Assam the rich, green land of rolling plains and dense forests is the gateway to the north eastern part of India. The mighty Brahmaputra river that has its origins in Tibet charts its majestic course through this state.

This mystic land of eternal blue hills and beautiful rivers is renowned for its tea, rich flora and fauna, the world famous one horned rhinoceros and other rare species of wildlife on the verge of extinction. Barring Africa, there is perhaps no part of the world where such a variety of wildlife exists.

 

 

Origin of Name

The land of Assam was known by various names in the past---Pragjyotishpura in ancient Hindu scriptures like the Mahabharata; and Kamarupa in the early medieval times. After the decline of the Kamarupa kingdom in the 12th century, the land that included a part of the old Kamarupa kingdom and regions to the east of it was ruled by the Shan people, who called themselves Tai, but who were called Ahoms by the others. This kingdom lasted for nearly 600 years.

 

Religious places in Assam

The Kamakhya Temple is situated near Guwahati in Assam. It is revered as one of the Shakti Peethas, and is visited by thousands throughout the year. It is also the focus of many myths, stories, and historical events.

The Surya Pahar Temple: It is situated in Goalpara in Assam. It is an ancient center of sun worship and there are numerous insufficiently explored archaeological remains around it.

The Nabagraha Temple : It is situated on the Nabagraha hill in Guwahati. The temple is famous for its unique feature of planatery faith.

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Agriculture

Assam's biggest contribution to the world is its tea. Assam produces some of the finest and most expensive teas in the world (see Assam tea). Other than the Chinese tea variety Camellia sinensis, Assam is the only region in the world that has its own variety of tea, called Camellia assamica. Assam tea is grown at elevations near sea level, giving it a malty sweetness and an earthy flavor, as opposed to the more floral aroma of highland (e.g. Darjeeling, Taiwanese) teas.

The tea industry developed by the British planters brought in labour from as far as Bihar and Orissa and their descendents form a significant demographic group in the state.

Oil industry

Assam also produces crude oil and natural gas. Assam is the second place in the world (after Titusville in the United States) where petroleum was discovered. Asia’s first successful mechanically drilled oil well was drilled in Makum (Assam) way back in 1867. The second oldest oil well in the world still produces crude oil. Most of the oilfields of Assam are located in the Upper Assam region of the Brahmaputra Valley. Assam has four oil refineries located at Guwahati, Digboi, Numaligarh and Bongaigaon .

Assamese cuisine

is a mixture of different indigenous as well as external influences with a lot of regional variations. It is characterized by the use of simple ingredients which are at times very flavorful and at times very pungent. Fermented food is very widely used, giving it a very distinct flavor. Preparations are rarely elaborate.

One popular dish is potatoes mashed with chopped onions, green chillis, mustard oil and salt, locally termed 'aloo pitika'. Fish is fried in mustard oil or curried with bottle gourd or spinach. Meat is curried in spicy gravy. Modern assamese cuisine is integrated with east and north Indian cuisine.

Locally available green leafy vegetables are: Spinach, 'Lai' (a family of mustard greens), Mustard greens, fenugreek greens, 'Khutora', 'Moricha', 'Mati Kaduri', 'Mani Moni', Mint, Cabbage. Green vegetables are often boiled with water to form a gravy or fried in oil with onions.

Other locally available vegetables are: cauliflower, beetroot, kolhrabi, curry bananas, banana flower, banana stem, bell pepper, 'potol', 'jeeka', 'bhool', snake gourd, bottle gourd, 'ronga lao'