History

Guwahati is a major city in the eastern part of India. It is situated on the left bank of the Brahmaputra River. The town is located in the district of Kamrupa. Guwahati is among the fastest growing cities of India and in the recent years it has experienced development as well expansion. In terms of education and commercial activities the city is an important centre. Rather it can be said that the city is an important hub of the north-eastern region of the country. Guwahati has derived its name from two Assamese words namely "guwa" meaning "areca nut" and "haat" meaning a "market place".

History of Guwahati
The history of the city dates back to old days. Sometimes it is assumed that Guwahati is one of the ancient cities of Asia. The Ambari excavations which are found in the city trace the origin of the city to 6th century AD. The city has witnessed control of several historical dynasties including the Pala Dynasty, the Mughals and a lot more. In fact it can be said that Guwahati an important city of Assam has a long history which is cherished even in the present age.

Demography of Guwahati
Guwahati is a rapidly growing city. In the last few years the population of the city has grown in leaps and bounds. According to the census of 2001, the population of the city was 808,021. It is expected that by 2011 the population of the city will reach to a million. In 2001 the city constituted 55 percent males and 45 percent females whereas the city had only 10 percent of the population below 6 years of age. The literacy rate of the city was 78 percent and the percentages of male and female literacy were 81 and 74 percent respectively.

Economy of GuwahatiThe economy of Guwahati contributes largely to the economy of Assam. The chief economic activities of the region are trade and commerce and transportation and services. Guwahati is considered an important hub of entire north-eastern region. It is an important whole sale and retail zone of the country. The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre is one of the largest in the world and gradually with passing time mall culture is slowly growing in Guwahati. A small part of Guwahati`s economy also comes from manufacturing industries and an important manufacturing industry of the region is the petroleum refinery of IOCL. Lot of business is also generated from the print and electronic media of Guwahati and in the recent year`s business related to finance and real estate have grown to a large extent.

At the same time it should be mentioned that tourism industry is a major economic source for the city of Guwahati.

Surface

The Paltan Bazaar Bus Station has a number of private and Assam State Transport Company buses connecting the city to Tezpur (198 km), Kaziranga (215 km), Jorhat (303 km), Sibsagar (359 km) and Silchar (341 km). Rental cars are also available from travel agencies.

Train

Guwahati has regular trains to Delhi, Kolkata, Dimapur, and New Jalpaiguri. It is recommended that you book your tickets atleast two months in advance, and reserve your seats for the return trip as well, if you are going by train. The Northeastern railways are not the best and trains get packed with unreserved, waitlisted travelers who bribe the TTR for seats! We recommend the Rajdhani express as it is definitely more comfortable than Brahmaputra Express or North East Express.

Air

The Gopinath Bordoloi Airport is 23 km from the city and connects Guwahati to Delhi and Kolkata by air.