Fried Eye

June is not exactly the perfect time to visit Guwahati. It is the rainy season which sees the mighty Brahmaputra in its full fury. more

(… continued from In Tezpur, the City of Love)

The next thing we saw in Tezpur was the Harjara Pukhuri (tank). It is believed to have been constructed by King Harjjar Varma of the more

“Yun to mohabbat ka dushman zamana hai, fir bhi jawaani mein dil to lagaana hai…”, I flirtatiously looked at Neelam as I mouthed the lines.
“What’s the point in singing this song now?” she asked with curiosity. more

There are only a few things over which Neelam and I agree without fighting. After our Agartala trip, I had the impression that she would not question my judgement in matters of travel at least. I was wrong! When I first proposed Shillong as our next destination, she summarily rejected it. Her reason: Shillong is a “clichéd” tourist spot that everyone seems to visit. more

“Mujhe mootra visarjan karna hai.”
“Disgusting! When will you stop mouthing cheap Hindi movie dialogues?” asked a seemingly exasperated Neelam.
“Knock! Knock! Reality calls! You have married a cheap Hindi-dialogue aficionado, sweetheart!”
“Bakwaas nai karo! Go and do your mootra…God! Tumhare saath rehte rehte main bhi aisi hi ban gayi hoon!”
“That’s like my gal!” I patted her cheek and went in search of a toilet. I didn’t have to look for one for long. There were plenty at the fair that we had come to attend. I had never seen so many public toilets at one place before. Later, I learnt that it is a planned city that takes good care of sanitation. I was thankful to the local civic body for me not having to pee like a doggie on the wayside.
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No one knows for sure when the story of Guwahati began. Perhaps it was in existence when man first learnt the concept of civilized living. The city had already become a prominent place by the time the great epics were written. The Mahabharata talks about Kaurava prince Duryodhana marrying princess Bhanumati of Pragjyotishpura, which is identified as ancient Guwahati. King Bhagadutta, Bhanumati’s father, excavated a huge tank to mark the wedding. The tank is identified as the Dighalipukhuri located in the heart of the city.

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