• Baruah Bhavan, Guwahati
    Heritage - Hotels - Places

    Baruah Bhavan – A Charming Villa; a Non-Hotel Hotel

    April 7, 2013 - By 

    There was no doorbell to ring. So we peeped into the narrow walkway and spotted a boy having tea. Acknowledging us with a smile, he came swiftly, took charge of our luggage, guided us to our room. That warm smile was the first of several we were offered during our stay in Assam. Soon, the manager, Mr Kalita, too came to us with an even broader smile. We landed at Guwahati a day earlier for our trip to Kaziranga. At first, we had thought of staying at one of the regular hotels at Paltan Bazaar. Then Baruah Bhavan’s listing on…

  • Places

    The Accidental Sculptor of Kamakhya Temple

    March 28, 2013 - By 

    There were not too many ‘must-do’ things in Guwahati, barring the walk we wanted to do by the mighty Brahmaputra. Kamakhya temple was a reluctant addition—suggested by some web sites and the enthusiastic staff of Baruah Bhavan, where we stayed. Getting around Guwahati was anyway easier with plenty of local buses. Perched on a hilltop (Nilachal or the Blue Hills), Kamakhya temple is the main temple among a group of temples scattered across the hill. Considered to be a place of Tantric worship, the temple dates back to 10 BC and survived the attack of Mangols and later the Mughals.…