Incredible Assam

Dominated by the mighty Brahmaputra River, which has carved out the deep cradle of its birth, Assam is one of the most advanced states in the North East. She is blessed with vast alluvial plains rich in forests and rolling tracts of paddy and tea, and oil from the vast depths of the earth. And through this wayward son of Mother Nature havoc in his wake during the monsoons, the Brahmaputra is much reversed for the prosperity she brings to the land. Cocooned between dramatic Himalayan foothills in North and the plateau and hilly terrain of Meghalaya in the South, Assam is one of the highest timber producers of the country. Her tea estates established by the British, produce over half of India’s tea. Digboi has India’s oldest and Asia’s first oil refinery. The most accessible of the North Eastern states, Assam was ruled for six centuries by the brave Ahoms (of the Shan tribe of Burma) from the 13^th century, who successfully repulsed the Mughal invasions. They were also great patrons of the arts. One can still see some of their places, tanks and temples around Sibsagar. International visitors pour into her world renowned Kaziranga National Park, one of the last frontiers for the pre-historic, one-horned rhino. The Project Tiger Reserve Manas National Park is a World Heritage Site. Assam is also home to the world’s largest riverine island, Majuli.