Guwahati: The Gateway to the North-East

Having toured much of India and its well-known places in North India, I was appalled at how most Indians and foreigners are misled by media publicity and rumour mongers to believe that all that is there to India is in North India. Alas! The actual facts are different.

To get a real account of the real India, me and my brother Ajoy decided to offer a vivid account of the actual North-Eastern part of India – an area suffering from years of neglect, ever since the days when India became independent, in 1947. Ironically, the Britishers were sensitive observers unlike most Indians now and they always held North-east India in high esteem.

The first destination we decided to cover in our sojourn was the city of Guwahati, Assam's capital city and the gateway to North-East. I carried my favourite Sony Digital Camera to capture Guwahati visually. We decided that our images would be authentic as we wanted to show locales as they are.

We roamed the whole day in Guwahati, in rickshaws, on foot, on local buses and autorickshaws. To our amazement most places In Guwahati appeared far better than North Indian standards – neat and clean and a citizenry with a high taste for sanitation, landscape beauty, and cleanliness. See them for yourself!

The Visual Tour of Guwahati...

Ajoy near Ganeshguri: Speckless clean environ
The traffic in Guwahati is disciplined, thanks to the highly literate citizenry.
The Guwahati Zoo: A well-planned wildlife sojourn for natives
The Zoo contains several exotic species of animals including the famous Assam Rhino.

A crossing on the Chandmari Road
Every crossing in Guwahati is a neat and boasts of a well-planned and visually appealing layout. The traffic is 'mentally sane' unlike north India and you will rarely find people 'peeing' all over. As you roam about a fresh breath of fresh air enchants your nostrils.
Ajoy walking on the pavement in Chandmari bridge
The Chadmari bridge overlooks the shallow mountain range at the backdrop and takes you deep inside the city, Pan Bazar and Fancy Bazar.

Overlooking the Great Brahmaputra River near Fancy Bazar
Ajoy wants me to strike a pose before the camera. I agree even though our long walk and intermittent rickshaw rides has left me utterly exhausted. This, given the excitement to be in Guwahati after those gruelling years in Delhi was a pleasure.
A newly setup flyover near Paltan Bazar
Although Paltan Bazar is extremely crowded and has dilapated buildings, residents ensure that there is a fine balance in the act. Smart job!
A cloudy day: soothing surmise
During cloudy days Guwahati is a pleasant place for philosophers and thinkers who can spend their time on something really creative. This mountain overlooks the entrance to the Guwahati Zoo
Christian Basti: Rising Ambitions
The area around Christian Basti is rapidly developing. It has some of the best multiplexes and restaurants. You can enjoy shopping is some of the best shopping malls here. The area boasts of a high lifestyle with classic appartments with all modern amneties on the rise. Residents of Assam are eyeing flats in this area.