Guwahati Travel Guide: Kamakhya, the Brahmaputra and Day Trips

Guwahati is the gateway to Assam and much of the North East, and the Kamrup Metropolitan district notes that ancient literature knew the area as Pragjyotishpur. The city lies on the Brahmaputra among hills, and its sights are a mix of temples on the hills, the river itself, museums and two wild places on the edge of town. Most visits begin here and head east to Kaziranga or south to Shillong, and the city deserves at least a day before you leave it.

Kamakhya Temple

Kamakhya stands on Nilachal Hill, about 7 km from Guwahati, and is one of the most famous Shakti shrines in India. The present temple was rebuilt in 1565 under the Koch dynasty. In its innermost chamber, a cave-like space, a yoni-like cleft in the rock is kept moist by a natural spring and is worshipped in place of an image. The hill also holds five Shiva temples and temples to the ten Mahavidyas. Assam Tourism says it takes a day to cover the temple; neither it nor the district gives darshan timings or queue arrangements, so ask your hotel or the temple office before you plan the day.

Umananda Temple

Umananda is a Shiva temple on Peacock Island, in the middle of the Brahmaputra, built in 1694 on the orders of the Ahom king Gadadhar Singha. The only way to reach it is by ferry or motor launch from Umananda Ghat, so a visit is also a short trip on the river. The district notes that many devotees come during Shivratri. Go in daylight, check with the ferry operators that the last boat back has not left, and take a few minutes on the water for the view of the city from the middle of the river.

Navagraha Temple

The Navagraha Temple stands on Chitrasal hill and is devoted to the nine planets. The district calls it an important astrological and astronomical centre, and each planet is represented by a Shivalinga covered in a cloth of its own colour. It dates to the 18th century, to the Ahom king Rajeswar Singha, and a considerable part of it was destroyed in an earthquake and later rebuilt with iron sheets. It is believed that the ancient name of Guwahati, Pragjyotishapura, comes from this temple.

Basistha Ashram

The Basistha Ashram lies in the Sandhyachal hills and is a pilgrimage centre where three rivulets, Sandhya, Kanta and Lalita, meet. The district says the temple was built in the second half of the 18th century by the Ahom king Rajeswar and is the last surviving monument raised by the Ahom rulers in the city. The place is tied to the sage Vasistha, and a dip in the water is believed to wash away sins. The district lists it beside Navagraha among the city's temples and sites.

Assam State Museum

The Assam State Museum was built in 1940 at the southern end of Dighalipukhuri Tank. It has sections for archaeology, iconography, epigraphy and numismatics, a showcase of ancient Assamese coins, fabrics, tribal arts and sculptures, and reconstructed tribal huts. Its stone and copper-plate inscriptions date from the 5th to the 12th centuries. The district page gives no opening hours or closed days, so confirm them before you go.

Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra

The Kalakshetra on Shillong Road in Panjabari was built in 1990 and named after the Vaishnava saint Srimanta Sankardeva. The district lists a central museum of everyday objects used by indigenous tribes, an art gallery, a library, a traditional Vaishnava temple, a heritage park and an open-air theatre of about 2,000 seats. It calls the artificial village, which recreates the setting of a typical Assamese village, the most famous attraction. Check what is on before you go: it hosts dances, recitals and dramas.

Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden

The zoo, near RG Baruah Road, covers 130 hectares and the botanical garden beside it 82 hectares. The district lists swamp tapirs, white tigers, leopards and the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, as well as African two-horned rhinos and rare birds. The garden, established in 1982, holds about 44 orchid varieties from the North East, along with palms, conifers and herbs. The district page gives no timings, so check them locally before you plan a visit.

Deepor Beel

Deepor Beel, about 10 km south-west of the city, is a permanent freshwater lake and the only Ramsar site in Assam. Assam Tourism describes it as a staging site for migratory birds and recommends winter, when the migrants arrive, and a half-day visit. The lake also serves as the city's main stormwater storage basin, which is why it matters to Guwahati beyond birdwatching. The tourism pages give no entry fee, opening hours or rules on vehicles, so ask a local guide about access.

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

Pobitora, 30 km from Guwahati in Morigaon district, covers 38.81 sq km and keeps one-horned rhinoceroses; Assam Tourism describes it as having the highest density of the species in the world. Visitors can take elephant rides and jeep safaris, with migratory birds visible too. The best time is mid-October to the end of March. For the big parks, our Kaziranga travel guide covers the park about 220 km east, and our wildlife safaris in Assam page lists the safaris we offer in the state.

Sualkuchi

Sualkuchi, 35 km north of Guwahati, is Assam's silk weaving village, known for Golden Muga, White Paat and the warm Eri silk. Nearly every household has a hand loom, called a taatxaal, whose clicking can be heard from the streets, and Assam Tourism says it is easily reached from Guwahati by taxi or public transport. It welcomes visitors all year, and winter brings the Raas Mahotsava. Buy from the weavers directly, and ask whether a cloth is muga, paat or eri before you pay.

Shillong

Shillong in Meghalaya is about 100 km and roughly three hours away by road, according to Meghalaya Tourism. Our Shillong travel guide covers its peak, lake and falls and the day trips beyond it, and our Assam travel guide covers the rest of the state.

IMD's climate summary for Guwahati gives an average annual rainfall of 129.7 cm over 67 rainy days. June is the wettest month at 26.1 cm and December the driest at 0.2 cm, and the south-west monsoon brings about 68 per cent of the year's rain. May and June are the hottest months, with a mean daily maximum of about 32.2°C and a minimum of about 25.8°C; the highest temperature ever recorded in the city is 40.3°C. In January the means are 23.6°C and 11.0°C. Fog occurs late in the post-monsoon season and in winter, and thunderstorms from April to September are common.

The district notes that flooding occurs generally in low-lying areas from April to October every year, and that the city sees localised floods on rainy days. The pleasant half of the year runs from October to March, and it matches the best months for Deepor Beel (winter), Pobitora (mid-October to March) and the river cruises (October to April). The Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya in mid-June is a reason to avoid that week for an ordinary visit. See our best time to visit India and monsoon travel guide for the rest of the country.