Guwahati, the major business center in Assam, is also noted for being home to a large number of attractions. Right from historical temples to modern-day planetariums, you will find a wide variety of tourist places in the city. Most of these places exhibit the unique and colorful culture of the state. Want to explore more on the tourist attractions of Guwahati? If yes, then browse through the lines that follow and get detailed information on each one of the places that are worth visiting.Places to see in Guwahati
Assam State Museum
Assam State Museum is a representation of the unique culture and tradition of the northeastern state. It surpasses all the other museums in India, as the biggest multipurpose museum displaying collections in a variety of sections, like archeology, iconography, epigraphy and even numismatics.
Kamakhya Temple
Kamakhya temple is one of the biggest Shakti shrines in the whole of India and also serves an important pilgrimage center for the tantric worshippers as well as the general Hindus. It is a place where the beliefs and practices of the Aryan communities coincide with those of non-Aryan communities, in Assam.
Navagraha Temple
As the name suggests, Navagraha Temple (or the temple of the nine celestial bodies), is a worship place devoted to the nine planets of the solar system, namely Surya (the sun), Chandra (the moon), Buddha (mercury), Mangala (mars), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu (Dragon’s head) and finally Ketu (Dragon’s tail).
Srimanta Sankardeva Kalashetra
Srimanta Sankardeva Kalashetra, situated in Guwahati, is one of the most famous tourist attractions of Assam. It was constructed in 1990, with the aim of exposing and exhibiting to the world, the exclusive culture and tradition of Assam. It is named after the greatest saint of the Vaishnava culture, Srimanta Sankardeva.
Ugratara Temple
Ugratara Temple is an important Shakti shrine, located in the eastern part of the Guwahati city, in Uzan Bazaar. The temple serves as an important pilgrimage center of the state and attracts tourists from far and wide. It was constructed in 1725, by King Shiva Singh of Ahom Kingdom.
Vasistha Ashram
Vasistha Ashram is situated amidst beautiful natural scenes, in the Sandhychal hills of eastern Guwahati. It is an important pilgrimage center, which was built by the Ahom king, Raja Rajeswar, in the second half of the 18th century. Vasistha is, in fact, the last existing monument built by the Ahom dynasty rulers.
Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden
Spread over an area of 130 hectares, Assam State Zoo is the only zoo in India where a natural forest still exists. It is one of the major zoos of the country and boasts of a unique diversity of animal habitat. The botanical garden located within the same vicinity is called Guwahati’s green retreat.
Sukreswar Temple
Located on the Sukreswar or Itakhuli Hill, on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra, in the Panbazar locality, Sukreswar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is famous for housing the sixth Jyotirlinga of India and is usually crowded by devotees all round the year. The entire temple, with its surroundings, offers a magnificent view for the visitors. In fact, people often come here to enjoy the scenery of sun setting on the river. It is also believed that performing the post-death rituals at the place will get ‘moksha’ or peace for the dead. The temple was constructed in 1744, by the Ahom King Pramatta Singha. It is believed to be the place where Sage Sukra used to stay and worship Lord Shiva.
Doul Govind Mandir
Doul Govinda Mandir is a famous Krishna templ,e situated in North Guwahati. It is an important pilgrimage centre and every day, around five thousand pilgrims assemble near the temple, to seek the blessings of the Lord. In fact, many devotees offer contribution for the management of the temple and also offer Bhog (food for the Lord) and Sarai on their behalf.
ISKCON
ISKCON Temple (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) is situated in the Ulubari Chariali locality of Guwahati. The society is one of the Hindu Vaishnava religious organizations and has branches all over India and abroad too. Their main aim is to propagate the teachings of Krishna, through the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as to teach people about the techniques of spiritual life, so they lead a better and fulfilled life.
Planetarium
Guwahati Planetarium, located on MG Road, is a serious attempt to create awareness about astronomy, about the vast Universe and its innumerous mysteries and queries (unanswered till date), among masses in general and children in particular. The major attractions of this place are the sky watching sessions and special programs, which are projected on a dome-shaped screen in a hall. These programs are conducted every two hours and in different languages, like English, Assamese and Hindi. The Planetarium is really one of its kinds and attracts tourists from India as well as abroad.
