Guwahati (Assam)

translated into English means “Son of the Lord of the Universe.” In a way, it is the Lord of Assam and like God it dispenses life and death. Guwahati, on the site of the ancient capital of many kingdoms was once known as Pragjyotishpur or the city of astrology. For centuries, it was ruled by the local chieftains. It has been since, very early times, a vital link with the north east for both communication and trade and was also a seat of learning and a centre of Hindu pilgrimage. Guwahati was once the former capital of Assam. In the 7th century, Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveller also described about its beautiful mountains, forests and wildlife. During rains, the river may rise up to 15 metres above its normal water levels flooding thousands of square kilometers in Assam and the neighbouring areas. Some years, this natural irrigation of the fertile lands of Assam may yield rich harvest of jute, rice and mustard while in other years, it may leave death and destruction in its wake. An interesting way of seeing life in Assam is to embark on a steamer up the river to Dibrugarh – 550 km. away. Six km. from Guwahati is the new capital of the State, Dispur. Assamese, Bengalis and various tribal people lives n Guwahati and speak Assamese, English, Bengali and Hindi. October to March is the best season to visit Guwahati.

Tourist Attractions in Guwahati
Guwahati has other attractions besides the Brahmaputra which is unique among the great rivers of the world. It has many temples. The most important temple which attracts pilgrims from all over India is the Kamakhya Temple dedicated to Sati, the consort of Shiva. The other temples and attractions in Guwahati are the Umananda Temple, Navagraha or temple of nine planets, Vashistha Ashram. More...

How to reach Guwahati
By Air:
Guwahati is well connected by air to most of the cities in the country. Most of the airlines operate regular flights to Guwahati, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tezpur, North Lakhimpur and Silchar. The Indian Airlines also connects Guwahati to the capitals of most of the other north eastern states.

By Rail:
Guwahati is well connected by train with the rest of the country. There are train services from Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum. Some of the major towns within the state are also connected by the railway network.

By Road:
A network of National Highways and other roads connect all important places of Assam.