By - Sudipta Barman
Having shifted my base to Assam from a ever buzzing city named Kolkata, gave me an unique exposure to a delightful creation of mother nature. Assam, the tea maker of India is blessed with hills and greener in its purest form. The mystic land of Assam covered with lofty blue hills is the gateway to the northeast frontiers of India.
Beginning with the mythological tales by Grandmother, I had heard a lot about the mighty Brahmaputra river that flows down from Tibet to meander through Assam. But, Assam is much more than the mythological conections and tea cultivation. The state is a beautiful amalgamation of culture, history, wildlife and civilisation.
So, to experience the true taste of Assam, we must visit certain places. I intend to give you a low down on the important sites of Assam which may or may not feature in your tourist guide handbook. Here you go with the list of destination you would love to visit with your family, friends or even on a lone voyage!
Kamakhya Temple
Category : Religious
This is one of the most famous place for Tantric practices in India. Mythologically, according to Purans, Lord Vishnu severed corpse of Parvati into pieces with Sudarshan Charkra to calm down Lord Shiva from continuing “Tandav” carrying her dead body, which could destroy Universe. Legends reveal that her "yoni" or vagina fell here, making it one of the most sacred of Shaktipitas.
Haflong
Category : Nature
This is the only hill-station of Assam. This hill-station is famous for rainbow which can be seen down below. Jatinga, famous for the unexplained phenomenon of migratory birds "committing mass suicide",( according to scientists, it is because of disorientation created because of high altitude, high speed wind and dense widespread fog )) is only 9 km away from Haflong.
Umrangshu
Category: Nature
Covered with lush greenery and beautiful hills, Umrangshu is one of the top tourist spots in Assam. It is a bonus for the trekking lovers to go trekking to the place from Haflong. One of the tourist attractions of this place is Garam Pani, hot spring ‘in hindi’ which is famous for its medicinal reputation.
Sivasagar
Category: History and Culture
Situted 350 km north east from Guwahati, is a town of Upper Assam. It is known for places made during Ahom Kingdom. The historical city has 200-year-old Sibsagar tank in the center covering 257 acres. Amongst the three Shiva temple on its banks, Shivadol, is said to be the highest Shiva temple in India.
Majuli Island
Category: Nature
Located in the midst of river Brahmaputra, this is the world's largest river island, indeed a attraction in itself. Maujuli has over 15 Vaishnava monasteries.
Assam, with its rich diversity of wild lives draws a large number of tourists from boh india nd abroad. Barring Africa, perhaps no other country would have such rich bio-diversity and boasts of such a variety of wildlife.
Manas National Park
Category: Wildlife
Located on the banks of the river Manas, a world-heritage site by UNESCOS, is a well-known for being a tiger-reserve. This national park is also famous for being a home to many rare
endangered species like Assam roofed turtle, golden langur, hispid hare, and pygmy hog.
Kaziranga National Park
Category: Wildlife
It is home to the fabled one-horned Rhinoceros. This is also a world heritage site. A hot-spot for wildlife photograhers and nature lovers
Hajo
Category: Religious
Hajo can be called as an amalgamation of Hinduism, Islamism, and Buddhism with several famous temples; followers of many faiths adored this place.A pilgrimage place for the three faith, has a mosque built by Pir Giasuddin Aulia called Poa Mecca and the temple of Hayagrib Madhab, amongst the most famous hoaly places.
Agnigarh
Category: Nature
Located in Tezpur, it is one of the must-see places in Assam. It provides a mesmerizing view of Brahmaputra and Tezpur.
Eventually you will go back to your native places but the taste of tea and the memories of beautiful Assam will linger on!
No comments:
Post a Comment