Assam: The land Unknown

Driving  through  the  zigzag  roads,  the  breeze  in  my  hair  gently  tickling  my  face,  I  woke  up  to  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  in  the  lush  green  valleys  of  Assam . The  iconic  tea  gardens  on  both  the  sides  of  the  road,  made  the  view  across  the  horizon  more  fascinating.  While  the  rest  of  India  was  still  deep  asleep,  I  was  surprised  to  see  an  elderly  Assamese  woman  with  a   basket attached  to  her  back  making  her  way  towards  the  tea  plantations,  all  set  to  work.  Hell it was  only  5 o’clock!

Tea Garden Estates Of Assam

It was  then  that  our  bus  driver  decided  to  halt.  He  spoke  something  in  Assamese-  a  language that  was  completely  alien  to  me.  I  asked  a  fellow  companion  sitting  next  to  me  what  the  driver  had  said.  The  kind  gentleman  explained  that  the  bus  would  halt  for  15  mins.  Sighing  and  stretching  my  legs  for  what  had  been  almost  a  6 hr.  journey  from  Guwahati  airport  to  Tezpur,  I descended  from  the  bus.  I  couldn’t  wait  to  reach  my  aunt’s  house  in  Tezpur. I was  tired,  hungry  and  extremely  thirsty.  From  across  the  road,  I  decided  to  watch  a  woman  picking  out  tea  leaves.  Maybe  she  could  sense  me  for  she  turned  around  and  smiled.  With  a  flowery,  colourful knee  length  dress,  and  beads  around  her  neck,  I  was  mesmerized  by  her , innocent  big  blue  eyes  and  fair  complexion

After  a  pleasing  nature  bound  ride  through  the  dense  forests  of  Assam,  slightly  touching  the  border  of Meghalaya  on  the  left,  I  reached  Tezpur - “ The city  of  blood ” as  the  locals  say.  Situated  on  the banks  of   the mighty  river  Brahmaputra,  Tezpur   is  a land  of  mythology  and  archaeological  ruins.  Upon  reaching  the  bus  depot  at  Tezpur,  I  took  a  rickshaw  to  my  aunt’s  house  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  The  city  was  filled  with  traditional  bamboo  longhouses  of  colourful , vibrant  colours.  Every  other  corner  of  the  street,  had  shops  selling  sarees  and  the  “gamcha”-  a  thin,  coarse,  traditional,  Assamese  cotton  towel.

Bihu,  the  unique  festival  of  Assam  which  portrays  its  spirit  and culture  is  like  many  festivals  of  India   associated  with  farming,  as  Assam  is  predominantly  agricultural.  Bihu  is also  used  to  represent  the  traditional  folk dance  and  folk  songs  of  Assam.  Men  and  women  together  perform  the  Bihu  dance  to  welcome  spring.  Men  wear  a  dhoti  and  the  traditional  gamcha  while  the  women  wear  a  clothing  item  draped  as  a  saree  called “ mekhala”  with  an  off-white  base  and  red  borders.  They  also  wear  ornaments  and  flowers  on  their  heads  to  add  to  the  festive  look.  Luckily,  when  I visited  Assam,  I got  to  witness  this  first  hand  and  even  tried  a  step  or  two  for  fun,  wearing  the  costumes!

Being  passionate  about  the  wildlife,  I  was  really  looking  forward  to  visiting  the  famous  kaziranga National  Park.  Unfortunately  it  was  closed  for  renovation.  So  I  ended  up  visiting a  couple  of places  in  and  around  Tezpur  instead.  Bamuri  Hills,  Agnigarh  are  some  places  which  one  can  visit if  interested  in  the  mythology,  history  and  culture  of  Assam,  which  give  from  a  height  give  splendid  views  of  the  city  and   the  Brahmaputra.  Nestled  in  the  valley  of  Brahmaputra,  Tezpur  is  a  very  beautiful,  tranquil  place,  away  from  the  hustle  bustle  of  city  life  with  a  unique  mark  of  its  own.