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Guwahati :: City Information

Guwahati - weather

Best Travel Duration

In Summer: 22 to 38°C
In winter: 10 to 25°C
Rainy Season from July to Mid Sept, and very humid (upto 90%)

October to April

About Guwahati

History of Guwahati

Guwahati, the Gateway to North-Eastern India, has its roots in an ancient city called Pragjyotishpur(the City of Eastern Light). "The land of red river and blue hills," as it is described, has a unique landscape with sprawling tea gardens and unending stretches of paddy fields interspersed with groves of coconut, areca nuts, and banana trees.

Its etymological root is derived from two Assamese words, "Guwa," meaning areca nut and "Haat," meaning market. Couched between the picturesque hills of the eastern flanks of the Himalayan mountain range.

Huen Tsang, the great Chinese traveler, visited this region in the 7th century. At that point of time, Pragjyotishpur was known as Kamrup, which was then a strong kingdom under King Bhaskaravarman.Later, it became a favourite residence of the great Mughals. One of the first contacts between the Mughals and the British occurred in Guwahati, when Sir Thomas Roe met Jehangir here in 1616.

Fairs & Festivals of Guwahati

Bohag Bihu

About the Festival

Bihu is the most important non-religious festival of the Assam and is observed by all irrespective of class and caste. There are three Bihu’s. In April it is Bohag Bihu , in October/November it is Kati Bihu and in January it is Magh Bihu. The Bihu festival celebrates the three seasons of spring, important to the largely pastoral people of Assam.

Bohag Bihu, the most important Bihu of all the three, is celebrated in the month of Bohaag (middle of April), the first month of the Assamese calendar and thus marks the advent of the Assamese New Year.Bohaag Bihu is also called the "Rongali Bihu" or the Festival of Merriment. Magh Bihu is also called "Bhogali Bihu" or the Festival of Food, and Kaati Bihu is also called "Kongaali Bihu" or the Festival of the Poor.

The Bohaag Bihu ushers in the period of greatest enjoyment and the spring season. Gay spirit of spring marks the celebration of Bohaag Bihu, which continues for three days. It marks the advent of seeding time, the "Kaati Bihu" marks the completion of sowing and transplanting of paddies, and the "Maagh Bihu marks the end of the harvesting period.

Activities

The first day of the Bihu is dedicated to the cattle (Goru), as cows and bullocks provide them with means of livelihood.On this day, early in the morning the cows and bullocks are ceremonially bathed in a river and ponds. Their feet are washed; horns and hoofs are painted various colours and are adorned with flower garlands.Cut pieces of the vegetables like brinjal, gourd etc. are offered to them. Their old ropes are cut and they are let loose for the day.

On this day, they are permitted to pasture in any field without restraint.On the next day, called Manuh Bihu, special dishes made of flattened rice, curds, and jaggery and sweets are prepared and eaten. On this day 'Bihu Husori' is formally inaugurated at the Namghar (Prayer hall).People visit each other’s houses, distribute sweets to their neighbours and hold grand feasts. Rongali Bihu inspires unbounded joy and enthusiasm expressed through Bihu dances, songs and other festivities.

The third day is called Gosain Bihu and is dedicated to the worship of deities.

Bohag Bihu

Bohag Bihu


Places to Visit at Guwahati
Kamakhya Temle
	Guwahati is particularly famous for its Kamakhya temple situated atop the Nilachal hill, at a distance of 10 km from the railway station. Noted to be the most sacred among the tantrik shrines of Shakti worship in the world, Kamakhya, was built in the 10th century by the Koch king, Naranarayan. It is a common practice here to offer animal sacrifice to appease the Goddess. Above Kamakhya is another small temple, Bhubaneshwari, from where one can have a bird's eye view of the city.

Temple of the nine planets
	Atop another hill in east Guwahati is the Navagraha temple-the "temple of the nine planets,"-an ancient seat of astrology and astronomy. Housed in a red beehive-shaped dome, the central lingam is encircled by further nine representing the planets (graha)-Sun (Surya, Ravi), Moon (Chandra, Soma), Mercury (Buddh), Venus (Sukra), Mars (Mangal), Jupiter (Brhaspati) and Saturn (Sani). Two more were added, Rahu and Ketu, the dragon's head and the dragon's tail, or the ascending and descending nodes of the moon.

Vashistha Ashram
	an interesting old shrine, with plenty of verdure and three beautiful streams, Lalita, Kanta and Sandhya. It is at a distance of 12 km from the railway station and is said to have been the abode of sage Vashistha. Several other temples like the Ugratara temple, famous for its golden idol and buffalo sacrifices, are also strewn across the city.

Guwahati Zoo
	the Guwahati Zoo, which is the largest natural zoo of the country. The various museums-the State Museum, Anthropological Museum, Forest Museum, and Cottage Industries Museum-are treasure houses of Assam's rich cultural past. The Guwahati planetarium, located on MG Road, is one of the finest in the country.

Wildlife Sanctuary
	The Manas wildlife sanctuary, 176 km from the city, is situated on the banks of river Manas. It is the only tiger project of its kind in Assam. Pabitora, a small wildlife sanctuary, 60 km from Guwahati is also worth a visit. Rhino and various species of deer abound here.

How To Get To Guwahati
By Air:
There are regular flight services to Guwahati from Delhi (2½ hours), Calcutta (1½ hours), Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl, Dibrugarh and Jorhat.

By Rail:
Paltan Bazar railway station is the destination for many trains from every corner of India.

By Road:
The excellent road network links Guwahati with Shillong, Kaziranga, Dimapur, Siliguri, Bomdila, Silchar, Hajo and Sualkuchi et al.