GUWAHATI TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO GUWAHATI
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About Guwahati
#2 of 2 Places to visit in Assam | #86 of 100 Places to visit in India
Ideal Trip Duration: 2 Full Days
Nearest City to Guwahati: Guwahati
Best Time to Visit Guwahati: October to March
Peak Season: November to February
At a distance of 8 km from Dispur, 95 km from Shillong, 110 km from Nagaon, 159 km from Tezpur, 360 km from Agartala, 414 km from Dibrugarh, 452 km from Imphal, 467 km from Darjeeling, 504 km from Gangtok, 786 km from Darbhanga and 923 km from Patna, Guwahati, also known as the 'City of Eastern Light', is the largest city in the Indian state of Assam. Situated on the banks of Brahmaputra River, Guwahati is one of the fastest growing cities in India and among the popular places to experience Assam Tourism.
Considered to be the gateway to north east India, Guwahati is situated between the southern bank of Brahmaputra River and the foothills of the Shillong plateau. Dispur, a part of Guwahati, serves as the capital of Assam. The city derives its name from two Assamese words 'Guwa' meaning betel nut and 'Haat' meaning market. The city is regarded as the cultural hub of North Eastern India and is also the second largest metropolis in eastern India after Kolkata.
There have been a lot of mythological references regarding the city of Guwahati which clearly states that it has been the capital of mythological kings such as Bhagadatta and Narakasura. According to Ambari excavations, the city was under the Hindu kingdoms of Shunga-Kushana, between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. Earlier called as Pragjyotishpura, it served as the capital city for the Varman and Pala dynasties and it remained the capital of Assam till the 10th - 11th Century AD. Under the Ahom kings, the city was the seat of the Borphukan. The Mughals tried to invade Assam seventeen times but were defeated by the Ahoms. The city was under Burmese rule from 1817 to 1826. Following the First Anglo-Burmese War, the city became a part of the British Empire. After independence, Assam's capital shifted from Shillong to Dispur, which is currently the administrative hub of Guwahati.
From the lush green hills and tea plantations to the winding Brahmaputra River, from the magnificent sacred temples to the busy markets, Guwahati has many attractions. Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Temple, Saraighat Bridge, Assam State Zoo, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaziranga National Park, Regional Science Centre, Navagraha Temple etc. are some of the popular places to visit in Guwahati. The Kaziranga National Park and the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are famous throughout the world as the abode of the rare one-horned rhinoceros. Guwahati is also major center of business, shopping, and economics and is home to prestigious educational institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Guwahati University.
Guwahati is a culturally rich city as the people of several communities and religions live in and around the city. All of these communities celebrate different festivals throughout the year. Bihu is the state festival of Assam that is celebrated all over the state in mid-April to commemorate the Assamese New Year. Ambubachi Mela is another important festival celebrated every year in the month of June. Brahmaputra Beach Festival, Durga Puja, Manasa Festival, Rongali Utsav are the other festivals celebrated in Guwahati with great pomp.
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport, also known as Guwahati International Airport, is the nearest airport which is about 25 km from Guwahati. It has direct flights from New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Agartala, Jaipur, Aizawl, Siliguri and Dibrugarh. Guwahati Junction is well connected by trains with Agartala, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Trivandrum, Okha, Chennai, Mumbai, Bikaner, Kanyakumari, Howrah, Patna, Siliguri, Jammu Tawi, Amritsar and Kolkata. Guwahati is well connected by roads with Dibrugarh,Siliguri, Shillong, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Tezpur, Silchar and Kaziranga.
The best time to visit Guwahati is between the months of October and March. The city enjoys winter season during this time. The enjoyable atmosphere and chilly climate make for an amazing time to explore the city and its surrounding areas.
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