45 attractions in Guwahati (back)

Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra
Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra commonly Kalakshetra is a cultural institution in the Panjabari area of Guwahati, Assam, named after the medieval poet-playwright and reformer Srimanta Sankardev. It includes a cultural museum, library and various facilities for preserving, demonstrating and performing cultural items, besides a children's park. In addition to being Northeast India's largest cultural congregation, the Kalakshetra is also a major tourist spot in Guwahati. Built in the 1990s, the artistic excellence of Assam and rest of the north-eastern region is displayed here. There are eateries, places of worship, emporiums and open-air theatres within the sprawling Kalakshetra premises. It is governed by a body of executives, selected by the Assam Government's Cultural Department and is headed by a Director of the Assam Civil Service or Indian Administrative Service cadre. The Kalakshetra is divided into several complexes. The Central Museum exhibits the articles used by different ethnic groups of Assam. The museum also houses several cultural objects of the state within it. The open-air theater can accommodate 2000 people and hosts cultural programs in its premises. Traditional dance and drama performances are conducted in this theater. The Kalakshetra also has the Artists' Village, which replicates the village society of Assam. The Sahitya Bhavan is the library in the Kalakshetra, which has a huge collection of rare books and manuscripts. It is a repository of the literature of the region. Another section of the art complex is the Lalit-Kala Bhavan. It is the center used for exhibitions and workshops on art and culture. A heritage park is also a part of the huge complex of the Shankardev Kalakshetra. Now a cable car facility is also available inside the park to commute the tourists. Nice view of the hills of Shillong plateau can be seen from the fields of Kalakshetra. The museum provides you a summary of Assamese Culture. The Bhupen Hazarika museum is another attraction of Kalakshetra. The Kalakshetra houses number of structures and buildings abiding with the ethnic Assamese designs. A replica of the Rang Ghar (an Ahom Amphitheatre in Sivasagar district of Assam), is positioned in the entrance corridor to the main Central Museum. The Central Museum preserves some of the traditional articles, or artifacts of Assamese culture. The open-air theatre, with a view of the mountainous range of the Khasi Hills, is a venue for a variety of cultural events and an audience of 2000 can see the shows from the gallery seats. What can be termed as the major attraction in the Kalakshetra is an Artistic Village. This village portrays the village life of Assam in the most liveliest of form through life like statues and model thatched huts. The majority of urban children, who are now deprived of experiencing a village life due to massive urbanization, can increase their knowledge of their roots through a virtual tour of the village. The Sahitya Bhawan is an archive of Assamese texts and literatures and provides a good reference for any scholar gathering information on Assam or the related North Eastern states. The Lalit Kala Bhawan offers a world class exhibition space for arts and sculptures.A walk through the Heritage Park gives a feeling of contentment and satisfaction to any nature's child. The Kalakshetra quite often holds various workshops of dramaturgy, cinema and other performing as well as visual arts.There are murals on the center's surrounding walls. These murals depict various war moments, Bihu dances and other Assamese representations.
Guwahati Planetarium
Guwahati Planetarium is one of its kind centre of astronomical education and research in Assam and the entire North-Eastern region of India. The Guwahati Planetarium is unrivalled in Assam and rest of northeast India with its distinctive dome and sloping walls that sets it apart in the skyline of the area. The Planetarium uses the Japanese Goto instrument. The hardware includes the Chronos starfield projector, Digital HD video projectors, and the Dolby sky theatre's sound system. The show software is also supplied by Goto. Besides daily shows, the Planetarium also regularly organises seminars, workshops and conferences for the astronomy fraternity, and exhibitions, quizzes and outdoor viewing facilities during eclipses for students and the local community. Facilities at the Planetarium include a library. The Guwahati Planetarium, is a sincere attempt to reach the young and scientifically inclined minds and provide them a glimpse of the available treasure trove assembled over centuries by the human explorers. Apart from the regular Sky watching sessions conducted by the experts at the planetarium, special shows projected on a dome shaped overhead screen are the star attraction of the Planetarium. These shows are available in Assamese and in English and the timings are as convenient with enough entertainment at the planetarium museum and Science section to keep enthusiasts busy. The Planetarium has a unique hybrid planetarium projection system, the first one of its kind in the entire northeast region. It is the second planetarium in India to get such a system, the first one being New Delhi Planetarium. Apart from the projection system, an astronomical gallery is soon going to be launched by the Creative Museum Designers(CMD) at the planetarium. The state science and technology department has already released funds for the upcoming project.
Sri Surya Pahar
Sri Surya Pahar (Assamese: শ্ৰী সূৰ্য পাহাৰ) is located about 12 km southeast of Goalpara town and Bongaigaon is the nearest city from here. about 132 km northwest of Guwahati, is a significant but relatively unknown archaeological site in Assam, India. The site is a hilly terrain where several rock-cut Shivalingas, votive stupas and the deities of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain pantheon are scattered in an area of about one km. The site is centered on the hills (Pahar) of Sri Surya which is profusely filled up with Shiva Lingas (Lingam). The popular belief is that 99999 Shiva Lingas were engraved here by Vyasa in order to build up a second Kashi (where there were 1,00000 Shiva Lingas) and once it was one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in the region. There is no historical evidence exactly how many Lingams once dotted in these hills, but still there are hundreds of them, from tiny to large in size, scattered everywhere at the foot of the hill and covering the extensive area after centuries of neglect and pilferage. The exact figure of the Lingas (and also other deities and relics) in the hill is yet to be counted scientifically. A few years ago, some archaeologists unearthed a few Shiva Lingas and a few houses at Sri Surya — findings which confirmed the long-held belief that a thriving civilization held sway around Sri Surya Pahar some centuries ago. The intricate and scientific designs of the houses with artfully designed bricks led some archaeologists even to believe that more unearthing the history of Sri Surya Pahar would change the understanding of the history of ancient Assam and India. Some scholars even referred to the accounts of famous Chinese traveler Huen Tsang to claim that it was Sri Surya Pahar and not Guwahati that was the ancient land of Pragjyotishpur or Pragjyotisha Kingdom, the capital of the Kingdom of Kumar Bhaskara Varman (600-650). The findings of the nearby archaeological site of Paglatek are cited to strengthen this claim. Since Sri Surya Pahar is very close to the bank of Brahmaputra river, it might have been an important trade centre or seat of administration in the past. Another important significance of Sri Surya Pahar is that it was once a confluence of three religions as evident from the innumerable sculptures and other relics belonging to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park (Assamese: [kaziɹɔŋa ɹast(ɹ)iɔ uɪddan]) is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site. According to the census held in March 2018 which was jointly conducted by the Forest Department of the Government of Assam and some recognized wildlife NGOs, the rhino population in Kaziranga National Park is 2,413. It comprises 1,641 adult rhinos (642 males, 793 females, 206 unsexed); 387 sub-adults (116 males, 149 females, 122 unsexed); and 385 calves. In 2015, the rhino population stood at 2401. Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world, and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 (now the highest tiger density is in Orang National Park, Assam) . The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for conservation of avifaunal species. When compared with other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility. Kaziranga is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, criss-crossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and the park includes numerous small bodies of water. Kaziranga has been the theme of several books, songs, and documentaries. The park celebrated its centennial in 2005 after its establishment in 1905 as a reserve forest.