Amidst the color, and colors, of India most of us overlook the “Northeast,” and its unique shades of life. As stereotypes go, the north-east is seen through the hair sights of a gun, and most fear that if they venture any closer than the pages of the morning paper, they will disappear into the hole of an ugly unknown fate.
But ask a person from the north east: ‘how it is like back home?’ and you will likely get the true picture – how living in even what the media labels as a ‘troubled state’ is regular, mundane, and ah, so much more beautiful! In the end they will add, like people everywhere: ‘no place like home!’
Forded by the mighty Brahmaputra, a
nd nestled amongst hills, is Assam, the place I call home. It is a place where you could breathe in air unsullied by countless gas-guzzling, smoking demons, air that likes to carry the fragrance of flowers on its gentle currents.
Shrugging the popular notion in ‘mainland India’ that all north east is Manipur, Assam is one of the Seven Sisters of the northeast, others being Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Together they are called the Seven Sisters of the North East.
While Dispur is the capital, it is Guwahati that gets to be in the arc-lights, with its bustling crowds, honking vehicles and tall structures of steel and glass. It also boasts of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport or simply Guwāhāti International Airport, which also serves as Indian Air Force base. There is also the option of taking a flight to the city from anywhere in India or a train to the Guwahati railway station.
But what gives Guwahati an eternal exotic edge over other others is the famous Kamakhya Temple, on the Nilanchal Hill in the western part of the Guwahati. It is dedicated to the Devi Kamakhya, considered Mother Shakti, the progenitor of the tantrism and occult. The inner sanctum, the garbhagriha, is a cave below ground level and consists of no image but a rock fissure.
The Ambubachi Mela is an annual celebration held during the monsoon and when the Brahmaputra is in spate. Hundreds and thousands of devotees throng the temple area during this time.
It is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Kamakhya. It is believed that the presiding goddess, the Mother Shakti, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation then and also that the rains reinvigorate the creative and nurturing power of the earth.
The green that is restored during the rains stretches languidly all across the hilly terrain in the form of tea plantations. Whether one travels by road or rail, the one thing that is consistent is the unbroken view of tea estates and the pleasant faces of the tea-estate workers plucking tea leaves, faithful bamboo basket strapped to their backs. It is a sight that has become common denomination in Bollywood blockbusters when they portray Assam, but to experience it live is quite another experience.
The state is also very famous for its Muga silk. The traditional Assamese Mekhela chadar is made of this. The Mekhela Chadar is like the regular sari, but in two pieces, one forming the underskirt and the other is the shawl to wrap around the body, the end being slung across a shoulder.
For the adventurous, there are national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. There is the Kaziranga National Park, home to the one-horned rhino, an endangered creature owing to its prized horn. It is also home to elephants, Indian bison, swamp deer, sambar, hog deer, sloth bear, tiger, leopard and many more. Come winter, all animals are joined by a number of migratory birds, almost 478 species of them, including 25 globally threatened and 21 near threatened species. It is, therefore, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kaziranga National Park has an interesting story pertaining to its origin. It is a said that a young man named Kazi from, KarbiAnglong district, fell in love with a young woman Rangaand they would meet clandestinely in the forest every once in a while. Out of the blue they vanished one day, never to return. No one knew where they went. In their memory, the forest was named Kaziranga Forest.
There is also the Manas National Park which is home to the mighty tiger. The park, in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas, remains the sole ‘Project Tiger’ park in Assam. The Manas River flows through the west of the park, splitting into two rivers further up. Thus, the river itself becomes an international border between India and Bhutan. The national Park is truly breathtaking. I had a chance to visit once when I was just about twelve, and was mesmerized by the sights and sounds – it left me wanting to go back again and again. The beautiful cottages, the boat ride to the other side of the river, the jeep-ride through the park… they are unforgettable.
No account of Assam is quite complete without talking about Bihu. Bihu is a harvest festival and has three cultural celebrations. The first is the MaghBihu or BhogaliBihu, the festival of food, sometime in mid-January. At this time, there are community feasts everywhere in the state. Different types of sports like buffalo-fights, egg-fights, cock-fights, and even nightingale-fights take the forefront in fields and clearings. The excitement and cacophony of sounds radiating from the day has the power to transport a person to another realm. With the onset of spring comes the Assamese New Year. This falls in April. This is when Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu is celebrated. New clothes or Gamocha, the traditional Assamese hand-woven cloth are gifted, and at this time, the merriment and feasts continue for around seven days. Farmers prepare their fields for cultivation of paddy and women make pitha which is rice cakes with coconut fillings. Young boys and girls everywhere dance the famous Bihu dance with its brisk dance steps and hand movements. It’s a festival of merriment and the people of Assam enjoy it to the fullest.
Kati Bihu or the Kongali Bihu is celebrated with constraint and solemnity. During this time of the year the granaries are ofte
n empty; on this day, farmers light lamps and chant charms to ward off pests and evil eye from the maturing paddy in the fields.
When I think of all these, I feel homesick and nostalgic. Here in Delhi, the sun shines down relentlessly all the time, and the pace of the city is so fast, that I am left wondering how fast time passes here, in contrast to the languid afternoons and the late evenings that seemed to go on forever back home. I know it must be raining, even pouring back home, and the trees must be covered with healthy green foliage. I can see the green bursting through the veins of nature… perhaps I should return home to recharge my exhausted nerves.
Assam: Must-see, Must-do….
Majuli River Island:
One can take the bus or a hired taxi to the Nimati Steamer Ghat from where ferry services are available The distance takes over three hours to cover, with three bus rides and two ferry rides.
Kaziranga National Park:
Buses owned by Assam State Transport Corporation and private agencies Guwahati, Tezpur, and Upper Assam stop at the main gate of Kaziranga on National Highway 37.
The closest airport is located in the town of Tezpurwhich is around 60kms from the park.
It is a common sight around the place to take an
elephant ride to see the Rhino close-up.
The Saraighat Bridge.
This bridge built over the Brahmaputariver, that connects the north and south Guwahati, is the first rail-road was opened to traffic in 1962. It is a vital link between the northeast India and the rest of the country.
Kamakhya Temple:
It is said that if one offers an earnest prayer, especially to have a child, one’s wish is granted. The temple sits atop the Nilanchal Hills, and is in a complex of temples. There are taxis and buses that take pilgrims to the temple from the entrance at the foot of the hill. The nearest train station is the Kamakhya Railway station.
Srimanta Sankardev Kalashetra:
It is a cultural institution which houses a cultural museum, a library various facilities for preserving, demonstrating and performing Assamese traditions.
Since it is in the heart of Guwahati and one can board a bus, auto-rickshaw or a taxi to the place.
Manas National Park:
The park is 176 km from Guwahati. One can take a bus or a taxi from the city or a local train to the nearest railhead situated in Barpeta.
Khorika Restaurant:
If you want to savour local deli
cacies this is the best place to go. It is right in the city, in G.S Road to be specific.
Fancy Bazaar:
It is a local market, quite similar to the Sarojini market in Delhi. Bus and auto-rickshaws are easily available.
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