The name "Assam" is derived from the Sanskrit term "Asom" which means unequal or unrivalled reflected in the uneven topography of the land, full of hills, plains and rivers might, therefore, have contributed to her name. Assam is bordered in the North and East by the Kingdom of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. Along the south lies Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Meghalaya lies to her South-West, Bengal and Bangladesh to her West. Exotic denizens of the sylvan world add to the mystery and charm of this weird land. A land of about 25 million people is the gateway to north-east India, dominated by rivers like Brahamputra and Barak with Assamese as the principal language although a large number of other languages are spoken.
This mystic land of eternal blue hills and beautiful rivers is renowned for its tea, rich flora and fauna. The major attraction of Guwahati is the Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Temple, Navagraha Temple, Basistha Ashram, Hajo, Cherrapunjee. The ponds here are the home of some giant turtles. Kaziranga National Park is a world heritage site for one horned Rhinoceros. Assam State Museum is the biggest museum of the north east region and one of the biggest multipurpose museums in the country. The botanical garden has an orchid house packed with 44 varieties of rare orchids of the North East region along with various types of palm, shrubs, herbs, conifers and broad leaved plants.
