Assam ~ India Famous Places


Assam

Visit To Assam

Assam - occupying the long narrow floor of the Brahmaputra Valley, lies just to the north of 26 degree north. It is the gateway to the northeast. Assam is located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river and stretches nearly 800 kms from east to west but on average is over 80 kms wide.The river irrigates a wide fertile plain that is used to grow rice and nearly 60% of the country's tea. Assam also gets the dubious distinction of being among the wettest region in the world. The north eastern region is the most varied part of India. Before Independence, this baeutiful area of rolling forested hills and lush green fields was known as Assam province, but it has since been gradually broken up into seven separate states.

The state of Assam consists mostly of the plains around the Brahmaputra and the Barak rivers, while the other states (excluding Tripura) occupy the hills. While the local legends points out the place as the fiefdom of Asura king Narakasura, who ruled it from Pragjyotishpura (modern day Guwahati). Modern history credits Ahoms, a tribe from Myanmar for ruling it till 1826, after having first captured it in the 13th century. The ahoms adopted Hinduism and the dynasty reached its peak under their king, the brilliant military strategist Rudra Singha (1676 - 1714). The late 16th century also witnessed the rise of of the philosopher saint, Shakaradeva who began a Vaishnavaite tradition in Assam.

Assam today is a thriving, bustling crowded state with many significant landmarks in its list of 'things to do' and places to visit. The north-east is the country's chief tribal area, with many different languages and dialects, in Arunachal Pradesh alone over 50 distinct languages are spoken. These adivasis (tribal people) have many similarities to the hill tribes who live across an arc that stretches from the eastern end of the Himalaya through Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand in Laos. Assam grows about 605 of India's tea and produces a large proportion of the country's oil. The main attractions are Kaziranga National Park, home of India's rare one-horned rhinoceros, and the remarkable Majuli island.

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  • Facts And Figures Of Assam
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