5 Unique Souvenirs to Collect from Guwahati

 

How can a visit to the Gateway of North East India end without bringing back some mountain charm? Before you return on your Guwahati to Kolkata flight, spend a day shopping and collecting some specials from the city of the one-horned rhinoceros.

Here are five impossible-to-miss picks for your Guwahati trip:

1.    Assam Tea

Nothing is better than the unmatched aroma and rich flavour of tea leaves from the capital of the Tea Garden of India. Take back home this strong, brisk, and malty-tasting black tea to charge you up on mornings you find it unbearable to step outside. It is the only place where tea is grown on plains. Make sure you buy from government-recognized stores selling authentic Assam tea only.

2.    Pickles

North-eastern spices are found nowhere else across India. These native spices are used to prepare pickles using traditional methods. Pickle of Ghost Pepper or Bhut Jolokia as locals call it came to India from Bhutan. It is one of the hottest chillies in the world. Thousands of women all over Assam make Bhut Jolokia pickel to sell and have with meals. Be sure to taste before you buy! If it is too spicy for you, buy a pickle that uses pepper only as an ingredient in the spice mix. Olive and bamboo shoot pickles are also quite popular among visitors in Guwahati.

3.    Assam Silk

"Assamese women weave fairy tales in their clothes!" That is what mahatma Gandhi said when he first came across the finesse of the craft. The silk woven in Assam has an immense artistic sensibility and is linked to Assamese folklore intricately. Assam produces three types of silk – Eri, Muga, and Paat. Of these, Muga is the most famous one for its natural gold sheen. You can buy shirts, kurtas, saris, and suits. If you are a fan of authentic craft and traditional attire Mekhela Chador is your best bet. It is three-piece attire like the lehenga worn in north India. However, the dupatta is draped to look like the waterfall drape of a sari. 

Nowadays, you can even get the outfit pre-stitched, so you don’t have to learn the designer drape. It is available in most natural fabrics from silk to linen and cotton. People often take a Kolkata to Guwahati flight just to shop for the most exquisite Assam silk apparel.

4.    Masks

Majuli is a river island that is known for its culture. And masks are a representation of the same. It has many instructional centres called satras where priests make these masks of mythological characters. You would have spotted one if you ever read or saw of Assamese culture. Made with bamboo, cloth, and clay, these are prominently used in theatre and local festivals.

5.    Phulam Gamucha

The global symbol of Assamese culture is a white or cream-coloured towel with bright red embroidery on all sides. It is considered a symbol of respect and royalty in the state. No event social, political, or cultural is complete without honouring the guests with a gamucha. 

If that is not all, you can buy some bell metal cutlery, wooden and bamboo handicrafts, and the funnel-shaped hat called Japi. Gift your friends and family these Assamese memorabilia to let them know how much you missed them on the trip. You can buy these from the Fancy Bazar, known as Chandni Chowk of the North East. Be sure to set aside a day for shopping before you book tickets for Kolkata to Guwahati flight.