Kaziranga National Park Assam- A Treat for Wildlife Lovers

The next destination in our list was the Kaziranga National Park Assam. It is needless to say that a trip to Assam is always incomplete with a visit to the Park which is famous throughout the world mainly for its collection of rhinos with one horn. It is located in what is known as Nagaon and Golaghat districts and has been rated as a World Heritage Site.

Kaziranga National Park| Image Resource : indiaheritagesites.wordpress.com

According to statistics, the Park houses more than 60% of the total population of one horned rhinos. The latest data show that there are more than 2400 rhinoceroses inside the Kaziranga National Park Assam. I have always been an avid lover of nature and wildlife and was ready with my DSLR as I didn’t want to miss out any opportunity of capturing pictures of a unique range of flora and fauna. The best thing about the park is that it holds the rank for having the maximum density of tigers in the list of protected areas.

One Horned Rhinos | Image Resource : thehindu.com

It was even rated as a vital Tiger Reserve in the year 2006. We also knew that there is no dearth of huge breeding populations of swamp deer, wild water buffalo and elephants. The efforts of the park in the field of conservation of birds resulted in its recognition as a vital Bird Area by Birdlife International. Kaziranga National Park is one of the few protected areas which have succeeded in the aim of preserving and protecting wildlife.

Kaziranga National Park, Assam | Image Resource : travelspeak.in

We could easily spot a number of animals of different kinds and I didn’t waste an opportunity to capture their pictures. The National Park was full of marshlands, moist broadleaf tropical forests, elephant grass, etc.

We could also spot a number of small water bodies and four vital rivers with one of them being the Brahmaputra. During my younger days, I have read and seen many books, videos, documentaries and songs related to Kaziranga National Park and I was elated to be present there physically. I came to know that the National Park was established in the year 1905 during which it was just a plain reserve forest. There were many lakes and ponds covered with water hyacinth as well.

Destination of The week : The Contour Hotel Guwahati

The Contour Hotel Guwahati | Image Resource : thecontourhotel.com

The Contour Hotel Guwahati : Making your stay completely economical is always the main aim before travel. Luckily I stumbled upon The Contour Hotel during my stay in Guwahati. The hotel provides a perfect blend of class and style in all departments. I loved my stay here and plan to revisit soon.

Agnigarh Hill Assam- The Main Attraction of Tezpur

My son was extremely happy after coming out of the park thanks to the numerous fun filled activities and facilities available. The next destination in our list was the Agnigarh Hill Assam which wasn’t very far away. We knew that the Hill is considered to be the place where Banasura had built a fortress to isolate his daughter Usha, according to the Hindu mythology.

Agnigarh Hill | Image Resource : http://www.assaminfo.com

Some of them even believe that there was a fire surrounding the temple all the time in order to prevent anybody from entering or leaving the premises without permission. There are many people who believe that this is the reason for the naming of the fort which comprises of Agni meaning fire and garh meaning wall or fortress.

After visiting the Hill, we came to know the real history behind the naming of the Cole Park or Chitralekha Udyan. It is believed that young Usha loved a person called Aniruddha who would appear only in her dreams.

Agnigarh Hill Entrance | Image Resource : ghumakkar.com

It was Chitralekha, Usha’s friend, who drew a painting of the man according to the description given by Usha. According to the legend, Chitralekha had mystical powers apart from being a good painter. She came to know that AAniruddha was the grandson of Krishna while Usha belonged to the family of asuras. Due to this, Chitralekha brought Aniruddha in his sleep using her powers.

Agnigarh Hil Statue | Image Resource : ignca.nic.in

While Lord Krishna agreed to the marriage proposal immediately, Banasura wanted that Lord Shiva’s family should guard the city’s gates while the marriage is conducted. But this resulted in a war between Hars and Haris i.e. Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna respectively. This also resulted in the naming of the city as Tezpur or City of Blood. It was Lord Brahma who would finally bring the fight to an end. The entire story of love leading to war is portrayed by the picturesque sculptures of stone.

In the present form, the hill stands tall along the Brahmaputra and attracts a lot of tourists throughout the year. We also spotted a circular stairway which enables people to travel to the hilltop. At the top of the hill, there is a platform which can be used for having a view of the entire town.

Travel Photo of The Week : Cruise on River Brahmaputra Assam

Cruise on River Brahmaputra Assam | Image Resource : assamtouristspots.wordpress.com

Cruise on River Brahmaputra Assam : My family and I had always wanted to visit the Brahmaputra River and I’m extremely glad we do so last month. The cruise along the river is an out of this universe experience. The scenic beauties will capture your mind and soul. All locals and tourists visit this river for dip occasionally.

Chitralekha Udyan Assam- Ideal for Children

After exploring the Hayagriva Madhava temple, we were a bit hungry and so we had our lunch at a roadside restaurant on the way. I am an avid lover of food and was extremely happy to taste noodles and various other dishes in their true form. From there, we moved on to our next destination which is known as Chitralekha Udyan Assam. It is also known as Cole Park and located close to the heart of Tezpur. We were simply fascinated by the picturesque construction of the park.

Chitralekha Udyan Assam | Image Resource : allresourceupdates.wordpress.com

One of the visitors told us that both the names i.e. Cole Park and Chitralekha Udyan are synonymous and not different. He also told us that the name of the park has been derived from a love story of Aniruddha and Usha, found in Agnigarh. The park acts as a host to different types of painting and drawing competitions organized by schools located nearby. Inside the park, we could spot the famous Bhomoraguri inscriptions which showcase plans of building a bridge over the Brahmaputra. Incidentally, there is a bridge called Koila Bhomora Setu at the same site.

Koila Bhomora Setu | Image Resource : commons.wikimedia.org

We also went to the pond where we hired a paddle boat and had some fun. After that, we moved on to the next section of amusements called Bumping Cars. We could see that the cars were brand new and in good condition which clearly showed. My child was also fascinated to have a sight of Valiant MIG 21 which is considered to be one of the premiere jet fighter models of the Indian aviation industry. The actual aircraft is considered to be the first supersonic airplane to become a part of Indian Air Force.

Jet Fighter Monument, Chitralekha Udyan | Image Resource : en.wikipedia.org

There was a map of the country’s states as existed before 2000 and made of concrete. We also had fun near the lake where small sized paddle boats and rowing are allowed. The name of the park is derived from its founder Mr. Cole. It came into existence in the year 1906 and comprises of a restaurant, open air theatre and beautifully decorated walkways. We also came to know that the park underwent renovation in 1996 due to the efforts of the then Deputy Commissioner, Mr. MGVK Bhanu

Hayagriva Madhava Temple Assam- A Place of Pilgrimage for Hindus As Well As Buddhists

From the Guwahati Planetarium, we moved on to our next destination which was the Hayagriva Madhava Temple Assam. It is located on what is known as Monikut Hill in an area called Hajo at a distance of 30km on the western side of Guwahati. We came to know that the present form of the temple was built in 1583 by King Raghudeva Narayan. There are some legends which state that the original form of the temple was built during the sixth century by a King from Pala dynasty.

Hayagriva Madhava Temple | Image Resource : hunt.in

We were really mesmerized by the manner in which a temple was carved out of stone. Inside the temple, there is an image belonging to Hayagriva Madhava. One of the local devotees told us that the some of the Buddhists think that Lord Buddha attained the stage of Nirvana at the site where Hayagriva Temple is located. The temple was huge in size and we were amazed with its imposing construction. On the body of the temple, we could see images of elephants arranged in rows. Some of theartistic works represented the fineness of the then Assamese form of art.

View of Guwahati City | Image Resource : flickr

We also visited the massive pond which is located close to the temple and is known as Madhab Pukhuri. One of the guides lingering around in the premises of the temple told us that every year festivals like Janmashtami, Bihu and Doul are celebrated with great pomp and show at the temple. One of the most peculiar things about the temple is its rich association with both Buddhism and Hinduism.

Many Buddhist monks, Bhutiyas and lamas from different corners of the world visit this temple. One of the legends associated with the temple tells that a number of paiks was donated by the Kaila Bhomora Borpukan’s first wife called Sayani. She even donated a huge plot of land in order to take good care of the Hayagriva Madhava Temple. Inside the temple, there is Lord Vishnu’s image which is similar to Lord Jagannath of Puri. We also came to know that the name Hayagriva stands for an incarnation of Lord Vishnu with the head of a horse.

Travel Photo of The Week : Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium Assam

Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium Assam | Image Resource : snipview.com

Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium Assam : On my way back to my hotel I decided to make a stop at the famous Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium. This huge infrastructure has some quite interesting attractions. The stadium holds major Olympic meets and is among one of the best stadiums in India.

Be Ready To Get Mesmerized With the Excellent Services of the Residency Tourist Resort Guwahati

On landing at the Guwahati Airport, we were spell bound with the serene and tranquil ambience. We found that life in this city is extremely peaceful and smooth in comparison to what we lead in Ahmedabad. We were a bit tired due to the jet lag and so we hired an AC cab to head straight to the hotel we had booked online. We reached The Residency Tourist Resort Guwahati in no time and were welcome warmly in traditional north eastern style.

Residency Tourist Resort, Guwahati | Image Resource : indiamarks.com

It is located in front of the Assam Secretariat at a distance of 23 km from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport. It offers conference as well as banquet facilities and boasts of lush green lawns and huge parking space with an ability to house around 100 guests at a time. We were amazed with the elegance and charm of the serene atmosphere created in the lap of Mother Nature. The weather was extremely cool and enabled us to get rid of the tiredness easily. We had booked a residency suite for ourselves as we didn’t want to compromise with luxury.

Assam Secretariat | Image Resource : hdimagegallery.net

The staff members were extremely friendly and made sure that we didn’t face any kind of problem. We were very impressed with their professional attitude and the high standards of hospitality offered by the hotel. Some of the members of the hotel told us that they are planning ways of expanding the hotel and setting a new benchmark in terms of quality. One can easily select from four different types of rooms such as Residency Suite, Corporate Suite, executive club rooms and executive rooms.

Executive Rooms of Residency Tourist Resort

One of the best things about the resort is that it gives more preference to quality rather than quantity. It is due to this reason that it has just 10 rooms but each one of them is bound to blow your mind. We came to know that the check in and check out time of the hotel is at 12PM but since we had booked online, they relaxed their rules and did the needful. Our room was equipped with intercom, mini bar, LCD TV, coffee or tea maker.

Photo Of The Week : Haflong Lake Assam

Haflong Lake Assam | Image Resource: bharatmeragarv.com

Haflong Lake Assam : Located not too far from the heart of the city, you can find the Haflong Lake. The colorful gardens and natures greenery creates heaven on earth. I spend a lot of time here and I am totally glad I did. I could click some amazing shots too. I recommend anyone to visit this lake on your Assam trip.

 

Guwahati Planetarium Assam- A Treat for Science Enthusiasts

After exploring the Kamakhya Temple in a complex full of many temples, we moved on towards our next destination which was the Guwahati Planetarium Assam. It is considered to be an all exclusive astronomical research centre in this part of the world.

Kamakhya Temple Assam | Image Resource:  rltgo.com

We had to pay a very nominal entry fee of Rs 30 per person for entering the planetarium and enjoying the sky shows. One of the members told us that the planetarium stays open on six days, except Sunday, from 11pm to 4pm.

The presence of the unique dome and slopes of walls make it an unparalleled beauty in the entire north eastern part of India. Inside the planetarium, we spotted the Goto GX instrument found in Japan. The hardware of the instrument works on the principle of GX Starfield projector and is composed of high quality theatre like sound system along with 60 projectors to render out of the box special effects.

Guwahati Planetarium | Image Resource: assammind.blogspot.com

The software on which the entire equipment functions belongs to Goto as well. We came to know that in addition to the daily shows, the Planetarium frequently organizes different types of conferences, workshops and seminars related to the astronomy field.

The planetarium is also known for arranging outdoor viewing provisions and quizzes at the time of eclipses. There is a library which maintains a huge collection of some of the most unique space oriented books. There is no doubt about the fact that Guwahati Planetarium Assam is a great way of reaching out to the younger section of the society and inspiring them with fascinating scientific facilities. The planetarium also enables students to explore the different types of items being assembled by human explorers for centuries.

In addition to the common sky watching programs organized by professionals, there were some special shows which utilize an overhead screen created on the dome shaped ceiling. Despite being a person from commerce, I was extremely impressed after gathering knowledge about the extent to which science has advanced. We came to know that the Planetarium organizes shows in English, Hindi and Assamese. The planetarium is equipped with all the things which can keep a science enthusiast busy.