India Guide
The Northeast
Assam
ASSAM is dominated by the mighty River Brahmaputra, whose huge, lush valley is sandwiched between the Himalayan foothills to the north and the Meghalayan hills and plateau to the south. An attractive state, Assam is one of India's few oil regions as well as producing more than half the nation's tea. Most of its eight hundred tea estates were laid down by the British, who also built one golf club for every fifteen estates. However, the industry is no longer so profitable, and for the marginalized Adivasis – brought from central India by the British to work on the plantations – depressingly little has changed since colonial times.
This has been one of the major sources of instability in the state, which continues to be plagued by political violence. The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) began an armed struggle for independence in 1985. In the early 1990s, Assamese nationalism sparked opposition from Bodos, Cachars and other ethnic minorities, giving rise to further insurgence. However, though bombings, bandhs and in-fighting continue, the situation has improved and tourists are not a target.
Assam's busy capital, Guwahati boasts one of India's most important Kali temples, Kamakhya, and is a hub for the whole region, while within easy access of the city the magnificent Kaziranga National Park is renowned for its one-horned rhinos – the state symbol. Further along the Brahmaputra lies fascinating Majuli, the biggest river island in the world and home to unique sattras (Hindu monasteries). Another 60km northeast, Sibsagar is unusual for its imposing Shivadol Temple, while further north still, Dibrugarh is slowly opening up as a second hub for the region.