Freshly baked goodies are to be bought
from Indusco only. Built in an Assam-type
house, its muffins and cookies made my
childhood sweeter than ever.
Dibrugarh has its share of temples
and religious places. Whilst it has more
Naamghors (a place for enthusiasts to gather
and sing praises of the Lord), there are
two mosques, one gurudwara, one church
and a few temples of Radha-Krishna,
Lord Jagannath, Goddess Kali, Lord
Hanuman and of course Lord Shiva. The
Radhakrishna Mandir is made of white
marble and the life-sized idols of RadhaKrishna attract devotees from other cultures
too. As kids, grandpa would usually take
us there to run around and let us be. Kids
after all!
Durga Puja comes in the month of
September-October. During this time,
buying new clothes, eating food and pandalhopping is on every one’s agenda. The shops
are so crowded that buying anything is an
ordeal. On the sixth day of the festivities,
the Durga Puja finally kicks off with chants
and rituals flowing everywhere. The evenings
see everyone dressed up like if it’s a wedding.
60 Travel Secrets September-October 2015
People visit pandals, seek the Goddess’
blessings and eat all along the way. As a kid,
the only thing I despised was the kitsch. We
would never dress up as it was only the food
that interested us. The immersion of the
idol in the river on the tenth day was a big
affair and the officials were heavily guarded
as people got drunk and fell into the river.
Even today, every year, some lives are saved
and some flow away with the current.
Karma, I would say.
Shopping in Dibrugarh has always been a
whirlwind sort of experience for me. Firstly,
the sheer choice of clothes makes it tough
to zero-in on what you want. Secondly, the
prices don’t fit the budget we were given
and bargaining was not second nature to
me back then. In dark times like these,
it was the Tibetan refugee market called
Bhutia Market that came to our rescue.
The clothes were better and much more
fashionable there, and the prices w ould sit
perfect. The family didn’t really like the
idea of buying clothes from them, but I
convinced them. These days, this delightful
market is the most fashion forward area in
the whole town.
Road trips are a part and parcel of
life in Dibrugarh. Every weekend calls
for a long drive. And if it’s raining or
the sunset is beautiful, the call is even
stronger! Just 37kms from Dibrugarh
town is Namphaake Monastery. Its
serene and beautiful location makes it
an ideal meditation spot. The princess
of Thailand inaugurated the monastery.
A tourist attraction now, it is a relaxing
drive and you will surely find your peace
here. Tilinga (Bells) Mandir is another
blissful spot and devotees come here
from all over the state. The belief is that
you make a wish by tying a bell to the
big banyan tree in the temple. Hundreds
and thousands of bells can be seen on the
premises. Who knows how many of these
wishes have been granted, but it is evident
that the believers have increased manifold
over the years.
If it’s a road trip, you must eat ‘duck
meat’ made with gourd and tadka served
with rotis at Bandhu Dhaba on NH 37.
Over the years, many more dhabas have
opened along the highway and they all
serve delicious platters.