Trying to know about Guwahati will tell you that earlier it was known as Pragjyotishpur (the City of Eastern Light). Having got its name from two Assamese words, “Guwa”, meaning areca nut and “Haat”, meaning market, it is positioned in the north eastern state of Assam. Set amidst the beautiful hills of the eastern borders of the Himalayan mountain range, Guwahati has in the last few years developed into one of the nicest tourist destinations in India.

If you want to know the historical background about Guwahati you will be charmed to know the facts. There is almost a magic that hovers over the city. The demon king Narkasura is believed to have constructed this ancient city. It is also considered to be the ancient ‘Kamrup’, the birthplace of Kamdeva, the God of Love.

Best Season, Climate, and Clothing
Situated at an altitude of 55 meters above sea level on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra, Guwahati experiences an annual rainfall of 180 cm from May to September. The summer temperatures range from 22 to 38°C, and in winters the mercury varies from 10 to 25°C. Guwahati is best visited between the months of October and April. Summers will require you to carry cotton clothing winters call for woolens. The city of Guwahati has on offer numerous tourist sites, some religious and some natural, for the travelers. The following tourist attractions in Guwahati see the footfalls of several tourists from far and wide all the year round.

Tourist Spots
Assam State Museum :
Archaeological and ethnographic displays are one of the major attractions in Assam's state museum, situated near the centre of city. The collection includes stone and copper plate inscriptions dating from the 5th century, a 12th century sculpture of 'Surya', terracotta pieces and costumes.

Lower down the hill, the Thongsa Gompa, of Bhutanese Monastery, is the oldest monastery in the area and was founded in 1692. The present building is not so old - the original was destroyed by the Gurkhas in their rampage across Sikkim before the arrival of the British. Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang Gompa, five km south of the town centre at the end of the ridge, was built in the mid - 1970s at Durpin Dara Hill and was consecrated by the Dalai Lama. There are impressive wall paintings in the prayer room, and a rare three dimensional mandala upstairs. Mountain views are good from Durpin Dara Hill. This area is a big military camp, but you are free to walk or drive through it.

Umananda Temple :
The Shiva temple of Umananda stands on an island bluff in the middle of the Brahmaputra. Its location, at the top of a flight of steep steps up from the beach, is more dramatic than the temple itself. Ferries and motor launches leave from Umananda Ghat, on the shore between the State Bank of India and the Ashok Hotel.

Kamakhya Temple:
On the commanding Nilachal hill, overlooking the river 8-km west of the centre, the important Kali temple of Kamakhya, with its beehive-shaped 'Shikhara', is a fine example of the distinctive Assamese style of architecture. As one of the 'Shaktipiths', it marks the place where Sati's 'Yoni' (vulva) landed when her body fell to earth in 51 pieces, and is one of the three most important tantric temples in India. A short walk up the hill brings one to a smaller and emptier temple with great views of Guwahati and the Brahmaputra.

Kamakhya Temple:
East of the town centre, atop another hill, is the atmospheric Navagraha temple popularly known as the "Temple of the Nine Planets", an ancient seat of astrology and astronomy - surrounded by large trees that shelter tribes of monkeys. Housed in a single red dome, again in the beehive style, the central lingam is encircled by a further nine representing the planets.

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