Assam

Assam is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, in the outskirts of the city Guwahati. Located south of the eastern Himalayas, Assam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak river valleys and the Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar Hills with an area of 30,285 square miles (78,438 km²). Assam currently is almost equivalent to the size of Ireland or Austria. Assam is surrounded by the rest of the Seven Sister States: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. These states are connected to the rest of India via a narrow strip in West Bengal called the Siliguri Corridor or "Chicken's Neck". Assam also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh and cultures, peoples and climate with South-East Asia—important elements in India’s Look East policy. Assam became a part of British India after the British occupied the region following the Treaty of Yandaboo of 1826. The Assam Conflict takes place in the state.
Assam is known for Assam tea, large and old petroleum resources, Assam silk and for its rich biodiversity. It has successfully conserved the one-horned Indian rhinoceros from near extinction, along with the tiger and numerous species of birds, and it provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant. It is becoming an increasingly popular destination for wild-life tourism, and Kaziranga and Manas are both World Heritage Sites. Assam was also known for its Sal tree forests and forest products, much depleted now. A land of high rainfall, Assam is endowed with lush greenery and the mighty river Brahmaputra, whose tributaries and oxbow lakes provide the region with a unique hydro-geomorphic and aesthetic environment.

The People of AssamThe people of Assam are in fact the result of fusion of people from different racial stocks who migrated to Assam down the ages. The Assamese population can be divided into two broad groups : the non-tribal people who constitute the majority and the tribals.The Australoids were the first to come to the land; the Mongoloids, came here in a series of migrations from the north, north-east and south-east; and the Caucasoids who came from the west by the valley formed by the Ganges and the Brahmaputra.

Today, the people of the State can be broadly identified and classified as the Non-Tribals or Plains People. The people of the plains generally live in the plains and the Tribals mainly live in the hills. Though, Assam has a valuable tribal population in the plains too. The state is peopled by a large number of tribal groups; major among them being the Boro-Kacharis, the Deori, the Misings, the Dimassas, the Karbis, the Lalungs, the Rabhas etc. Ahkhomiya or Assamese is the language of Assam. Assam has a reputation for warm hospitality. People of Assam are homely, charming and openhearted.

Fairs & Festivals of Assam:The superb blend of heritage extracted from numerous races have made Assam the home to the most colourful festivals at once blazing, compelling and mesmerizing. Most of the festivals celebrated in Assam have their root in the varied faith and belief of its people. Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Swaraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kalipuja, Shivaratri are some of the major festivals celebrated by the Hindus of Assam. Those of Islamic faith celebrate Idd and Muharram. Similarly, Christians celebrate Christmas. Besides the religious and national festivals observed throughout the Country, Assam has a large number of colourful festivals of its own replete with fun, music and dances. Assam’s fairs and festivals are as varied as its population which comes from different racial origins, both tribal and non-tribal.Bihu, the agricultural festival of Assam is celebrated by all Assamese, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Bihu, Assam's very own festival come off at various stages of cultivation of paddy, the principal crop of Assam. There are three Bihus that come off at various stages of cultivation of paddy, the principal crop of Assam. They are Bahag (Baisakh) Bihu, Kati (Kartika) Bihu and Magh (Magha) Bihu.