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I flew to Guwahati and worked for few days. Guwahati is often called “City of Temples” due to the prsence on numerous ancient and revered temples. Most famous of them is Kamakhya temple . This temple, dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya, is a major Shakti Peetha and a major pilgrimage site, attracting devotees from all over the country. The ancient name of Guwahati was Pragjyotishpur, also hints at its significance as a place of ancient worship, meaning “the light of the East”.
Day 1
Kamkha temple
I left the guest house early in the morning around 4 AM with my mother. There was long queue , we took VIP ticket which costed Rs 500/ per person . The queue is shorter if someone is willing to spend more. Nevertheless, its still 5/ 6 hours of queue . Maa Kamakhya or Kameswari is the renowned Goddess of Desire whose famous shrine is located in the heart of Nilachala Hill situated in the western part of Guwahati, the Capital City of the state of Asom in North East India. Maa Kamakhya Devalaya is considered most sacred and oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas on earth. It is the centrepiece of widely practiced, powerful Tantrik Shaktism cult in India.
The origin of the Kamakhya Temple is believed to be pre-Aryan or tribal in traits and rituals by many. But religious literature tells us that the original temple was built by Kamdev who regained his beauty here. Built with the help of Bishwakarma, this temple was believed to be a gigantic structure and probably was much bigger than the present one. It was full of beautiful architechtural and sculptural wonder. However, due to some unknown reasons, the upper portion of the temple was completely destroyed. For a long time, the temple lost its importance due to the rise of Shaivism among the rulers and the subject of what was known as Pragjyotisha Kingdom. The Kamakhya Temple’s origin are said to be pre-Aryan.
I came back to my hotel around 2 after darshan . I worked for the rest of the day
Day 2
I had full day to explore Guwahati. In the morning we left from the hotel to to ferry ghat. To reach Umananda Island, you can take a ferry from Uzan (Kachari) Ghat in Guwahati. The Inland Water Transport (IWT) offers ferry services for a fare of Rs 40, while some private operators may also be available. The ferry ride is a short trip across the Brahmaputra River. Umananda Devaloi is a Shiva temple located on the Umananda Island (Peacock Island) in the middle of the river Brahmaputra, Assam . It is known as the smallest inhabited riverine island in the world.
After returning from the temple , we arranged an auto visit some of the famous temples in Guwahati. We visited Nabgrha temple, Bashistha temple, Joytrilinga temple and finally Balaji temple. Once the temple visit is complete I visited Neheru park and then finally crossed Bramhaputra river via ropeway . The Guwahati ropeway connects Panbazar (near Nehru Park) with Rajadwar village behind the Dolgovinda Temple, across the Brahmaputra River. It’s a 1820-meter long passenger ropeway. It was amazing to watch sunset on Bramhaputra.
Day 3
Today morning I left early from my guest house to the central bus station . My bus was around 8ish in the morning and it took 6 hrs to Kajiranja on the way to Jorhat. Road was pretty good . We stopped on the way for breakfast and then we checked in to Kadam bari retreat. These are basically luxary camps very similar to what I saw in Tanzania safari. We had our lunch there and then in the afternoon I took a long walk to the Kziranga national Orchid and biodiversity park. The orchid park is very well maintained with a variety of orchids and local flowers. The guides (volunteers and hence free of cost) are very informative and explain the different varieties of orchids to those interested. Apart from Orchid park, there are numerous other small museums and attractions here and it will take 3-4 hours to explore everything depending on the interest levels. There is also a folk dance show happens at 6.30 PM . There is a small food court within that serves tea/coffee. Right outside the part is the local Kaziranga market with beautiful local Assamese goodies to buy.
Day 4
This is the day to explore Kaziranza . In the morning I left my hotel by Auto to Kohora range for elephant safari . Auto driver did not come on time and I had to phone him to wake him up , but still no harm done and I was on time for safari. This safari is quite popular and tickets needed to be booked in advance and they give the actual time and the owner of the specific elephant the day before. Once there you contact the handler and he would facilitate everything . You can also buy food for the elephant (banana and sugarcane) and feed it. Elephant safari is the best and safest way to explore the remotest and untouched area of Kaziranga forests. If you are keen in exploring denser areas of the forests and search of unseen creatures, elephant ride is the best option. It helps the visitor to walk through such difficult terrains where your jeep can not reach. They typically do 2 / 3 rounds in the morning from 5.30 to 8.30 or so. I covered the western range in the morning and after safari came back to campsite for food.
In the afternoon we went for Jeep safari in the central range. Central Zone or Kohora Range is one of the core areas of the KNP and most preferred zone for Jeep. We saw Rhinos, deer, wild water buffalo, elephants and wild boars and various birds . There were tigers as well some people ahead of me had sighting but it eluded us.
Day 5
Early morning I left for final safari in the Eastern zone (Agoratoli0) . This area was quite far and least popular hence very less crowded . The Eastern zone offers a more secluded experience and is good for spotting wild buffaloes and various bird species . I was lucky to saw a huge python and then pair of great Indian nesting hornbill . There is this story of hornbill suicide, Hornbills, particularly the Great Hornbill, have a unique nesting behavior. The female seals herself inside a tree cavity during the breeding season, relying on the male to bring her food through a small opening. During this period, the female loses her flight feathers and is completely dependent on the male for sustenance. If the male dies, she cannot leave the nest to find food and will eventually starve, along with any chicks. Hornbills are generally monogamous, and the male’s dedication to feeding the female and chicks is a testament to the strong pair bond.
I finished and came back arounf 12 and my car to Shilong was waiting. We packed our bags and left on the way to Guwahati from the national highway , we could get glimpses of Burapahar range of the national park
