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The
peacock island with the Umananda temple as its crown, is barely 15 minutes
ride on an from the city. Enroute you encounter the Urbashi Khuti, the
yardstick measuring water-level. Legend has it that the Khuti which is
a large rock to the south west of Umananda, is in fact a beautiful damsel
Urbashi who had been transformed into the rock. Uma- nanda is one of the
piths of Hinduism, which has been revered since the days of yore. It is
during Shivratri that devotees flock to the place since midnight on the
eve of the festivals. Special yachts, ships and even country boats are
pressed into service. The whole area beginning from the ghats on the northern
as well as on its southern sides remain festive. For a more tranquil trip,
any other day is ideal.
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scenic beauty is breathtaking especially during the wintry and also in the
pre-monsoon and post-monsoon days. Besides the private vehicles that ply
in the waterway, there are the tourism department yachts, speedboats and
the medium-sized ferries for large parties. The Inland Water ferries are
lent out for the pleasure cruises on the Brahmaputra. They take you up-stream
and also stop at the peacock island. For a picnic party on the river or
for a longitudinal trip on the Brahmaputra, the tourists can contact the
tourism department. Umananda is a place of pilgrimage for the Hindu. A few
sculptures found on this island indicate that it contained a stone temple
of circa 8th century A.D. Presently, it contains three brick-built temples
of the late medieval period all of which enshrine Sivalingas. The neighbourhood
of Umananda contains two other islands, both of which are associated with
interesting myths. The heritage site coupled with the scenery and a cruise
on a boat is the dream Itinerary for any tourist to this verdant region. |
