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About Guwahati

Guwahati finds its references in the Mahabharata by its ancient name of Pragjyotispura, which means "the Light of the East". The epic mentions it as the capital of two powerful kings, Naraka and Bhagadatta. Archaeological surveys and the presence of several ancient temples in the region support the conjecture of it being an important city in antiquity. The excavations at Basista and Ambari revealed some of the hidden parts of the mystifying history of Guwahati, the most important city of the entire North East.

According to the sources, the Varman rulers of Kamarupa kingdom were ruling over Pragjyotispura, which was also known by the name of Duryoya, during the sixth century AD. The glory of the city soared to new heights during their rule, as it served as the capital and a naval base for the Varman rulers. We get a wealth of knowledge about this period from the famous Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang, who visited the area during the rule of Bhaskaravarma in seventh century. The Varman dynasty was followed by Pala dynasty, possibly during the ninth century, who maintained the position of Guwahati as the capital of the Kamarupa kingdom.

By twelfth century, the significance of Guwahati started to fade out, as the succeeding kingdoms, chiefly Hajo and Ahom kingdoms, used it merely as a military outpost. Later when the Mugals tried to extend their boundaries in the far east, Guwahati became a battle ground for the imperial forces and the Ahom armies. There were as many as 17 wars fought between the two forces at the city, and it remained shifting between the hands of the Mughals and the Ahoms during most of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The Battle of Saraighat, which occurred in 1671, needs special mention as it saw the mighty Mughal army retreating back as result of the bravery shown by the Assamese Army under the strong leadership of Lachit Borphukan.

It is now an acknowledged fact that Guwahati had a past of glorious history, which goes as far back as to the great epic era. Today, the city has moved away from its mythological characters to become one of the most modern cities of the country. It is a leading center of commercial, judicial and educational activities in the North East. With the establishment of a branch of Indian Institute of Technology here, Guwahati is all set to emerge as a hot destination for high quality education, supported well by the Guwahati University and myriads of educational institutions spread across the city. Assam has its high court based in Guwahati, which is also endowed with an airport and a railway junction connecting the entire region to the other parts of the country.