On your visit to Awesome Assam (or rather anywhere in the World) there will always be one question on your mind – ‘What are the unique things about this place’? And you will always seek to know the answer from a local, a person who has lived here across a major part of his life. You may get many different set of answers from these small sample size of people you will choose to select. Some of the answers will be the One Horned Rhino of Assam – an endangered animal species native to Assam, the Majuli River Island – the World’s Largest inhabited River Island, the Satras of Majuli – that preach Neo Vaishnavism as propagated by Srimanta Sankardeva and his disciples, the River Brahmaputra – the only male river that flows across Awesome Assam, the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge – India’s longest Bridge, the Oil town of Digboi – the World’s oldest operational Oil well, etc. But one common answer across all these sets of answer will be the Ahom Kingdom of Sivasagar. The Kings of Awesome Assam who were so feared during their time that even the Mighty Mughals couldn’t defeat them at the time when they were ruling the whole of India!
The Mighty Ahoms of Awesome Assam were well renowned for their bravery. The Ahoms were the only Ruling dynasty that didn’t fall to the Might of the Mughal Empire. They were dedicated to their Motherland to an extent that one of their General ‘Lachit Borphukan’ didn’t hesitate to behead his own Maternal Uncle due to his negligence towards his duties in protecting his Motherland. His statement on his action was ‘Dekhot ke Mumai dangor nohoi’ meaning ‘My Uncle is not greater than my Motherland’! This statement is still sworn in by the members of the Assamese community when it comes to protecting their Motherland from any foreign invaders.
The Ahoms although known for their ferocity were also one of the most generous of all. Their grandeur in Architecture can be witnessed at the town of Sivasagar in Awesome Assam where the like of the ‘Talatal Ghar’, the ‘Kareng Ghar’ and the ‘Rang Ghar’ can be seen. During their reign the Ahom Kings constructed many Temples across Assam as a symbol of benevolence.
Ahoms Kings were a patron of fine art, literature and dance forms to an extent that the famous Bihu dance of Assam was started during their regime. Bihu has been the most precious gift of Ahoms to Assam. It was the ‘RANG GHAR’ amphitheater where it first shaped up and then, it journeyed to its eternal fame.
Another celebration of noteworthy importance of the Ahom community is their practice of Marriage known as ‘Sok Long’, where marriages vows are taken across a hundred burning oil lamps and the bridegroom promises to keep his bride safe and happy throughout their life by holding a sword and swearing by the fire of the oil lamps!
The Ahoms although known for their ferocity were also one of the most generous of all. Their grandeur in Architecture can be witnessed at the town of Sivasagar in Assam where the like of the ‘Talatal Ghar’, the ‘Kareng Ghar’ and the ‘Rang Ghar’ can be seen.
But as history has always narrated, no kingdom becomes great without mighty leaders. From Alexander in Greece to Akbar the Great in India, these able leaders created and expanded their empire into a Global one. Not was much different here too with the Ahom Dynasty. Created by one and the legacy carried on by the other made this dynasty one of the most feared and powerful in the country! Although there were many great leaders who played a major role in building the success of this Empire, two (2) are always noteworthy to be mentioned. These two whose praises are sung even today and who will be remembered across the memoirs of the State of Assam always – Chaolung Sukhapa and Lachit Borphukan!
- Chaolung Sukhapa
The name “Sukafa” brings a sense of pride in every Assamese individual’s heart. Chaolung Sukhapa was the first Ahom king in medieval Assam, & was the founder of the Ahom kingdom (which is famous for defeating the Mughal empire 17 times). As I recall, he was a Tai prince originally from Mong Mao, (now in Yunnan province in Peoples Republic of China). After spending 19 years as crown prince, Sukaphaa decided to leave Mong Mao. According to tradition, his grandmother advised him thus – “no two tigers live in the same jungle, no two kings sit on the same throne.” Accordingly Sukaphaa is said to have left Chieng-Sen the capital of Mong Mao in the year 1215 AD.
He was accompanied by three queens, two sons and a daughter; chiefs from five other dependent Mongs, members of the priestly class and soldiers—a total contingent of 9,000. Some commoners are recorded as having joined this core group on the way. He traveled a long distance & entered Assam in 1228 A.D. His journey from Yunnan to Assam passed through many places like Myitkyina, Mogaung and the upper Irrawaddy river valley and Patkai hills among many others. On his way he stopped at various places and crossed the Khamjang River to reach the Nangyang Lake where he fought and defeated the Nagas and reached the Brahmaputra valley in the early 13th century. The kingdom he established there existed for nearly six hundred years and in the process unified the various tribal and non-tribal peoples of the region that left a deep impact on the region. In the quest of expanding his kingdom, he reached Namrup and constructed a bridge on the Sessa River, and went along the Burhi Dihing River in order to establish a colony for wet rice cultivation. After a substantial amount of time, when he couldn’t find a suitable land, he returned downstream to Tipam. In 1236, he left Tipam for Abhaypur and in the year 1240, the area was struck by flood, which made him move again down the Brahmaputra to Habung, which is present-day Dhakuakhana. In1244,he moved down the Brahmaputra to the Dikhowmukh, because Habung was also struck by flood, and then up the Dikhow river up to Ligirigaon. Finally, in the year 1253, the capital of Ahom Kingdom was established at Charaideo, which lies close to the present-day Sibasagar and eventually initiated the mission of building a state.In honour to his position, the term ‘Chaolung’ is generally associated with his name-Chao meaning lord & Lung meaning great.
Since 1996 December 2 has been celebrated in Assam as the Sukaphaa Divas, or Asom Divas (Assam Day), to commemorate the advent of the first king of the Ahom kingdom in Assam after his journey over the Patkai Hills. He is also known as the first Assamese.
- Lachit Borphukan
When a story of a war hero is recited in Assam, the first name that pops in the mind of every Assamese is perhaps Lachit Borphukon, who is best known for the battle of Saraighat in 1671 that demolished a drawn-out attempt by Mughal forces to take back Kamrup among many others.
His father Momai Tamuli Borbarua had a humble background but evolved as the first Borbarua (Governor of upper Assam and Commander-in-Chief of the Ahom army) under Prataap Singha. Lachit Borphukan received training in humanities, scriptures and military skills.
Before being appointed as the Supreme Commander of the army, he held various posts of eminence such as Superintendent of the Royal Horses or Ghora Barua, Commander of the strategic Simulgarh Fort and Superintendent of the Royal Household Guards or Dolakasharia Barua assisting the Ahom king. The King Chakradhwaj Singha appointed Lachit as the commander in chief of the Ahom army. King Chakradhwaj Singha selected Lachit Borphukan to lead the army in the campaign against the Mughals who held Guwahati. The King presented Lachit with a gold-hafted sword (Hengdang) and the customary paraphernalia of distinction. Lachit raised the army and preparations were completed by summer of 1667. Lachit recovered Guwahati from the Mughals and successfully defended it against the Mughal forces during the Battle of Saraighat.
- Battle of Saraighat(The Victory that was to be written in Golden words in Assamese history)
Lachit efficiently disposed his responsibilities and transformed it into strong and powerful army by the summer of 1667. In the Battle of Saraighat he headed the Ahom army which was victorious against the Mughal army. When the Mughal army attacked in Saraighat, while looking at the huge Mughal fleet under the leadership of Ram Singh I consisting of 30,000 infantry, 15,000 archers, 18,000 Turkish cavalry, 5,000 gunners and over 1000 cannons besides a large flotilla of boats the Assamese army lost their determination and will. Even though Lachit was very seriously ill he told his army to retreat if they wanted to and made it clear that he wouldn’t do so. He said “If you (the soldiers) want to flee, flee. The king has given me a task here and I will do it well. Let the Mughals take me away. You report to the king that his general fought well following his orders”. This gave a huge moral boost to the Assamese army. His soldiers rallied and a desperate battle ensured on the river Brahmaputra. Lachit Barphukan was victorious. The Mughals were forced to retreat from Guwahati. The Mughal Commander-in-Chief, acknowledging his defeat by the Ahom soldiers and their Commander-in-chief Lachit Barphukan, wrote, “Glory to the king! Glory to the counselors! Glory to the commanders! Glory to the country! One single individual leads all the forces! Even I, Ram Singh, being personally on the spot, have not been able to find any loophole and an opportunity!”.
He died immediately after the victory due to illness. 16 km from Jorhat at the Lachit Maidam, the last remains of Lachit Borphukon are preserved. It was built in 1672 by Swargadeo Udayaditya Singha at Hoolungapara. Every year 24th November is celebrated as Lachit Divas in the state of Assam to pay tribute to general Lachit Borphukan.
Jungleideas welcomes you to India’s North East to witness the Ahom Architectural Wonders at Sivasagar and pay tribute to the Mighty Warriors of the feared Ahom Dynasty and the Unsung Heroes of India – Chaolung Sukapha, Lachit Borphukan and the fierce ‘Battle of Saraighat’, Sivasagar, the State of Assam, Incredible India!
The Statue of Chaolung Sukapha at the Samanway Kshetra at Jorhat in Assam
Origin of Ahoms and contributions of Siukapha – an article by Rashmirekha Hazarika published on Assam Tribune – Wednesday, December 2, 2020
The Ahoms are the members of the Shan branch of the great Tai or Thai family of Southeast Asia. The Shans were named so because they initially established a land named Tyai-Sham on the bank of River Tarim that flowed to the north of Mongolia from China. From Tyai-Shan they first migrated to China in around 5th century AD and from thence to Mungrimungram in Yunnan in China. They expanded gradually to the entire Hukawng Valley in present Myanmar (old Burma) and established a group of states therein. The most powerful of these states was inhabited by the Mau branch of the ethnic group. They called it Munmas, whereas the Manipuris used to refer it as a kingdom of pony, a term that sometimes denoted the entire collection of Tai-Shan states in Hukawng Valley. The Ahoms claim Mungrimungram as their original homeland and state that Khunlai, their younger progenitor, ruled over this kingdom. The third king of Khunlai’s family divided the kingdom, Mungrimungram proper and Mauling on the bank of the Sheuli river in Upper Burma between his two sons. It was Mauling, where Suikapaha, the founded of the Ahom Kingdom in teh Brahmaputra Valley was born to Phusang Khang. The meaning of the Siukapaha stands as: Siu – tiger, ka – to come, pha – heaven – ‘the tiger that descended on arrived from heaven’.
Siukapaha left his birthplace in about 1215 AD to seek his fortune elsewhere. He was accompanied by a few nobles, a few hundred followers and a retinue of two elephants and 300 horse and two hengdangs (the legendary was sword and symbol of royal power) and a statuette of Somdeo, the presiding diety.
The consolidation and establishment of Ahom power in an alien land and Siukaphas’s contributions changed the entire scenario.
As Siukapha moved towards the Patkai hills via the Hukawng valley, he reduced to submission the local ethnic groups encountered along the way. He reached the Brahmaputra valley in 1228 AD and stepped on the Soumarpeeth of the erstwhile Kamarupa on December 2 that year. Thereafter, he had been moving from place to place for about 12 years in search of a suitable spot till he settled at Charaideo in 1253 AD near Langkuri hills. The Morans and the Barahis who dwelt in the region between the Dikhow and the Disang rivers were the first ethnic groups who Siukapaha won over to his side by a policy of peace and conciliation. Those among them who challenged Siukapaha were ruthlessly eliminated. Thus he made his supreme authority felt over these two ethnic groups. Siukapha then established his permanent headquarters at Charideo and celebrated the occasion by sacrificing two horses. When he reached the Brahmaputra Valley in 1228, he ordered his chroniclers to keep a record of all events, called buranjis. This was the glorious beginning of history writing of Assam – a precious contribution to Indian historiography. Buranjis contain reliable source materials of all the activities of the Ahom rulers. Buranji is a word from the Ahom dialect and it means a storehouse of knowledge that enlightens the ignorant. The Deodhanis and Bailungs were entrusted with the task of chronicler who wrote down the everyday events in simple Tai language. It was only during the reign of Pratap Singha much later that history writing was taken up in Assamese script.
‘Siukapha came not as a raiding conqueror but as the head of an agricultural folk in search of land’ as mentioned in the Comprehensive History of Assam by Swarnalata Barua. Siukapha moved and lived amongst the people of various ethnic groups, learning their languages and adopting local cultures. Living a life of a commoner, Siukapha himself tilled and cultivated the land. He accepted the local people into his social fold, placed them on an equal footing with his own men and treated them as his associates.
The Shan chroniclers are silent regarding Siukapha’s invasion of the Brahmaputra valley. At the same time, they relate the victories of Samlongpha, the general and a brother of a king of Mungmao, over the Chutiyas as well as the rulers of Arakan, Manipur and adjoining areas.
The conquest of the Tai-Shans changed the very trends in the political history of north-eastern India. It marked the beginning of a process leading to the establishment of new hegemony. The neighbouring areas were at that time under the control of the Morans, ruled by Badaucha and the Barahis, who were ruled by Thakumta. These two kings accepted the supremacy of Siukapha without any bloodshed. Following their acceptance with authority, Siukapha treated them as equals and encouraged inter-caste marriages and welded them into a single nation.
In an atmosphere of political stablity, the inhabitants of the region subsequently found their new regional identity as the subjects of the kingdom of Assam and developed a new fabric of culture and society of the kingdom of Assam and developed a new fabric of culture and society which was to become distinctly Assamese. Thus Siukapha founded the Ahom monarchy in Assam.
Siukapha died in 1268 AD; he was succeded by his son Sutepha (reigning period 1268-1281 AD), who extended the western boundary of the Ahom kingdom to the river Namdang. From the reign of of Subinpha (1281-1293 AD) to that of Supimpha (1297-1493 AD) covering a period of more than 200 years, no extension of territory was made by the Ahoms.
(Published on the occasion of Ahom Divas day)
Sample Itinerary to visit Assam and relive the grandeur of the Ahom Kingdom:
Day 1: Guwahati – North Guwahati – Guwahati
Day 2: Kamakhya Temple – Kaziranga National Park
Day 3: Kaziranga National Park Safari – Kaziranga Orchid Park – Sivasagar via Jorhat
Day 4: Sivasagar – Charaideo – Sivasagar
Day 5: Sivasagar – Majuli Island
Day 6: Majuli Island
Day 7: Majuli – Jorhat Airport
Day 1: Guwahati – North Guwahati – Guwahati
Arrive at the LGBI airport at Guwahati and upon arrival you will be welcomed by our representative offering you a warm welcome in traditional Assamese style. Board your comfortable vehicles and we begin on our drive to relive the moments of the grandeur of the Ahom Kingdom – the longest unbroken ruling dynasty in India. From the airport we will drive towards the Saraighat War Memorial to pay our tributes to the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan and the soldiers of the brave Ahom army who had put up a brave resistance against the mighty Mughal Army and they beat them at the fierce Battle of Saraighat even though the Ahom army was much smaller. Lachit Borphukan was the able general who has led the Ahom Army and he is considered to be the bravest among the Ahom Generals. Vir Lachit Borphukan’s bravery is till recognized even today and the best candidate from the National Defence Academy (NDA) is awarded with the Lachit Borphukan medal every year.
We will cross the new Saraighat Bridge to take the route towards Suwalkuchi and Hajo and here we will stop at the Saraighat War Memorial. The place is where the actual Battle of Saraighat was fought between the Ahoms and the Mughals and the Mughal army led by Ram Singh under the command of Emperor Aurangzeb (who wanted to bring Assam under the map of the Mughal Empire) had come to attack and conquer Assam with a huge army contingent of Elephants, Horses and more than 20,000 foot soldiers and looking at their advance, the Ahom Army felt demoralized that they wouldn’t be able to put up to such a tough army. Lachit Borphukan realized that he had to motivate the Ahom army soldiers and so he taught them that a war is not just won by might but by the mind as well and the Ahoms deployed a clever military tactic where the Mughal forces were lagging and it was the Navy and the tactical use of the mighty waters of the Brahmaputra River and the Mughals had to retreat conceding defeat at the fierce Battle of Saraighat and this is displayed at the Saraighat War Memorial at Guwahati and we pay our respects at the place and we understand the great might of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam.
The Ahom Kingdom was founded by the great King Swargadeo Sukapha who had migrated from the Shan Kingdom in the early 1220s and as mentioned about Sukapha in the above description he established the Ahom Kingdom at Charaideo and went on to bring the whole of Assam under his rule. We will learn more about the great Ahom King Swargadeo Sukapha when we visit Jorhat to visit the Swargadeo Sukapha Samanway Kshetra. The Ahom Kings were patrons of architecture and they are accredited with the building of several temples and monuments across Assam. The Ahoms followed Buddhism as their faith at the beginning when they had arrived from the Shan Kingdom in Myanmar but it was only when the Ahom Kings had learnt about the practices of Shakti and Tantra that were prevalent at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati and also the various powers of Black Magic and the cult of Shakti associated with this temple that they had converted to Hinduism and they later went on to rebuild the Kamakhya temple shrine and many other temple shrines across Assam. We will now visit North Guwahati to witness the architectural finesse of some of these temple shrines that were built by the Ahom Kings during the reign of the Ahom Kingdom. Next up we will travel to North Guwahati where we go to visit the Aswaklanta temple by the banks of the Brahmaputra River that was built during the Ahom regime and this temple speaks highly of the grandeur of and finesse of the Ahom architecture.
This temple shrine is dedicated to Lord Krishna and it is believed that Lord Krishna when he was out to execute one of the demons, his horse took a break to rest by the banks of the Brahmaputra River here and hence the name Aswaklanta Temple. The temple follows the typical Ahom temple style built and we will admire the grand architecture of this temple and later we go to visit the Kanai Barasi Rock Inscriptions at North Guwahati. These rock inscriptions were built to speak about the various conquests of the Ahom army over the foreign invaders and we will explore the Kanai Barasi Rock Inscriptions to later travel to the Sri Sri Dirgheshwari temple at North Guwahati that is considered to be another Shakti Peetha in India and it is renowned for Shakti worship and this temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga. This temple shrine is believed to have been built during the reign of the Ahom King Siva Singha who is accredited with the construction of many temple shrines across Assam. The Dirgheshwari temple is considered to be the second holiest temple shrine of the place after the Maa Kamakhya temple and it is a great place for people who are interest in historic monuments here in Assam.
The Dirgheshwari temple is located atop the Sitachal Hills in Guwahati and along the way on the stairway that leads to the main temple shrine you will get to see elaborate rock cut sculptures of Lord Ganesha and other Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu Mythology as well. We will admire the grand construction of the Dirgheshwari temple shrine and the very unique thing about this temple is that the inner sanctum of the temple where the deity is present and where the temple priests sits has been carved out of a single huge rock. We will explore the grand Ahom temple architecture of the Dirgheshwari temple and later we will return on our drive to Guwahati city and at first we will stop for our lunch at the Bor Luit Dhaba located at the Amingaon area that serves ethnic Assamese meals to its guests. We savour our ethnic Assamese cuisine meal that is served to us on bell metal plates and bowls, and glasses and the Ahom Royals used to dine on these bell metal utensils because of its shiny texture that looked like gold and also due to the combination of the metals used in making these utensils it is believed that if you dined on the bell metal plates you will not suffer from any stomach ailments.
Next up we drive towards Guwahati city and we will check into our Hotel at Pan Bazaar area in Guwahati. We will freshen up and later we will go out to explore another of the very renowned temple shrines that was built by the Ahoms viz. the Sukreshwar temple that is located nearly our hotel and we will take a hike from our hotel to this temple. The Sukreshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is believed that the Guru of the Asuras (Shukracharya) worshipped Lord Shiva at this site where the temple was built later and this temple is located atop the Itakhuli Hills and hence the temple is called as the Sukreshwar temple shrine. This temple complex is located adjacent to the Brahmaputra River and we will go into the temple shrine to witness the Shiva Linga here that is believed to be the widest Shiva Linga in the country.
We offer our worship at the Sukreshwar temple and next up we will visit the banks of the Brahmaputra River and we will feel the cool breeze of the River Water and we look towards our left and we will see a tall statue located in the midst of the Brahmaputra River that depicts the brave Ahom General Lachit Borphukan commanding the Ahom Army and this is the tallest river statue on the Brahmaputra River in Assam. On the right we will observe the Umananda Island – the smallest inhabited River Island in the World and this island also is home to the Umananda temple that is again dedicated to Lord Shiva and it was built by an Ahom King but in the interest of time we will not be able to visit this place. Several more temple shrines across Guwahati were built by the Ahom Kings like the Navagraha temple and the Basistha temple but again we will learn more about them but we will not have time to explore these temple. With this we will wind up our visit for the day and we will head back to our hotel for dinner and night halt.
Night Halt: Hotel Mayflower at Guwahati
Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2: Kamakhya Temple – Kaziranga National Park
Today after an early breakfast we begin on our drive to the Nilachal Hills area in Guwahati after checking out of the Hotel and this is where the holy temple shrine of the Kamakhya temple is located. We will reach the temple parking area and we will be welcomed by a temple priest who will assist us with the Darshan of the temple. One among the 51 Shakti Peethas and 4 Adi Shakti Peethas, the Kamakhya temple shrine is the holiest temple shrine in North East India and this temple is known for its cult of Shakti and Tantra and this temple had intrigued the Ahom Kings who had decided to convert to Hinduism and they later rebuilt the temple as it has been destroyed by a Muslim Invader. We will reach atop the temple stairs to reach the main temple complex and the grand architecture of the Kamakhya temple will be visible to our eyes. This temple dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya celebrates the spirit of womanhood and the ability of a mother to give birth to a new life.
The Kamakhya temple is known to host the festival of the Ambubachi Mela every year in the month of June that is often referred to as the Eastern Mahakumbh and this festival draws lakhs of devotees to the temple shrine every year. It is said that during this festival the Goddess menstruates and the waters of the Brahmaputra River turns red and during the first three days of the festival, the temple doors are kept closed to devotees and only on the fourth day the temple doors are reopened and devotees throng the temple shrine to seek the blessings of the Goddess. We will be taken to the temple pond after we admire the beautiful stone sculptures on the temple walls and we will cleanse our hands and feet at the temple pond and we go to the inner sanctum of the Kamakhya temple on our VIP pass to seek the blessings of Goddess Kamakhya. The Kamakhya temple as well follows the Ahom temple architecture and the inner sanctum of the temple is carved out of a single large rock and in the inner sanctum you will not find any statue or idol of the Goddess but instead there is a rock shaped in the form of a Yoni (Vulva) that is fed continuously by a natural underground spring. Our Darshan at the Kamakhya temple completes once we touch the holy water and sprinkle it on top of our head and post this we will come out of the inner sanctum and the priest will assist us to complete the Darshan and offer us the Prasad and we will later board our vehicles and begin on our drive to Kaziranga National Park.
We will take the bypass via the National Highway and we cross Guwahati city to reach Sonapur and further to Jagiroad. We keep driving crossing Raha to reach Nagaon and at Nagaon we will stop to have an early lunch at the Anuraag Dhaba that is one of the very popular eateries along the way that serves fresh, hygienic and delicious meals to its guests of an Assamese style cuisine. We enjoy a sumptuous lunch at the Anuraag Dhaba at Nagaon and we continue on our drive towards Jakhlanbandha crossing Puronigudam, Amoni, Missa and Koliabor. At Jakhlabandha we are welcomed by the various signage’s welcoming us to Kaziranga National Park and educating us to drive slowly as we are passing across the animal corridor. We will soon approach the Burapahar range of Kaziranga National Park and this is where the jeep safari rides are conducted for the various tourists who come to Kaziranga National Park and this allows them a perfect opportunity to sight the various species of flora, fauna and avifauna of Kaziranga National Park. We cross Burapahar to drive towards the Bagori range of Kaziranga National Park and here we will reach a viewpoint area that is known to the home of the Rhinos and we will surely get to sight these majestic animal species here at the viewpoint.
Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is home to the highest population of the Indian One Horned Rhino anywhere in the World and the place is also home to the big 5 species. Kaziranga National Park is also home to the Bengal Tigers and the only Ape found in India – the Hoolock Gibbons. The water bodies inside the forests of Kaziranga National Park are home to around 495 species of birds both resident and migratory. We will observe the grand view of the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros here at the viewpoint area of Kaziranga National Park and we might also get to see the Asiatic Wild Water Buffaloes, Hog Deers and the various bird species of the park here as well. We continue on our drive towards the Central Range of Kaziranga National Park at Kohora and this is the main market area of the place and this is by far the most visited zone of Kaziranga National Park as most of the luxury hotels, resorts and also the budget homestays and guest houses are located here at the Central Range of Kaziranga National Park at Kohora. We will go to check into our resort here at Kaziranga National Park and post that we will come out to go to explore the Kaziranga Orchid Park – the largest orchid park in India. We will be put up at the Bonhabi Resort at Kohora in Kaziranga National Park and this is one of the very nice budget yet luxury resort at Kaziranga and the Bonhabi resort is having individual cottages for the comfortable stay of guests and the place follows a unique colonial era build that allows guests to enjoy their stay here amidst nature.
The tall mountains of Karbi Anglong look over the place and this is known to be a very nice place for bird lovers as you can spit the birds from the comfort of your room itself. We will quickly check in and freshen up and we later go to visit the Kaziranga Orchid Park that is a short 10 minute drive from the Resort and we go in to explore the Kaziranga Orchid Park. This is the largest orchid Park in India and the place aims to promote the various indigenous orchid species of Assam and North East India to visitors who come to visit Kaziranga National Park. The growth of orchids across a place speaks about the rich biodiversity of the place and across North East India there are about 1200 species of orchids of the total 1800 species that bloom across the country. We will go to the green house area of the orchid park where we will be welcomed by a local guide who will help us explore the green house area here and identify the various orchid species. Post this we will go to explore the section of handicrafts and handlooms and here we will get to witness the various traditional bamboo crafts of Assam and also the weaving of handlooms on the traditional looms by the local women of Kaziranga National Park.
After this section of handicrafts and handlooms we explore the historic monument photo gallery that display the various ancient monuments that were built across Assam and North East India by the various ruling dynasties including the historic Rang Ghar, Talatal Ghar and Kareng Ghar that were built by the Ahom Kings at Sivasagar and the Kachari ruins of Dimapur as well. Continuing further we go on to explore the orchid photo gallery that displays more pictures of the various flowering orchid species that are not found at the green house and we continue to visit the Rice museum at the Kaziranga Orchid Park. Rice is a staple diet of the people of Assam and North East India and most of the rural population is dependent on the cultivation of rice paddy as a source of livelihood as well as a source of feed one’s family as well. There are around 40 varieties of rice that are grown across the region and the most popular ones are Kerate, Aijong, Usna and even the other unique rice varieties of Bora Saul and Kumal Saul are grown across Assam and the red rice of the Mishing people and even the black rice that is known to have several great benefits for health as well. While rice is mostly consumed across the three meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner accompanied by a bowl of boiled or fried vegetables and a choice of meat/fish curry with herbs and even various chutneys and pickles, the rice variety of the Boral Saul is generally consumed for breakfast on special occasions and it is had with curd or cream or even milk and sugar.
The black rice is used to make a rice pudding called as Kheer and the most interesting variety of rice is that of the Kumal Saul that doesn’t need any cooking and you just need to soak the rice in water and it is ready to be eaten after a while. The unique sticky property of the Bora Saul variety was discovered by the Ahoms and they came out with a unique mortar to bind the bricks used in the construction of monuments and temple and this mortar was prepared by a mix of bora rice, duck eggs , lime and sand (as cement was not yet found) and this paste created a mortar and bind so strong that the monuments that were built during the Ahom regime have braved some of the most extreme weather conditions including two major earthquakes and are still standing tall with minimal repair works. Thus we see the power of rice and rice is also used to prepare alcoholic beverages across the villages of Assam as well. Next up we explore the section of the souvenirs and this is where the various local handmade produce made by the local villagers around Kaziranga National Park are found and bought to carry back home by guests as a souvenir of their visit to Kaziranga and Assam and even as gifts for their friends and relatives.
We finally go to visit the open stage area at the Kaziranga Orchid Park that hosts the various traditional dance forms of Assam and regular intervals so that visitors at the Kaziranga Orchid Park can catch a glimpse of these dance forms and we will take our seats here to witness the Bihu dance of Assam, the bamboo dance performed by the Mishing tribe people and the Jhumur dance performed by the tea garden tribes of Assam. The Bihu dance of Assam is a very popular dance that is performed during the Bohag Bihu or the Rongali Bihu festival (Assamese New Year) and young boys and girls dressed in their traditional attires (girls adorning the grand Muga Silk Mekhela Chadors) perform this dance form. The first record of the Bihu dance being performed on an open stage and also in a grand fashion was during the reign of the Ahom Kingdom at the historic Rang Ghar monument at Sivasagar that we are going to visit tomorrow. We witness these traditional dance forms of Assam here at the stage area of the Kaziranga Orchid Park and with this we wind up our visit here and we go back to our place of stay at the Bonhabi Resort at Kaziranga National Park. Dinner will be served at the Resort and we retire to bed early as we will need to get up early for our elephant safari ride at Kaziranga National Park.
Night Halt: Bonhabi Resort at Kaziranga National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 3: Kaziranga National Park Safari – Sivasagar via Jorhat
We will need to get up early as we will have our elephant safari ride scheduled at the central/western range of Kaziranga National Park and the elephant safari timing will be around 6.30AM and we will need to reach at the safari point by 6AM and we need to collect our pre-booked elephant safari passes and we go for a thrilling elephant safari ride inside the forests of Kaziranga National Park. The elephant safari is a popular safari ride here as it allows visitors to get an aerial view of the park and also get closer to animals of the park as no other animal dares to question the movement of the elephants around them. The Mahout will take us across the forests of Kaziranga National Park and we will get close views of the various animals of the Kaziranga National Park along with the One Horned Rhinoceros. One drawback of this safari ride is that, guests get to explore only a limited area and also the safari ride lasts only about 45 minutes time. For this we will next go for a jeep safari ride after our breakfast and check out of the hotel and travel to the Eastern range of Kaziranga National Park to go for our jeep safari ride. The Eastern range of Kaziranga National Park is known for its various bird species and also the sighting of the Bengal Tigers of Kaziranga National Park and we will have our breakfast and our jeep vehicles will pick us up for our jeep safari ride.
We will soon reach the forest office of the Eastern Range of Kaziranga National Park and here we will complete our forest entry formalities and we will begin on our jeep safari ride inside the forest reserves and we will get to sight the various species of fauna and avifauna of Kaziranga National Park here. We might be able to spot the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros, Asiatic Wild Water Buffalo herd, Hoolock Gibbons, Hog Deers, Wild Elephants, Bengal Tigers, Leopards, Capped Langurs and the various bird species like great Indian Hornbills, Egrets, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black Necked Stork, Racket Tailed Drongos, White Breasted Kingfisher, Magpie Robins, etc. and the jeep ride will last for about two hours and after our jeep ride is over, the vehicles will drop us at the forest entrance and our vehicles will pick us up and we begin on our drive towards Sivasagar. We will stop for an early lunch at the Numaligarh Dhaba that is another very famous restaurant that is present along the highway and here we will be served an ethnic Assamese meal and a choice of fresh fish that is caught fresh from the pond located behind the area of the place and after lunch we continue on our drive to Jorhat. We will cross Dergaon and we will soon reach Jorhat and here we will go to visit the memorial of the founder of the Ahom Kingdom – Swargadeo Sukapha.
This place is called as the Swargadeo Sukapha Samanway Kshetra and this is one of the very beautiful memorials dedicated to the great Ahom King that is spread across a sprawling campus. A huge statue of the great founder of the Ahom Kingdom is present here at the centre and we will pay our respects here and we go to visit the most interesting part of the place that is the museum here that details about the various ancient customs, traditions and practices of the Ahoms and also preserves several relics from the times of the Ahom period. The Ahoms after they had established their kingdom at the capital of Charaideo when Sukapha had to bring together the various indigenous people of the region and also had to work towards their upliftment and so he introduced various occupations for the upliftment of the indigenous communities and this in turn allowed the Kingdom to prosper. The Ahoms had found the grand use of the Muga silk fabric and the cost of this silk in the outside market was quite high and the Muga silkworm was found only in Assam and this became an important good for export of the Ahom Kingdom and many people were engaged in the occupation of deriving Muga silk and weaving various attires out of it. The Ahom royals who earlier used to adorn black robes and now they ordered the use of Muga silk to become the royal fabric and so the entire court used to wear robes made from Muga silk and this can be seen in a model displayed here.
The ground section displays the various practices that were followed by the Ahom including the prayer rituals and the animal sacrifice that was done to appease the Gods and the ancestors. The Battle of Itakhuli and the Battle of Saraighat was also detailed here and we explore this section of the museum to be followed by the section of artefacts and various ancient canons used in warfare along with the swords of the Ahom Kings and Generals and also the robes adorned by the Ahom Kings could be seen at this museum. We will go to the first floor of the museum that details about the various indigenous tribes living across Assam like the Mishings, Singpho, Tai Phake, Tai Khamti, Sumi Naga, Tangsa, etc. and there are various models detailed here that show us the lifestyle of the local people on their villages and how they adorn their hand-woven attires and we will also see in these models how the local people live in the villages and engage in their local occupation of farming, handicraft and handloom weaving, etc. With this we will wind up our visit at the Swargadeo Sukapha Samanway Kshetra and continue on our drive to Sivasagar and we reach Sivasagar late afternoon and we will go to visit the historic Talatal Ghar monument at Sivasagar.
Along the way to Sivasagar we will cross the Namdang Stone Bridge at Gaurisagar that is a very unique bridge across the NH-37 as this bridge was carved out of a single rock and this was done during the time of the Ahom King who had called in artisans from Bengal to work on this stone bridge and this bridge stands even today handling heavy flow of traffic across the NH-37 every day. This stone bridge is a true specimen of the finesse of the Ahom architecture several hundred years ago. At the Talatal Ghar we will start to explore the historic fort of the Ahom Kingdom and this Talatal Ghar housed the soldiers of the Ahom army. The unique thing about the Talatal Ghar at Sivasagar is the construction because the Ahom army used to be stationed under the ground that had a network of secret underground tunnel that connected the Talatal Ghar to the Royal Palace of the Ahom Kings viz. the Kareng Ghar at one end and to the banks of the River Dikhow at the other end. This was constructed to confuse the enemy army and in case of an attack by the enemy, the Ahom army could have time to escape from the exit routes to reach the Kareng Ghar to protect the Ahom Royals family and the other group could reach the banks of the River Dikhow to regroup and plan a counter attack while the enemy tied to figure out a way to come of the maze of the Talatal Ghar.
The Talatal Ghar is considered to be one of the very grand monuments of the Ahom Kingdom and today however the underground secret tunnels have been sealed as there were reports that people who used to venture into these tunnels used to get lost and today the visitors can also explores the ground and the top floor of the remains of the Talatal Ghar. We will explore the Talatal Ghar fort of the Ahom Army and later in the day we will go to explore the Rang Ghar monument – the oldest Amphitheatre in Asia and often referred to as the Coliseum of the East. The Ahom Kings were patrons of architecture and we have observed this across our journey across Assam where we have seen numerous temple and monuments that were built under the regime of the Ahom Kings and all of these temples and monuments have a unique thing about their architecture that sets them apart. The Rang Ghar is one such monument that has a sturdy architecture and the building shines with a bright orange coloured hue that is the natural colour of the bricks that was used in the construction of the monument. The bricks of the monument were bound using the special mixture that was prepared with a mix of the sticky rice, duck eggs and lime and the bond was so strong that this monument has braved major harsh climates and even two major earthquakes of Assam and it still stands tall today.
The Rang Ghar monument or the Royal Pavilion was where the Ahom Royals used to sit an enjoy various traditional sports like that of wrestling, cock fights and bull fights and also the first record of the Bihu dance being performed was at the Rang Ghar itself when the Ahom King had called upon a troop to perform the glorious Bihu dance form of Assam and even today the practice continues and every year during the Rongali Bihu festival a grand show is hosted on the open grounds of the Rang Ghar monument at Sivasagar. The monument overlooks a large open field area and the performances and sport were held on this field and the Ahom royals used to sit on top of the Rang Ghar and enjoy these performances. The top of the Rang Ghar is shaped in the form of an inverted boat and the monument looks absolutely grand. With this we will wrap up our visit for the day where we would have visited two of the very important and historic monuments of the Ahom regime at the Rang Ghar and the Talatal Ghar and also we have explored the Namdang Stone bridge and paid our tribute to the founder of the Ahom Kingdom at the Swargadeo Sukapha Samanway Kshetra. We will later check into our hotel and in the evening we will enjoy a grand Tai Ahom cuisine dinner.
Night Halt: Comfortable Hotel at Sivasagar
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 4: Sivasagar – Charaideo – Sivasagar
Today is our day of exploring few of the other grand architectures of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam around Sivasagar including our visit to the Pyramids of India at the Charaideo Maidams and we will at first go to explore the Sivadoul temple near our Hotel that is a revered temple shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva and also one of the very grand construction of the Ahom period as well. The Sivadoul temple is actually a complex of temples that are present in a compounds and the main temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva while the others are dedicated to other Gods and Goddesses. The Siva Doul temple has a round dome on top that is made up of pure gold and we will go to admire this grand temple shrine and post this we will go to explore the Joysagar Lake that is said to be the largest man dug out lake in India and it was ordered to be dug out by an Ahom Queen in the memory of her husband. This lake is located at the heart of Sivasagar town and it has a unique structure to it because it is said that the water level in this lake never goes down or even never goes and it stays at a constant level be it the dry winter season or the heavy monsoon season. This speaks of the grand thought of the Ahoms behind the construction of monuments and this might have been done by connecting the inlets and outlets to the River Dikhow so that the tank water could be replenished in the dry season and during the monsoon season when the water level went up the outlets could drain the water to the River.
We admire the grand construction of the Joysagar Lake and we continue on our visit to travel to the Charaideo district from Sivasagar where the Charaideo Maidams are present. As mentioned earlier, Charaideo was the first capital of the Ahom Kingdom that was established by the great founder of the Ahom Kingdom Swargadeo Sukapha and today Charaideo is on the list of the proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the presence of the Charaideo Maidams here. These Charaideo Maidams are the burials of the Ahom Royals and they were laid to rest at the Charaideo Maidams. The drive to Charaideo from Sivasagar will take us about an hour and we will approach the historic Charaideo Maidams here. When an Ahom King died, it is believed that he used to be buried at the Charaideo Maidams that were basically huge underground chambers/vaults and all the prized possession of the King including his jewellery, along with wives and servants were buried along with him in this chamber and this was similar to the rituals adopted by the Pharaohs of Egypt and this made these Maidams to be referred to as the Pyramids of India.
These Charaideo Maidams were built in such a way so that in case someone tried to destroy the burial and get to the riches that were buried inside, they would have a tough time to do so and therefore years after the Ahom Empire had fallen and the news of these burials having lots of treasures spread and miscreants came and vandalized these Maidams to look for the treasure behind buried underground even though they had managed to destroy the top part of the Maidam but they were never successful in finding the treasure. Today the Charaideo Maidams are protected by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) and today only 29 of these Maidams are present in an intact position. We will explore the grand burials of the Ahom Royals at the Charaideo Maidams at Charaideo and later we will bid farewell to Charaideo to travel back to Sivasagar and along the way we will see many other historic temples and domes that were constructed during the Ahom regime. We will soon approach the Garhgaon area and this is where the Royal Palace of the Ahoms viz. the Kareng Ghar is present and once we are driving towards the site of the palace you will be amazed with the grandeur of the build of the palace. The Kareng Ghar is one of the grandest constructions of the Ahom period and this palace is spread across Seven floors.
The surroundings of the entire area of the palace has been dug out into deep tunnels and this used to be completely filled with water and this was done because in case there was an enemy army attack, the palace doors would be closed and the enemy would need more time to reach the palace main gate as they would need to figure out a way to cross this water tunnel and by that time the reinforcement Ahom army could arrive from the Talatal Ghar fort by the network of underground tunnels to protect the Ahom Royal family at the Kareng Ghar. Such was the thought of the architecture of the Ahoms had almost 500 years ago. We will step out to explore one of the finest constructions of the Ahom period here at the Kareng Ghar palace and the beautiful natural orange colour of this palace is a real treat to one’s eyes. The ground floor and the first floor of the Kareng Ghar palace served as the stable, courtyard and the houses of the servants of the Ahom Royal family while the Royal family stayed on the floor above this and the top floor was the prayer hall at the Kareng Ghar monument and we will witness the grand build of the palace and after our exploration we will travel back to Sivasagar to have our lunch and later we go to explore the Tai Ahom museum at Sivasagar.
The Tai Ahom museum at Sivasagar is another very nice museum to visit and explore the various history of the Ahom Kingdom and also witness the various relics that are present at this museum. The Ahoms celebrate a very unique festival in the month of January that is called as the Madam Me Phi and this festival marks a tribute to the ancestors of the Ahoms. A huge feast is organized to celebrate the Madam Me Phi festival and the rituals begin very early in the mornings where the Ahoms offer a ritual sacrifice of country chicken along with eggs and rice to the ancestors. Later a huge feast is prepared and the main offering is that of pork and rice along with various herbs and vegetables and a unique thing to eat at this festival is a meat cooked with pounded rice called as pitha guri that is again cooked with a special herb called as Lai Xaak. The museum displays such unique rituals of the Ahoms and we will explore the various relics like the swords, ancient canons used in warfare, ivory chess boards, ivory sticks, huge utensils made of bell metal, copper, etc. and after exploring the museum we will go to the local market to but some souvenirs to remind us of our visit to the land of the mighty Ahoms. Dinner will be served at the hotel and we will relish a delicious Chinese cuisine dinner.
Night Halt: Comfortable Hotel at Sivasagar
Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5: Sivasagar – Majuli Island
Today we will start on our drive to the Neemati Ghat area near Jorhat where we will be boarding our ferry to cross the mighty River Brahmaputra to travel to the largest river island in the World – Majuli Island. Majuli Island also has deep roots with the Ahom Kings, as this Island was the hub of the Neo Vaishnavite cult of Assam that was founded and propagated by the holy Saint reformer of Assam Srimanta Shankardeva and his disciple Sri Madhavadeva and the cult of Neo-Vaishnavism in the later stages had found patronage from the Ahom Kings who adopted the preaching’s of Ek Sarna and they went on to establish various Neo-Vaishnavite monasteries across Majuli Island and we will go to explore these Satras as they are called and also to explore the various other mysteries of the largest River Island in the World. We will check out of the Hotel at Sivasagar after our breakfast and we will drive towards the Neemati Ghat area where we will board our vehicles on the huge ferry boat that operate over the River Brahmaputra and we will start on our boat ride to cross the Brahmaputra to reach the Kamalabari from the Neemati Ghat. We might get looking at we might get to spot the highly endangered Gangetic River Dolphin on the Brahmaputra River as well and we cruise downstream to reach Kamalabari Ghat.
We disembark from the ferry boat at the Kamalabari Ghat and we welcomed by Assam Tourism at the largest River Island in the World. We drive from the ghat to travel towards the main town centre at Garamur and here we will go to check into our place of stay of Majuli Island at Enchanting Majuli that is one of the standard stay options in this Island. Lunch will be served at the resort itself and we will enjoy a traditional Mishing cuisine lunch as Majuli Island in inhabited by the Mishing tribes who had migrated long ago to Assam from Arunachal Pradesh. The Mishing cuisine is a traditional cuisine that involves a lot of use of herbs and organic vegetables and they also have various roasted meat and fish recipes and this cuisine involves the minimal use of oil and powdered spices and it is mostly prepared by the natural ingredients of ginger, garlic, green chillies and fresh coriander leaves. We enjoy a sumptuous lunch that will be served with local rice variety of Majuli Island that is red in colour and it is known to possess various nutrients and a special black dal known as the Mati Dali and various other accompaniments and the meal is served on bell metal plates and this way of having food on bell metal utensils like plates, saucers, bowls and glasses was introduced by the Ahom Kings and the royals used to dine on this cutlery and it is believed that a person would not suffer from any stomach related ailments if they dined in these bell metal plates.
After lunch we will set out to explore the Mishing village close to our resort and our cycles will be kept ready and we go to explore the nearby Mishing villages to be followed by a visit to the banks of the River Luit where we enjoy a nice view of the sunset here in Majuli Island. The Mishing tribes are mostly farmers by profession and apart from farming they also engage in animal husbandry, dairying, handicrafts and handloom weaving and nowadays the people have gradually moved on to work towards the modern jobs working for the Government of Assam and politics as well. We will witness how the Mishing people live in traditional homes called as the Chang Ghar that are built on an elevated platform with bamboo with either a thatch of a tin roof. The elevated platform is built with iron rods, stones and mortar and in some cases bamboo as well and this is built to provide protection during the annual floods that occur in Majuli Island and people have to stay above the flood waters in these elevated homes called as the Chang Ghars.
Day 6: Majuli Island
Today we will explore the various Neo Vaishnavite monasteries of Majuli Island and later in the day we will also explore a local Mishing tribe village where we will learn more about their life and culture before returning back to our resort for the final day of this tour of exploring the legends of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam. We planned a visit to Majuli Island because the Ahom Kings had heard about the teachings of the great Saint reformer of Assam Srimanta Shankardeva and they started to patronize his teachings and they took interest in the Sattriya cult as well and went on to build various Satras across Majuli Island and as the Ahom architecture is a basic theme of this tour of the Ahom Kingdom we will take the opportun9ity to explore these Satras of Majuli Island and learn about the heritage art of the Sattriya here. Majuli Island is the nerve centre of the Sattriya culture of Assam and these Satras of Majuli Island practice and preach the teachings of the great Saint reformer Srimanta Shankardeva and these take the advice of the four combining forces of nature namely Brahma, Nika, Purusha and Kaal Sanhati of the Mahapurusha Dharma and spread the religious discourses among the devotees and followers of the Sattriya cult of Assam.
These Satras of Majuli Island are religious monasteries and a treasure house of various art and culture that has been practiced here since 500 years back. These Satras of Majuli Island (some that were built by the Ahom Kings) are known to be the seats of religious learning as well as residential schools as well and these Satras have an artistic existence of every belonging that bears some cultural and typical Assamese traditional customs. We will start our day after breakfast and at first we will go to explore the most prominent Satra of Majuli Island viz. the Sri Sri Auniati Satra. The Auniati Satra is located near the town centre of Kamalabari in Majuli Island and this Satra belongs to the Brahma Sanghati order. The Satra was established in the year 1653 by the great Ahom King of Assam Jayadhwaja Singha. Apart from having the main centre at Majuli Island, the Auniati Satra has various branches across Assam including one in North Guwahati as well. The main constituent of the Auniati Satra in Majuli Island are a Namghar and Monikut, the home of the Satradhikar (Head of the Satra), store house for food grains, the huts of the Bhakats (monks), gateway to the Satra, three large temple ponds, guest house, etc.
The Auniati Satra in Majuli Island celebrates the principal festivals of Paalnaam, Raas Leela, Janmashthami, tithis of the Satradhikars, birth and death anniversaries of Shankardeva and Madhavadeva, etc. and prayers are recited at the Namghar of the Auniati Satra in Majuli Island three times of day viz. morning, afternoon and evening prayers. We will go to explore the Auniati Satra in Majuli Island and we will explore the Satra Namghar and the Monikut, followed by the huts of the monks and finally we will visit the museum of the Auniati Satra that preserves various artefacts from the times of the Ahom Kingdom and the previous Satradhikars of the place. The museum also has preserves the sword used by the great Ahom General Lachit Borphukan and also various artefacts of daily use of the Ahom Kings of Assam. Next up we go to explore the Samaguri Satra of Majuli Island that is renowned as the heritage mask making Satra of Majuli Island and these traditional masks are used by artists to enact as Bhaona (religious plays). The art of traditional mask making of Majuli Island is renowned across the World and visitors come from all over the World to witness this art form and also carry these masks back home. The art of mask making of Majuli Island was revived by Dr. Hemchandra Goswami of Samaguri Satra and after years of dedicated efforts he was successful in taking this art to the World stage.
We will witness how these traditional masks are prepared with hands and the various stages of preparation are elaborated clearly in a display area where at first the structure of the mask is prepared using bamboo and later a thin cloth is wrapped around it. Special clay mixed with cow dung is later smeared across the surface of this mask and the final structure of the mythological character that is represented using a mask is created and later the mask is kept out in the sun to dry. Once it is dried, the mask is printed with various organic colours and after the final stage of drying the mask is ready. We will go to the display room of the Samaguri Satra and here we will witness how the artists adorn these masks and enact out a Bhaona on stage. We admire the detailed process of this mask making art of Majuli Island at the Samaguri Satra and later we go to explore the Mishing village where we will dine with the Mishing people of Majuli Island and learn about their culture and traditions and also how the local women folks weave on the traditional looms and weave out some of the very exquisite handmade fabrics. Post this we will return to our resort for night halt:
Day 7: Majuli Island – Jorhat
We will have an early breakfast and we drive towards the Kamalabari Ghat to board our ferry to travel to Neemati Ghat and from there we drive you to the Rowiah Airport at Jorhat where we will drop you at the airport for your flight to your onward destination thereby ending this tour of the exploring the legend of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam. Tour Ends! Bid Adieu!
