ASSAM - HOME OF THE BRAHMAPUTRA

Dominated by the mighty Brahmaputra river, which has carved out the deep cradle of its birth, Assam is one of the most advanced states in the North East. She is blessed with vast alluvial plains rich in forests and rolling tracts of paddy and tea, and oil from the vast depths of the earth. And though this wayward son of Mother Nature brings havoc in his wake during the monsoons, the Brahmaputra is much revered for the prosperity she brings to the land.

Cocooned between the dramatic Himalayan foothills in the north and the plateau ,mad hilly terrain of Meghalaya in the south, Assam is one of the highest limber producers of the country. Her tea estates established by the British, produce over half of India's tea. Digboi has India's oldest and Asia's first oil refinery.

The most accessible of the North Eastern states, Assam was ruled for six centuries by the brave Ahoms (of the Shan tribe of Burma) from the 13th century, who successfully repulsed the Mughal invasions. They were also great patrons of the arts. You can still see some of their places, tanks and temples around Sibsagar. International visitors pour into her world-renowned Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the last frontiers for the pre-historic, one-horned rhino. The Project Tiger Reserve Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a World Heritage Site. Assam is also home to the world's largest inhabited riverine island, Majuli.