Tezpur, the culturally and historically gifted town in Assam, has a lot to offer when it comes to music, heritage, storytelling, movie-making, theatres and so on. The three main cultural icons of Assam are from Tezpur: Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and Bishnu Rabha. The town also has the first movie theatre of Northeast, Jonaki Cinema, which was built way back in 1937.

Work or holiday, the city ensures that you have a fabulous time. Enjoy unlimited cups of tea straight from tea gardens, with the surreal view of the mighty Brahmaputra, or just head out to explore.

Here are some of the few places in Tezpur that you must visit:

1. Kolia Bhomora Setu

The 3-km long bridge is simple yet magnificent. Built around 1987 on river Brahmaputra, this is also one of the rare places in India to spot dolphins! The bridge is named after General Kolia Bhomora.

2. Bamuni Hills

This famous archaeological site of Bamuni Hills has sculptural ruins with traces of architectural styles that were adopted by great dynasties in the 9th and 10th centuries. These ruins are of temples dedicated to various Indian deities such as lord Shiva, lord Vishnu and so on. Bamuni Hills is on the banks of river Brahmaputra, surrounded by panels which have intricate engravings of ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

3. Da Parbatia

Another historical place in Tezpur is Da Parbatia that has spectacular representations of the oldest form of architecture with inspirations from the early Gupta dynasty. Adjacent to the Da Paratia ruins is the Agnigarh Hill, overseeing the Brahmaputra. According to legend, this is where the romantic story of Anirudha and Usha evolved.

4. Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary

This sanctuary is largely a protected area, 30 km from Tezpur, close river Brahmaputra. It covers an area of approx. 44.06 sqkm. Daily safaris are organised by the authorities and bird watchers can enjoy numerous migratory birds.

5. Ouguri Hill

One should definitely visit this place as there is a thrilling little trek up through many monoliths. After reaching the top of the hill, one can see the breath-taking view of Tezpur on one side and the mighty Brahmaputra on the other. It also has a statue of Kanaklata—the brave woman martyr of the Indian freedom struggle during Quit India Movement.

6. Chitralekha Udyan or Cole Park

Located at the heart of the city and built in 1906, this picturesque park is a favourite among tourists, as well as locals. While elders can stroll around enjoying the beautifully maintained garden, children can get busy with recreational activities such as basic water sports. The horse-shoe shaped pond attracts a lot of visitors.

How to reach?

Two options by air: Reach Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati. Take a short detour and enjoy a day or two in Guwahati. From here, take a 6–8 hour road trip to Tezpur through Kaziranga and beautiful towards Upper Assam. One can also reach directly to the Salonibari Airport, just 10 km away from Tezpur.

By rail: Rangapara Railway Station, Misamari, is the nearest railway station.

Rhea Hussain

This 22-year-old political science graduate is a self-proclaimed fitness freak with a love for collecting books and smelling them incessantly. A few things that she digs are crunching on ice cubes, binging on momos and travelling. She has an unconditional affection for dogs. Although she says that she does not have a philosophy in life, but she believes that "happiness is subjective, so never compare".