ASSAM:-THE LAND OF TEA AND ONE HORN RHINO

About Assam

Introduction of Assam Assam, the rich, green land of rolling plains, dense forests and beautiful rivers, It is the gateway to the north eastern part of India. Extending from and between the foot hills of the Eastern Himalayas and the Patkai and Naga Ranges, Assam is bordered by Bhutan in the North; Arunachal Pradesh in the East; Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram in the south; Meghalaya in the South-West and Bengal and Bangladesh on the West. Assam dominated by the mighty Brahmaputra River, is renowned for its tea, rich flora and fauna, the world famous one horned rhinoceros and other rare species of wildlife on the verge of extinction. It has mild winters and warm summers. Summer is from March to June and monsoon from July to August. November to February is winter. Best season to visit Assam is February to May. Assam has drawn people from diverse cultures and races in different points of time. The main tourist attraction is the Kaziranga National Park, home of India's rare one-horned rhinoceros. The city of Guwahati is another place in the state which has in its vicinity numerous ancient Hindu temples and is reputed as an ideal place to explore the whole northeastern region. The capital Dispur is very near Guwahati. Other tourist destinations in the state are Hajo, Digboi, Manas, Jorhat, Tezpur, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh etc. Important Places to visit in Assam : Guwahati : Guwahati is the commercial capital city of the northeastern state of Assam. Formerly known as Pragjyotishpur (the City of Eastern Light), Guwahati is the biggest city of Assam in India. Its etymological root is derived from two Assamese words, "Guwa," meaning areca nut and "Haat," meaning market. Fixed between the picturesque hills of the eastern flanks of the Himalayan mountain range, Guwahati houses the political capital of the state, Dispur. The gateway to the seven other northeastern states, also referred as seven sisters, Guwahati is a vital tourist base point, besides being an attraction in its own. Digboi : Digboi is known as the Oil City of Assam where the first oil well in Asia was drilled. The first refinery was started here as early as 1901. Digboi is the oldest oil well in operation. This place still retains the British ambience, complemented by the clubs and Golf courses nearby. Digboi in Assam is an oil town that can be traced to the early 18th century, when oil was first discovered here. Digboi can proudly boast of two unique features - a 100-year-old extant oilfield and the world's oldest operating oil refinery. Today, though the production is very low, Digboi still has the distinction of being the world’s oldest continuously producing oilfield. Digboi Assam oilfield is not another oilfield, but an oil museum with a history to be proud of. Haflong : Haflong is a hill station in Assam, situated at an altitude of 680 m from the sea level. Assam Haflong is famous for its scenic features comprising of azure blue hills, emerald green rivers, unique orchids such as Blue Vanda and rare species of birds. Haflong in Assam is often referred to as the land of blue hills. Inhabitants of Haflong generally include Himar, Mizo and Naga tribes. Pineapple and oranges are grown here in abundance. Haflong is best known for a lovely lakeside resort developed in the lavish green hills around the town. Hajo : Hajo in Assam is a centre for various religions, located about 28 km across the river Brahmaputra, from the city of Guwahati. Hajo in Assam is a sacred place, where three religions - Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists meets. Hajo is also renowned for its bell metal work. Hajo has a large number of temples, the chief among them being Hayagriva-Madhab Temple. Hajo Assam is also considered to be a Muslim pilgrimage centre, since the mosque known as the Pao Mecca built by Pir Ghiasuddin Aulia is situated here. Majuli : Majuli in Assam is perhaps the largest riverine island in the world, lie in the lap of the majestic Brahmaputra. The main attraction of Majuli Assam is its Satras. Out of 665 satras of Assam, 65 satras are housed by Majuli in Assam. Assam Majuli has sublime and serene atmosphere, a perfect environment in which the soul combines with elements. This has provided the back drop for the historic "Moni Kanchan Sanjog" between Assam's pioneer Vaishnavite Saints Shankerdeva and his disciple Madhabdeva in the 15th century. With the subsequent establishment of 'Satras', Majuli developed as the crowning glory of the Vaishnavite culture in Assam. Majuli Assam is a melting pot of different plain tribes possessing colourful and resourceful identities. The main tribes residing in Majuli are the Misings, the Deoris and Sonowal Kacharis. Sibsagar : Sibsagar is about 150 km east of the famous Kaziranga National Park, in the state of Assam. Sibsagar in Assam is the old capital of the Ahom Kings who ruled Assam for 600 years, until the British annexed the region in 1826. The town is built around the a large 129-acre artificial tank called the Sibsagar Lake (which had given the town its name), dug over 200 years ago. One can still find the archaeological remains, palaces, and temples of the Ahoms, now being preserved as national protected monuments. Today, Sibsagar is a rapidly developing town in commercial, industrial and educational activities. It is also an important centre for the tea and oil industries. But evidence of its royal past is overwhelming. Festival of Assam Bihu Festival The Lively Celebration “Bihu anondia, Bihu binondia Bihur mou mitha hat Bihur ba lagi bihua kokair e Deu dhoni laguse gat.” (Bihu is full of joy, Bihu is beautiful, Bihu songs are very sweet, when the winds of Bihu flow The dancing spirit possesses one’s body). The breathtaking hills and valleys of Assam come alive with the sound of Bihu thrice a year. A festival that marks the change of season, Bihu is accompanied both by prayer and great rejoicing. One of the seven northeastern states of India (which are also known as the Seven Sisters), Assam is renowned for its picturesque landscape, exotic fauna and fun-loving people. Kaziranga National Park Place: Jorhat Nawgaon & Golaghat districts, Assam Best time to visit : November to April, closed during monsoon (April end to mid October) Nearest town : Bokaghat (23 km) Main attraction : One Horned Rhinoceros, Wild Buffalo Situated in Jorhat Nawgaon district, the Kaziranga National Park declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1985, extends over an area of 430sq.km. It is bounded by the Mikir Hills on the South and Brahmaputra River on the north. The park, 217 km from the capital of Assam, Guwahati was declared a Wildlife sanctuary in 1950 and accorded the status of a National Park in 1974. The park divided into central, eastern and western sectors consists of semi- evergreen forested highlands, rivulets, marshes and extensive plains covered with tall elephant grass up to 6 metres high. How to arrive in Assam By Air : Assam is well connected to the major cities of India. Several domestic airlines fly to Assam. The Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport of Guwahati is well connected by air to most of the metros in the country. Air India also operates an international weekly flight between Bangkok and Guwahati. By Rail : The state of Assam has a convenient railway network both within the state and with the rest of the country. There are train services from Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum. B.G. line connection is up to Dibrugarh and M.G. line with Haflong and Silchar. Major towns within the state are also connected by the railway network. By Road : Several private travel companies as well as the Assam State Transport Corporation operate a large network of buses around the state. Map of Assam Tea gardens Exquisite and incredibly silent tea gardens are bliss for eyes. These are mainly located in the upper Assam and southern Barak Valley region. Serene and smiling tea gardens are one of the major tourist attraction. Enjoy the lush greenery of the undulating tea gardens on both sides of the highway while driving to different tea gardens is an exhilarating sightseeing. Life at tea garden is oblivion to most of the outsiders.Trees are grown in bushes,the tea bushes are about 3 feet in height with an even surface from the top of which the pluckers pluck the tea leaves. The lay of the land in a tea garden is waving so that excess rainwater or irrigation water does not remain standing at the roots but flows away after watering the soil. Unfortunately, life of tea workers is worsening day by day, at least 700 tea workers have died from diseases link