TRAVEL ASSAM INDIA

 

ASSAM The first thing comes to our mind is Assam Tea. That's right but very few know that Assam is also known for its Scenic Beauty, Silk, Wildlife and Food.  

Assam is a state in northeastern India known for its wildlife, archeological sites and tea plantations. Here you find tropical forest, with the heaviest rainfall in the world producing large quantities of tea. 

Assam is a land of blue hills, green valleys and a red river. Situated just below the eastern Himalayan foothills, it has an amazing scenic beauty.

The capital of Assam, formerly Shillong (now the capital of Meghalaya), was shifted to Dispur, a suburb of Guwahati, in 1972. Area 30,285 square miles (78,438 square km). 

Bhattacharya Bhattadeva (1558–1638) is known as the father of Assamese prose.

ASSAM TEA

Assam as we all know is famous for tea plantations with one of the best qualities in the world .Assam tea is a worldwide famous full-bodied tea with robust flavor produced in the state of Assam in India. It is the largest tea producing area in India, making up to more than 50% of all tea production in the country.

TEA PLANTATION Assam's tropical monsoon climate makes a perfect and most favorable weather environment for a tea production.  Tea plants are grown in the lowlands of Assam, unlike Darjeelings and Nilgiris, which are grown in the highlands. It is cultivated in the valley of the Brahmaputra River, an area of clay soil rich in the nutrients of the floodplain.

Assam teas, or blends containing Assam, are often sold as "breakfast" teas. The tropical climate contributes to Assam's unique malty taste, a feature for which this tea is well known.

Assam tea is a black tea named after the region of its production, The tea is manufactured specifically from the plant Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

ASSAM BEAUTY 

Hill Stations in Assam are abundant as the state is located on hilly terrain. A large area of Assam is naturally irrigated by the two major rivers - Brahmaputra and Barak and the hills of the barail are known  for its fragrant tea all over the world.Assam is home to a majority of India's tea gardens. 

The other main attractions of Assam is 

River Brahmaputra The beautiful River where you can walk down the Assamese shores of Brahamputra enjoying the beautiful taste of the northeastern state in its tea farms, scenic valleys and breathtaking natural landscapes.

Kaziranga National Park a UNESCO world heritage site of India and known for is one of the most visited places as this is Home To One-horned Rhinoceros. It is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. 

Spread across the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River, its forests, wetlands and grasslands are home to tigers, elephants and the world’s largest population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses as mentioned above. The park is visited by many rare migratory birds, and gray pelicans roost near Kaziranga village. 

Manas National Park: Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve in Assam, India. Deemed as a safe shelter for several rare and endangered species the park is located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.

Kamakhya Temple 

The Kamakhya temple is not just a famous pilgrimage site in Assam, but is also a unique temple in the country and is famous for healing black magic. Located on the Nilachal hill in the capital city of Guwahati, the deity of the temple, Kamakhya Devi is revered as the 'Bleeding Goddess'.

The Kamakhya Temple also known as Kamrup-Kamakhya temple, is a Sakta temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya. It is one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas. 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. 

Majuli Island: Largest Riverine Island Mājuli or Majoli is a river island in the Brahmaputra River  and in 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India. Situated in the heart of Assam is Majuli Island. Majuli means a land in the midst of two rivers. 

ASSAM SILK

Assam silk denotes the three major types of indigenous wild silks 

the golden mega

white pat 

warm eri silk

 The Assam silk industry, now centered in Sualkuchi, is a labor-intensive industry and home to different types of traditional sarees. The Mekhela Chaddar, a traditional Assam silk saree, is made up of Muga or the golden silk fiber and is the finest version of Assam Muga silk sarees.

Mekhela Chador (also spelled as Mekhela Chaddar, Mekhla Chadar, Mekhela Chador), is a type of Saree comprising two pieces of cloth, draped on the top and bottom, which is the traditional attire worn by the women of Assam.

ASSAM DANCE

The Bihu dance is an indigenous folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the Bihu festival and an important part of Assamese culture. Performed in a group, the Bihu dancers are usually young men and women, and the dancing style is characterized by brisk steps, and rapid hand movements. 

 The Assamese celebrate Bihu thrice a year, which signify the distinct cycles of farming - 

January Bhogali/Magh Bihu 

 April Bohag/Rongali Bihu 

October  Kongali Bihu

MOST FAMOUS FOOD

Here's Some Of The Most Famous Food Of Assam

Khar This is a traditional Assamese dish made of young raw papaya. Khar gives the already aromatic papaya, a sweet aroma that I believe adds more to the taste.

Masor Tenga Popular dish of Assamese cuisine. It is a slightly sour fish curry. The dish has a unique tangy flavor 

Pitika The Pitika is basically a mashed version of boiled or fire-grilled vegetables and serves as a side dish. Addition of mustard oil, raw-onions, finely chopped ginger & chilies give this dish an interesting taste. The most common type of Pitika is “Alu Pitika” (Mashed boiled or fire-grilled potato).

Paro Mangxo. It’s Assam’s traditional delicacy made of pigeon meat ( which is banned in other states) and it's cooked with banana flowers and lots of peppercorns.

 Leta Polu

Assam is known for its silk and there's a great Assamese dish Leta polu bhoja or silkworm pupae fry is also a very popular dish consumed widely during Bohaag Bihu. The silkworms are  boiled and then the cocoon is removed. The pupae is then fried with onions, green chillies and garlic.

Duck Meat Curry is a unique food of Assam served on special occasions. The Duck meat is cooked with main ingredients like sesame, lentil, pumpkin, and some authentic whole spices.

Pani Hamuk – One of Assam's famous foods are those with insects and unique meats known as Pani Hamuk or water snail's. These are sourced from flowing rivers and paddy fields, and are often cooked with potatoes, fermented beans, or pumpkin to create a unique flavour and is an exotic dish. The meat has to be sucked out of the shells.

Pitha is one of the most popular snacks and has breakfast or as an evening tea snack .Rice being the staple food of Assam and almost all homemade sweet or snack recipes are usually based on rice.

There is a variety of pithas available in different tastes like sweet, savory, streamed, or fried.

How to reach 

By Air. 

Assam is well connected with Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and other major cities of India via national carrier and private airlines. The fastest way to reach is taking a flight to Guwahati from any of the major cities of India, such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, among others.

Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is the nearest airport which is only 25 km away from the city. You can travel to Assam with ease as there are direct train services from Calcutta, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum to Guwahati, which is the rail hub of Assam.

The distance between Delhi and Assam is 1598 km with road distance 1801.5 km.

WHEN TO VISIT 

The best time to visit Assam is in winter or summer when the weather is enjoyable. Winters are cold but pleasant, and summers are delightfully refreshing. Steer clear of the monsoon though, as the region experiences heavy rainfall during those months and it is not the best season to visit Assam.

Climatic variations can be seen regionally while the plains of Assam have a tropical climate with high humidity, the hills have a sub-alpine type of climate. Assam weather is characterised by alternate cool and warm periods with a high humidity, especially from May to November.

Hence October to April are the best months of the year to visit Assam.

I am sure there' s so much more to explore within its hidden places of Assam and you can only experience the true culture and beauty of this northeastern state by visiting Assam.

I just love to be close to nature, rivers and mountains and definitely waiting for the day to visit this state to explore its scenic beauty with food . Yes, no doubt I will be buying the famous silk.