It was in November 1998 when I visited Guwahati. This was my second visit to this part of the country. The first was when I was around 11 years old. I have very few memories of my early visit to Guwahati. In that trip we had gone to Shillong and Darjeeling too. 

          Assam, replete with rich travel potential, easily accessible by rail, road and air, can be called India's wild extravaganza. It is really wonderful land waiting to be experienced and explored. Guwahati, the capital of Assam, is also called the gateway to North-East India. The city is located on the banks of mighty Brahmputra river. 

          I had very little time to explore and was more fascinated by the charm of Brahmputra river. Though there are number of places of interest for tourists in and around Guwahati, I could only visit Kamakhya temple situated at a distance of 10 kms to the west of the city on Nilachal Hill. It is one of the many great Shakti Pithas or the seat of Tantra. It is here that Sati's yoni fell when she was dismembered while her corpse was being carried by Shiva. Wherever the pieces of her body fell, the place became a seat of Tantra Sadhana. 

          The other place I visited was IIT Guwahati campus. Located on the other side of river Brahmputra, the location of the campus on the banks of the river is really beautiful. One can reach the campus by crossing the road bridge on Brahmputra, but people still prefer Steamers which are main mode of transport across the river. 

           Anyone coming to this area must find time to visit Kaziranga National Park and Manas Sanctuary. Kaziranga National Park, bounded by the Brahmputra River and the Miker Hills, covers an area of 430 sq. kms. It is covered with sheer thick forests, elephant grasslands, rugged reeds, mellow marshes and the shallow pools. It is the preserve of elephants, Indian Bisons, swamp deer, sambhars, hog deer, tigers, sloth bears, leopards etc. It is 217 kms from Guwahati. 

            Manas, on the foothills of the Himalayas is on Indo-Bhutan border. It offers a combination of scenic splendour and rare wealth of wild life. It is 76 kms north-west of Guwahati. 

             I was able to spare a day for a short trip to Shillong. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is a captivating hill station at an altitude of 1496 m. Though it has lost some of the charm of British period with increase in population and being a centre of governance. Shillong is noted for its climate, waterfalls and picnic spots. It is 100 kms from Guwahati. There is one beautiful lake between Guwahati and Shillong. One can spend some time around this lake. In Shillong, I visited Elephant Falls, the ward lake, the botanical garden. The 1960 m high Shillong Peak offers a fine view of surrounding areas. 

              One should always be able to spare time to visit Cherapunji, 58 kms south-east of Shillong. It is the wettest place on the earth with an average rainfall over 1000 cms. It is 1300 m above sealevel and is a rewarding experience.