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Geography, Destinations and Routes

Assam is often viewed in two parts: Upper Assam and Lower Assam but that classification has nothing to do with hills. Assam is fundamentally a plains state though it is surrounded by hills from neighboring states like Meghalaya and Arunachal. However you will find many waterfalls and there are a few places like Dima Hasao that consist of plateaus and hills.

• Digboi (1901) – The name “Digboi” is said to come from the phrase “Dig, boy! Dig!”, shouted by a British engineer to his laborers when oil was first discovered there in the late 19th century. The story goes that during road construction around 1866, workers noticed crude oil seeping from the ground and the British officer encouraged them to “dig, boy”, leading to the name Digboi.

  The first oil well was drilled there in 1889 and by 1901, the Digboi Refinery was operational — home to India’s first oil refinery, one of the oldest operating refineries in Asia. Visit the Digboi Oil Museum, WWII War Cemetery and the British-era golf course near the forest edge.

• Margherita – Grew around coal mining during the British period. Surrounded by green hills and small rivers, it has a calm charm despite its industrial roots.

• Dibrugarh – Known as the Tea City of India with endless tea gardens.

  • Bogibeel Bridge (2018) – Longest rail-cum-road bridge in India, 4.94 km long, connects Dibrugarh (south bank) to Dhemaji (north bank) across the Brahmaputra.

  • Great views of the river and distant hills, especially at sunrise and sunset.

• Sivasagar – Former Ahom dynasty capital filled with monuments and ancient tanks. The monuments in Sivasagar, built during the Ahom era, were made with a unique mix of sticky rice, eggs, black gram, and lime instead of modern concrete. Even after centuries, structures like Rang Ghar and Talatal Ghar still stand strong, a living proof of the ingenuity of Ahom architecture.

  • Rang Ghar – One of the earliest amphitheatres in Asia.

  • Talatal Ghar – Multi-storey palace with secret tunnels and old brick architecture.

  • Sivasagar Tank (Joysagar Tank) – Large man-made water body from the Ahom era, surrounded by Shivadol, Vishnudol and Devidol temples.

• Charaideo (13th century) – Founded by Sukapha, the first Ahom king. Known for Maidams, the royal burial mounds often called the Pyramids of Assam.

• Majuli – One of the largest inhabited river islands in the world.

  • Famous for Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) founded by Srimanta Sankardev.

  • Known for traditional art, dance and mask making.

  • Faces annual floods yet maintains a peaceful coexistence with the river.

• Jorhat – Close to Majuli, known for tea gardens, colonial heritage and as a gateway to Majuli.

• Dihing Patkai – Dense rainforest area near Digboi and Tinsukia, rich in wildlife and orchids, often called the Amazon of the East.

The Ahoms ruled Assam for nearly six hundred years, shaping its culture and identity through centuries of power and resilience. They were the only dynasty the mighty Mughals could never defeat, their victory at Saraighat still echoing in Assam’s pride.