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Guwahati - Tourist Attractions in Guwahati |
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Guwahati is is commonly
known as the “Gateway to the Northeast”. This hill-ringed, green-woded,
river-bordered urban centre was also known as the Pragjyotishpura or
the Light of the East, in the ancient times and was a vast kingdom
during the epic period of the Mahabharata. The word Guwahati is made
up of two words, ‘Guwa’, which means areca nut, and ‘hatt’, which
means bazaar. Today, Guwahati is the commercial hub of the region
and is known by a moniker that emphasizes its ‘marketplace’
character. Guwahati is also the largest city. Today, Dispur, the
area in south Guwahati is the official seat of the Assam Government. Assam as a whole is
rich in its temples. Most of the temples around Guwahati
are perched on hills or on hillsides, which afford panoramic views
of the vast Brahmaputra and as well as of the bustling city itself.
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Tourist Attractions
in Guwahati |
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Srimanta
Sankardeva Kalakshetra
The Srimanta Sankardeva kalakshetra has been set up as a
grand exposition of the life and culture of the people
of Assam. This Kalakshetra is named after Srimanta
Sankardeva, the greatest Vaishnava saint and the
greatest integrator of the Assamese society. The
Kalakshetra is a multi-Arts complex. It houses a Central
Museum where cultural objects and day-to-day articles
used by different ethnic groups are preserved and
exhibited, an Open Air Theatre with the capacity of
about 2000 people to hold folk festivals and to present
traditional dance and drama of the State, an Artists'
Village which offers the visitors and the residents an
atmosphere of the village of Assam, the Sahitya Bhavan
which is a library of rare books and manuscripts, the
Lalit Kala Bhavan which has sufficient space for
exhibition, art and sculpture workshops, and a Heritage
Park.
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Kamakhya Temple |
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The Kamakhya
temple is one of the busiest place in the region. The Shakti
Temple of mother Goddess Kamakhya is situated on the top of
Nilachal Hills. This place was once a Khasi place of worship
and is today, a prime centre for Tantric practices and a very
important Shakti Peeth. The temple is also mentioned in the
inscription of the Allahabad pillar of Samudragupta. It is
believed to be the site where Sati’s reproductive organs fell,
following the destruction that took place after Daksha’s yagna.
There is no image of any deity inside the temple. So, one has
to go down into a natural cave, where a yoni-shaped rock,
washed constantly by natural spring is the main focus. |
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The
original 9th century temple was destroyed by invaders, but
rebuilt by the Koch king Naranarayan in 1665. Architecturally,
it is an interesting fusion of styles, and the Assamese
beehive dome is main part of this temple.
Every year, in the month of July, the temple is closed for
three days to worshippers, for it is believed that Mother
Kamakhya is ‘unclean’ at that time. The Ambubachi Mela and
Manasha Puja is held in the temple and tantrics and devotees
from all over the country gather here for worship, study and
deliberation.
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Navagraha Temple |
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Navagraha, the
temple of nine planets is situated on Chitra Chal Hill in
Guwahati. This temple belongs to the 7th century and was a great
centre of astronomy and astrology. This is also one of the
reasons why Guwahati is referred to as Pragjyotishpur or the
city of eastern Astrology. Though the frequent earthquakes in
the region have taken their toll on this temple, and the floor
plan is said to be of that period. Much of the temples as it
stands today was built by the ruler Rajeswar Singh in the late
eighteenth century.
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Umananda Temple |
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Umananda, the great Shiva temple is situated on the peacock
island in the middle of the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati.
This temple attracts devotees from all over the country during
the Shivaratri festival. One can visit the temple by crossing
the river by country boat plying from Kachari ghat. On the
north bank of the Brahmaputra, there is a small place where
the third Pandava Arjun is believed to have watered his horse
while undertaking journey during Ashwamedh Yajna. Regular
ferry services are available to this place.
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Basisthashram |
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Basisthashram, a
well known holy and picnic spot is situated in the southern-most
part of Guwahati on the foot hills of Meghalaya. The great Vedic
sage Bashistha, lived in the Basisthashram. Three rivulets named
Sandhya, Lalita and Kanta meet here and flow perenially adding
scenic grandeur to the place.
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Mahabhairab Temple |
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Mahabhairab Temple is an ancient temple where King Bana worshipped
Mahabhairab, another incarnation of Lord Shiva. This Shiva temple
is regarded as the oldest Shiva shrine and a famous pilgrimage
place where thousands of devotees gather here during the
Shivaratri festival. |
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Madan Kamdev
Temple |
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Madan Kamdev
temple is only 40 kms. away from the metropolitan city of
Guwahati, on N.H. 52. This temple is an enigma, a mystery,
and a marvel. Very little is known about the origin of
this magnificient archaeological ruins, making it a
mystery. Kamrupa, the ancient name of Assam, derived its
name from the Kama or Madan god, who was turned into ashes
by the Shiva, was reborn here. Some people believes that
Madan god was reborn and united to Rati on this tiny
hillock. |
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Satra |
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The Institution of
Satra is a unique feature of Vaishnavism in Assam. The Satras were
founded by Sankardeva, the father of Assamese culture. Satras are
basically the monasteries which propogate neo Vaishnavism. They
also became centres for education and dissemination of the art of
harmonius living. In the 15th century the first Satra was founded
in Majuli. Since then sixty five Satras have come up for the
propagation of ethics and socio-cultural ideals. At present, there
are only twenty two Satras in Majuli. The others had to be shifted
to safer places due to the devastation of flood and erosion.
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Poa-Mecca |
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Poa-Mecca is a mosque built by Pir Giasuddin Aulia and has
one-fourth sanctity of Mecca. It is believed that by
offering prayer, the faithful gains one-fourth (poa)
spiritual enlightenment of what could be gained at Mecca. |
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