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I look forward to the Durga Pujo holidays every year. This period gives me the option of an extended holiday while combining the Pujo part as well. I missed the holidays last year due to illness and this year also, it was almost going that way when I was struck with a bad bout of viral fever just before the Pujo. It was so bad that I almost gave up on my plan of visiting Silchar-a sleepy town in Assam for the pujo.

Some basic planning for the trip was done beforehand. And accordingly, some bookings were also made at places like Haflong and Jorhat. But as the viral fever reared it's ugly head, I was wondering if I would be fit enough to make the trip at all !

According to the initial plan, Missus would take the flight to Silchar and I would drive down. Now the problem leading up to the day of travel was the deterioration of the Shillong- Silchar road. Not many people know, but the Shillong- Silchar route is one of the worst roads of the country, specially after the monsoons. This time was no different and due to major landslides, the road was in a dreaded condition where even the trucks were stranded for days no end.

In such a scenario, I finally made up my mind to make the travel despite not recovering fully. I missed the holidays last year and was in no mood to go through the same this year too. Convinced the missus that I will be able to drive down alone and there is no need for any alterations in the initial plan.

So, there it is, the account of the whole travel through some of the historical sites of Assam and some fun times spent with the like minded crazy car people of Assam thrown in between too, for good measure.

Brace yourselves for plenty of pictures, although I will try to not bore you good people. Here goes some assorted pictures from the whole trip, just to elicit some interest in the thread going forward:

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I started on the the Panchami night from Calcutta so as to reach Silchar by Saptami morning. That way I could attend all the festivities around Durga Pujo. But not before I could make a trip to one of the pandals while getting the car ready for the trip. Now, one more twist was that this year Astami and Navami fell on the same day, thus reducing the festive days.









Anyways, started at my usual time at nine in the evening and it was a smooth affair on the highways since the truck traffic was miniscule. For the first time ever on NH34, stopped for dinner at Pappu Dhaba after crossing Baharampur bypass, which has now deteriorated to abysmal levels, more on that later. Dinner was my usual staple and it was okay. The place is frequented by the locals of Baharampur town as well and it was unusually busy because of the festive days.





Made it through the Fulbari bypass skirting Siliguri in the morning hours and it was all well. The road surfaces have been patched up at some places and it was okay for the drive. Cruising along the lovely Dooars region is always a delight. My next stop in the morning was at Dabri Tea Lounge near Buxa. The place has been a favourite and the stop was rejuvenating just for the tea and the sandwich.







Reached Guwahati by six in the evening after encountering some crazy traffic on the highway after Rangia and was quickly directed by Reeturaj to an AirBNB run by a fellow car enthusiast from Guwahati. We all are a part of group which was started by fellow TeamBHPians Chiranjit and Tanveer. This evening meet up was planned by BHPians ChiranjitP and Yogi..Reeturaj and all thanks to their efforts, it was a wonderful evening spent with like minded friends. Met some members for the first time and yet, it never felt like one. Some of the guys like Sanjay (who was probably the cynosure of the meet just for his stories) or Nayan (the kind soul who brought me a pack of special herbs mixed tea to address my viral fever) were the heart of the meet up.





The stories went on till the wee hours of the next day and I somehow found some shut eye time before embarking on my next leg of the journey to Silchar. We all would meet again sooner but I will come to that later in due course.



The Haflong route being longer, I had to start early in the morning. Bid goodbye to Yogi.. Reeturaj and was soon on the highway after the empty streets of Guwahati. Now, the Haflong route is all good but for around 30kms. So, for around, 370 kilometers, the road is all good but those 30 kilometers were apparently awful if it rains. I was praying for the sun and it surely seemed like my prayers have been answered since I got beautiful weather all through till Haflong. The traffic on this route is so sparse that for once, I had the feeling that I was driving alone on the highway. For long miles, barely a soul crossed me.







The road passes through some beautiful valleys and the roads were four laned too with operational tolls. The route was Guwahati- Nagaon bypass- Lumding- Maibang- Haflong bypass- Silchar. I was blissfully driving while passing through a lovely tunnel as well near Maibang and wondered what the fuss was about the bad roads till I reached Jatinga- the point where the diversion to Silchar starts. That's where the police had stopped all the vehicles proceeding towards Silchar. Upon asking, got to know that it rained in the morning hours and that three trucks have overturned and due to which only one way traffic was being allowed. This part of the highway is single laned and work is underway for the expansion but until that work is completed, the road is a veritable definition of hell I was told.









Got stuck for a cool one and a half hour until the last truck crossed and we were allowed to go. This route is regulated for commercial traffic and since the Shillong route was almost closed, there was this huge number of trucks just before Haflong, on their way to Silchar.







The next two hours showed me what actually bad surface meant. Yes, it actually took me two hours to cross 30 kilometers. There was major expansion work going on and it will surely be a boon for the travellers from this side once the whole expansion work is over. But for now, there were huge craters, completely broken roads at many places and slippery slushy surfaces due to the rains and it was one challenge that Baahon had to take and despite everything, it came out with flying colours. Sharing the video of one section of the road from the dashcam footage for some fair idea:

https://youtu.be/IlkYCZVTy2A?feature=shared

After a place named Harangajao, the road surface drastically changes and turns into a four lane race track till Silchar. The winding roads through the hills was a delight to drive. Finally reached Silchar by the evening just before the pujo crowd was to take over the streets.

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The next two days went in a jiffy and despite the effects of viral fever not subsiding fully, went around seeing some of the Pujos of Silchar town. Durga Pujo is celebrated whole heartedly and one can see countless Pujo pandals spread across the length and breadth of the city. So, went to a place called Udharband near the Silchar airport to see a Pujo which attracts major footfalls during the festive days. And true to its glory, the pandal was beautifully decorated.



Meanwhile, during one of the days, visited the nearby pandal and saw the sandhya- aarti of the deity in full glory along with dhaak beats. It was one of the high points of the Pujo in Silchar.



This was the only Pujo pandal that I saw in Silchar while taking out Baahon. The town gets incredibly crowded during the festive days and so driving a car becomes a nightmare. Another reason for going that side was to see an ancient ruins of Kachari Kingdom (also known as Dimasa kingdom).



Khaspur village is located on the outskirts of Silchar and it falls on the way to the Silchar airport. Traffic is sparse on that road and hence it was a breeze reaching the place through meandering village roads.



So, Khaspur village has ruins of the centuries-old fort of the Kachari kingdom. Cachar was originally part of the Tripura kingdom and then subsequently went to the British finally. Very little is known about the Kachari ruins but it is believed that Khaspur became the Kachari capital around the 17TH Century. Legend has it that the Kachari or Dimasa people are apparently the offsprings of GHATOTKACHA. In fact, the earlier name of the first capital of Dimasa kingdom was named Hidimbapur/ Hirimbapur which is present day Dimapur only.









The place has ruins of the fort as well as some temples dedicated to Vishnu and Ranachandi devi. The grand fort complex is huge and it has enough remnants of the past scattered around the whole premises. The most striking building inside the fort complex is BARADWARI and which is a two storied building with twelve door openings. There is also a provision of stairs to reach the DO-CHALA ROOF. According to what the ASI plaque mentioned, the building has the influence of Mughal architecture as well. The Vishnu temple is also one of a kind here. The area is vast and I hope the ASI takes care of the place in the future. The place is not in a very good shape and needs proper maintenance going forward.





The Khaspur experience gave a glimpse of the Dimasa/Kachari kingdom and I was looking forward now to go deep into the whole thing since my next stop was Haflong in some days. Had a wonderful day outing along with some pandal viewing along the way. The highpoint was to be the evening actually. The immersion procession of the Durga idols was to be held and the best part was that it was slated to pass through very closer to where we stayed. Silchar immersion processions are something that one should see to experience the madness and crazyness that accompanies it. The pictures below will show the madness that accompanies the processions. Believe it or not, the lighted structures are actually full fledged DJ consoles from where the DJ was belting out such loud music that the home windows were shaking everytime some truck of that sort passed by. Such was the intensity of the music that at point I thought that the gods might come down themselves to shut the music off ! Some glimpses:



















The night ended for us but the processions went on through the night and the next day too. Spent the next few days in Silchar before embarking on our next stop- Haflong.

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Haflong is the central town or the headquarters of the Dima-Hasao district of Assam. It is also the only hill station of Assam and which is surrounded by lush green valleys and hills all around. It's a picturesque town and is also known for being the place from where the British exported tea, teak and coal.





To reach Haflong, we had to take the same dreaded route that took me to Silchar but in the reverse way. I was hoping for a rain free morning and the rain gods answered my prayers. It's another matter that what rains could not do, the dust along the way did it for us.





I started early so as to reach Haflong by noon. There was also this fear of rains which was playing on my mind. All the more reason to start early. Missus had heard about the horror stories of the Haflong route from her relatives and she was skeptical too, despite my assurances



Since the day turned out bright and sunny, It also gave the opportunity for some clicks along the way. The road passes through some beautiful vistas and the clear blue sky definitely helped.









Our journey to Haflong turned out smooth despite all the dust and the broken surfaces. In fact, one of the trucks that overturned on my onward journey to Silchar, was still lying beside the road, such was the condition of the road that recovery was delayed quite a bit.



Our place of stay in Haflong was Nhoshring Guest House. It is one of the oldest places of stay in Haflong and run by an ex Civil Servant. Mr Balabhadra is an extremely friendly guy and who is conversant with many languages. Upon reaching his place, the first half an hour was spent talking to him only. Took the lunch at the guest house which was pre ordered and it was good. The guest house has its own kitchen but the meal needs to be ordered beforehand.



Evening was spent seeing the nearby places. Haflong is divided into two parts- Upper Haflong and Lower Haflong. Upper Haflong is where the main attractions of the town are present. There are many number of churches all around the town scattered throughout. First went up to the famous Presbyterian Church which is also known locally as Synod compound church. The church is more than hundred years old and it recently celebrated it's centenary. I could not go inside the church since it was closed at the time of my visit but the structure of the church looks very new and striking to the eyes. Spent some time around and drove straight to Haflong lake to see the sunset.







The Haflong lake is very similar to the Ward's lake Shillong and is picturesque enough to attract locales as well tourists. One good thing which is very much prevalent in the North East is the emphasis on cleanliness and Haflong was no different. So the lake was pristine, as it should be.









Haflong town is peppered with the statues of the heroes from their history and it is indeed heartening to see the pride amongst the general people regarding the Dimasa kingdom. The pride of place is accorded to the Dimasa princess Dishru who is said to be the pioneer in handloom designs and patterns and whose designs are still followed to this day. Princess Dishru is the daughter of King Hariram Haflongbar and the present day Haflong gets the name from the king probably or what I was told by the locals. Fascinating was the fact that the present day people are incredibly aware of their history and which adds to the allure of the place.









The Don Bosco Church was bang opposite and this was probably the most recognised traffic section of the town. Some time spent in the local market for some nick knacks while missus made a recce of the place, to come back the next day for some local shopping.





In between, found some time to see the Ramakrishna Mission and the Circuit house as well, both of which are pretty old structures but has stood the test of time.







Dinner was taken at the guest house and it was simple homestyle chowmein and chicken curry. Before anyone kills me for having a curry with a supposedly Chinese dish, that was the only way they could come up with a chicken dish

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One more day in Haflong and that turned out to be an eventful one. The sun was shining bright and after breakfast we went out to the local market again. The Haflong main market was buzzing with activity that day because it was the day of Lakshmi Pujo. People were busy shopping for the Pujo essentials and it almost felt home. The main market is also known as Kali Baari bazar because of the presence of a Kali temple bang in the middle of the market.









Folks were stil setting up their shops and arranging their wares when we went around searching for the local handloom and other products. And for the next two hours, it was the great tussle of choice and need followed and which ultimately resulted in some great looking handloom products. The most heartening part was that the market was dominated by women just like many other places of the North East.



The marketing session over, we headed to see the New Haflong railway station. Now, what’s there to see one may ask ? Well, for starters, the New Haflong station is one of the most picturesque stations built in India. It is surrounded by hills on both sides and it is also part of one of the most scenic railway routes in the country.



The original Meter gauge section of the track is now abandoned and which was an engineering marvel back in the days. It was built by the British and the track passed through many tunnels and bridges through the Borail mountains. The British took almost sixteen years to build that Badarpur-Lumding section primarily to move tea, coal and timber. This route was one of the most adventurous, scenic as well as riskiest meter gauge track of the country back in the days. I hope some kind of tourist initiative can be taken so that people at least get to know that such a track existed and that it was an engineering marvel.







The New Haflong station was newly built on the Broad gauge section of the route. In fact, one of the longest railway tunnel measuring more than three kilometres in length, is built on this new route and passes under the Haflong town to connect to the Jatingalampur station on the other side. There was great difficulty in building this new Broad gauge section because of insurgency issues and at one point, the help of the Assam Rifles was taken to provide security to the men working on this route. The journey through lush green forests is an experience in itself. One more highlight is that the trains are pushed by double engines on this route. Okay, enough of railway talk, leaving some pictures for consumption and moving on to my next destination now.



Next up was Ethnic village, set up by the Dima Hasao council to showcase the various tribes and their lives. It is in Jatinga- a place which itself is an enigma for people who know. I will come back to it, for people who don't know. The Ethnic village was an underwhelming experience since I did not find one soul who could describe anything about the place.



The whole area is one decorated park with huts depicting the tribes of the region. The center of the park has a big auditorium which has been constructed for hosting some programmes may be and is purposefully built. But the experience could have been so much better, with people’s participation I say. May be because of the distance from the main town is a deterrent.



















On our way back, we found some kids playing and hanging by the tree on the roadside. Saying hi, I was about to ask them for pictures but before I knew, one of them being camera shy, jumped from the tree but I still managed to get them somehow






From the Ethnic Village, it was time for some good lunch as it was well past noon already. I had seen a lovely cafe and restaurant while I was on my way up to Haflong and thought of giving it a try just because of the possible views. And boy, I was not disappointed one bit, not for the food and certainly not for the views either. If only the weather was clear, we would have seen some more majestic mountain views.







The main chef of the restaurant was absent that day but the one present did make us some mean momos and chicken chow. Unfortunately, those were the only possible dishes that day but we still enjoyed the food.



By the time we finished our lunch, it was starting to get dark. As all of you know, the sun goes down pretty early in the North East. Without thinking much, we made a round of the market again before returning to our guest house. The evening was spent planning for the next day since it was going to be little long with detours in between.

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It was time to leave Haflong after two nights but not before visiting Jatinga bird watching tower and the mystery of the place. Now, Jatinga is better known as a place where migratory birds come to suicide apparently and it happens every year. This phenomenon is unexplained till date and nobody has found the answers yet. Every year migratory birds come and drop dead for no reason. Obviously, I did not want to see birds dropping dead from the sky. Apparently the suicides happen during the night time and we had gone in the early morning. It was so foggy early in the morning that I could only see the mountain ranges engulfed in morning mist and fog. Jatinga is also known as "Valley of Death for Birds.



There is an interesting bit of information given in one of the sites from Assam. Original link is given here for further read.

Commonly known as valley of death for birds, Jatinga is a small village on a ridge, is located in Dima Hasao district (DHD), in the north-eastern state of India, Assam. The place has damsel like beauty with scenic mountains surrounding it and an ideal. It is famous for The Bird Mystery. Here the Birds come from different places to commit suicide. It's a natural phenomenon nobody has been able to explain. But Jatinga's mysterious annual event of migratory birds committing mass suicide has now attracted the eyes of many scientists. But not only the Migratory birds, but the local birds also do similar things here in Jatinga.
Yes, it is an mysterious phenomenon as birds are not known to have suicidal tendencies. There are certain criteria for this phenomenon to take place; there should be fog, cloud and mist. It happens in the late monsoon months between September and November and ideally the phenomenon is seen between 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Earlier it was held by the villagers that the evil spirits flying in the skies are responsible for bringing these birds down. And only some species of birds that offend the spirits are brought down.

But in times of science, many ornithologists have dedicated their time in research of this unnatural phenomenon. They have found that there are many species of local birds such as Kingfishers, Pond Heron, Black Bittern, Tiger Bittern, etc. are subjected to such strange behaviour. Studies have also revealed that the birds commit suicide in Jatinga during the late monsoon as most of the water bodies in Assam are flooded by that time. The birds lose their natural habitat. They have to migrate to other places. Jatinga falls in their migratory path. In 1988 when Assam faced severe floods maximum number of bird suicides was reported in Jatinga. Some of the long distance migratory birds are not affected by this phenomenon.

An article from TOI is also given for some reference to the phenomenon for further reading.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../108559494.cms











Locals have built a cafe alongside the bird watching tower and it serves the duel purpose for tourists and who are in the process of building some more. Spending some time around, we proceeded for our next destination- Maibang which falls on the way to Jorhat.



Maibang is the erstwhile capital of the Dimasa kingdom. It became the capital when the Ahom kings attacked them and the Dimasa kings retreated back from Dimapur to Maibang. It was the capital of the Dimasa Kingdom until the Koch kings invaded them. The place has one very remarkable monolithic monument- the Stone house, located on the banks of the Mahur river. There are many stories behind the origin of the Stone house but I will believe the plaque in front of the place as genuine one.



The road to reach the Stone house was one that I will remember forever. It was a narrow uphill road through dense forest and one point of time, missus was circumspect whether we were going the correct way or not and since no one was around to ask, it was little dicey for sure. Finally after going midway, found two people and they told us that we are on the correct path, but not before giving us some strange views. Apparently, there was another way through the town as well but that meant we had to walk a fair bit, which I got to know after we reached the place. But what a drive it was !!

https://youtu.be/NIfrG318iC0?feature=shared

One part of the dashcam footage of the said road is shown above but one can hardly gauge the steepness of the incline. At one point, the road only climbs up before coming down to the ground level. The road surface was okay though with some broken patches.















The Stone house was an unique experience and it is indeed remarkable to find such a monument in such a place. The history of the Dimasa kingdom is indeed fascinating.



Maibang chapter over, we were on our way to Jorhat now. Already past noon, we took the lunch break at Anurag Dhaba on Nagaon bypass- a favorite from the past but one which has deteriorated beyond recognition.





Rest of the drive through the scenic Kaziranga was boring until I reached the outskirts of Jorhat- our stay for the next few days.

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Jorhat as a place of stay was decided upon because of its proximity to Majuli and Mariani. Visiting Majuli was a long standing wish for both of us and this trip presented that chance to fulfill that wish. But primary reason for choosing Jorhat was to see Mariani (my birth place) again which I last visited in 1990 and to see the quarters where my better half spent a substantial part of her childhood in Jorhat while her father was posted.



So, it was going to be a trip down memory lane for us both. Our stay at Jorhat was a tea retreat named Puroni Bheti which means ' old foundation' in Assamese. The tea retreat as well as the surrounding tea estate is owned by Mr Rajib Barooah. His Haroocharai tea estate has been operating since 1904 and he is now looking after the estate and the property. He is a very warm and hospitable person and it was lovely getting to know him over the period of two nights.



The outhouse on the property was refurbished keeping the original structure intact for the guests to enjoy. Mr Barooah along with his wonderful staff took very good care of us and the way Mr Barooah joined us during our dinner and the breakfast, to have a talk with us was really wonderful. Heard about his experiences and also his plans going forward. The entire property is very well kept and in keeping with the aesthetics of the place.












In fact, it was during the conversation with him only that we got to know about the Online Ticketing System for the Ferries to Majuli. I had no clue since I always knew it was first come first serve because of my past experiences about the Ferry ghat. All thanks to him, booked the ferry services online and it was a breeze. More on that later.



Fresh morning and breakfast after, set out for Mariani. It's a sleepy town in Assam and very near to Nagaland. At one point of time during the late eighties, it used to take more than one and a half hour to traverse a distance of nineteen kilometers, the road was that bad. This time, the same distance took less than half an hour and I was surprised. But my admiration soon ended when I finally reached Mariani. Once inside the town, the roads were no where to be found !!



Surprisingly, I still remembered the road and entered the lane that led to our quarter where my mom spent her childhood. The Railway colony where my grand parents lived was in complete shambles. Our quarter was somehow still inhabited by someone but the surrounding quarters were all gone for good barring some of them. It was quite sad actually to find the whole colony in such state. Talked to a few locals and surprisingly found one gentleman who remembered my grandparents very fondly.



From there, went to the school where my grandmaa worked as a teacher She was held in great respect back then and I was greeted very warmly by the present school dispensation. Spent some time recalling the old teachers whom I knew and it was wonderful. It was indeed special to be able to go and visit where you are born and to see the place again. Saw the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan too, which my grandparents along with some other members had set up back in the days and were part off since it’s inception. Now that both them are gone, it was heartwarming to see the organisation going on strong.



From there, went to see the Mariani Railway station. The station has some great memories since my grandfather worked with the Railways and I had taken many walks with him on the platform holding his hand while taking me home which was just across the station. Of course, now the station is completely walled from all sides, so that ‘short-cut’ crossing the tracks is gone for good.





Meanwhile, another moment of complete surprise happened while I was taking a stroll on the platform. One of my classmate from the Naharlagun School was also at the same platform and he saw me. He stayed in another nearby town but on that particular day, he came to the station to see his elder brother off who was also my school senior. I was meeting him after almost a decade or even more. It was a pleasant surprise although he was annoyed about the fact that I did not inform him about my visit to Mariani. Nevertheless, it was a moment of immense happiness for all of us.



Some lovely time spent on the platform and we were back to Jorhat again. This time to see the quarters where my better half spent a part of her childhood. Her father was also an employee of the government from the NEFA days just as my father was.



It was pure nostalgia when she somehow could recollect the location of her house. First we went to the office area and she then back calculated the road to arrive at the colony where she lived. The entire colony is now abandoned barring few houses and it was kind of creepy. One can make out the glory days of the colony very well since all the quarters are very well organised but completely in ruins now.









It was really sad to see the state of the quarters. Upon asking for the reason, got to know that since most of the staff were transferred to Itanagar, the colony was deserted since long. As she was looking at her house, I could feel the sadness that she was feeling at that very moment while talking about the house. Went around the colony and she talked to one of the few remaining people still staying at the colony. They both reminisced about the past and the glory days of yesteryears when the colony was one of the best of the whole town.





With a tinge of sadness, we went back to Jorhat main town area to have some lunch. Found a nice cafe to our liking which was newly renovated. Food was great and the ambience was striking for a place like Jorhat. We had a good time and it helped downing the sorrow of seeing dilapidated houses quite a bit.









After some wandering around the central area of Jorhat, we went back to our abode for the night. Had our dinner and it was very good. Food was the highlight at Puroni Bheti and it was a foodies delight .



The food along with the presentation deserved the setting at the tea retreat and the credit goes to the owner and the staff for keeping it that way. One of the walls inside the property adorn the pictures of Mr Rajib’s mother and the pictures are truly gorgeous. The way the history of the estate has been preserved through various pictures and artefacts, it is really commendable.

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The next day was going to be the most busy day of our entire trip. Our plan was to visit Majuli for the day and then come back to proceed towards Kajiranga for the night. Let's stick to the Majuli part for now and I will come back to the Kajiranga affair after that. Majuli as most of the people know now-is the world's largest riverine island. It is the hub of Assamese vaishnavite culture and it is among the nominee list for getting the tag for World Heritage Site.







So, our stay at Puroni Bheti was over and we had the most fabulous time over the two nights. We have stayed in tea resorts earlier too but this was surely an experience to remember and I told Mr Rajib that we would definitely come back again. The entire property is immaculately maintained and its the personal efforts of the man that has kept the place as it is.



Our vessel from the Ferry ghat (Nimati) was scheduled to leave at 9.30 in the morning and we had requested for an early breakfast. The fabulous staff not only arranged our breakfast but even Mr Rajib joined us at the table to see us off. His personal involvement with the guests is what makes the experience wonderful.

We bid good byes to the wonderful staff and were soon on our way to the Ferry ghat. It took us around half an hour to reach the ghat. We had our online booking already and hence by the time we reached, only two slots remained for the cars to be filled on the vessel. The online booking is a great initiative where slots can be reserved for the cars and bikes. Earlier it used to be on first come first serve basis and was quite a messy system.

Now, the system is very streamlined. Upon reaching the ghat, the car number is taken down and online tickets are checked and there after one needs to steer the car on to the vessel where folks stand and give directions. Below is the dash cam footage of Baahon from the Majuli side for reference.

https://youtu.be/BhJAMiiyKCY?feature=shared

Getting the car on the vessel used to be a tricky affair earlier where only logs of wood were provided but that has changed now and proper wood frames are provided for the vessels. The smaller boats still have to use the logs though. So finally Baahon also got the river ride across the mighty Brahmaputra to reach Majuli



We had to use the Aphalamukh ferry ghat on the Majuli side for both of our journey's because the other ghat Kamalabari was closed for maintenance that day. Usually it helps to reach Majuli at either of the ghats and return through the other one. Majuli has two ghats on the different sides of each other. So it helps to see the major Satras starting from Kamalabari side and return to Jorhat via the Aphalamukh ghat or vice versa. But because of the closure of one ghat, we had to make a round trip to Aphalamukh ghat and which resulted in less time for us to explore Majuli and the Satras. For information sake, the first vessel leaves Nimati ghat from Jorhat side at 8.30 in the morning and the last vessel that comes back from Majuli side leaves at 3.30 in the evening.

We were already late by one hour since our vessel was at 9.30 and due to upstream travel, we reached Majuli at around 11.30, it took almost two hours !! So, we practically had four hours to explore Majuli and it was not going to be enough anyways. So, we decided to go to the Kamalabari Satra first and then see the other Satras that fall on our way back to Aphalamukh ghat.









Now, little bit about the Satra or Vaishnavite Monastery. Majuli has several Satras, some of them dating back to the 16th century. The institution of Satra is a unique feature of Vaishnavism in Assam, which was founded by Srimanta Sankardeva and who is regarded as the father of Assamese culture. The Satras are not just monastries but also centre's of traditional performing arts as well. At one point of time, there were more than sixty Satras in the island but now only about twenty five functional Satras remain as per the locals. The other Satras have shifted from the island due to floods and erosion of land every year and which is sad.

The Satras consist of a large prayer hall with a simple shrine and surrounded by quarters or dormitories and bathing tanks for the monks. The young monks are called as bhakats and they are all very well versed with performing arts and are very skilled artisans too. Each Satra has unique specialties of their own. Some of the major Satras to visit are Kamalabari, Dakhinpat, Samaguri, Auniati, Garamur, Bengenaati etc. We got to see Kamalabari, Samaguri and Bengenaati Satra only. Made a dash for the Dakhinpat Satra as well but had to return from midway due to paucity of time and the urgency to make it in time for our return journey or else we were in real danger of being stranded on the island !!













The most interesting experience was at the Kamalabari Satra where we got to interact with one of the bhakats and the way he talked about the challenges faced by the present Satras, certainly made us think. He was kind enough to explain some of the rituals of the Satra and also agreed to pose for us for some pictures. At the Samaguri Satra, it was a delight to see the artisans making different varieties of masks.















Majuli was a beautiful experience and we got to know many facets of the Satras and their contribution in the propagation of ethics and socio cultural ideals. We would certainly come back for more and to see the rest of the Satras.

We just about made it in time for our return leg of the journey back to Jorhat. It helped that we had online booking, one car owner was made to reverse and make way for me to go up to the vessel first since he did not have the booking. Ultimately he was not allowed to board since all the reserved slots were already filled up. People were heavily buying variety of fresh fish from the ghat and at one point, I was tempted too, for a moment.



The downstream travel was quick and we reached Nimati Ghat on the Jorhat side in flat forty five minutes, Yes, it was that quick. It was actually good for us as well since we had to go to Kajiranga where a group of car enthusiasts, of which some are also members from the forum, were meeting up to celebrate the birthday of two BHPians namely ChiranjitP & Yogi..Reeturaj at one of the resorts overnight.

[ABHI_1512]

The Assam group consists of some real fun loving and crazy guys. The group is a mix of young and not so young (like me) and it's the love for the cars that unites us all. The bonding among the members have to be seen to believe I say. And when I mentioned about anything crazy, the most craziest of all, BHPian Yogi.. Reeturaj drove down from Phuntsholing to attend his own birthday party and was the last one to arrive at the resort. BHPian Prakritijcame from Dibrugarh and BHPian Gunin was in Guwahati and he also joined for the meet up on his way back to Pasighat.



Our place of stay was Foxtail Orchid Kajiranga. I reached the resort at around seven in the evening. And there it was, found Prakritij first up and along with him another member Jamini (who came from Sibsagar), who were probably among the first ones to arrive. Some more guys had reached from Golaghat, notably among them was BHPian Tanveer02, with whom I was meeting for the first time. Turned out later that few guys from Guwahati were already in the resort and were having their own rendezvous



The rest of the guys from Guwahati also made it in an hour or so and it was almost a full house. Since it was already getting late, the first birthday cake was cut by Chiranjit amidst all of us. Both cakes were arranged by Tanveer and his friends and it was a miracle that they got both the cakes intact from Golaghat driving through the highway.



The cake cutting over and everybody got down to the business soon. The business of gorging on some good food. In between, some of us also found some time to play Badminton under the lights. Yes, we played Badminton with our chappals on !!







Later on, Reeturaj arrived and we had the cake cutting ceremony for him as well. But, by then, everyone was already in the food mood. Our meet up went way past midnight and one good guy even had the idea of taking a drive through Kajiranga roads at 3 in the morning. Thankfully, the idea did not materialize or else we could have one or two rhinos alongside our vehicles in the morning inside our resort



The next day morning was fun. No was in the mood to check out of the resort, such was the fun last night. The resort guys were calling us up frantically to make sure that we have our breakfast before the breakfast timings were over. We finally landed at the restaurant in a staggered manner just before the breakfast timings got over.









Few of the guys went for a swim in the pool and few like us, went back to the rooms for checking out of the resort. My next and last destination of the trip was going to be Sibsagar and it was imperative that I leave early because missus had plans to visit the Orchid Park at Kaziranga for some shopping. The orchid park was suggested by Mrs Jamini and it turned out to be an excellent suggestion indeed.



The sleek Skoda Superb of BHPian Rphukan was the cynosure of all eyes and it stood out like anything in the whole group along with the lovely Polo of BHPian ChiranjitP although I would be partial towards the Superb for sure.



We had our mandatory group photo clicked along with the cars before everyone went their way. But not before a vow to meet again sooner and in even bigger numbers. The meet up was excellent and I was glad that I could meet so many guys for the first time, personally of course. In fact, turned out, few of us including BHPian Rphukan might have crossed paths two decades back while I was in Guwahati as we lived in the same area, but obviously we did not know each other back then.



Saying good byes, we moved to the Kohora side of Kaziranga to visit the Orchid Park. Jamini and his family also left at the same time and he was from Sibsagar, the same place that I was going to as well and hence we would again meet on the way.









The Orchid Park was vast and is made and planned very articulately. Rare orchids aside, the place is a showcase of Assamese culture in its full glory. The park also has a fantastic restaurant but sadly, we had to give it a a miss. Missus wanted to shop for some knick knacks and some sarees and she had her fill. I got some King Chilly paste/pickle for my palette and I must tell, its heavenly. Kaziranga episode in the middle of the trip was memorable and for that, the whole bunch of guys deserve my whole hearted appreciation.









Lunch was taken en route at a place suggested by Jamini named Numaligarh Dhaba. The place was clean and served us fresh and delicious food. Highlight was the fish preparation and the portion size was more than acceptable to the fish loving Bengali for sure





We reached Sibsagar in the evening after a sort of joint drive with Jamini in his Duster. He went his way to home and we landed at ZOONSKAYA- our abode for the next two nights.

[ABHI_1512]

Sivasagar was once the capital of the mighty Ahom kingdom and they ruled Assam for over six centuries. Sivasagar is well known for the monuments and palaces related to the Ahom kingdom. The place has many temples of various deities and the town also gets the name from Shiva only. The place has great history and exploring it was primarily the idea.



The resort we had put up was a kind of place that I did not expect at all in a place like Sivasagar. The resort is bang on the highway but tucked little inside and it is impossible to tell, once you are inside. The resort is set up on the sidelines of a waterbody. The cottages were real good with top class amenities, with each cottage consisting of two separate rooms. At the fag end of the trip, the comfortable room did wonders to uplift our spirits. And, turned out, it was not only the room but the resort as a whole was simply brilliant.





Back to Sivasagar now, we only had one day to fully explore the place, which quite frankly was almost impossible. Sivasagar town is located around the Sivasagar tank and is an archeological treasure-trove. It was practically impossible to cover all the places in one day. Nevertheless, started off with the magnificent Rang ghar which was nearby only from our resort. In fact, major places of interest were all lined up along the outskirts of the town only.







Rang ghar was set up as a place for enjoying recreational and sporting activities by the royal families. The structure is magnificent and is one classic example of the architecture of the bygone era.

It is known as first Ampitheatre or first Pavilion of Asia. It was built by Swargadeo Promotta Singha in the year 1744 A.D. Its shape is octagonal at base. The building has two storeys. At the roof, the structure is shaped like an inverted royal Ahom long boat where there are the projecting heads of two small MAKARAS or JALAHASTIS facing reverse towards north and south. The Rang Ghar was built specially for enjoyment of recreational/sports activities by the royal families and public of the Ahom dynasty.

Source- https://sivasagar.assam.gov.in/tourist-place Everything about Sivasagar and the related history can be found in the link shared. Anyone looking for any credible info can look up the given link. Every quoted part in this post is from the same link.







Next up was Talatal ghar, a seven storeys magnificent palace whose three storeys were underground known as Talatal ghar and the upper storeys known as Kareng ghar. One grand structure which has stood the test of time and shows the Ahom kingdom in all its glory. It was built as an army base initially and hence the presence of secret tunnels, which were made to be used as escape routes in case of an enemy attack.









Talatal ghar was a revelation to me, in the sense that it was both magnificent and imposing at the same time. The grandeur of the palace has to be seen to be believed.

After the Talatal ghar, we went straight to the Joysagar tank and besides which the trio of Bishnudol, Shivadol and Devidol l were situated. These troika of temples are unique and a true testament of the architectural brilliance during the reign of Ahom kings.

Joysagar Pukhuri (Tank) is situated towards the Southern part of Rangpur Nagar. According to history it was dug within 45 days only in the year 1707 A.D. by Swargodeo Rudra Sigha in memory of his mother Soti Joymoti. The tank covers an area of 318 acres (1.28 square km). The water level of the lake is 14 feet higher from ground level. It is a very beautiful Tank and a home of various migratory birds that come here every year. It is the largest man-made tank of Asia.

The pictures of the temples and the tank in no particular order are given below:

Joy Doul (Temple) which is also known as Keshabrai Vishnu Doul is situated at the Northern side of the Joysagar Tank. It is a beautiful temple having nos of different art and culture which reflect the structure of the Ahom Era.

Shiva Doul of Joysagar is also known as Baidyanath Shiva Doul or Khara Doul. It is known as Major Doul. It is situated at the Northern side of the Joysagar Tank. It was constructed during the year 1696 A.D. by Swargodeo Rudra Singha.

Devighar is also known as Devaloya. It is situated at the North Western corner of the Joysagar tank. This Devighar was constructed for worshipping Devi Durga.

One more temple was, the mighty Shivadol besides the Rudrasagar tank was just ten minutes away from the troika of temples. Decided to visit that as well before the hunger pangs take over.

Rudrasagar Tank is known as Na Pukhuri. It was dug by Swargadeo Lakshmi Singha in 1773 . And the Shiva Dol was built by Swargadeo Lakshminath Singha (1769-1780) and opened during the period of Swargadeo Gaurinath Singha.

By the time we finished seeing the group of temples, it was already past three and we were famished by then. Jamini had told us about a restaurant previously and afyer talking to some local folks as well, decided to try a place named Juihal which was just beside the entry gate of Talatal Ghar. The place was reasonably occupied and one could make out that it was very popular. And after an hour or so, I realised that I had tasted one of the best ever thalis ever served in a restaurant.





Excellent food and service marked our lunch. The food was typical Assamese thali served in a traditional way and it was wholesome and tasty. Assamese cooking is very light on the oil and the masalas and yet it tastes so good. We both enjoyed the food very much.







Took a drive inside the Sivasagar town for some knick knacks again before returning to the resort. The evening was spent in the resort amid the lovely setting of the property. The resort has an open air restaurant serving some lip smacking food of all types and we enjoyed that as well.

[ABHI_1512]

And we finally arrived at the last day of our trip. Better half was to take the flight out of Dibrugarh as I had some pending work at Naharlagun and Guwahati before my return to Calcutta. Her flight was in the evening, so we had some time in hand before I dropped her at the airport. We were in no hurry and checked out of Zoonskaya after a leisurely breakfast. Saw an Airbus 320 just at the start of the Sivasagar bypass which was being turned into a highway restaurant. Turned out, the owners were the same people who were the owners of the resort we stayed as well.





The distance from Sivasagar to Dibrugarh is around 90 odd kms and so we were on the outskirts of the town by one hour past noon. Being on the Dibrugarh bypass, stopped by to see the Jagannath temple sine we had time on our hands. The temple complex is newly built and has quickly become a place of interest for the locales as well as tourists alike.



Took a quick lunch at Bondhu Dhaba-another favorite from earlier times and must say, the quality hasn't changed much in this age of Instaposts and all. The Dhaba has grown though and they now have an air-conditioned section in a new building to cater to a wide section of people. The owners who provide consistent good food and maintain their quality are often rewarded for their perseverance in this country and I have seen this happening quite regularly.



And then, we were on our way to Mohanbari airport but not before visiting another part of childhood memory for my better half. We went looking for the quarter they lived while her father was posted at Mohanbari for few years. And we did find the quarter, in a much better condition than the previous one at Jorhat. We were not sure if anyone lived or not though as we couldn't find anyone to talk too. Spending some after, we finally reached the airport.



Her flight was on schedule and accordingly we saw each other off. Now I had to make a decision about going to Naharlagun on the same evening or not. Since my work was on the next day anyways, decided to stay at Dibrugarh only. That way, I could leave early morning next day, in time to finish my work in Naharlagun and then proceed to Guwahati, the same evening.



Now, the problem was to find a place to stay in Dibrugarh. All the preferred hotels were sold out and I had to finally settle for a place on the banks of Brahmaputra, where parking was at a premium. The sunset view from the back of the hotel was fabulous although it needed some zooming and pruning. Talked with the staff for a secured parking and they gladly arranged one for me since I was to leave early in the morning anyways. BHPian Prakritij came to meet me at the hotel in the evening and we had some fun time. Albeit a short one, but real good time for sure.









Next day, left very early in the morning to reach Naharlagun. It was a drive of around three and a half hours with some real bad sections after crossing the Bogibeel bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra. Reaching Naharlagun was another pain point since the town is under a massive road project.



Wrapped my work somehow by around 3 in the evening and was on my way back to Guwahati after meeting few of my old friends. In fact, met one of my classmate from school after almost thirty years suddenly while on the road. This trip was all about co-incidences I must say.











Road conditions have improved in some sections. I was specially glad to see a section which was a nightmare for us every monsoon back in the days. A new bridge has been built over river Dikrong near Nirjuli, completely bypassing the landslide portions of the hills. There was a time when the capital of Arunachal Pradesh remained cut off from the rest of the country for days just because of this portion where landslides occurred frequently every year during the monsoons.







Tezpur bypass was another new development that I experienced this time. The traffic signal at Mission Charali was missed big time and before I could understand, I was on the Kaliabhromora bridge already. I had plans to meet BHPian aviator1101 at Tezpur but couldn't. May be next time for sure.



Finally reached Guwahati and headed straight to my hotel- The Landmark. Some hot bath after, met my childhood friend over dinner at one of our favorite joint-The Dhaba. Enjoyed our staple food there and called it a night.

Next day was all work but it was the evening which was the icing on the cake. The evening plan was executed by BHPian Reeturaj and good friend Nayan at a cafe run by Sudipta along with his partner. Now, Sudipta is also part of the car group and we had met at Kaziranga too. The cafe has a brilliant setting amidst the rows of bamboo trees, right down the middle. Sudipta wanted me to cook a mutton dish at his cafe, for us four. The setting was tempting enough and I finally ended up cooking the dish and quite frankly, I enjoyed it. Also, Nayan brought a dish cooked by him and which is an assamese delicacy- pork with bamboo shoot. We ended up chatting pretty late into the night, had our dinner in an empty cafe and finally went our way. It rained all night because of the cyclone DANA and it was a cause of concern for me as well since I was to leave in the morning for my return leg to Calcutta after finishing a small errand.









The weather was overcast with mild rains in the morning. Checking up on the Cyclone status, the landfall happened somewhere in Odisha and Calcutta received massive rainfall. Getting some updates about how the airport was shut down and the subsequent rains, I was in two minds but started from Guwahati anyways around 10.30 or something.











I did get some terrible rain on my return leg near Baharampur. Such was the intensity of the rain that I stopped for some time fearing a damage to my car while crossing the Baharampur bypass- which was in worst of conditions. But then, stopping didn’t help much because I was getting pounded by the blistering rains. Fortunately, I made it back to Calcutta next day morning while getting a clear sky but battered roads !!



So this was the small () account of my travel during the festive season. Four thousand two hundred kilometres of memories added to the life account. It was a miracle that I was able to complete the trip in whole despite the viral fever and the after effects. May be a good travel can make you do that ! Until the next one, keep travelling, cheers to all.

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

[sayakc]

Mind boggling!

I am possibly the first one getting the honours to comment!

I had gone to pick up my son from his drawing classes, but was a little early. So, thought of checking out Team Bhp. Lo, and behold, I saw the thread by ABHI_1512. I started reading it, but then it occurred, travelogues by Abhi are best read on the bigger screen

So, returned home and polished off the mammoth travelogue in 2 hours flat. Thank you for the effort ...you have shown Assam in a way, which many of us aren't aware.

I have marked Dabri Tea Lounge for any future journeys. Thats another gem discovered by you.

Best Regards,
Sayak

[Yogi..Reeturaj]

It’s always engrossing reading your travelogues bondhu and all the more enjoyable catching up with you.
Your storytelling can take the reader along the journey for sure, this was no exception.
Bahon and you have had amazing memories till date, carry on.
Will catch up soon.

[ambarish6]

A wonderful travelogue written in the most meticulous manner. All the places you covered, their descriptions and photographs kept me glued to my phone till the time I finished reading. It reminded me of my trip down the memory lane when I visited my childhood place in Bihar (now Jharkhand) this July.
I wish to meet you on your next visit to Guwahati