Silchar is a town located in Cachar district of Assam. Situated on the Surma (Barak) River, and known for its scenic beauty and natural splendour. It is popularly known as Barak Valley. Silchar is surrounded by Manipur on the east, Bangladesh on the west, Mizoram on the south and the Barail hills on the north. Silchar is located to the south of Guwahati at a distance of 313 Km. It is considered as the most important centre and gateway to Barak Valley in Assam. Its natural beauty is what it is famous for. There are several tourist places to visit in Silchar 2024.
Silchar is the second largest town in Assam. It is also considered one of the most stable areas in the Northeast and so it is locally referred to as the ‘Island of Peace’. It earned the moniker “Island of Peace” from Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India. Silchar is the headquarters of the Cachar district. It was founded by Captain Thomas Fisher in 1832, he shifted the headquarters of Cachar to Janiganj in Silchar. It is one of the most developed areas with its airports and institutes of higher education. Silchar is the site if the world’s first polo club and the first competitive polo match. An Air India flight from Kolkata to Silchar became the world’s first all-women crew flight in the year 1985. Silchar was also a tea town and Cachar Club, which is now a luxury hotel was the meeting point for tea planters. Silchar town is extremely rich in terms of culture and heritage. Approximately 90% of residents of Silchar are Bengali and speak the Sylheti dialect. The remaining 10% are people from Bihar, Manipur, Bishnupur, and Rajasthan. Some other tribal groups are staying in Silchar such as Bishnupriya Manipuri, Meitei Manipuri, Assamese, Nagas, etc.
Silchar experiences tropical weather with humid summers, long and charming monsoons, and pleasant winters. If you want to visit Silchar, winter is the best time to do so. The summer and monsoons come hand in hand in Silchar and might pose some challenges. But if you are determined to explore Silchar, no matter what weather it is? You will enjoy the best.
Silchar sightseeing consists of hills, ancient forts, temples, waterfalls, a lovely campus and many more. Silchar tourist spots are many. However, here we have listed Silchar’s famous places and a few other places to visit in Silchar, along with some places to visit near Silchar in 2024. So, if you are planning to pay a visit to the lovely town of Silchar, this list might help you.
01. Kachakanti Mandir
This Hindu temple is one of the oldest and the most divine temples, It is dedicated to Goddess Kachakanti, a combination of Goddesses Kali and Durga. In the premise, there is a temple of Lord Shiva as well. The temple was built in 1806 and the present Temple is a later construction. It is situated in the Barak Valley and is located in Udarbondh, at a distance of 11 km from Silchar. It is a historical pilgrimage and the most common temple for ethnically Bengali and Hindu people in the district of South Assam, India. The Devi Kachakanti is a graceful personification of the two most powerful Hindu Goddesses, i.e. MaaDurga and Maa Kali. It represents the empowerment of ‘Shakti’. Goddess Kachakanti has four arms, and each arm shows variously a sword, a severed head etc. Devi Kachakanti is described as the consort of Lord Shiva, whose body the Devi has been standing on. According to the mythology, she was in anger and thus Shiva her husband lied in her path to stop her from destroying the world with her rage. It is believed that the temple was built by the Kachari king. As he received a command in his dream. The temple was constructed in 1806, however, it was destroyed due to some natural disaster. The present Temple was built much later. It is the first Silchar tourist place you can visit, as it is on the way to the airport. Apart from that, if you want to visit Kachakanti Mandir, you can easily reach Udarbondh is 354 km southeast of Guwahati. You can reach the Temple by Air, by Train, by Bus or by using your vehicle. These are the major modes of transport in the valley, which can help you reach the place quite conveniently. This can be considered one of the best tourist places to visit in Silchar 2024, especially if you are more of a religious person.
02. Kachari Fort
The Kachari Fort is situated at Khaspur, which was the capital of the Kachari Empire during the medieval period. The fort showcases the rich cultural heritage and mesmerizing architecture of ancient times. The ruins are a representation of non-Aryan culture. The Kachari rulers conquered Khaspur in the 18th century. The Kachari rulers killed the Koch king without an heir to the throne. Later the Kachari rulers made Khaspur the capital and then constructed the Fort. The fort was constructed to be one of the magnificent forts, that can be visited in this area. The tourists visit this place to see the remnants of the kingdom of Khaspur which makes the place even more interesting. The fort reflects the rich cultural heritage of the ancient era. The fine quality of work that is done on the fort by the engineers of those times is commendable and mesmerising. With beautiful carvings on the walls of the fort replicate the lifestyle that the people of Assam had in those times. The fort is surrounded by lush greenery from all sides, which makes the place picture-perfect. The fort was once the pride of the Kachari Kingdom, and even today this site enhances the glory of Assam. Visiting this fort is a treat to the eyes and a wonderful experience, as you get to see the heritage of the state which has been preserved with a lot of effort. The fort reflects both Hinduism as well as the Non-Aryan culture in it. However, the walls of the fort look worn out due to age, but the feel of our ancient days makes this place worth a visit. The feeling of seeing things, which were constructed more than 200 years back is exceptional. It is also heard in folk stories, human sacrifice was practised in this place. All in all, the place is a beautiful one. It is a bit scattered and requires quite an effort to locate and see them, but the place is worth it all.
The fort is a great place to visit during the daytime. To reach Khaspur, the Silchar Railway Station is the nearest junction to it, one can use Airways as well, and from this, there are many local transportation systems like rental cars and buses that can carry tourists to the Kachari Fort effortlessly. The best time to plan your historical trip to the Kachari Fort is from October to June. It is better to avoid the monsoon season as the place gets flooded due to the occurrence of heavy rainfall in the region.
03. Srikona Jharna
The village Srikona is situated in Salchapra Tehsil in the Cachar District of Assam State, India. It is located 9 km west of Silchar, which is the district headquarters of Cachar. The Srikona Waterfall is in the border of the Cachar District and Hailakandi District. To its west is Algapur. Also, it shares a border with other districts which is Karimganj. This is one of the places to visit in Silchar which cannot be missed. This is a local tourist spot, which is surrounded by lush green vegetation and beautiful fauna. The water of the waterfall is misty white and clear, and it falls to form a lake. This chilled waterfall is an attraction for both local people and tourists. Doesn’t matter if you want to take a waterfall shower, just visit and enjoy nature, or want to get beautiful pictures, this place has got all. Also, the greenery of this place is like a cherry on the top. The colourful birds also add more flavour to its enigma. This place is just what you need to make your trip the best.
You can reach this place by Bus, Train or by Air to Silchar. Later from there, you can easily find many modes of transport like auto-rickshaws, buses, rental cars, and several other vehicles that will help you reach the spot effortlessly. The best time to be in this place is during summer, during winter the water flow of the waterfall is very low. So if you want to enjoy splashing water with your friends and family, and you are planning to visit Silchar, you must visit this place.
04. Dolu Lake
This tourist spot is located a little far from the bustling city. Of course, good things are mostly not located in the core of the city. Dolu Lake is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Silchar. It is a famous tourist place which is surrounded by beautiful tea estates. It never fails to give the experience of utmost happiness to the visitors. The calm and soothing ambience of the lake makes it even more special. It helps you seek some mental peace and this is a huge reason why tourists and even local people prefer coming to the lake. Dolu Lake is a basket of opportunities for nature photography lovers. You can spot the photographers on a regular basis during the sunrise, sunset, and night when the sky is clear for stargazing.
For spending a day at Dolu Lake, all seasons are perfect, excluding monsoons. This natural beauty charges no fee from anyone for visiting. This local site is loved by families and groups of friends. Making the place dirty is not a nice thing to do, and the local people are really conscious about it. So if you are visiting the place make sure you throw your trash in a bin only. To reach this place, the nearest railway station is Silchar Railway Station and the nearest airport is Silchar Airport. From the main town, you can easily find rental cars, auto-rickshaws, and other vehicles that will easily take you to the destination.
05. Maniharan Tunnel
The Maniharan Tunnel is about 5 km from the Bhuvan Hill where the Bhuvan Mahadev Temple is located. This is one of the major tourist places to visit in Silchar. It attracts many tourists in Assam. This place carries religious importance and is also famous amongst trackers. Maniharan Tunnel is an ancient tunnel, which was also mentioned in the epic Hindu mythological book Mahabharata. It was mentioned in Mahabharata that this tunnel was once used by Lord Krishna. There are several other temples in the vicinity of the tunnel, which are dedicated to Lord Krishna, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. The holy Tribeni river also flows below the Maniharan tunnel. This place has attracted tourists from around the country and the world is making it one of the must-visit places while you are on a trip to Silchar. Many festivals are celebrated in the Maniharan temple, such as the Holy Festival, Baruni, Doljatra, and Shivratri. During Shivratri, thousands of devotees from all the nearby places, track to worship there. The Maniharan temple is located towards the North of Bhuvaneshwar temple. You can also find a funfair on the grounds of the temple during the Holi festival. The festival of colours which is also known as Dol Purnima is celebrated with great pomp and show in Maniharan Temple. People from the neighbouring districts also come to visit the temple during Holi.
The best time to visit the Maniharan Tunnel is from October to April. During these three months, the climate of the region is mild and moderate with pleasant and sunny days and cool nights, making it ideal weather to go for tracking.
06. Salganga kalachand Ashram
It is located in a small village of Udarbondh, named as Salganga. It is an old religious ashram of Lord Kalachand. It is famous amongst the devotees of Kalachand. The place holds religious values. The ashram serves food to all once a day. Some folk stories say that lord kalachand had his meditation under a tree in this ashram. However, they believe that the tree is still alive and so they named the ashram after that. It is the best place for religious tourists.
07. Son Beel
Son Beel is situated a few kilometres away from Silchar ar Karimganj district. It is popular for its Sonbil Haor, which is the second-largest wetland in Asia and the largest wetland in Northeast India. The lake is 12.5 km long and 3.9 km wide, with a 35.4 km shoreline. Son Beel has been a fishing ground for years. Around 35,000 families are directly dependent on the bill for traditional fishing. Son Beel, is a reservoir of 70 species of fish belonging to 49 genera under 24 families have been recorded. The scenic beauty and the water body have widely attracted tourists for since long. So if you visit Silchar, take a little effort and spend a day boating and enjoying the natural beauty.
08. Chandighat tea estate
Chandighat Tea Estate is just the right place if you want to visit the tea garden. Because visiting Assam is incomplete without viewing tea gardens. Chandighat tea estate was registered in the year 2013, it has made a name for itself in the list of top suppliers in India. It is located in Silchar, Assam. It is also visited by many tourists. The beautiful tea gardens are enchanting and will add freshness to your trip.
09. Kumbha Bagan
This is another tea garden, you can visit while you are on your way to the Kumbhirgram airport in Silchar. This small tea garden will leave you spellbound with its early sunrise view. It appears nostalgic when the morning sun embraces the garden.
10. Chatla Lake
Chatla Wetland is the second-largest wetland in Assam. It is located in the Cachar district. The interesting fact about this wetland is that during the winter season, it becomes farmland where rice cultivation is done. And after winter from March, this piece of land gets filled up with water and becomes a lake. The best time to visit this place is during summer. Chatla Wetland is famous for boating and sightseeing.
Conclusion:
Overall, Silchar is the real city of hidden treasure waiting to be discovered by travellers near and far. Though many tourists are yet to be aware of it, this city in the Barak Valley of Assam is packed with natural beauties, history, culture, and friendly hospitality. The local markets, street food, handicrafts, and performing arts provide insight into the daily lives and creativity of residents.
And the people of Silchar, friendly and willing to show their dearly loved town to strangers, are what make any stay here truly enjoyable.
For those who love nature, culture, history, or food, there is something in Silchar for all travellers who want to break away from a regular tourist destination and be surprised by the richness that awaits them. So, plan your trip to Silchar now and know this little treasure yourself.
