Until a few years ago, all I knew about Assam was that it is somewhere in Asia and makes excellent black tea. Little did I know that it is in fact a state of India whose culture, people, food and stunning landscapes, would soon become an integral part of my life.
Assam is in Northeast India, wedged between Bhutan & Myanmar (Burma), below the eastern Himalayas and above Bangladesh. Though most famous for its strong black tea, it is also one of the few places in the world that is still home to the endangered one-horned rhino (or Indian rhinoceros).
Due to Assam’s location and settlement history, its people are comprised of a variety of ethnic groups, including Bengali, Nepali, Bihari and Bangladeshi, as well as those descended from Tai and Southern Chinese migrants. So while walking the streets of Assam, one will notice a host of different racial characteristics, skin colours and religious identifications. One man will cycle to the mosque several times a day for prayer, while his neighbour will give offerings to Shiva at the Hindu temple next door, and his other neighbour will visit the Assamese namghar to burn incense and pray. On the corner of the street will be an active baptist church, and around the corner will be a Buddhist temple with monks chanting and meditating peacefully.
Although there are so many variations in race, culture and religion within Assam, people wearing traditional gamosas and mekhela chadors are often seen, and everywhere people are loudly playing recordings of Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen Garg, and joyfully dance Bihu.
Through this blog I am hoping to share stories of my travels to Assam, as well as other parts of India. I am also using it as an opportunity to reflect on my experiences, so as to develop further eastern wisdom on the topics of happiness, purpose and wellbeing, to add to what I already know about these topics from my studies and work as a Western Clinical Psychologist.
Daughter of Assam 