Short Introduction of Assam Tourism
Assam is one of the most beautiful North East states of India, and is quite popular for its diverse culture. It has lately been finding its name on the list of offbeat destinations popular among domestic and international tourists. Majuli, the place as well as the river island, is often pictured as the centre of Assam’s VIP culture, and is also quite popular for its mesmerizing sunrise.
Moreover, Assam is also famous for its wildlife, especially the one-horned rhinoceros at Kaziranga and the sub-Himalayan biodiversity at the Manas National Park. Assam tourism has huge potential, especially adventure tourism.
So, let’s stop thinking about it now and how about planning a Family trip to Assam for some adventure trek to Dzukou? You may be thinking where or what Assam is, right? Now, welcome to one of the northeastern states of India, known as Assam.
Assam is one of the best Seven Sister States, and the best among your all favorite destinations as it is known for its natural beauty, biodiversity, and historical significance. This place has tropical rain forests spread through West Bengal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Most of the exotic animals that you will find in the Indian subcontinent are available here. You can even see the Tibetans, and Burmese right beside each other, and they have embraced one another so much that it is extremely difficult to differentiate them.
Assam tourism observation forest has a special wooden tower in the area of 2 square kilometres, and one can experience an elephant ride without prior permission in the grasslands. Assam tourism offers the rarest jaunts on fertile plains in the world where almost everything still grows happily, and that can be quite a charming characteristic.
If you are visiting the rest of the country in the plains, then visit Assam to experience the difference. When you think about visiting Assam, the first thing that comes into your mind is the wildlife of the place, which is unique. The main wildlife attraction in Assam is the famous for its one-horned rhinoceros at the Kaziranga National Park. You can visit the place while being on a cruise on the mighty Brahmaputra River. On the wildlife excursion, visit Assam to visit Manas Park. The area shares international borders with Bangladesh and the dense forests of Bhutan.
Understanding Assam: Geography, Culture, and History
Assam stands out as one of the most beautiful places to visit in India, with mountain ranges, hills, history, art, and culture. A traveller who understands the geography, culture, and history of Assam becomes an avid witness of everything he encounters during his visit. Situated in the northeastern part of India, it shares international boundaries with countries like Bhutan and Bangladesh. Its geographical makeup includes three major features: the Brahmaputra Valley, the Barak Valley, and the hilly tracks of Karbi Anglong, North Cachar Hills, and the wide area of highlands wedged between Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan, and Nagaland.
The major part of the river Brahmaputra flows through Assam. Beautiful place, beautiful people. There is no dearth of diversity and uniqueness in Assam regarding culture, ethnicity, practices, etc. The mainstream Assamese society is majorly supported by a few other ethnic groups. However, other splendid cultural groups include the Rabhas, the Hajongs, the Khasis, the Jaintias, and the Boros. Assam has a rich history. Indian history is a topic without any conclusions.
Assam has, however, observed changing times, with influences and extreme negativity from invaders. The first Ahom rulers came from Myanmar in the 13th century. They seized power and continued their rule for more than 600 years until the state was mainly taken into the British regime.
Best Time to Visit Assam
While discussing Assam and its tourist attractions, one cannot help but mention the state’s charming climatic conditions. With surreal views of the Brahmaputra, ancient monasteries, vibrant wildlife, and lush tea gardens, Assam has become an increasingly popular tourist destination among globetrotters.
A sense of varied beauty resides in Assam’s different seasons. Since Assam has heavy rainfalls, it is advisable to visit Assam during the early autumn season to late spring season. Winter is the most pleasant time to visit Assam. Here, in the logic of tourists, I am discussing the advantages of planning an Assam tour during the specific seasons. Early autumn and late spring are the best times to travel to Assam. The threat of excess rainfall may ruin your holiday dates, but by choosing Assam at the very beginning of the season, you can see the transition effect with side-by-side season-specific activities.
Particularly, bird watching and visiting the national parks are attractive activities that are available during your Assam tour in this cool, wet season. Autumn, being blessed with intermittent rain showers, eases the atmosphere of the monsoon-cloudy city and its inhabitants. The short golden shower fades away all the air impurities, turning the lush green city into a fresher frame with blossoming flowers. The daytime heat dissolves over a pleasant evening to give a night of sound sleep.
This is the right season for your Assam visit, and you should step out for some evening local joyous events, especially the awe-inspiring community chat groups in the evening. It helps you to make your entertaining journey enjoyable as well as fall in love with the places during your Assam trip.
The Durga Puja in Guwahati usually falls in October. The festive prevalence of “Dussehra”—an auspicious celebration of the supreme divine power—in any visiting country awakens the spiritual aura and electrifies the ambiance with sacred rituals reacting towards evil. This spiritual aura during Durga Puja in Assam gives a pious break to visitors from nearby states—a very busy metro city, having a high level of pollution and traffic noise. Overall, this cool weather and colourful ambiance open the door to Assam for tourists—a gateway that allows you to uncover fascinating and thrilling moments in a cool, crazy, and spontaneous rendezvous with nature and the state of authenticity.
Additionally, Assam—particularly the Dooars through Arunachal Pradesh—has several beautiful and interesting festivals, usually held during the high tourist season, which are mountainous tribal celebrations for the public.
Top Attractions in Assam
Assam is a state known for its rich diversity and breathtaking landscapes. A trip here will satisfy the cravings of every kind of traveller. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, then exploring the natural parks of Assam can be a great experience, while for the spiritually inclined, the numerous temples, and historic sites in Assam are certainly worth exploring.
Assam is mostly known for the good vibes and positive environmental trips. An area of 78,438 sq. km, comprising mountains, hills, and water bodies surrounded by fertile forests, Assam is a paradise for all nature lovers. A trip to Assam will help you relax and get close to nature. Traveling in this region will be a memorable experience if you make your hassle-free reservations for home stays, jungle safaris, tea garden trips, and even ferry rides. Fascinating place.
The direct connection of Assam makes it a popular destination for all travellers. A trip to Assam is never complete without clicking on the amazing sites here. In case you don’t have all your places to visit in Assam, here is a great experience you can explore.
The Assam state displays its rich biodiversity and offers the perfect ambiance to bask in the wilderness. It is also home to the famous and endangered one-horned rhinoceros, which can be spotted easily in Kaziranga National Park.
Assam is a wonderful state, is also a gateway to Northeast India. It is blessed with amazing wildlife, historical landmarks, and distinct culture. The entire state is emerging at the forefront of global tourist spots in Assam. The main attractions in Assam are Majuli Island, Guwahati city, Kaziranga National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Sivasagar, Kamakhya Temple, and Majuli.
Kaziranga National Park
The Kaziranga National Park is one of the most important places to visit when in Assam. It is the natural habitat of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros. The park stretches across two districts in Assam and is home to water buffalo, elephants, marsh deer, leopards, tigers, and over 500 species of birds. Visitors can find pythons, monitor lizards, green pigeons, and swamp franchisor in the park’s dense forested areas. The park would especially appeal to nature lovers.
The park is based in a sprawling landscape of grasslands, wetlands, and forests. The landscape is quite valuable ecologically, as it is the last area in the country covered by tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense forests. The best way to explore the area would be to take a jeep safari or elephant ride organized by the home guards. The safety of wildlife is a top priority here.
The management of the Kaziranga park is actively involved in the conservation of wildlife. Preservation of wildlife and its heritage has been a significant factor in Assam. The park authorities need to enlist the support of the local communities that live close to the park’s buffer zones to make the conservation of wildlife a success. Some local communities in the area live in harmony with the national park’s animals, and there are candle-making and weaving centres in the region that one could visit to learn about the park.
Tea Gardens of Assam
Assam is virtually synonymous with tea, and then some. It contributes fully half of India’s tea production, mostly of the black variety. The tea plant is indigenous to Assam and grows wild, although who it was that first discovered, plucked a few leaves, brewed them, and tasted as they sipped cannot be determined now, given the palpable lack of such historical records.
The fact is that Assam tea spread its non-alcoholic charisma down a long road about 170 years ago, and since then, every sip from a cup of Assam tea conjures up idyllic images of sweetness. The abundant natural tea gardens covering vast swathes of land have been luring thousands of Indian and foreign tourists. A garden’s fame, and usually—although not necessarily—its claim to historical significance, is more or less directly proportional to its sprawling expanses, but this should not be misconstrued to mean that smaller ones are any less substantial.
Visiting the vast tea gardens of Assam is one of the most uplifting and liberating experiences, with their verdant landscapes and refreshing bounty. One can take guided tours during which one is systematically grounded, covering the process of plucking, drying, sorting, and packing to see the final product emerge into the whole business of tea production.
Tea Hospitality Center off Jorhat is being developed into a major stopover for the isolated people who serve their expertise to produce one of the most precious billion-dollar beverages – Indian tea. They offer genuine interaction with the tea laborers, and operational realities, besides being located on a naturally affable rolling tea garden terrain. The more you sink yourself in aromatic bliss, the more you are one with Assam.
Tea-tasting sessions of different varieties, drawn using leaves from the estate, followed by customizing guest preferences, are also organized by the properties. Tea garden stays are being promoted under experiential travel activities, and to bring forward the heritage, harvest, and industry roots, local regional delicacies are offered during meals. Some of the Assam;s tea gardens provide in-depth information about the plantation, besides conducting interactive programs in the evenings, which include traditional Assamese folk culture and organic ethnic dinner.
Majuli Island
Majuli Island, established in the Brahmaputra River, is the largest mid-stream river island globally and is the most unique place in Assam. The focal point of this region is its fascinating culture, which is displayed through classical dance forms, music, and various other traditions. Majuli is a magnificent place to visit owing to unblemished natural vistas, the cohabitation of the inhabitants, and their folkloric traditions. Assamese culture reverberates on the island, with the locals participating in the island’s grand festivals.
Owing to its powerful current and turbulence, the island is one of the most wonderful places to visit in Assam. The fourth largest freshwater island in the world is Majuli, which receives guests year-round. Several Hindu Assamese monasteries are also located on the island of Majuli, known as Vaishnava monasteries. The inhabitant of Australia introduced this dance form in Majuli. The then king of Assam took a keen interest in it and invited the same.
The festival is a blend of folk, classical, traditional, and tribal dances and music. It is organized by the culture department of the Assam government to promote Majuli’s cultural vibrancy. Majuli also offers the world’s best hand-woven textiles. A trip to the serene river island of Majuli makes it one of the best tourist destinations in Assam to add to any travel planner’s bucket list.
Majuli is a cultural haven and a welcome pause from Assam’s usual must-visit sites. Accessing Majuli Island is relatively easy, regardless of your plan. There are many hotels and resorts in Majuli catering to visitors’ comfort with tariff ranges suiting everyone’s pocket.
Kamakhya Temple
If you plan a trip to Assam, one pivotal yet intriguing sight you should include in your itinerary is the Kamakhya Temple. There is truly no other temple in India like Kamakhya. The temple reflects the local architectural style, incorporating steps that pilgrims must climb to visit the sanctum. This Temple is made of rocks, but the superstructure or the vimana is made of stone. Moreover, the western entrance of the temple is quite narrow compared to the others. Kamakhya temple holds a special place in the hearts of the Assamese and is a major center of Tantra, an ancient sect based on the Vama Shastra.
This temple does not have any image or idol of the presiding deity. Inside the small dark womb-shaped cavity of the shaktipeeth are kept the six bottles of hued or cocktail drinks upon which the strange Brahmaputra River casts a red glow during the nights. It is during the monsoons that the water turns to blood. Pilgrims believe that a visit to the temple can provide solace and relief from the miseries of the world. The four-day Ambubachi festival held in the middle of June/July attracts lakhs of devotees.
Here it needs to be mentioned that thousands of spiritual scholars come to Guwahati throughout the year to learn Tantra. The Neelachal Hill, where it is located, offers some spectacular views of Brahmaputra Valley and provides a ringside view of Guwahati. The aura and energy of the place are electric, and it is a holy place. Unlike other temples, the doors of Kamakhya are open throughout the day. Casual visiting of temples is allowed. The pilgrims are to enter through a place named “Antralaya,” where they can see images of Ganesha, Dashamahavidya, and Mahasaraswati.
Here they have to observe usual and ritualistic ceremonies, including offerings of different types of flowers and interesting and colorful songs. Every year in the month of June, one of the most famous festivals in Kamakhya, called the Ambubachi Mela, is held. During the festival, the doors of the temple are closed, and devotees of Kamakhya can perform their rituals at that time.
On the fourth day after the Ambubachi Mela, the doors are opened to the public once again, and devotees make their journey to take blessings from Kamakhya. The temple is beautiful and has a certain kind of serene and spiritual atmosphere. Kamakhya Temple has its own customs, and it is essential to be aware of them as it is a place of worship. Both Indian, and foreign tourists should keep in mind that it is against the rules to take photographs inside the temple. Unlike the temples in the south, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the dress code for Kamakhya Temple is quite relaxed, and smart casuals would be your best bet. Do remember to wear decent clothing.
In summary, Kamakhya temple is the foremost historic and religious monument of Assam and reflects the local artistic culture. A visit to the Kamakhya Temple can clear the mysticism and historical origins of ancient Assam. Kamakhya is a synthesis of male personification, female personification, abstract ideas, and Tantric concepts. It is one of the three principal Shakti Peethas in India.
Even now, this local goddess continues to fascinate the minds of everyone, and the local people continue to celebrate the festival and fairy tales surrounding her. The architectural features of the superstructure and the embryo cavity of he Kamakhya temple are original and unique. This unique monument could enlighten anyone about the mystery surrounding ancient Assam.
Kamakhya is, in a way, a reflection of the culture, character, lifestyle, and human beliefs and endeavors. There are many unique customs and rituals involved with the site. People throughout the year from different parts of the world come to visit the holy temple of Kamakhya, and for the general tourist and visitor, the unique architectural style and ambiance of the temple are splendid.
Sivasagar
It stands as a vibrant reminiscence of Assam’s royal history, thereby being a key highlight of the state. It was previously the kingdom’s capital under the reign of the Ahom dynasty, responsible for a significant part of the state’s cultural evolution. The town had become a stronghold by the 17th century with its shrines, depicting the grandeur of the Ahom dynasty. With their compelling architecture, Sivasagar structures an unmissable part of any Assam trip.
You can dive into the religiosity, which runs along the historical narratives at this place through a variety of temples, such as the Sivadol and the Kareng Ghar. The first structure cited bears testimony to the architectural skills of sculptors of that period. The Ghar complex, on the other hand, enshrines holy places, graves, and houses.
Some of the key highlights of Sivasagar town such as Sivasagar Sivadol, Vishnu Dol, Joysagar Tank and Temple, Sivadol, Charaideo-Karenghar Complex, Talatal Ghar, and Deoparbat Ruins. Apart from these landmarks, visitors can sign up for guided walking tours that are conducted through cultural trails in the area that clearly offer a better perspective and interpretation of Sivasagar’s heritage.
In addition to its prominent landmarks, two important festivals make Sivasagar a colorful and vibrant place. The Rangali Bihu takes place during the Assamese and Bengali month of Bohag and is celebrated extravagantly. To commune with nature, Sivasagar is also the perfect destination. The religious sanctity of the temple, combined with the authenticity of homestays, gives a varied flavor to the town. The lush beauty of the surrounding region makes a holiday to Sivasagar simply unmissable.
The best time to visit Sibsagar is during the winter months from October to March. Sivasagar can be reached by flights from LGBI International Airport or by trains to Sivasagar Town. Accommodations are available here, ranging from luxury hotels to more affordable inns, and home stays. Overall, Sivasagar is a significant center of Assam’s historicity and an important place to visit to understand the state.
Cuisine of Assam
The cuisine of Assam is an extension of its rich culture, available ingredients, indigenous fruits, vegetables, spices, and traditional preparation. An Assamese meal is characterized by simplicity. Rice is the most common feature in every meal of the day and is usually accompanied by lentils. By divine intervention and the enriched vast fertile land of Assam blessed with the typical humidity and erratic rainfall, Assam grows its rice throughout the year.
One more interesting fact about the preparation of food in Assam is that it is not deep-fried. There are very few dishes in the cuisine that require deep frying. The usage of minimal oil and spices makes the dishes simple and healthy. Assam is rich in culture, and people here are primarily non-vegetarians. The traditional Assamese diet is simple in character and comprises rice, dal, vegetables, fish, and meat.
Some of the popular traditional cuisine of Assam, includes Khar, Tenga, Poora, Pitha, Laksa, Payas, etc. The ingredients are primarily prepared with soft tissues, spiced-up, and tangy meals in the form of fish, meat, or green leafy cooking. Thus, it is a great food habit that is not only seasonal but also balanced according to the Ayurvedic concept of food habits.
Book a trip to Assam from the USA, UK, Italy and never be complete without indulging in the local Assamese food. Some of the must-try local foods include Assam Laksa – a light and tangy noodle soup seasoned with mango, onion, chilies, and cucumber; Khar – raw papaya and lentil curry mixed with Assamese spices – it is a tasty dish that goes best with steamed rice; Fish – Assam is a hotspot for fish, and a wide variety is available here.
Besides the traditional, there are many fine dining experiences available in Assam of many hotels and resorts, elegant tea lounges, and elegant rooftop restaurants. There are numerous tea garden resorts with restaurants that offer al fresco evening buffets, barbecues, and local cultural programs.
Assam Safety Tips and Cultural Etiquette
raveling in Assam—particularly in the cities and relatively developed tourist areas like Kaziranga National Park—is quite safe in terms of violent crimes. However, you may still feel uncomfortable traveling solo or late at night, as an increasing number of cases of sexual harassment of female travelers have been reported.
The usual safety precautions, as you would take anywhere in the world, should be observed: do not leave your personal belongings unguarded, stay alert in crowds, dress appropriately, and take care of your health. Once in Assam, stay updated and sensitive about local news and read travel advisories available at your embassy.
No matter where you travel, it is important to respect the local customs, traditions, and habits of the Assamese people. This will ensure a positive travel experience in the rural villages as well as the major cities, but it is especially important when visiting religious sites and local villages in Assam.
People are generally very warm and friendly in Assam, and showing respect for their cultural identity helps to maintain their positive attitude towards tourists. Assam’s major religions include Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism, and tourists should make sure to visit religious sites with modest and respectful clothing. As in many Indian states, it is polite to remove shoes before entering a temple or house.
When visiting Assam;s traditional events, such as Bihu festivals, dress modestly. It is also polite to learn a few words in Assamese, such as greetings. With this in mind, a positive interaction between foreign visitors and locals will be ensured.
Wildlife enthusiasts should also be aware that all plant and wildlife is protected by law, so avoid buying items made from threatened species. All in all, safety tips and showing respect for local customs in Assam go hand in hand—both are crucial for a harmonious travel experience.
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