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Assam is the land of wooded hills and vales. With Brahmaputra river
meandering through, sprawling tea gardens, enticing songs and dances,
fine silks, the state is a must on the itinerary of international as
well as Indian tourists. Also known as the land of the 'Red River',
the Brahmaputra, and the 'Blue Hills' Assam offers awesome panoramic
beauty with its exceptional flora and fauna, lofty green hills,
boundless rolling plains, strong waterways and verdant deciduous
forests.
Assam is identified by its Bihu songs and dances, the Kaziranga Wild
Life Sanctuary where the rare one-horned rhinoceros roams at will and
silks such as 'paat' and 'muga' which rank amongst the finest in the
world. The state's tea, which finds its way to millions of homes all
over the globe and the Shrine of Kamakhya which, draws thousands of
devotees every year.
Assam's beauty is a fact that defies imagination. The rarest of flora
and fauna, blue hills and green tea, a bustling capital and black oil,
it is a beauty that soothes even as it disturbs. Assam is bounded by
Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan in the north, Nagaland to the east, and
Manipur and Mizoram to the south. In the south-west, Assam touches the
borders of West Bengal and Bangladesh.
In Guwahati, the commercial capital of Assam, the tour starts from
Kamakhya temple, Basistha Ashram, Zoo, Gita mandir, Nabagraha temple,
Assam State Museum. Assam is very rich in wildlife. There are three
national parks and 12 wildlife sanctuaries of which Kaziranga and
Manas are most well-known.
Gateway To The Northeast: Guwahati, the industrial and
commercial hub of Assam is revered for its ancient Hindu temples. It
spreads at the edge of the vast moving, river-sea of the Brahmaputra.
It's the service center for the oil industry and tea plantations. The
world's largest tea auctions are held in the nearby city Dispur, the
offcial state capital.
The People: The Assamese are a
mixture of Mongolian-Tibetan, Aryan, and Burman ethnic origins. Their
language is akin to Bengali, spoken in West Bengal and in Bangladesh.
Since the late 19th century a vast number of immigrants from
Bangladesh have entered the valley, where they have settled to
cultivate the almost empty lands, particularly the low floodplains.
The hilly margins of the plain are inhabited by the hill tribes of the
Garo, Khasi, and Hajong. The Bodo are the largest minority group in
Assam and are concentrated in the northern areas of the Brahmaputra
River valley.
Occupation in Assam: Agriculture is
basic to Assam's economy. Rice is grown on about two-thirds of the
cultivated area; tea and jute are also important crops, and their sale
accounts for a major portion of Assam's income. Other significant
crops include oilseeds, peas, beans, canola (rapeseed), sugarcane, and
fruits. Oil and coal are found in upper Assam, and the state produces
about one-sixth of India's petroleum and natural gas.
Handicrafts of Assam: Artist and
sculptors, masons and architects, and others practicing minor crafts
such as weavers, spinners, potters, goldsmiths, artisanns of ivory,
wood, bamboo, cane and hide flourished in Assam from ancient times.
Every household possesses a handloom used to produce silk and (or)
cotton clothes of exquisite designs. The Eri, Muga and Pat are the
important silk products of Assam.
CLIMATE IN ASSAM: Assam has mild
winters and warm summers. Summer is March to June and monsoon from
July to August. November to February is winter. Average temperature is
moderate, about 29 degress C in the hottest month of August. The
average valley temperature in January is 16 degrees C. The real force
of the monsoon winds is felt from June onward. Rainfall in Assam ranks
among the highest in the world; annual rainfall varies from 70 inches
in the west to 120 inches in the east. Best season: February to May.
Population in Assam: 25 million
Festivals of Assam: Assam observes Bhogali Bihu , Rongali Bihu, Kati
Bihu, Janmashthami and Durga Puja festivals. Rangali Bihu, the main
Bihu festival, is in April. This festival is essentially in
celebration of a good harvest and is accompanied with lively dances,
music and feasting. Guwahati also celebrates the Ambuchi Festival in
July. |
