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If anybody wants to shooth his eyes with hills, green vallies, tea gardens, the Bramhaputra river and
wants to enjoy a rail road full of tunnels and mysteries, Assam is the must visit for him. Surrounded
by six other hill states, (Arunachal Pradesh & Bhutan in North, West Bengal and Bangladesh in West,
Meghalaya, Tripura, & Mizoram in South, Manipur & Nagaland in the East) Assam, established in the
13th century by Ahom’s Buddhists kings from Northern Burma. That time the capital was at
Sibsagar, where many remains of their 600 years of occupation can still be seen. Believing themselves
to be without equal, they called themselves Asam or ‘peerless’ and the word was soon applied to their
territory which expanded as they followed the Brahmaputra down the river. It was ceded to the British
in 1826. Currently, Assam grows 60 % of the India’s Tea and produces a large proportion of India’s crude
and petrolium oil.
Assam is fomous for its handicrafts, hand-woven fabrics, Silk and cotton saris. Rangali Bihu is the
famous dance of Assam. Bihu marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year and falls sometime in mid-April.
It is also rich in several traditional folk dances. The main puja is the Durga Puja, celebrated in the
month of October. In the months of June-July, there is the famous Ambubashi Mela at Kamakhya temple
which bringss thousands of pilgrims from all over the country.
Guide Map for Assam
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Kamakhya Temple:
The temple is situated within the city (Guwahati) and over the top of the Neelachala Parvat or Kamagiri.
The Kamakhya Temple is one of the most venerated Shakti shrines in India, and is regarded as one of the Shakti
Peethams associated with the legend of Shiva and Daksha Yagna. This temple honour the Mother Goddess Kamakhya, the essence
of female energy. It is one of the 108 Shakti Peethas of Goddess Durga. Legend has it that Kamakhya came into existence
when Lord Shiva was carrying the corpse of his wife Sati, and her "yoni" (female genitalia) fell to the ground at the
spot where the temple now stands. The temple is a natural cave with a spring. Down a flight of steps to the bowel of earth,
is located a dark, mysterious chamber. Here, draped with a silk sari and covered with flowers, is kept the "matra yoni".
The Temple was rebuilt by King Nara Narayana, of Cooch Bihar in 1665 after being destroyed by Muslim invaders, but
its origins are much older than that. Images of the builder and related inscriptions are seen in the temple.
Private cars, Auto and other vehicles goes to the temple. It also boasts of a helipad for the VVIPs. One can collect the
local handicrafts at a very cheap rate. One can stop at various view points enroute to the temple. The mighty river,
Bramhaputra, is clearly visible from the view points. |
