Swami
Vivekananda had once said that next only to Kashmir, Assam is the most
beautiful place in India. Regarded as the gateway to the north east, Assam
is the second largest state of the region. Also called 'the land of green
valleys and blue hills', picturesque Assam is particularly famous for her
tea gardens, the one-horned rhino and the mighty river Brahmaputra. The
landscape of the state is dotted with many monuments and temples of
historical period. A state with an abundance of forest cover, Assam also has
five national parks and around half a dozen other wildlife sanctuaries.
Another aspect that separates Assam from the rest of Indian states is the
rich composite culture of the state. Assamese constitute the majority of the
state's population but the state has over two dozen other big and small
tribal groups with many of them having their own language, script, dance
forms and traditions. Hence, Assam is also called a mosaic of cultures.
The information available on the ancient history of Assam is less as
compared to medieval and modern periods. Assam was mentioned as 'Kamarupa'
or 'Pragjyotish' during the period of the epics. The most prominent of the
earlier dynasties was the Varman dynasty having started its rule from 400
AD. The Ahoms came to Assam in about 1228 AD. The Ahom rule, a bright period
in the history of Assam, saw the construction of many temples and monuments
besides a general upliftment of the infrastructure of the state. The Ahom
rule weakened in the early 18th century and the Burmese sensed an
opportunity to invade Assam. This forced the British to interfere resulting
in the signing of Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. A lot of credit for
establishing tea gardens and oil exploration in Assam goes to the British.
After independence, the states of Meghalaya and Mizoram were carved out of
Assam.
The commercial capital of Assam, Guwahati has many beautiful temples
including Kamakhya temple, Nabagraha, Umananda, Dol Gobinda and Basistha
Ashram. The Sankardev Kalakshetra displays the artistic excellence of Asam
and the rest of north eastern states. Hajo near Guwahati is sacred to
followers of three religions-Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. Majuli in upper
Assam is the world's largest river island. Sivasagar and Jorhat preserve
many of the legacies of Ahom period in the form of temples and monuments.
Tezpur is renowned for archeological ruins and ancient temples. Haflong in
lower Assam is the only hill station of the state.
Kaziranga is the most famous wildlife sanctuary of the state. It is home to
more than half of the world's one horned rhino population. Other national
parks of Assam are Nameri, Manas, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa. There are many
picnic spots along the banks of mighty river Brahmaputra.
Assam is also a state where festivals are celebrated with pomp and gaiety.
Bihu,the main festival of the state has three varieties-rongali ,bhogali and
kongali falling in January, April and October respectively. Durga Puja is
also celebrated in a big way in the state. Coupled with these are the
festivals of many tribal groups of the state keeping the atmosphere of the
state festive for most part of the year.
The exquisite handloom and handicraft products of the state made largely of
cane and bamboo are among the best buys of the state.
In the midst of forests, mountains, rivers and lush green tea gardens,
destination Assam is sure to be a captivating tourist attraction.
Assam
