Tezpur

Understand

Tezpur (tehz-poor, not to be confused with the similar-sounding Dispur) is the administrative headquarters of the Sonitpur district of Assam. The city's existence dates back to the Vedic period. It is a major tourist hotspot with a growing commercial market. It has numerous tea plantations and acts as a gateway to Arunachal Pradesh through Bhalukpong.

Get in

Being one of the most developed cities in the region, Tezpur is well connected by airways, railways, roadways as well as waterways.

Get around

Getting around Tezpur can be quite hectic. There are e-rickshaws, public transportation like buses, and rental cars. E- Rickshaw operators can charge huge fares on seeing a tourist. Usually e-rickshaw rides are short and cost ₹10-20 per person (as of 2022). It is recommended to use e-rickshaws instead of public transport to go around in the city as public transport vehicles are packed with people, at least most of the times. Walkarounds are usually safe and can be done easily. Cycling is a good option but don't expect anything like Copenhagen.

Going to villages and nearby towns is surely a good idea but e-rickshaws and other private vehicles are a bit overpriced. Public transportation like bus or train is recommended.

See

thumb|The Gateway of Ganesh Mandir. thumb|Bhairabi Temple thumb|The Mahabhairab Temple

Do

The city is full of historical wonders. Visit the archaeological sites and temples to relish the history of the city. The city's market, Chowk Bazaar is always active with stores for everything. Roam all around, hang out with friends, get out for dinner, enjoy with family in the parks. thumb|The Kolia Bhomora Bridge

Buy

thumb|The Rudrapath Stones thumb|Tea Plantation in the outskirts of Tezpur. thumb|Old cannons from the 16th-17th century

There are many agglomerated markets in the city. The major ones are , and . Stores offering almost all kinds of necessities are available in both the markets.

Eat

thumb|The Nag shankar temple Tezpur has a number of restaurants all around the city. With street side vendors to luxurious restaurants, you can find food from all ranges here. Here are the ones worth mentioning:

Drink

thumb|The Bamuni Hills ruins. Drinking is apparently not the reason to visit Tezpur. You can have some beer and other drinks at most of the bars, and there are wine shops around the city. However there aren't that many bars proper in the city (you can find a couple more in hotels), restaurants listed above don't list alcohol in their menus and drinking in public is normally frowned upon.

For refreshments, a cup of tea or coffee is the best. You can visit cafés for some espresso and soft drinks are available almost everywhere.

The one legal and socially accepted way to consume cannabis is as bhang, a low-grade preparation sold at government-licensed shops. You can get bhang in shops near temples.

Sleep

thumb|Usha telling Chitralekha about Aniruddha whom she saw in her dream.

There are numerous hotels, lodges and motels in and around the city offering stays at reasonable prices. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Connect

thumb|Ganesh Ghat Cell phone coverage in the city is excellent. There are three major service providers offering a wide variety of plans. Among them are Airtel, VI (formerly Vodafone) and Jio.

To call Tezpur from abroad you will need to dial the international prefix for your country, followed by India's country code +91. If you want to dial a landline no. from a mobile, then you have to add the area code of Tezpur, 03712 before the number.

Internet services are unreliable in some parts of the city. Most stores have broadband connections. Dekargaon railway station has free high-speed Wi-fi services but you need an Indian mobile number to register and receive the one-time password.