Tezpur
The city of eternal romance
Tezpur, on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, is one of the oldest and most scenic towns in Assam, steeped in the legend of Usha and Aniruddha — the mythological love story that gives it the nickname 'the city of eternal romance' and its hilltop park of Agnigarh. It preserves some of Assam's earliest sculpture at the Da Parbatia doorframe, a masterpiece of Gupta-era art.
Strategically placed, Tezpur is a major road gateway to western Arunachal Pradesh and the Tawang circuit, and a base for the north bank of Kaziranga, the Nameri national park and the Bhalukpong foothills. It hosts a large military and university presence (Tezpur University), lending it a green, planned character. (Note: Tezpur's Salonibari airport is currently closed for reconstruction.)
What it's known for
- A gateway to western Arunachal (Bomdila–Tawang) and to Nameri and north-bank Kaziranga
- Tezpur University and a significant defence establishment (4 Corps)
- Ancient Gupta-era sculpture and the Usha-Aniruddha legend
- Orange, rice and a pleasant, planned riverside townscape
What to see in & around Tezpur
See & do
- Agnigarh hill and the Usha-Aniruddha legend
- The Da Parbatia stone doorframe, Assam's oldest sculpture
- Cole Park (Chitralekha Udyan) and the Brahmaputra ghats
- Nameri National Park and the drive up to Bhalukpong for Arunachal
Getting there
By road from Guwahati (about 4 hours). The airport is closed for reconstruction; use Guwahati and drive, en route to Nameri and the Tawang road.
Other cities & towns
Guwahati
The gateway city of the Northeast
The largest city and commercial capital of the entire region.
Dibrugarh
The Tea City of India
The commercial heart of Upper Assam, ringed by tea and oil.
Jorhat
Cultural capital of Assam & gateway to Majuli
Tea, literature and the ferry to the world's largest river island.