Assam is a land of myths and mystery. “The land of red rivers 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 population is a confluence of streams of different races and tribes like the Austrics, the Aryans, Negroids, Indo-Burmese, Indo-Tibetans, and Mongoloid. They have enriched each other and have evolved to give a distinctive identity to the Assamese people.

Tourist Attraction of Assam

Guwahati
Situated on the bank of the mighty river Brahmaputra, Guwahati - said to be the legendary Pragjyotishpur or City of Eastern Light - is the gateway to north eastern India. The name is a combination of two words: Guwa meaning areca nut and Hat meaning market. Guwahati is the commercial nerve centre of the North-East. The places to shop for handicrafts and handloom items include the State Government's department store, Pragjyotika at Ambari as well as several private shops in Pan Bazar and Fancy Bazar, two of the main commercial markets.

Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park lies on the south bank of the Brahmaputra and its boundary for the most part follows the Mora Diphlu river and runs parallel to National Highway No. 37. It covers an area of 688 sq. kilometres. The Park was first established in 1908, as a reserve forest with only about a dozen rhinos and was declared a National Park in 1974.

Sibsagar
Sibsagar was the capital of the mighty Ahoms, who ruled Assam for more than six hundred years, before the advent of the British. The town, which literally means 'the ocean of Lord Shiva', is strewn with the tell-tale ruins of a powerful empire. The most remarkable landmark of the town is the 200 year old Sibsagar tank. On its banks are three significant temples - Shivadol, Vishnudol and Devidol. Modern Sibsagar is a fast developing urban settlement. It is the headquarters of the district Sibsagar, a leading tea and oil producing centre.

Tezpur
Situated on the banks of river Brahmaputra, this town replete with a raw natural beauty and fascinating archaeological ruins, is the headquarters of district Sonitpur. Undulating green valleys surrounded by the lofty hills and snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, and lush tea gardens render Tezpur a tourist's delight.

Manas Sanctuary & Tiger Reserve
Formerly known as North Kamrup, Manas, in Assam, was declared a sanctuary in 1928. In 1985 it was accorded the status of World Heritage Site. The park straddles two rivers, the Manas and its tributary the Hakua, along the Assam-Bhutan border. The protected area extends into the Bhutan foothills.