Nalbari

State

Nalbari, an administrative district, is located in the state of Assam. Nalbari covers an area of 999.9 sq km. Nalbari is surrounded by the Indo-Bhutan International Boundary on the north. Darrang and Kamrup District lie on the east, Barpeta District on the west and Brahmaputra on the south.

Situated on the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, Nalbari provides opportunity for exploring the natural beauty of the region. Travellers can enjoy folk dance and music such as Bhaora, Nagra Naam, Ojapali and Theya Naam. Raax is the main festival celebrated in Nalbari during the month of November. The festival is followed by a fair and theatre performance.

Billeshwar Temple of Nalbari, also known as Hari Mandir is one of the famous religious centres in the region, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The 500 years old shrine features a beautiful figurine of Lord Krishna. Raax festival is celebrated in this temple with great enthusiasm.

Another temple of significant religious importance is the Buddhist temple, which is located on the outskirts of the town at a distance of 20 km. The Buddhist religious centre also hosts an annual festival during which several devotees visit the shrine for paying homage.

Situated in the vicinity to Guwahati at a distance of 60 km, the town is connected with various parts of the country. The closest airport to the destination is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport of Guwahati. This has flight connections with all the major Indian cities. Along with air travel the town is connected with the state capital by railway and roadway network.

The township experiences sub tropical climatic conditions with moderate temperature during monsoons and dry, warm and humid summers. The best time to visit Nalbari is during the winter months.

The major attractions for sightseeing in Nalbari, include the ancient temples located in and around the district. The famous temple of this place is the Hari Mandir, which is known for the Ras Mahotsava festival, held here for 15 days. The Billeshwar Temple here, is dedicated to Lord Krishna and is the main attraction of Nalbari. It is an ancient temple with a long history that dates back to 500 years ago. Besides, there are other tourist attractions such as a Buddhist Temple, Shripur Dewalay Mandir, Daulashal Temple, Bagheshwari Dewbahar Guri Dewalay, Jaypal Than, Thetha Gohain and Basudeb Devalay.

Other than the temples, there are other religious places, such as a church in Barama, located 15 km from Nalbari Town, the Catholic Church in Doomni Tea Estate and a mosque in Nalbari Town. There is a place called Sonkuriha in Nalbari, which acts as a home for migratory birds. It is also visited by tourists in winter, for picnicking.

The Ganga Pukhuri Pond, located in the village of Barkuriha of Upper Barbhag, is around 7 km south of Nalbari. According to legends, the pond is said to have been dug by Gangadhar, a Brahmin. Ashok Astami, a mela, is held here annually and devotees flock to this village to pay homage to departed souls.

Mahmara Pukhuri, dug by a king of the Ahoms, was made with the sacrifice of a buffalo, to eliminate water scarcity in village..There is a rampart here, constructed by a king named Fenguwa, for the unity of his kingdom and for his own safety, which is 3.2 km long.