam also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh. Assam has total area of 78,438 km² with the population of about 26,638,407. The majestic river Brahmaputra that has its origin in Tibet flows through this state. Assam is divided into 27 administrative districts with Dispur is the capital of Assam. Assamese and Bodo are the major official languages of the state. Assam also accounts for fair share of India’s production of rice, mustard seeds, potato, banana, aceca nut and turmeric. It is also a home to the large verities of citrus fruits, grasses, herbs and spices.
Sightseeing of Assam:
Assam is renowned for its natural beauty and wild life. There are various places that are worth visiting during a tour to Assam. Some of them are:
Kaziranga National Park
Guwahati
Majuli Island
Sibsagar
Kamakhya Temple
Haflong
Treasures of Assam:
Assam is famous for its tea gardens and wild life sanctuaries. It one of the naturally beautiful states of India. Kaziranga National Park, Manas National parks are the treasure for the nation.
How to Reach Assam
By Air: Assam has International airport in Guwahati. Some other domestic airports of Assam are Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tezpur, Lakhimpur and Silcher. Air India, Indian airlines, Sahara and Jet Airways operate International and domestic flights to Assam.
By Rail: Visitors can reach to Assam Rail network. For visiting Assam you can avail train services from Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Trivandrum and Cochin. The B. G line is linked up with Dibrugarh and M.G line is connected to Haflong and Silcher. So it is easy to move in and around the Assam through the network of rails.
By Road: Assam has some good network of roads and highways that connect to the other major cities and states of India. Government of Assam runs Assam State Transport Corporation for providing convenient transport facilities to its visitors.
Best time to visit Assam: The best time to visit Assam is from October to April.
Tourist Attractions in Assam
Assam is regarded as the gateway to the North East that shares international border with Bhutan and Bangladesh. Assam is a land of rolling plains, shady forests, finest tea gardens, virgin mountains, finest tea gardens and many more all at one place. All these make the state an ideal destination and draw many tourists to the state. There are many places in and around the state that are worth visiting. Some of the major tourist attractions of Assam are:
Kamakhya Temple: The Kamakhya Temple is a Shakti Temple situated on the Nilachal Hills in the western part of Guwahati. The temple is dedicated to different forms of mother Goddess like Dasa Mahavidya, Bhuvaneshvari, Bagalmukhi, chinnamasta, Tripura, Sundri and Tara. Being the center of Tantra worship this temple attracts thousands of Tantra devotees in an annual festival known as Ambubachi Mela. The other major festivals celebrated in this temple are Manasha Puja and Durga Puja that attracts thousand of devotees to this temple.
Haflong: Haflong is a picturesque hill station that is also the headquarters of North Cachar Hills of Assam. It is adoringly also known as the Switzerland of East. This quaint hill station is stunningly beautiful and is garlanded by the hills, gently flowing streams and waterfalls mesmerize the visitors.
Sibsagar: Situated at a distance of 369 Km from Guwahati .Sibsagar is a historical city that was once the capital of Ahoms who ruled the Assam for more than 600 years before the advent of Britishers. The most remarkable landscape of town is its 200 years old Sibsagar Tank is situated in the heart of the town but the water level of the tank is above the level of the town. The other major attraction of Sibsagar is temple Shivdol that is believed to be the highest Siva Temple in India situated at the height of 104 feet.
Majuli Island: Situated in the midst of river Brahmaputra, this is the world's largest river island that covers the area of about 1080 Sq. Km. It is a spiritual destination for many as Lord Krishna is reported to have played on this island. Many monasteries are located at Majuli and are easily accessible by ferry.
Kaziranga National Park: Kaziranga National Park lies partly in Nagaon district and Golaghat district of Assam. Spreading across the area of 430 Sq. Km the Park is a world heritage site that is famous for great Indian one horned rhinoceros. The park remains opened from November to April. Visitors here can enjoy elephant rides and boat cruises at Bhrahmaputra. It is one of the famous picnic jaunts for visitors.
Manas National Park: Manas National Park was designated as Tiger Reserve in 1973. Spreading across 2840 Sq. Km of area the park is located in the Himalayas foothills contiguous with royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. This National Park is a World Heritage site, a Project tiger reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam. The park is known for its rare endangered species like Golden Langur, Pygmy hog, Assam Roof turtle etc.
Besides the above destinations Umananda Temple, Navagraha Temple, Basistha Ashram, Hajo, Cherrapunjee , Nmaeri National Park are other major tourist attractions in Assam.