Eclectic Northeast – July 2019

20 │ │ July 2019

monuments will give you a sense

of how the royals of yesteryears

used to live. Not only that, they are

fascinating architectural marvels

that are hiding many mysteries.

#6 - Pray at a Naamghar

Assam is one of the few places

in India that has a huge presence

of Vaishnavism. In fact, no matter

where you are in the State, you

are sure to come across a naamghar

(places for congregational

worship). Be it small or big, all

naamghars feature a Guru Āsana,

that is a seven-tiered, triangular,

wooden throne that holds the

sacred scripture. Whether naam

(prayer) is in session or not, you

can enter the naamghar and ask for

blessings. Remember to take off

your shoes, and also as a norm,

you do not walk on the area right

in front of the asana. So once you

enter the gate or door, walk on

the left-hand side or the right-

hand side while approaching the

asana. You should also not touch

the asana. Stop a few steps behind,

kneel down and bow with your

hands clasped.

Baishya Silk Emporium:

Room No. 4, Chancellor

Commercial Building, H.B.

Road, Pan Bazar Road, Pan

Bazaar, Guwahati, Assam

7810 01

Silkalay: Kamala Tower, GS

Rd, Ganeshguri, Guwahati,

A s s a m 781005

#7 - Indulge in Silk

Assam is known the world

over for its silk such as muga, paat

and eri, and so it makes sense to

buy some while you are here. You

can find the best mekhela sador

(two piece traditional Assamese

attire that looks similar to a saree)

at Sualkuchi, but if you do not

have the time to visit the weaving

village, then you can find stores

that sell authentic silk in most

cities across the State. In Guwahati,

try Baishya Silk Emporium or

Silkalay.

Arunachal Pradesh

#8 The Monastery Excursion

The Frontier State is home to

beautiful gompas or monasteries

belonging to the two sects of

Buddhism, the Mahayana and

the Hinayana, that you should

definitely visit. Be sure to put the

famous Tawang monastery on

your must visit list. Built in the

17th century, the monastery has

a 28-foot high golden statue of

Lord Buddha enshrined within

its premises. Also, be sure to visit

the most prominent pagoda of the

Hinayana sect in Namsai district.

Consecrated in 2010, the pagoda

houses the holy relics of Lord

Buddha and ‘ingtasaan’, the 13 feet

high Bamboo Buddha, which is

one of its kind in India.

#9 Be One With Nature

The State is blessed with

nature’s bounty and is home to

many national parks. In fact, it

is the only State home to four

varieties of cats namely tigers,

leopards, clouded leopards and

snow leopards. During your visit,

be sure to carve some time out to

visit Namdapha National Park.

Known for its whopping size

One of the best ways to do that would be to travel to

Sivasagar and explore historical monuments like

Rang Ghar, Kareng Ghar and Talatar Ghar