Tuesday 4 October 2011

Assam Tourism | Assam Map

Assam Tourism | Assam Map


About Assam:


Assam is the central state in the North-East Region of India and serves as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. Assam boasts of famous wildlife preserves – the Kaziranga National Park, which is home to the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros and the Manas National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (These first two parks are UNESCO World Heritage Site), the largest river island Majuli, historic Sivasagar, famous for the ancient monuments of Ahom Kingdom, the city of eternal romance, Tezpur and tea-estates dating back to time of British Raj. The weather is mostly sub-tropical. Assam experiences the Indian monsoon and has one of the highest forest densities in India. The winter months (October end half to first half of April) are the best time to visit.

Assam has a rich cultural heritage going back to the Ahom Kingdom, which governed the region for many centuries before the British occupation. Other notable features include the Brahmaputra River, the mystery of the bird suicides in Jatinga, umerous temples including Kamakhya of Tantric sect. 'Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur also known as Damdama Sahib at Dhubri '- This famous Gurudwara is situated in the heart of the Dhubri Town on the bank of the mighty Brahmaputra river in far north-east India. Guru Teg Bahadur the holy Sikh Guru visited this place in 1505 and met Srimanta Sankardeva (the founder of the Mahapuruxiya Dharma) as the Guru traveled from Dhaka to Assam, ruins of palaces, etc. Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, boasts many bazaars, temples, and wildlife sanctuaries.


Geography of Assam:


Assam is located in the north-eastern part of India surrounded by states like Arunachal Pradesh in the North, Nagaland in the east, Mizoram and Tripura in the south and West Bengal in the west.

The countries viz. China and Bangladesh form international borders with Assam.

Assam is surrounded by a ring of blue hills. It is an amalgamation of plains and river valleys.Its principal geographical regions are: Brahmaputra Valley in the north; the Barak Plain in the south; and the Mikir and Cachar Hills that divide the two regions. These two largest valleys in Assam are the main lands where a large mass of human population live.

Assam weather:




Assam Tea:


Assam is a black tea named after the region of its production, Assam, in India. Assam tea is manufactured specifically from the plant Camellia sinensis var. assamica (Masters). This tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, bright color. Assam teas, or blends containing Assam, are often sold as "breakfast" teas. English Breakfast tea, Irish Breakfast tea, and Scottish Breakfast Tea are common generic names.

The state of Assam is the world's largest tea-growing region, lying on either side of the Brahmaputra River, and bordering Bangladesh and Burma (Myanmar). This part of India experiences high precipitation; during the monsoon period, as much as 10 to 12 inches (250–300 mm) of rain per day. The daytime temperature rises to about 103F (40 °C), creating greenhouse-like conditions of extreme humidity and heat. This tropical climate contributes to Assam's unique malty taste, a feature for which this tea is well known.

Though Assam generally denotes the distinctive black teas from Assam, the region produces smaller quantities of green and white teas as well with their own distinctive characteristics.

Historically, Assam has been the second commercial tea production region after southern China. Southern China and Assam are the only two regions in the world with native tea plants. Assam tea revolutionized tea drinking habits in the 19th century since the tea, produced from a different variety of the tea plant, yielded a different kind of tea.

Tourism in Assam:


Brahmaputra:


The Brahmaputra,also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia.

From its origin in southwestern Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo River, it flows across southern Tibet to break through the Himalayas in great gorges and into Arunachal Pradesh (India) where it is known as Dihang.It flows southwest through the Assam Valley as Brahmaputra and south through Bangladesh as the Jamuna (not to be mistaken with Yamuna of India). In the vast Ganges Delta it merges with the Padma, the main distributary of the Ganges, then the Meghna, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

About 1,800 miles (2,900 km) long, the Brahmaputra is an important river for irrigation and transportation. The average depth of the river is 124 feet (38 m) and maximum depth is 380 feet (120 m). The river is prone to catastrophic flooding in spring when the Himalayan snows melt. The average discharge of the river is about 19,300 cubic metres per second (680,000 cu ft/s), and floods can reach over 100,000 cubic metres per second (3,500,000 cu ft/s).It is a classic example of a braided river and is highly susceptible to channel migration and avulsion. It is also one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore. It is navigable for most of its length.

The Brahmaputra's upper course was long unknown, and its identity with the Yarlung Tsangpo was only established by exploration in 1884-86. This river is often called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river.

The lower reaches are sacred to Hindus. While most rivers on the Indian subcontinent have female names, this river has a rare male name, as it means "son of Brahma" in Sanskrit (putra means "son").

Guwahati:


Guwahati formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis and is the largest city of Assam in India, with a population of 1,100,000 (2011 census). It is also the largest metropolis in the north-east region of India. It is said to be the "Gateway" of the North East Region. Dispur, the capital of the Indian state of Assam, is located within the city and is the seat of Government of Assam.

The city is situated between the southern bank of the Brahmaputra river and the foothills of the Shillong plateau, with LGB International Airport to the west, and the town of Narengi to the east. The city is gradually being expanded as North Guwahati to the northern bank of the Brahmaputra. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation, the city's local government, administers an area of 216 km², while the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, the planning and development administers an area of 340 km².

Guwahati is a major commercial and educational center of North-East India and is home to world class institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and other premier institutions like Gauhati University and Cotton College. The city is also a major center for cultural activities and sports in the North Eastern region and for the administrative and political activities of Assam. The city is also an important hub for transportation in the North East Region.

Guwahati and its environs are also rich in wildlife with several rare mammals such as Asian elephants, Gaur, Tiger and primates.The birdlife in and around the city is also rich and diverse.

Majuli:


Majuli or Majoli is a large river island in the Brahmaputra river, in the Indian state of Assam. Majuli had a total area of 1,250 square kilometres (483 sq mi), but having lost significantly to erosion it has an area of only 421.65 square kilometres (163 sq mi) in 2001.

The island is formed by the Brahmaputra river in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of the Brahmaputra, joined by the Subansiri River in the north.Majuli island is accessible by ferries from the City of Jorhat.The island is about 200 kilometres east from the state's largest city — Guwahati. The island was formed due to course changes by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, mainly the Lohit. Majoli is also the abode of the Assamese neo-Vaisnavite culture.

Kaziranga National Park:


Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses.Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species. Compared to other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility.

Kaziranga is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, crisscrossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and the park includes numerous small bodies of water. Kaziranga has been the theme of several books, songs, and documentaries. The park celebrated its centennial in 2005 after its establishment in 1905 as a reserve forest.

Tezpur:


Tezpur is a city and the administrative headquarters and municipal board of Sonitpur district in the state of Assam in northeastern India. Tezpur is an ancient city on the banks of the river Brahmaputra and is the largest of the north bank towns with a population exceeding 100,000. It is situated 175 kilometres (109 mi) north east of Guwahati.

Jatinga:


Jatinga , a village on a ridge, is located in Dima Hasao district, Assam State in India. It is 330 km south of Guwahati. It is most famous for the phenomenon of birds “committing suicide”. Although the birds do not commit suicide and are actually killed, the phenomenon of suicide has spread far and wide among common people. The village is inhabited by about 2,500 Jaintia tribal people.

Sibsagar:


Sivasagar is a town in the Sibsagar district in the state of Assam in India, about 360 kilometres (224 mi) north east of Guwahati.It is the district headquarters of the Sivasagar district.Sivasagar is a heritage place in Assam famous for the monuments of Ahom kingdom. Now it is a multi-cultural town.

Hajo:


Hajo is an ancient pilgrimage centre for three religions: Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims. It lies on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, 24 km from the city of Guwahati in the Kamrup district of Assam, India. The area is dotted with a number of ancient temples as well as other sacred artifacts. The Hayagriva Madhava Mandir is the most famous temple of Hajo. Lesser known temples of Hajo like that of Ganesha was constructed during the reign of Ahom King Pramatta Singha in 1744 AD. The Kedareswara Temple, a Shiva temple, has inscription on the temple showing that it is of Rajeswar Singha period.

Hayagriva Madhava Temple is situated on the Monikut hill. The present temple structure was constructed by the King Raghudeva Narayan in 1583. According to some historians the King of Pala dynasty constructed it in 6th century. It is a stone temple and it enshrines an image of Hayagriva Madhava. Some Buddhists believe that the Hayagriva Mahhava temple, best known in the group of Hindu temples, is where the Buddha attained Nirvana. At this imposing temple, the presiding deity is worshipped as the Man Lion incarnation of Vishnu by the Hindus. It is a stone temple and it enshrines an image of Hayagriva Madhav. The rows of elephants are seen on the body of the temple and they are fine specimens of Assamese art. There is a big pond known as Madhab Pukhuri near the temple. Doul ,Bihu and Janmastami festivals are celebrated every year in the temple. Moreover this temple preaches both Hinduism and Buddhism, which attract Buddhist Monks from far flung places. Sayani, the first wife of Kalia Bhomora Barphukan donated a family of paiks and also a plot of land for their maintenance to the Hayagriva Madhava temple during the days of Purnananda Burhagohain.

Hajo is also a Muslim pilgrimage centre since the mosque known as the Poa Mecca is thought to have some of the sanctity of Mecca.

Haflong:


Haflong is a town and headquarters of Dima Hasao district in India in the state of Assam. It is adoringly called the 'Switzerland of the East'. Haflong is a quaint hill station breath takingly beautiful,garlanded by the hills and an unending saga of gently flowing streams and waterfalls. The hills are hidden by rolling mists and clouds float within your fingertips. In the Heart of the Town is Haflong Lake , A view of Haflong Lake in the evening makes the soul levitate, Haflong is indeed one of the places Worth visit. It is also home to Various Tribes and Cultures.

Tinsukia:


Tinsukia is a city and a municipal board in Tinsukia district, Assam, India.

Tinsukia is a business city in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated 480 kilometres (298 mi) north east of Guwahati and 84 kilometres (52 mi) kilometres away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Tinsukia District of Assam, India. Hailed as the business capital of Assam, the place has a heady mix of Assamese, Bengali and Hindi-speaking people. The city is changing with the construction of numerous new malls and buildings. In ancient times Tinsukia was known as Bengmora. It was ruled by Sarbanada Singha, a Matak King. The present name of the place came from the Tinkunia Pukhuri (the pond with three sides) located at the heart of the city. Tinsukia is also a major railhead of Assam. Presently it houses the biggest railway junction of Assam. One can travel there either by train or by flight to Dibrugarh and then a taxi. Tinsukia acts as a link to many a towns of the north east of India.

Jorhat:


Jorhat is the second largest city of Assam in India. Jorhat was established as a new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat, as the name signifies, was just a couple (Jor) of markets (Hat). Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihat and Macharhat, lay on the eastern and the western banks of the river Bhogdoi. Jorhat as "The last Capital of the Ahom Kingdom", has several archeological sites including the Raja maidam — the last burial mounds of the Ahom kings. Jorhat today has grown into a thriving city with a strong sense of character and identity. It is the best laid out city in Upper Assam with broad roads, cutting each other at right angles. People of Jorhat have traditionally displayed a high interest towards arts and culture. Jorhat is known as "The Cultural Capital of Assam". Jorhat, a rapidly developing city of Assam, also has the distinction of having the largest number of educated residents in Assam, among all other districts of Assam and is one of the major business hubs of the state.The noted oriental scholar Prof.Krishna Kanta Handique (1898-1982) was from Jorhat and and his life's work was all done in this city. The Assam Agricultural University is located here.Nestled in the tea gardens dotted around sprawling in and around the city, is the Tocklai Research Association (TRA), the oldest and the largest tea research station f its kind in the world. The Indian Air Force has a station at Rowriah, on the outskirts of the city which also serves as the commercial air hub for the city. The Gymkhana Club in Jorhat is a historic institution dating back to the British raj and boasts of the third oldest golf course in the world.

Assam Photos:
























Assam Map:





Assam Tourism,Assam Map,Assam Photos,Tourism in Assam,Assam Tea,Assam weather,Kaziranga National Park